Creative Dialogues at Taunton

'Creative Dialogues' at the Brewhouse, Taunton, Somerset, is a touring exhibition by members of the PSG until March 7th 2009. Each exhibitor shows work by themselves and of a chosen collaborator. The new work produced by both partners is as a result of this creative dialogue. A one day workshop is offered in February by Sian Martin and Jenny Blackburn, who, in collaboration with each other, will offer creative ways in which artists can work together to inspire each other. Please contact me if you're interested in booking a place on this workshop. Pieces by Rose Campbell and her collaborator, Moira Dickinson. Chris Berry on the far wall. Tricia Hubbard, a past student of mine in both City and Guilds and degree courses over the years, reads the catalogue. She is a well established artist, making textiles from her own special method of colouring and laminating tissue paper.

Three large panels by Kay Greenlees make a powerful statement on the wall opposite the Phillips Gallery entrance.

The Brewhouse Theatre and Art gallery offers two areas for exhibitions: the long walls within the cafe/bar area and also the Phillips gallery, a wonderful white space with high walls, leading off the cafe/bar area. The Creative Dialogues exhibition was hung in both areas. The photo above shows visitors starting to arrive for the Opening on January 10th.

The long wall opposite the cafe/bar shows many of the framed textile pieces. Left shows work by James Hunting and above by Mary Sleigh and Jan Evans.

The long wall of the cafe/bar area shows (from the right) work by Jane Lemon, Ruth Issett and Jan Evans and her collaborators.
Ros Chilcott's three hangings based on her experience of working with a theatre group in her home village in the middle of Dartmoor. Linda Tudor's magnificent 'bowl' form sits on a plinth to the right, alongside a sculptural piece in iron by her collaborator.
Jenny Bullen's work in blue and Amanda Clayton's in ecru hang from the ceiling and make full use of the vast gallery area.
We clambered up enormous ladders to suspend items from the ceil to hang in the centre of the gallery. Tim worked from the top to attach the invisible thread from the ceiling structure and I went half way up to attach the textiles. Jenny Blackburn's large triple hanging lies on the heated floor to flatten out after packing before hanging. Jenny collaborated with Janet Stoyal, a past student, using pieces of her heat treated metal within the hanging. Visitors investigate my exhibits 'To Warm the Cockles of my Heart' and 'The Cockle Gatherer' a painting by my mother Iris Martin. A 'cloud' of suspended shibori shapes 'Shelter Collection' based on shells, hang from the ceiling in front of the wall pieces.
I am persuaded to say a few words to open the exhibition and to say thank you to everyone involved in the hard work of unpacking and setting it all up.

Dresses of Glass

Glass Artist - Diana Dias-Leao

'The Danger of the Image' exhibition runs until the Spring at Broadfield House Museum, Kingswinford near Dudley. Look up website at www.glassmuseum.org.uk

Tribute to Julia Caprara at Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show

Photographs taken by Stephanie Mawdsley

Remembering you

A message from Andrew Salmon, director of the Knitting and Stitching Shows -

"Julia Caprara died on the 24th October. She was a great friend, a consummate artist and teacher, as well as a massive inspiration for so many of us.

Alex Caprara has kindly given his permission for us to stage a retrospective to mark Julia’s contribution but we do not intend to mount that exhibition until 2010 in order to do full justice to her work. Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn have kindly agreed to curate this exhibition.

However, back in 2001 and inspired by the terrorist attacks in New York, Julia created a special piece for The Knitting and Stitching Show which comprised a ball of barbed wire – the idea being that visitors to our events could add their stitched thoughts as a gesture to the victims and their families.

Julia’s only regret about the piece at the time was that the barbed wire was fresh, bright and new. She wanted that ageing patina she associated with World War I sites!

Well, we have found that ball of barbed wire and, over the years, it has acquired that very patina that we know Julia would have loved.

We intend to place the ball in the entrance to Hall M at The Knitting and Stitching Show and, if you will be visiting and knew Julia, (or knew of her through her books, her art or teaching), we would love you to stitch or write a message for her and attach it as you come in. She loved colour – so please don’t be timid."

Below is my contribution, made up of embroidered fabric poppies stitched onto a length of ribbon - a friendship ribbon - to hang from that ball of barbed wire. I stitched it today after going to the War Memorial ceremony on our village green.

Look out for it if you're going to the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show and take a photo for me please.

'Common Threads' 2008,a selected exhibition by the Midlands Textile Forum, opens in Leicester on November 17th until December 4th.

Selectors, Sian Martin and Michael Brennan-Wood will also be exhibiting.

Textiles by Susan Strachan Johnson

I thought you might like to take a look at two spectacular textile pieces created by Susan Strachan Johnson, a current Diploma student with Distant Stitch. Susan has had a piece selected for “Twenty Artists Stitch for Peace” a show at the ACA Gallery in Toronto recently. 'Forest Floor' by Susan Strachan Johnson. This textile piece includes non-textile pieces such as a torn wedding invitation, a beer cap, the wire from a champagne cork and a jacket button ["quite a wedding" quote Susan].

'Riverbed' by Susan Strachan Johnson. This textile piece is made from re-cycled samples with hand and machine stitching and uses non-textile items such as a pop can tab, a plastic bag and some plastic net. 26” x 25” framed.

Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher, said “you cannot step into the same river twice.” Canada’s freshwaters are our most precious natural resource, and here present an allegory for the peaceful passage of time. While there is still much work to do to clean up our rivers, there is also hope. Our lakes and rivers are getting cleaner: not only do previous “acid” lakes now support fish and plant life, but the water is clearing. Now we can see our way to clearing up the detritus on the riverbed as well. In this quilt, the sun glints on an eddy of clean-looking river water, through which we see all kinds of evidence of neglect.

Distant Stitch Summer School 2009

DISTANT STITCH SUMMER SCHOOL 2009

The dates for next year's Summer School are 5th to 8th July, starting with dinner after the Textile Open Day at Urchfont Manor. Our celebrity guest tutor this year will be Janet Edmonds and the theme will be Three Dimensional Design. You can see some of her work below and via this link -

http://www.embroiderersguild.com/workshops/tutors/janetedmonds/

All Distant Stitch students are eligible to book a place. Mandy Dixon at Urchfont will start to take your booking from 1st November 2008.

mandydixon@wiltshire.gov.uk or phone 01380 840495.