inspired by

21st century self portrait - Dee Brien

See the winners of the V&A's annual Inspired By competition here.

Made

Made is a blog introducing artists and craftspeople exhibiting at Brighton Art Fair (27 - 30 September) and Brighton Craft Fair (23 - 25 Nov). You can see an interview with me here.

kousa/cross over

"Asako Ishizaki and Hillu Liebelt met in Japan and discovered similarities in their approach to the translation of their ideas into a textile medium. They developed a concept towards a communal exhibition to be shown in the UK and started on a cohesive body of work for this exhibition." The Grace Barrand Design Centre, Nutfield, Surrey. 9th September - 20th October

origin

It's nearly Origin time - it feels slightly strange not to be doing it - a mixture of relief and feeling left out! Looking at the exhibitor listings there don't seem to be any tapestry weavers exhibiting this year. Ptolemy Mann will be showing her beautiful woven panels though.

jude jelfs

I got this figure from Jude Jelfs a few years ago at Art in clay an annual ceramics festival held at Hatfield House. (It's held in August and is well worth going to.) Jude's work is usually more stylised and quite refined but this rough little man caught my eye and held it. He looks somewhat reluctant standing there. Not very heroic despite the pedestal.

art bus

Love it! More here

Interwoven

Interwoven Tapestries by Jane Brunning, Jo Howard, Louise Martin, Caron Penney (above), Philip Sanderson, Katherine Swailes and Pat Taylor. Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex. 8 - 26 September.

back to school

Our son has moved up to the big school (23 pupils!) which means no more school bus, now we can walk all the way to school on farm tracks. We were held up in a sheep jam the other day but there are no cars - how blissful is that? It's a great way to start the day especially at this time of year. The light is sharp and clear and you can breakfast as you walk on blackberries, plums and apples.

I came home fully awake and cobweb free and spent a good day collaging. I feel better for having something in that not so pristine anymore sketchbook of mine. I made several collages, each one suggesting the next. On the way back to school this afternoon my eyes felt very open, noticing everything - shadows, fence posts, barbed wire, ploughing lines. So it's back to school for him and back to work for me. (As I write he is out with our neighbour ploughing. He plans to be a farmer and a painter when he grows up!)

Aaaaaaargh

It's a love hate thing. I love the newness of it, it's smell and feel but it also makes my stomach lurch to think of drawing in it....... I'm a great procrastinator. There's always the garden to be done, laundry to wash, soup to make, bread to bake, errands to run, letters to write, floors to lay, anything but make the first mark in a new sketchbook!