News from the Studio

Over the past 2 months I have been enjoying immersing myself in my artistic practice amidst the glorious countryside environment that surrounds my studio, in a small corner of Hertfordshire.

The work I have recently been developing started taking shape whilst undertaking the residency at Wicken Fen, that I worked on with Helen Terry back in April. We were both immensely pleased with the work we completed for this project and touched by the feedback we received but we also felt that there were areas of interest that could be taken further.

Digswell Print room, July 2018

Although we work in quite different ways and with different media we decided the best way to move these emerging ideas forward would be through a series of joint studio days.

Helen Terry’s Studio in August 2018

In August I spent a fabulously productive day in Helen’s studio experimenting with materials and process to take some of these ideas further.

Helen’s palette in the studio - For the main part of the day we undertook some practical experimentation with media and imagery.

We started the day chatting and writing masses of notes about our ideas, whilst sitting in Helen’s lovely summer house - Specifically we wanted to identify areas of interest that we felt had scope to be taken further. Also, to explore the ‘cross overs’ and our ways of working in order to add breadth and depth to our working practices.

Monoprint drawing, drawing ink on Japanese paper.

Armed with a mass of materials and tools it was fun ‘mixing it up’ and working out of our comfort zone.

Monoprint drawing, ink and acrylic paint produced in Helen’s studio. Laid out on my studio floor at Whitwell and thinking about ways to frame.

We came away from the day with some food for thought and both buzzing to spend some time in our studios seeing where some of these ideas could go.

Photograms laid out on my studio floor at Whitwell and thinking about composition and how they could be framed up.

Over the past month its been a case of working on several threads of thought both in my studio as well as the darkroom at Digswell Arts and also in the Print studio there.

Although at the moment I am not sure where some of the work is going, the journey is proving to be both challenging and rewarding.

Digswell Print Studio August 2018. Working on some new plates.

Work in progress, Digswell Print Studio, August 2018. Solar etching and mono print on Japanese tissue.

Work in progress, Digswell print studio, September 2018, solar etching and mono print on Japanese tissue.

Helen and myself will soon be getting together again for a second collaborative practical day where we will be reviewing and reflecting on the work we have both been developing over the summer. In my next post I will be able to reveal more of our project and our plans for a future show of work. Also a sneak peek of the larger canvases I have been working on and some smaller experiments with Cyanotype printing.

Sketchbook page - Sept 2018

A Sense of Place

Week 2 - Woodlawn, New South Wales

One of the things I love about being an artist and a teacher, is the opportunity to meet new people. Being an artist itself is a continual learning adventure but the additional role of teaching can bring a whole host of extra rewards. Working with others no matter what their level of knowledge can show you new skills and new ways of doing things. Crucially you can also learn new things about your self. Being an artist can be a fairly isolating time and at times it is good to have the peace and contemplative space of the studio. However, I also find it important to occasionally get out of the studio environment and make the most of opportunities to work with other artists and see new places. The great thing about this trip to Australia, and working for Fibre Arts, was that it combined all those things. 

Morning mist at Woodlawn, New South Wales, July 2018

Group photo o nthe last day - with my students from the Print and Stitch class, at Woodlawn. We were feeling a tad relieved to get the exhibition of work up. 

For the second week we were located at St. Johns College, Woodlawn, New South Wales and from the outset it was clear that the exotic, milder climate in this region of Australia would provide a very different kind of vista to the first week in Victoria, where the temperatures had been much lower. 

Early morning mist rising from the river 

The school was sited fairly high up on a hillside and surrounded by a river that virtually circled around the entire area. Early morning especially provided some beautiful misty views - it didn't take long for me to regret not packing my camera - I had to resort to getting pictures with my phone. 

Student work 'detail' from my print and stitch class.

Student work in the Final day Exhibition - Print and Stitch Bookwork 

Student work In the final exhibition - book piece using a found book, mono print, collage and stitch. 

Detail of student work using found book covers, monoprint, collage and stitch. 

In the second week we all got a bit obsessed with book making - Art Books of course. This was helped massively by the fact that the trade stalls had lots of old books fo sale. In an immersive experience such as Fibre Arts Australia ideas can become contagious and we were all learning from each other - whether it was a method of making or a way of using the materials. In our Print and Stitch Class we also had time for a nice long and meaningful session on the Saturday morning for a group critique - this was the first time a few of them had ever done anything like that and they found it to be a very useful way to reevaluate their work and move forward.  

Collaborative Book piece which we made as a group for the 'Top Table' and charity auction

Saturday afternoon and some time off - got to visit Byron Bay, New South Wales - crazy to think this is winter 

On route home I got to see the beautiful location of Brunswick Heads on the East Coast - a peaceful tranquil small town just up the coast from Byron Bay. Normally going home can be a bit of a drag - long waits in the airport or a tricky connection to get there. This time it was a joy thanks to one of the lovely ladies in my class called Ann, who gave me a lift in her Mobile home. On the last day we did a 3 hour leisurely drive heading north and along the East Coast to Brisbane Airport, combining lots of chatter with even more sightseeing.  I had my very own tourist guide - how lucky was I  

Brunswick Heads, New South Wales, July 2018 - last day enroute to Brisbane Airport 

The Art of Collaboration

Looking back, one of the most rewarding aspects of taking part in The Winter Fibre Arts Australia Programme was the opportunity to work with such interesting and like minded artists. The first few days back in my studio in Hertfordshire has been a case of recording all the ideas that have come directly from this experience. So many ideas are simmering away that i'm having to put some ' on the shelf' for now.

