Ted & the no.17 bus

Meet Ted, he is the driver of the no. 17 bus. He's a quiet yet friendly chap. He dreams of retiring and working on his allotment all day. He reads seed catalogues in his break and makes plans for entering his peas into the regional vegetable competition.

Size - 20cm height, width 15cm, depth 11cm

Ted is a papier mâché bird character. His clothes and accessories are made from found materials such as vintage silk handkerchiefs, scraps of tweed, leather, old buttons & even an abandoned sock. Can you work out what his beak and claws are made from?* 

Ted's leather bag contains miniature vintage style seed packets

The surface of his head and hands is decorated with extracts of a letter sent to me by my grandad that I have then printed onto tissue paper. I chose to do this as ‘Ted’ is loosely based on my grandad in terms of his dress sense and keen gardening interests. I have mentioned in a previous post that he has written to me every week since I went to university and I have decided to begin to capture our personal history in my art work. 

Grandad tends to his garden almost every day

*If you haven’t guessed yet, Ted’s beak and claws are made from acrylic nails that I have cut and shaped!

Ted's cap is made from scraps of tweed and linen. I loved making it!

Washi tape came in very handy when making the paper pattern for his shirt 

 

Here's 'Ted' in his posh greenhouse Unit Twelve. He's being very well looked after in the Contemporary Craft Open. If you'd like to meet Ted, the exhibition runs from 5th Dec 2013 to 1st March 2014. It is well worth a visit as it showcases the best in contemporary craft, both amateur and professional. Work has been selected by Little Northern Contemporary Craft Fairs, Yellowstone Art Boutique and Print Garage.

Sally Falkner’s Creature Workshop

It is always a pleasure to return to Nottinghamshire, especially when I am visiting the beautiful Hope and Elvis studio run by Louise Presley. The purpose of my trip on Saturday 2^nd February was to take part in a workshop with the lovely Sally Falkner. Sally is an interesting character, not only is she an artist but she also practises as a therapist and social worker. These experiences really shine through in the tiny, nostalgic creatures that she makes. Each one of Sally’s creatures has its own intriguing story to tell. This is partly due to the vintage cloth that they are made from and partly from the real life narratives that Sally weaves into her work.

Sally states that she uses the “traditional toy making method of winding wire onto a frame.” Initially she models a wire frame for the creature. This is then followed by wrapping the ‘body’ with wool and later cloth to add form. The head is made from old blankets which are stitched together, stuffed and joined to the body. The ears help to keep the structure of the body in place and add character. The creatures evolve through the making process and are led by Sally’s experiences and also her current treasured finds from car boot sales or charity shops.

As a lover of our feathered friends, I had set my heart on making a bird like creature under the guidance of Sally. I found the experience of creating without producing initial drawings quite interesting, as it allowed me to play more freely with the materials on offer. I was really surprised that my creature started to take on the form of a goose as I had imagined that I would create a smaller and more delicate bird. I was also drawn to the muted colours of old lace and doilies instead of the bright, patterned cloths that I would normally use. 

I have to confess that I have yet to complete my creature. I have progressed to making an apron from a vintage tablecloth for the goose. I am particularly pleased with the crocheted ‘frill’ at the bottom of the apron. I made this by adapting a crochet rose pattern given to me by Jo Johnson at French Knots Craft Studio. I am hoping to finish off my creature with a hat and shoes before giving her away to my mum who seemed quite taken with her!

I was impressed with all the different creatures that people made and the fantastic accessorising that went on. Two of my favourites can be seen below. I love the land girl feel of the creature on the suitcase and the gorgeous hand knitted cardigan of the character on the bed made by Anne of Angel Eden. I think that it is fair to say that everyone invested their own stories and personalities into their creatures.

Thanks Sally and Louise for an enjoyable and busy crafting day!

French Knots Studio - Crochet

Ever since my grandma taught me how to crochet simple flowers several years ago, I have had an urge to learn more about the craft. As she doesn’t live on my doorstep, I was determined to find a local course that would help me to make them again. Coincidentally, French Knots Studio in Sale offers courses in crafts ranging from stitch to crochet. 

Jo, the owner of French Knots Studio has transformed a brick outhouse at the bottom of her garden into a stylish yet homely haven and it is here that she runs her classes. The outhouse is beautifully decorated and is stuffed full of pretty textiles ephemera to inspire her students.

