Hidden; Installations at Wicken Fen National Trust Nature Reserve

Last Thursday was the installation day for the site based project at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve that myself and fellow Artist Helen Terry have been working on. After months of planning and 2 years of regular visits to this wonderful, magical location we got to see how all the work looked 'in situ'

Hidden; is a series of mixed media installations sited in 3 specific Hides at the reserve. Sometimes fairly visible and at other times in more secretive positions within the Hide, they respond to the observations and shared insights that have resulted from our research, both at the Fen and in the studio.

They 'invite visitors to share in some of the less obvious insights that have inspired' ' Glimpses through woodpecker holes.  Shafts of sunlight.  The textures of weathered windows.  Things you may not usually notice'   

The Installations can be discovered at The reserve until Wednesday 25th April in The Boardwalk Hide, Eastmere Hide and Charlies Hide.

Visitors will be able to pick up a map with locations and details in the Visitor Centre - open 10 - 5 every day.  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wicken-fen-nature-reserve/features/reflections-and-revelations-hidden-art

Meet the Artists - On Saturday 14th April at 11 - 4 pm in the learning Centre. 

Helen Installing work in Eastmere Hide

Sally installing work in Charlies Hide

Reflections and Revelations

Spring 2018 is not far away now and I'll be very pleased to see the last of this winter's grey and overcast skies. The frequent onslaught of rain and sleet hasn't been that helpful for getting out and about in the countryside. The studio has been a tad chilly too so I've been spending more time at the Digswell Arts print room attempting to complete some of the mixed media print work that i'll be displaying this Spring

Mixed Media print detail 

I love to discover new ways of working too so i've been playing around with using acetate based imagery for some current book pieces. I had produced acetate imagery for the Solar prints and I loved the way the photographs from the Fen looked quite ghostly and enigmatic especially when layering imagery together.  

Acetate paint ink and stitch Book piece 

The work for this project will be on display in 'Reflections and Revelations' - an Exhibition and Art trail by Myself and Helen Terry  in march and April this year.  

Exhibition at Babylon Arts Gallery, Ely, Cambridgeshire 9 - 22nd April

Art trail around specific sites at Wicken Fen nature reserve  23 March - end April

Getting ready for some assemblage 

Open Studios at Waterhall Farm

Myself and the fellow artists and makers at Waterhall Farm in Hertfordshire were truly delighted and astonished at the numbers of visitors that made it along to our first ever Open Studios weekend. Despite the chilly weather and rain downpour on one of the mornings we were able to welcome a large number of visitors both local and from further afield over the 2 days. Heartfelt thanks to everyone. !! We'll be opening for another weekend In the Spring. 

Prints on show at The Wynd Gallery

The new exhibition at The Wynd Gallery in Letchworth is now on and features a collection of Paintings, Prints, Mixed Media, Ceramics and Photography by regional artists. Two of my Mixed Media prints where I've used Drypoint Carborundum plates combined with Monoprint will be on show there till the end of the exhibition which runs to Nov 17th http://wyndgallery.co.uk/events/

Echo ii, Mixed Media on paper - framed 

Echo I , Mixed media on paper - framed 

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair

Out of it all arises iv Dry point and mono print 

Last weekend it was a real pleasure to pop along to the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair which was held at the Grand Location of Royal Arsenal Riverside.

Amongst the works on show were prints by Norman Ackroyd, Paula Rego and one of my favourite Contemporary artists Katherine Jones. It was a thrill to also see two of my prints on show - at the Print Solo stand. 

Out of it all arises, Drypoint & Monoprint on paper 

A Letter in mind 2017 at OXO Tower Gallery

A Sense of place is the theme for this years 'A Letter in mind' , a display of 350 small works made using a simple starting point of an envelope.     

Delighted that one of my envelope pieces has been selected to be part of this show.

All proceeds will go to the National Brain Appeal and will include donated works by contemporary invited and notable Artists, designers, actors and comedians.

Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, South Bank, London SE1 9PH

Thursday 28 Sept  (11am - 6pm)  closes Sunday 1st October at 6pm. 