Top left; small work by Seth Apter (New York Artist and Tutor) I acquired this piece when we swapped our work. The other pieces are small playful pieces I made during the second week. 

At the end of the first week spent at Ballarat we had an exhibition of the work produced during all 9 Workshops. I was blown away by the variety of media and approaches. 

Book piece made in Sue Ferrari's Embroidery workshop, Ballarat 

Detail of work made in Kirsten Ingmar's Plant Dyeing Workshop, Ballarat

Work made in Charlotte Sehmisch's Sculptural Felting Workshop, Ballarat

Work made in Meghan O'Rourke's Jewellery Workshop, Ballarat

Work made in Seth Apter's Book making Workshop, Ballarat 

Lorell Lehman Fantasy Figures Workshop, Ballarat

A Collaborative book made by Jet James's Class using Collagraph prints ( for the Auction) 

Work in progress spotted on the workbench in Judith Gray's Encaustic Workshop 

When you put several artists together In the same space with a multitude of materials to play with its inevitable that one result is the crossing over of ideas and its fun to see that some of the artists will be doing some collaborative projects over the immediate months to come. In the second week especially, and due in part to the wonderful array of objects to be found on the trade stalls, we all got a bit obsessed with old tins and books. Seth Apter made some wonderfully inspiring pieces for the inside of some rusty tin lids and over the coming months Glenys and Nonie have set themselves a challenge to make a series of art pieces for tins that will go into one of their auctions. I can't wait to make some work to go inside a set of tins I picked up - I'm mulling over what to do with the Emu Feathers that were inside them.  

I'll be making some work to go inside this gorgeous old tin I discovered on the Trade stand run by 2 lovely ladies that have an eye for 'finds'

Exploring Fresco Paints on book pages. 

Workshop times would often go on into the evening which gave us all some extra times to pop into each others workshops to see what was going on. In the second week I got to try out some of the gorgeous chalky paints that Seth Apter uses in his practice - these are supplied by Paper Artsy, a company based in the UK. Since getting back to the Uk I've ordered a few colours and Im having fun experimenting with them on some of my larger mixed media pieces In the studio. 

In my next Blog Post I want to share some of the stunning scenery of Australia and especially the exotic and at times eerie location we found ourselves in for the second week.

No Kangaroos, but a wealth of talented artists

Last week I returned from a 17 day trip to Australia where I had been delivering a series of Print and Stitch workshops as part of the FibreArts Winter Programme. It was strange leaving the sweltering heat of our UK summer and arriving into the midst of their winter but aside from being so far from my family, the trip was sheer joy and a very special memorable time. I feel so honoured to have been invited there and to have met such a great bunch of artists. 

Kirsten Ingmar and myself at Bexhill, New South Wales, Australia. (2nd week) 

Sunset watching at Bexhill, just before dinner. Kirsten also wanted to get some more flora and fauna for her wonderful plant dyeing workshop. 

Week one.

FibreArts Australia is primarily run by two amazing women, Glenys Mann and Nonie Sutcliffe and they are assisted by a host of additional artists, quite rightly called the 'Golden Team'. They deliver a series of similar events across the year, each one featuring a group of invited artists from across the globe. 

The first week's event was held at Ballarat Grammar College, an hours drive from Melbourne and the location of the stunning Lake Wendouree. Ballarat itself is a charming town stuffed with grand Colonial ( Gold rush) wooden houses. On our half day off I was fortunate to get treated to a drive around the location by 3 of my students Debbie, Kaye and Jenny. Glimpsing house after house brought to mind scenes from Wild West movies.

I was particularly struck by the wealth of talent amongst the Tutors and it was fascinating to learn more about their practice through their slide show talks. These were held throughout the week and luckily I got to do my talk on the first evening so I could sit back and enjoy the rest of the week feeling relieved I had got mine out of the way. We also had the opportunity to display and sell our work at these talks.

The Australian Tutors were Judith Gray, Kirsten Ingmar, Sue Ferrari, Meghan O'Rourke, Jet James and Lorell Lehman. The other Tutors from outside of Australia were Seth Apter (New York) and Charlotte Sehmisch, (Weimar, Germany). The large team working hard to keep the event lively and entertaining and look after all the guests included Ginnie, Sue and Angie as well as chefs, cleaners, site managers and school liaison reps. Many of the attending students were accomplished artists in their own right and there were a fair few who had travelled by plane and across several time zones to reach the event; eg; from New Zealand and Singapore. 

Lake Wendouree, Ballarat, Victoria 

10 X 10 sale of Artwork , featuring donated artwork.

There were a multitude of side events which made the week extra special, many of these raised impressive funds for supported charities. In particular FibreArts supports the Indian Water project - an inspirational venture headed by Glenys and Nonie - http://www.fibrearts.jigsy.com/india-water-project

Events during the week included timed sales of donated artwork plus an Auction of donated artwork on the final evening. Also trade stands where students (and tutors ) could stock up on media, books and tools. 