Jo has a generous manner and endless patience with her students. She has an obvious love of textiles and this really comes across as she guides you through the making process. The intimate size of her classes means that you get as much help as you need. The small, friendly nature of her studio allows students to chat, share advice, swap stories and munch on delicious biscuits (most important!). 

I’m delighted to say that my confidence with crochet has grown. After three courses I have gained enough skills to make a granny square cushion cover, a star garland and now I’m back full circle to making flowers. I’m not sure what I’ll use the flowers for yet but the most important thing for me is that I am enjoying making them again. Thanks Jo! 

 

SGS Explorers - Hydrotherapy Arts Project

Earlier this year Gifted and Talented Sale Grammar School students in Year 9 and 10 were commissioned by Lime, one of our Trust partners, to produce art work for the Hydrotherapy Arts Project at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.  The Therapy and Dietetic Department was in the process of being refurbished by Lime artists. The overall theme was based around the idea of journeys and sea voyages to reflect both the funding from Thomas Cook children’s charity and the hydrotherapy area within the unit.

The Secret Treasure Map that the explorers are next to is by Dawn Prescott and located in the Waiting Room of the Main Reception Area

Lime took inspiration from Thomas Cook’s round the world tours and aimed ‘to create a sense of journey of discovery and wonder for everyone who visits and works in the Therapy and Dietetic Department’. The theme runs throughout the unit and art work was especially created for corridors and changing areas to treatment rooms and the pool.

Our students were given the brief of creating art work for the waiting room and treatment areas. The work had to be suitable for the patient age group (1-16) and fit into a small box frame. I decided to tackle the brief by showing students the work of folk artists such as Julie Arkell, and challenging them to make an ‘explorer’ each. The students worked on the projects on several Saturdays from January to March, starting off with a wire and papier mache base and ending with stitched or knitted costumes. Each explorer was mounted on top of a map inside the box frames. The students also produced an account of the journey that their individual explorer was taking. The resulting accounts are humorous and imaginative.

The students’ work is absolutely outstanding and sits very comfortably with the commissioned pieces by artists Helen Kitchen, Brian Chapman, Rob Vale and Dawn Prescott. The project has afforded students the unique opportunity of a live commission and has made a significant contribution to our local community. It is now a bright, fun and interactive environment for all users of the unit– from patients to staff. You can see an overview of the transformation of the unit by clicking here.

Samantha Bryan’s Fairy Workshop

On Saturday 20^th October I left the busy city behind and went into the beautiful autumnal Nottinghamshire countryside to the Hope and Elvis Studio for a workshop with Samantha Bryan. Hope and Elvis is run and owned by textile artist Louise Presley and is situated on the idyllic Welbeck Estate. The Hope and Elvis studio is spacious, light and airy and is a treasure trove of textiles ephemera old and new. I went on a bag making course there a few years ago and have been eager to return to such an inspirational and welcoming space ever since.

Samantha Bryan is the creator of wonderfully humorous fairy sculptures. Louise had organised for Samantha Bryan to help us produce ‘fairies’ in her whimsical and quirky style. Her work is inspired by ‘victorian gadgetry and invention’ and is constructed with great technical skill and attention to detail. The sculptures are fashioned out of ‘wire, leather, found objects & collected materials’. Some of my favourite features of her work involve tiny roller skates made from buttons and ear muffs made from acorns! Samantha took us step by step through her fairy making process and was happy to let us work at our own pace, giving extra tuition whenever it was needed.

It was a fantastic day and I relished the opportunity to work with a contemporary craft practitioner. Both Samantha and Louise were extremely generous with their ideas, materials and time. The atmosphere was relaxed throughout and it was brilliant to see a range of different ages happily working together. There was even the added luxury of tea on tap and easy access to delicious confectionery – a must for keeping creative minds going!

I documented the experience throughout the day in the hope that it will give you an insight into Samantha’s methods of working. Samantha’s fairies usually take her around three days to create and she works on lots of different fairies at the same time going from heads and hands to wings and feet.

I love the fact that my fairy evolved organically from scraps of leather and found natural materials. I had a loose idea of what I wanted to make at the start of the day but let the materials on offer and the making techniques lead the design.

I didn’t manage to complete my fairy at the workshop but have thoroughly enjoyed finishing her off each evening this week. My favourite part of the whole process was working with such soft and richly coloured leather. I also loved accessorising her and have got carried away with knitting tiny leg warmers and weaving a miniature scarf complete with pompoms.