channelfur

Sunday, 31 July 2011

Stockton Carnival embroidered banners

I've been busy sewing banners for the finale area of Stockton Carnival. I decided to work on them in Norway and I'm really pleased I did because I was finally introduced to the wonder of the overlocker! I can't believe I've never tried one before! Fantastic! Anyway - Stockton Carnival is on Saturday 6th August. I'm dusting off a pink wig and an extravagant clown gown for the occasion. There will be over a thousand beautifully costumed people along with dancers, drummers and performers. Keep your fingers crossed for sunshine!

Saturday, 28 May 2011

Sign-writing and shamelessly 'putting a bird on it' for Carlisle Business Centre

I've been working on a commission to create the finishing design touches for the Carlisle Business Centres Cafe Refurb in Manningham. Here are some photos of work in progress. There are also a set of five canvasses that I haven't photographed yet.

Cafe sign, not quite finished - It will have one of the orange wooden birds below applied to it. I was going to get a perfect elipse laser cut but ended up having to draw it out (a pain) and cut it myself (painstaking) with a jigsaw....turned out fine though. My grandfather was an artist but his family couldn't afford to let him take a place at the Royal College because he had 10 brothers and sisters and had to earn a living. For most of his life he did this as a signwriter. I did a bit myself before I went to art college - anyway I really got into this and felt very connected to him as I did it...

I've made two of these wooden faux 'window' blackboard menu boards for the cafe specials and put a shabby paint effect on them. Originally I was going to use old windows but they were just too bulky so I had to make them from scratch.

Close up of the paint effect on the 'windows'. One of these is also going to have an orange bird perched...

I sent for a wooden bird template from ebay thinking I'd save myself time and another jigsawing headache. Anyway the template arrived - it was flimsy and not even the design I'd ordered, a horrid, frilly looking thing, so delicate I broke it taking it out of it's envelope. So I ended up cutting my own from 6mm ply anyway and some chopstick legs - I'm much happier with these simple ones - serves me right for being lazy.

Anyway theres a comedy video (its very funny) doing the rounds of designers and artists about the general over-proliferation of bird motifs on anything and everything. This is my first EVER bird motif (I think)...but I have to say - whats wrong with putting a bird on it anyway?! Birds are lovely, feathery creatures, they're beautifully unisex and cheery. I may start putting more birds on more 'its' :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XM3vWJmpfo

Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Carnival time again! illustrations for SIRF carnival 2011

I've been working on my designs for Stockton Carnival. This years theme is 'Dare to Dream' so each artist has a section based on an aspect of dreaming. My section is called 'Dreamscape' and we'll be looking at the more surreal and bizarre aspects of our dreams. I've thought about the way we take the everyday and make it strange or ridiculous. I've come up with some funny, fantastical mixed up creatures , aliens made of household paraphanalia, an army of robots patterned with flowers and flock wallpaper as well as some peculiar clown fish and a giraffe made of sweets. There will also be some drummers performing as living surreal artworks

Monday, 11 April 2011

Sofa Monkey + co in progress

I've been attempting to reupholster my old 1960's sofa - I've had it for years and it cost the grand sum of 20 quid form a second hand shop. I used to keep it in the studio and many artists over the years have taken their rejuvenating afternoon naps on it! Anyway I took it home when I moved house a few years back and finally got fed up of its muddy green velour, black paint and pancake flat cushion. I stripped the arms and base back to bare wood and bought it a new foam cushion.

My upholstery skills leave a lot to be desired so I'm aiming for quirky, psychedelic flower power over beautifully crafted. I've finished hand-sewing the bottom cushion together and put on some newly covered buttons - it's gone slightly baggy already so I can see myself having to redo it. I've used a mix of new and vintage fabrics patch-worked together with vintage edgings and military braid.

For the back rest I've decided to make a series of faces that will be patched together, again with braid and vintage edging - I've completed a monkey and a bird - I guess I need another 2 or 3 to finish it.

Monday, 14 March 2011

a weekend at home with a Folk Art cupboard + Madame La Snake

I spent the weekend daubing a knackered old cupboard in my house with my interpretation of 'Folk Art'...It was surprisingly time consuming, I think I stooped over this for 24 hrs and didn't even paint any motifs to the sides yet. Not to mention the 15 minutes I spent wedged on the staircase by the cupboard while I tried to move its fat carcass downstairs.

A pair of silly looking 'love birds' adapted from a fabric design...

A magpie lurking in a Norwegian tree and my XL sized ginger cat Alex

This door has a cartoon of my , long dead, dog Frodo...and a squirrel that was supposed to be holding an acorn but looks like its doing something else.

I also finished the over embellishment of 'Madame la Snake', my ridiculous bejewelled draft excluder....loosely based on my Great Grandma's, which was even more bejewelled and sequined, pretty much the Mme de Pompadour of draft excluders.

Story Chair. Bradford Library. Morwenna Catt + Lucas Richard Stephens

Friday, 11 March 2011

Drawing with Thread Exhibition, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford

I forgot to plug this exhibition! I'm in it, its on at the Shire Hall Gallery in Stafford until May 1st if anyones passing through.

Drawing with Thread

Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford

Start date: 05-Mar-2011
End date: 01-May-2011

A new exhibition featuring work by ten contemporary textile artists will be on show at the Shire Hall Gallery from Saturday March 5 to Sunday May 1.

Drawing with Thread will feature artists who all use thread as a drawing tool in their work. The exhibition will feature a mixture of hand embroidered and machine stitched pieces, collage, 3D work and sculptural pieces - as well as an innovative new installation by award winning artist Debbie Smyth.

Other artists include Caroline Kirton, who produces large scale stitched drawings which chart the ups and down of adolescent life which were recently featured in Embroidery magazine, Morwenna Catt who subverts traditional imagery to create tragic toys and dark fairytales and Trevor Smith, a recent graduate of Birmingham City University whose hand stitched embroideries are hotly tipped to make him a future star of Britain's design industry.

For more information people should contact the Shire Hall Gallery on 01785 278345

Market Square • Stafford • ST16 2LD
Telephone: 01785 278345
Fax: 01785 278327
Minicom: 01785 278345
shirehallgallery@staffordshire.gov.uk

Web site: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/sams

Opening Times: Mon - Sat: 9.30am - 5.00pm Tue: 10.00am - 5.00pm, Sun: 1.00pm - 4.00pm

The Shire Hall Gallery is located in the Market Square in the centre of Stafford. Car parks, bus stops and railway station are within 5 minutes walk. Stafford is only 3 miles from the M6 (junction 13 or 14).

Monday, 7 March 2011

Animal Benches, Pupil Referral Unit, Bradford. Morwenna Catt and Lucas Stephens.

My first rough sketch for the benches

We worked at the Pupil Referral Unit to produce some benches for their garden. The young people took part in workshops, created their own mosaics and learnt all about the materials and techniques we'd be using on the furniture.