Getting sketchy.

Using pastels in book 150 gsm.

Evening draws in on the harbour.

There are two ways I like to sketch.  The first is the one that helps get my mind in order and pays attention to detail.  If I have a problem which needs sorting, this kind helps.

The second more sketchy one, is the type where a quick rough sketch is done to capture a mood or moment as in the harbour scene above.

The first was needed for a project you will see further on in this newsletter.

Artbomb in Tiverton, organised by fellow west country artist, Jo Mortimer, and her poet husband, Paul.

These are always fine affairs with many accomplished artists.  I had a couple of drypoint monoprint pieces hanging on the walls and smaller copper plate etchings in browsers.

Big thanks to Jo and Paul Mortimer and everyone else who took part, contributed and visited the exhibition and for all the sales.

An evening with 

Peter Hayes

If you already know Peter and his work, it comes as no surprise.

The work produced from his studio travels the world.  Indeed, Peter told me that he had spent ten years in Africa working with artisans and craftsmen and I know his travels have taken him to the West Indies and the Middle East.

I  am not sure I have ever met such an affable man.  After visiting his Bath studios a year or so back, I was so pleased he sent me an invitation to come along to his raku firing demonstration and collaborative art show he had on with three others.

(By the way, the picture above is pretty much how I'd like my new place to look). 

The show was over the first October weekend at The Silk Mills in Frome.

Peter visited India and the show 'Letting the Light In' focused on  Udaipur and 'A slice of India'.  

The exhibition also included Rupert Grey, Ananya Singhal, Shahid Parvez and Peter Brown, also know as Pete the Street due to often being found on the streets of Bath painting Plein air.

There was even an outside kitchen set up making a variety of tasty Indian treats on trays.

With a raku kiln set up in the yard, the warm evening was perfect.

Using a gas-fired kiln made of a drum and cylinder, old wood shavings in a wheelbarrow and water nearby (just in case), Peter and his son, Justin, worked their magic.

The raku firing method not only relies on temperature and wood, it also needs to be set in a tight container to enable the burn to continue without oxygen.

It is not always a precise science and Peter readily admits his work has more than an element of chance.  I for one love the chaos and as you may have already guessed, a fan of his work.

There was even a raffle which despite buying several tickets for, remain unsuccessful.

One day I hope to own a large sculpture of Peter's work.

For the meantime, here I am woman to woman with another of Peter's pieces,

and another favourite piece in the show, 'Mother and Child'.

Change in the air

Hele Bay east of Ilfracombe.

The clouds party into the Bristol Channel, buoyed along by Atlantic winds, fresh from the ocean. 

This experimental ripping and collaging of material felt right for the volatile scape of the sea. Ilfracombe is situated on the wide opening of the channel, with the Gower peninsula of Wales to the north.  However, wide skies associated with open seas still allow for that ozone blue which seems to come only from light bouncing off vast waters and sky. 

One quote received about this:

"What a wonderful technique. Like an updated 19th cent. painting."

There is change in the air.

Fallen Leaves

I've been out in the colourful countryside taking photographs and picking up leaves with a project in mind.  Strangely enough, it's not the colour which was needed.  It was very handy having them all at a level that someone of just over five feet can reach.

These deer (above) visit the garden for fallen apples which are deliberately left for the wildlife. They were so focused on another person, they didn't realise I was standing so closely.  Their number is now four as a stag has joined the mother and her two yearlings.

This lead on to a project which started off with the leaf watercolour sketches. The plan was to create some sort of 3D sculpture, the first attempt at plating an organic form. (Below). 

Electroplating uses the simple principle of harnessing the movement of electricity through a primed solution to create a complete circuit.  If the solution contains some sort of metallic element, the current will conduct particles suspended in the solution and carry them over to continue the circuit . This deposits suspended particles on its way onto whatever metallic surface is set as the receiver, or anode.  In  this case, I made a copper electrolyte solution, then coiled a copper wire which was suspended on the outside of a container.  I can almost hear some of you yawning as I type, so if you would like to know more, there is plenty online about it.

