Thursday 24 June 2010

Workshops, workshops workshops.....

Here is a plan/timetable of the evening workshops we will be doing during the second week of our exhibition. Each workshop will be 2 hours long (we are running 2 at once, as there is plenty of room in the shop).

Screen Printing – Monday 9th August, 6-8pm, £12

Come along and learn the basics of screen printing. Design and cut your own stencils for a 2 colour print onto a t-shirt or a tote bag. Bring black and white ideas and an apron!

Lino Printing – Tuesday 10th August, 6-8pm, £12

Come along and learn the basics of the traditional relief printmaking technique of lino printing. Cut your own design, then, using a printing press, print your image onto fabric, paper or a tote bag. Bring ideas and an apron!

Etching – Wednesday 11th August, 6-8pm, £15

This beginner’s workshop in etching will cover the details in theory of the process of etching and a practical opportunity for you to develop your own print. We will be using the safe process of copper sulphate on Zinc so that there is less chance of any tummy upsets and you can access it more easily.
Design your own plate, then create a print on fine quality paper using black and white with at least one other tone. Bring ideas for small designs, remembering you will have to think in reverse, and an apron!

Needle Felting – Monday 9th August, 6-8pm, £12

Learn the simple but effective technique of needle felting, which can be used to embellish, create or sculpt textile pieces. Once you know the basics you will learn how to make your needle felted fabric into anything, from lavender filled hearts, to keyrings and cushions. Bring ideas, and any fabric you may want to embellish!

Teddy Bear Making – Tuesday 10th August, 6-8pm, £12

Learn the basics of teddy bear making, including designing a pattern, sewing up and decorating. Design and make your own quirky character to take away. Bring ideas and any fabric you might want to use.

Handbag Making – Wednesday 11th August, 6-8pm, £12

Learn the basics of creating your own handbags, a great way to recycle unwanted clothing. You will learn about designing patterns, lining your bag and adding straps. Design and make your own bag to take away. Bring ideas and any fabric or clothes to recycle!

Places are limited to 12 for each workshop, so book early to avoid disappointment! (please note booking will open on 1st July, stay tuned for details!)

Thursday 17 June 2010

The Story of an Exhibition - Part 1 - The Application Process

The first part of any exhibition is applying to actually have the exhibition. In April of this year I received an email from Arts Development at Stockton Borough Council about empty shop space available in Stockton Town Centre, a project called “Meanwhile….. in Stockton.”



At first I thought, hmm I’m not sure I can do this, a whole exhibition by myself? I haven’t been doing that much of my own work lately. Then I thought of two other local artists, who had met recently, and decided that this would be the perfect opportunity for us to work together again.

Next was the meeting to discuss what exactly we would do with the space if we got it. I love these kind of meetings, they’re always a bit crazy, lots of ideas flying around, trying to get 3 creative people to mesh their ideas together is a mission. Eventually we came up with a week of an exhibition/shop, including some of each of our work, curated by me into some semblance of order. Following the exhibition we planned on a week of workshops, using each of our skills to give the people of Stockton a taster of lots of different things. Of course it was even more of a mission pinning down a two week period between then and October, when all 3 busy people could be free, but eventually we figured it out.

So I filled in the form and off it went to the council for a decision. Filling in the form is more complicated than it seems, you need to make what you want to do sound exciting, different, new, unique if possible, to increase your chances of being accepted. It’s a little like writing a personal statement. It took me a lot of thinking, drafting and re-drafting before I was happy with the result.

A couple of weeks later the verdict was in, we had the space and a small grant to pay for materials and publicity, for both the exhibition and the workshops. Yipee!

Stay tuned for the next part in story of an exhibition, coming soon!

The Button Box & Easel

We Make – Monday 2nd – Friday 6th August: During the first week The Button Box & Easel presents an exhibition/shop featuring the work of local artists Anna Cole, Paula Jackson, Adrian Moule and members of the Phoenix Art Group.

Each of the artist’s individual style is completely different, with the inspiration for their work drawn from subjects such as nostalgia & childhood, as well as florals, local landscapes and maps. This seemingly random combination is brought together by the three artists shared love of art as a method of relaxation, art for improving well-being, and art as fun!

The work featured will include textiles, embroidery, and accessories alongside painted, drawn and printed works.


You Make
РMonday 9th РFriday 13th August: Following on from the exhibition is a workshop programme that gives you the chance to make your own! There will be daily drop in sessions from 10am Р3pm, during which the artists will be available to provide mini workshops on various printing and textile techniques, such as screen printing, lino printing, collagraph printing, wet felting, needle felting, appliqu̩, and making your own accessories. Drop in sessions are free, although there may be a small charge for some materials.

In addition there will also be a programme of evening workshops, from Monday – Wednesday, where you can spend a more intensive session learning a specific technique or process. These workshops will cost £12, and places are limited so they need to be booked in advance, either in person, or via email. Stay tuned for more details of these workshops.

This is an exciting opportunity to see some of the fantastic work of some of Teesside’s local artists, as well as learn some new techniques and create some art of your own!

This blog will document the process of applying for and organising such an event, and will include more information on each of the artists involved, as well as lots of information about the workshops, and how to book places.