Drawing School

Apologies for neglecting my blog for a few months but I've been busy with various things and it's just been forgotten about!

I just wanted to post about a project that I'm doing in a few weeks with the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh. I'll be running two drawing classes during half term; the Junior Drawing School which will be for children aged 8-11 and the Drawing School for Young People for 11-16 year olds.

I'm really excited about the classes as I've got some really fun drawing based activities planned for the groups; I'll be taking the term drawing really loosely and showing the children some more experimental ways to make imagery and hopefully giving them plenty of useful ideas to take home with them.

The classes are £6 for the Junior Drawing School and £10 for the Drawing School for Young People - both prices include two sessions, one with me and one with another local artist Jenna Parton. The classes take place on the 12th and 13th February and there are still places available.

To book call Turnpike Gallery on 01942 404420

Here's a couple of pages from my sketchbooks to inspire!

Winter Arts Market

This weekend I'm taking part in the Winter Arts Market at St George's Hall in Liverpool. I'll be sharing a table with Caitlin Howard and we'll both be selling various pieces of our work and other wonderful potential gifts. I've got cards, postcards, bags, tea towels, prints and badges for sale all adorned with my illustration work. The event is on Saturday and Sunday (though Caitlin and I will only be there on Saturday) from 10 til 5 so come down and say hello!

Here's the lovely flyer:

Abattoir Blues....

....is this weekend!

On Saturday (8th September) The Castle and Gullivers will be hosting 'Nothin' but...Abattoir Blues' a one day blues festival. I have been working away on posters, flyers and programmes for the past few months and this week they launched a website for the event which also features my drawings and designs! Have a look for yourselves, it contains everything you need to know about the day! It should be brilliant so come down.

Abattoir Blues Website

Abattoir Blues

Recently I created some posters and flyers for Nothin' But...Abattoir Blues a free one day event happening on the 8th September (a month from today!). Manchester based club nights Abattoir Blues and Nothin' But...Blues teamed up to organise the music event which will be showcasing some of the best acts that have performed at the two club nights in the past year.

For more information about the event visit their Facebook and Twitter pages...or have a look at my poster below! 

Abattoir Blues Twitter

Nothin' But...Abattoir Blues Facebook

Some links to a selection of the acts:

Will Jeffery

Death Vignettes

Euchrid Eucrow

Worn Journal

I produced an illustration to accompany a haiku for Worn Journal in February. The issue (issue 14) was released in May however I haven't had the chance to see the work printed...until now! I just found this charming little video flip through of the magazine made by Worn and spotted my piece! It's about 30 seconds in, the illustration of the glasses on the right is mine, unfortunately you can't see the amound of detail that I put in to the lenses through the video but that is a great excuse to buy a copy of the magazine!

Here's a little preview screenshot:

And a link to the video: click here!

Visit the Worn Journal website to buy the issue.

St. Davids Sketches

My trip to St. Davids was meant to be a complete break from work but I still made a few small sketches; it was really enjoyable to draw without it leading to a real piece of work or being for a particular purpose. The sketches were a nice chance to play around with mark making and try and capture some of the shapes of the hills and cliffs.

St. Davids

Last week I stayed in St Davids for a week at Whitesands Bay. I’ve never been to Pembrokeshire before so I had no idea what to expect but everywhere was beautiful, quiet and sleepy it was lovely! While I was there I visited a couple of exhibitions as the area has a strong traditional fine art scene. I went to a small exhibition of work by Graham Sutherland a British artist who worked from the 1930s to the 1970s.  His work was fantastic; my particular favourites being the earlier work from his time in Pembrokeshire and his work as a war artist. He used so many interesting marks and shapes turning landscapes and buildings into very abstract forms. The colours were all murky browns, greens, reds, yellows and greys perfectly capturing the tones of the hills, stones and beaches.

Some of my favourites:

 

Welsh Landscape (1936)

 

Road to Porth Clais with Setting Sun (1975)

How Sweet I Roamed (1936)

I also visited a couple of small independent galleries in Porthgain; all of the work (almost all I think) was inspired by or based on the local surroundings and there were some really amazing pieces - inky landscapes and amazing rich coloured skies. My absolute favourites though were the linocut prints by Bernard Green the subtle colours and faded tones were beautiful and the level of detail was incredible. The other gallery contained work by Alun Davies, again mostly scenes from the local area but some really lovely loose paintings of landscapes. Plus paintings of his giant dogs (one came into the gallery and it looked exactly like a polar bear!) which were very sweet.

Some highlights:

 

Alun Davies (Title and Date unknown)

 Bernard Green - 'Fishguard Harbour'

 Bernard Green  - 'Newport Castle'

  Bernard Green - 'St. Hywels Church, Llanhowel'

 Bernard Green - 'Evening Ffynonfaethog'

 Gillian McDonald - 'Coastal Path'

  Gillian McDonald - 'Sea Village IV'

Gillian McDonald - 'Autumn Farm'

I also picked up one of these lovely postcards that have been designed to celebrate 60 years of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. 

 Images courtesy of: 

BBC News South West Wales

National Museum of Wales Art Collection

London Transport Museum Pick + Mix

public.PGFL.org (Pembrokeshire Artists)

Art2By.com

Pembrokeshirecoast.com