All works for sale at £85 and displayed anonymously. Artists names will be revealed when purchased. 

private view A letter in mind 2016

Images from Private view A letter in mind 2015

New work

This new work forms part of a group of ongoing mixed media drawings, some of which I will be exhibiting later In the year. Responding to notions of watching and being watched and research undertaken at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, these drawings use Solar etching, mono print and stitch on paper. 

Hide no. 7 Solar etching, mono print & mixed media on paper 20 x 19 cm 

Hide No. 3 Solar etching, mono print 7 mixed media on paper 38 x 28 cm 

Hide No. 2 Solar etching, mono print & mixed media on paper 38 x 28 cm 

Hide No. 8 Solar etching, mono print & mixed media on paper 38 x 28cm 

On the Horizon

Crikey summer has been a manic time with lots happening and even more on the horizon. 

Coming up we have our Open Studios at Digswell Arts on September 23rd and 24th so we have been making work and getting the studios ready for visitors. 

Also September 9th is the planned opening of the Wynd Gallery in Letchworth and I will have some work in the opening exhibition. This is a brand new space in a fab arty corner of Letchworth. Also on show will be work by lots of wonderful local artists. More details of this in my next post. 

Hide No. 4 mixed media print 19 x 19 cm 

In the studio I have been working on some mixed media prints that explore inspiration and imagery I collected from inside the Hides at Wicken Fen nature reserve. 

Also in preparation for our group exhibition and Art trail in Cambridgeshire ( Spring 2018 ) myself and Helen Terry got together in early summer for a Studio day at Digswell Arts Print Room. A fabulously productive day !! We both felt very inspired and enthused after our immersive studio day where we chatted about some of the finer details for the show plus worked on new drawings and prints. 

Helen Terry working on some of her screen prints at Digswell Arts print room July 2017

July 2017 Digswell Arts Print room

Sally in Digswell Arts print room July 2017

Digswell Print room July 2017 Sally  current work in progress 

Being Bookish

There is something so delicious about walking into a secondhand bookshop, picking up an old tattered book and thumbing through the pages. It's the element of surprise and discovery. 

That love of books has been at the forefront of a group of book works I've recently completed using monoprint, collage and machine stitch.

Close of the day  

New Book works inspired by visits to Wicken Fen nature reserve. Part of an ongoing collaborative project with Artist Helen Terry. 

Hardly visible

One day I watched

Currently on show

3 of my new framed prints inspired by visits to Wicken Fen Nature Reserve are currently on show at the Art Nest Gallery in Hitchin, Herts. 

This new printmaking show which features a host of accomplished printmaking artists, has a distinctive Wildlife theme as artists were asked to respond to the theme of 'Birds of a Feather'. Show on till 24th June 

Hide No. 2 , Solar Etching and mixed media on paper

Open Studios - spring 2017 - A record number of visitors

We were delighted to welcome a record number of visitors to this year's Spring Open Studios at The Forge Studios In Hertfordshire. Over 309 visitors and £308 raised for the local hospice through sales of tea and cakes. We were celebrating 60 years of Digswell Arts - the Artist run platform and Artist Studio organisaton which provides affordable studios and fellowships to emerging Artists. 

We will be opening our doors once again in September as part of Herts Visual Arts Forum September Open Studios. Dates are; Saturday 23rd / Sunday 24th Sept. 2017. 11 - 4 pm

I'll be exhibiting current mixed media print work as part of a print room exhibition to include the work of Anne Houghton, Suman Gujral and Mary Down who are fellow printmakers. Also a host of studios will be open once again - a rare opportunity to meet the artists in their workplace. 

https://digswellarts.org

Print room

Weeping by Mary Down Book Art

Caryl Beach Studio

Jane Glynn Studio

Open Studios 6th & 7th May - Digswell Arts 60th - Celebration

Coming up in May we are opening our studios at Digswell Arts. 

https://digswellarts.org/2017/03/31/60th-anniversary-open-studios/

Dates; Sat 6th/ Sunday 7th / times; 11 -4 

Special surprise guest to open the event.  Meet the Artists In their studios.  Printmakers Exhibition   

tea and cake with proceeds going to local hospice. 