Work top and Classroom used for my print and stitch workshop- The Language of Marks

Student work;  by Kaye

Student work;  by Wilma

Student work; By Rhonda

Student work; By Kerrie

At the end of the week there was an exhibition of all the artwork created and it was stunning. An amazing quantity of work produced across all 9 classes. I was very proud of my own students and I was delighted that a few of them had also had a go a making a small book piece. This gave me an idea for my second week. More to come of this in the next post !

A group of us fly off to the east coast for the second week which was held in New South Wales.  More to follow in the second post. 

Classroom at Ballarat, with paper, tools and example work plus work for sale. July 2018

Waterhall Open Studios

Thanks so much to all our visitors to this years Open studios event at Waterhall Farm. We were blessed with good weather and it was very rewarding meeting lots of new people who were discovering our tranquil corner of Hertfordshire for the first time. We also had lots of support from fellow Artists, friends and family and we really appreciate their visit, which was invariably accompanied by fruitful discussions and useful feedback. 

Here is a small glimpse... ... (most images are from my studio and I also managed to quickly nip round and get a few pictures from Miriam's and Graham's studio too)

Miriam Fraser Studio

Miriam Fraser Studio

Graham Matthews Studio

Over 300 visitors to our Forge Open Studios

A heartfelt thanks to all the visitors to this years Open Studios weekend at Digswell Arts Forge Studios. We had lots going on. Our promotion this year to publish our event was a real team effort and we think it paid off as we had over 300 visitors. We had lots of social media posts leading up to the event, giving sneak peeks, plus some newspaper and magazine articles. I also got to promote the event on BBC 3 counties radio, which was lots of fun.

work by Mary Down

Work by Kirke Raava

Work by Jane Bottery

Film and Photography by Caryl Beach

Installation and sculpture by Bob Spriggs

work by Juliana Loveday

Here is a link to the interview I had on BBC 3 counties radio - this short interview is 2 hrs 10 minutes into the programme which started at 6am on Saturday 2nd June. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p067bd3n

Next Up - I have my Studio Opening at Waterhall Farm Studios in Whitwell this Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th June at 11am to 4pm. Other Open studios on the same site include Alex Mcintyre, Graham Matthews, Miriam Fraser and Aneta Wiorek. Langley End studios are also opening on Saturday 9th June - and just a short drive up the road. 

In June - not 1, but 2 !! Open Studios Weekends

I'll be at Digswell Arts on Friday 1st June for the PV and on Sunday 3rd June, along with fellow artists and printmakers. On both days you'll be able to meet and chat with a large number of the artists and see their studios. We have also invited the Wi to sell tea / coffee and cakes. 

I'll also be opening my own studio at Waterhall Farm, in Whitwell along with 4 of my fellow artists on the same site on Saturday 9th June and Sunday 10th June.

The artists at Langley End Studios, just up the road, are also joining us and opening their studios on Saturday 9th June.

Times for both events are 11 am to 4pm. 

more specific details and images to follow soon. 

Exhibition images and on the Horizon

A glorious spell of Spring sunshine, coinciding with a Bank Holiday, is finally providing me the opportunity to sit in a shady part of my garden and update my website with images of new work and news of what's been going on. 

Myself and Helen had a wonderful few weeks in April putting on our show of work at Babylon Gallery in Ely. Coinciding with this we installed art work in 3 of the Hides at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. We have been overwhelmed with the response to the show and we are still processing the many positive comments that we've received from the many visitors. 

Babylon Gallery, Waterside, Ely April 2018

The work on show included Mixed Media, Photography, Prints and Drawings. Visitors could also view a slide show on a large screen Tv which revealed additional images from the project as well as our working practice. 

Somewhere In-between ii,  Mixed Media on paper

Meet the Artists, Sunday 22nd April 2018 

The meet the Artist events at the Gallery and the reserve also gave us the opportunity to chat to some of our visitors and talk about the themes and inspiration behind our work. 

Perceptions 3, Helen Terry, Dye, Acrylic and stitch on antique linen. 

Working on this project has been a joy and we are both very pleased with what we have accomplished, both at the reserve (the Installations and trail) and the work on show at the gallery.

We are currently planning and researching new project opportunities and locations. 

We still have some catalogues left that document the project, the location and resulting work. Neither of us has produced a document like this before so we are chuffed to have had orders from destinations as far afield as New Zealand and Iceland, amongst others. 

Catalogues can be purchased directly from either myself or Helen.

Coming up ;;

Helen has work on show in 'a contour a curve - the lie of the land'  at Gallery 57, Arundel from 19th may to 27 Aug https://www.gallery57.co.uk/contour-a-curve-the-lie-of-the-land

Also, I will be taking pat in Open Studios at Digswell Arts on Sat 2nd June and Sunday 3rd June and will have work on show in the print room

plus I will be opening my studio for the Open Studios at Waterfall Farm, on sat 9th June and Sunday 10th June

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