My Studio

I am moving studios at the end of June. Just one floor down. I am ready for a change and a big clear out and though I may have less storage in the new space I will have a south facing window and a window seat to sit in and dream!
Anyway if there are any local artists reading this my lovely space is now up for grabs. Here is the advert.

STUDIO AVAILABLE AT THE HEARTH CENTRE, HORSLEY

Attic West studio will be available for rent at the Hearth Arts Centre, Horsley, from Monday 1^st July 2013.

The Hearth Centre has 8 studios, a café and a community hall.  The centre is open 7 days a week, and artists are expected to attend their studios and have them open to the public at least 3 days a week, and take part in 2 Open Studio weekends a year. Monthly rent of £154.12 which includes the Service Charge is payable on the first of each month.

If you would like to view the studio please ring Maurice Holliday on 01661 853 919 to arrange a convenient time.

For further information about the Hearth please visit our website www.thehearth.co.uk or email Jo on office@thehearth.co.uk

To apply,  send a letter of application and CV detailing your professional practice and exhibitions, and attach up to 4 images of your work.  Please also provide the names of 2 character references.

Applications can be emailed to Jo on office@thehearth.co.uk or posted to

Jo Bourne, The Hearth Arts Centre, Main Road, Horsley, NE15 0NT.

The deadline for applications is Friday 17^th May 2013, after which shortlisted applicants will be interviewed.

Home is where the art is

I'm going to this. If you are in the North East hope you can too as there will be a lovely display of work.

Indigo

A lovely day yesterday indigo dyeing with friends. Can't wait to use these many bits of fabric in a range of blues and unpick and untie all the bundles thrown into the cauldron. I am including new pieces using blue at The Festival of Quilts  at Birmingham NEC this summer where I have been offered a gallery to showcase my work. More info HERE

Just Finished 2

Here is the partner piece to the one I blogged the other day. The lilac star has been cut out of an old Irish farm quilt.

Grace Darling

I have been up the coast today to deliver this piece to the Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh. It is 175 years since Grace Darling assisted her lighthouse keeper father to rescue shipwrecked people from rocks near the Longstone Lighthouse. The museum curator has selected some responses from artists to the story for an exhibition in the summer and here is the piece I have made. It is based on traditional sailor's pincushions and the words "Grace had an English Heart" are taken from a Northumberland popular song. 

Just Finished

I have just finished this piece today and put it in a frame. It is a response to a much bigger quilt I have made for an exhibition at Farfield Mill in June. I have made 3 quilts but haven't blogged about them yet because I can't find anywhere to photograph them adequately. I don't have a very minimal home so there are no empty white walls to do it against. I guess once they are up in the show then I can get some good images. This piece is a collage of lots of little bits of fabric and pieces taken from several worn quilts and then stitched  together to merge into a new from. There is quite a lot of tiny little embroidery stitches that extend the sprig motif in one of the old patterned fabrics.

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American patchwork

 I have already sold this  but I would just like to say thank you to the kind person in USA who sent me a bit of old quilt. You can see it has been used effectively here.

My Open Studio

This week I am having to have a massive clear up in my studio ready for this weekend's event at The Hearth. If you are not interested in us artists then at least come for the Vintage Bazaar and update your home for Spring with something retro or find some interesting fashion or accessories.

I have been trying to put on a brighter display to encourage Spring to come back again ( it was here briefly for one day last week). Here is one of several new monotypes and collages that you will see in my studio.

and here is one wall of my studio...

stitching

I usually do everything by hand but here I have got out the machine to add a bit of drawing to the middle area of this collage. I'm not really sure though I do like the red stitching..

Vintage comes to Hexham

Jayne and I are pleased to announce that we are bringing vintage to Hexham. We have opened up the booking for stalls this week so if you are interested then please contact me HERE

Indigo Blue

An old piece of quilt over dyed with indigo and a  bit of appliqué.... I love blue.