Julia Holt Studio May 2016

Wicken Fen and work in progress

Last saturday myself and Helen made another visit to Wicken Fen nature reserve for our research project that will lead to an exhibition of work in 2018. It was a glorious Spring day and perfect weather conditions for collecting lots of photographs. An added bonus was getting to look around the Fenland Cottage and the guide was able to provide us with lots of historical background. My favourite photos from the day are the ones from one of the observation hides. I love the way the scratched and mottled surface of the screens, that drop down over the windows, obscure the landscape and provide an unusual and uncanny viewpoint of the reserve. 

For more on this project see; http://www.helenterryart.co.uk/blog/     Also; http://www.wicken.org.uk

Coming up;

Open Studios at Digswell Arts / Saturday May 6th and Sunday 7th May

I will be showing some of my work in progress from this project - Times 11- 4 each day. 

Frivoli Gallery

Delighted to be represented by Frivoli Gallery in Chiswick, West London.

Frivoli is a wonderful gallery space just off Chiswick High Street which has a superb changing exhibition programme plus a collection of wonderful artists and designers; such as Jenny Lock and Katie Mawson. Here's a link to my page; http://www.frivoligallery.com/sally_tyrie9.php

Work in progress part 1

I seem to be juggling again, which isn't that unusual !! .

I've got a few projects running together at the moment, so studio days are very busy. From time to time I try to get a moment to work on some canvases which have been on the go for a while now.

For the main part of my time I've been experimenting with imagery and processes for the 'Wicken Fen' project. This Is involving research, both with media and historical research. The printing bit has been so much fun as I'm playing with Solar print etching again, responding to photographs collected at the Reserve..and I'm loving the results so far. 

Point of View featured on Axisweb

Delighted that a Book Arts piece I completed as part of 'Wallace 100' has been included in a feature on Contemporary Book Arts in . Axisweb

https://www.axisweb.org/collections/m6a2jne7z5wa/

This piece combines the use of mono print and machine stitch juxtaposed onto a Found book. Work for this project explores the contribution of the scientist Alfred Russell Wallace. 

Waterhall Studio - finally feeling at home

Its taken a while to get the new studio sorted out but the space is finally feeling more functional and I'm loving being amongst such beautiful surroundings. Being on a working farm means putting up with lots and lots of mud !! in fact just think 'Festival mud' and you've got the picture. 

It just means you have to be prepared - i.e.; change of boots In the back of the car and mat at the front door - plus snug boots to change into inside the studio. the plus side is the calm, natural surroundings and the ability to totally focus. Oh.... and the teashop next door in case I run out of teabags. 

Next Exhibition

A group of recently completed mixed media pieces will be in the next Bircham Gallery exhibition starting February 11th. All works predominantly combine the use of Drypoint Carborundum with mono print as well as additional layers of drawing ink and machine stitch. More pieces from this group can be seen on my page titled 'Shifting States' 

Dawn to Dusk at Wicken Fen

Last Wednesday myself and Artist Helen Terry trekked up to the stunning nature reserve of Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire for our 4th excursion to collect imagery and inspiration for our collaborative project. Luckily the sun shone resulting in some beautifully rewarding light and colours. Even more fortunate the cafe was open for a large part of the day, providing us with refuge and a place to warm up when the cold started to prove a tad too uncomfortable. 

This week Ive been in the studio mulling, drawing and perusing with a little bit of faffing.  

Current Exhibition at Off the Wall Contemporary Art Gallery, Cardiff

The Beautiful historic setting of the Old Probate Registry Office in Llandau near Cardiff is the permanent venue for the Off the Wall Contemporary Art Gallery currently exhibiting its Christmas group show.

A relatively new Gallery Addition to the area its popularity has grown very rapidly partly due to the modern Contemporary feel of the space and the way its owners put the Artwork and the Display of work at the top of its priorities.

" hospitable owners were both friendly and informative and justifiable proud of the gallery"   "brilliant lighting and friendly smart and observant staff"

I'm delighted that A group of my mixed media works including Nostos i and Rosyas - are featured in the current Christmas Exhibition.