This poplar leaf looks a lot better in the photograph than it does in real life. The copper is thin enough to show up every vein, but it is also like paper whereas I was aiming for something more substantial. Not being one to give up too soon, it was back to the drawing board.

It's never been so easy for me to pick up a nettle leaf (below).

Working in lead is good as a table top project due to its low melting point. However, as I kept the temperatures down very low (using a butane burner), it also made for a thicker viscosity and the leaves needed quite a bit of filing down afterward.

As with all things, practise made each subsequent casting come out better (notice I didn't say perfect).  The brilliant thing about working with metal is that any duds can be melted down and used again.  There is much talk about lead being poisonous, and it is my understanding it vaporises at around 1.2 K Celsius so I should have been OK, but I was working with some contaminated material which gave a lot of dross, so worked outside.

If you would like to see more, there is a new website showcasing the results;

Designed by Nature.

There is also a little video to go with it.

The result; sculptural forms representing natural lines against elemental material.

The concrete has been cast with colour which resulted in an unexpected velvety feel.

Now this initial first stage is designed, I hope to further expand on the idea.

We B4's

at the

Frome Art Society

Did I mention how we were a little uncertain about the change in tack that our interactive works were to create?

The Society has restriction on size which was lifted for us so we were able to show the six works, three on each floor of the Round Tower at the Black Swan in Frome.

Opening night on the 18th October coincided with the Black Swan Open, so it was a real feast for art-lovers with much to see and try.

The exhibit which caused the most worry to make and the one we also had reservations about turned out to be one of the most popular.  Square  pieces of paper were strung onto cotton and suspended from a board to create a kind of paper chandelier.  A canvas was then set on a plinth underneath inviting people to cut a square.  The square is left to drop onto the canvas which is drawn around.  The multiple effect of many squares in seemingly random fashion build up on the canvas below.

Here are Hayley and Emma installing the piece 'Three' on the ground floor of the tower.  Luckily the ceilings are high enough!

As we already guessed, a fact which was confirmed by a visiting physicist, it is obvious that the squares will fall outside the canvas as the cut off become higher.  However, we anticipate the human factor will mean people pick it up and place it where they would have liked it to fall.  It would have been impractical to do this as a more scientific experiment on a larger fall area as the size of canvas (or paper as we originally thought) would have to be so big it would mean people walking all over it.

Above left shows a willing participant, drawing round a square and, right, another working on '18', our other participatory piece.

18, is based on two parts.  One hung on the wall, the other part-made on a table with various bits and pieces to add or subtract.  Once again, shown right, we had many people have a go at this piece as well.

Other pieces included a wall-hanging, a 3D theatre effect piece (sorry for the quality of the photo) and a piece which is designed to be hard to see, forcing the viewer to change position, which of course, makes it almost impossible to photograph.

The question raised in the last newsletter was whether it would be a success.

The answer is yes. 

East Field - oil and ink on paper

This started out a little less dark, but as black was added, it seemed to give greater gravity to the subtle colours, (and I do love a bit of black).

Hopefully, over the quieter winter period there will be opportunity to sit and do a bit more drawing and painting, for all of us.  It seems to have the same effect as reading a good book and we all need to make space for the little voice to surface and make itself heard. 

The Black Swan Open had their first night on the same evening as the Frome Art Society.  Theirs was a very busy affair and as is often the case when there are many people, the pieces were hard to see.  Art is a very subjective thing and I have to admit, not all was to my taste, but there were plenty of pieces that really caught my attention.

There is no doubt from the opening night, that it is a popular venue so I returned with a friend to see it with fewer people around. They remarked on how much they liked it and more what they would expect from a London gallery. 

I did quite enjoy this busy pigeon-holed affair which reminded me very much of Peter Blake.

Thank you for taking the time to read this quarterly letter.

If you have enjoyed reading it or have a query, please do not forget to leave a comment.

It is always good to hear from you.

Otherwise I look forward to seeing you in the new year.

For more regular updates, there is also a blog for more.

Bella X