Sue Lawty

I attended the Creative Networks talk at Leeds College of Art on Thursday http://creativenetworkswestyorkshire.co.uk/ by artist Sue Lawty. I have met Sue a few times before and she is such an inspiring woman with her work, her approach to work and her calmness and willingness to share ideas and thoughts.  The aim of the talk was to present her World Beach Project which is in collaboration with the V&A, a virtual exhibition housed within a National Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/lawty/world_beach/map_gallery/index.php?section=1

The blog "Concealed, Discovered, Revealed" documents Sue's work with the V&A from her first commissioned exhibition work to the World Beach work

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1395_lawty/wordpress/?m=200507
"In the studio I like to be free to work intuitively - feeling my way inch by inch - making decisions based on what has been laid down previously. It’s very much a two way process - a dialogue between the artist and the work.

This apparent spontaneity is based upon years of experience and research - drawing, written and visual notes, photography, sampling, making and just looking - trying to develop a critical understanding of what it is I’m doing.

My work is abstract. It is informed by the land - most particularly by rock for it’s embodiement of time and structure. And it is informed through the study of textile - looking at qualities of texture, material, rhythm and most importantly - structure.

I am passionate about both. Both inform each other. Another dialogue.

My work in room 101 at the V&A is merely a point thirty years into a journey of discovery - destination unknown."

I had heard of the project  when doing a workshop with Sue at Bankfield Museum so up loaded my own images of Agsie drawing with stones on Tralee beach, Argyll.

The Victoria and Albert Museum site is brilliant in the way it shows the possibilities of a virtual gallery and how to engage a wide audience to contribute and share the possibilities of creativity and drawing with and within nature. So if you happen to be on a beach add another mark to the Victoria and Albert map.

Etsy Post

Just managed to post two more pieces on Etsy but need some photography or photoshop lessons asap for the next posts. Please take a look if you have a moment.

My Etsy shop

Block Library

Having realised that I had last audited my blocks in 2007 and a lot has happened since then, in my usual procrastinating manner ie. i had a hat to finish I have sorted out my blocks and cataloged them all so I know what I have and haven't. The cupboard no longer looks as if they may all fall out and I feel organised, a rare occurrence.

One block escaped addition to the block library, (it was hiding behind the door) so here it is. Please take a look at the block library it may inspire you to new creation ideas.

Frederick Fox Brim no.55

etsy shop opening

Thank you Fiona, after the lesson to my HNC students on internet presence etc motivated and with the wherewithal to try,  I have finally managed to set up an etsy store. It has taken most of the day! Computer skills needing some assistance but finally an item posted and a banner. So if you would like to take a look that would be brilliant and feedback as to the layout much appreciated.

tartan twist beret

Drawing

I am a little terrified about drawing! So I have just begun a workshop at The Art House, Wakefield with Laura Slater as tutor, looking at creating calligraphic prints, so drawing was the starting point. I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and will definitely keep going with this and make myself draw/mark make regularly as it has been very liberating and meditative.

Exhibition transferred

I took down the Roundhay School, Design for Life Exhibition at the weekend, ready for its transfer to Leeds City Museum, where it will be until April in the Leeds Story section. I found it fascinating looking again at the work of these year 10 students who had never made a hat and some had done little textile work before, they are quite fabulous. In the museum all the hats will be on hat stands in a line. It looks really elegant, but you will have to go to the museum to peruse as no photos yet. Jennie who worked with me from Visual Communication course has her photographs of the workshops on display also to illustrate the progression of the group. All very exciting and rewarding.

Amazing headwear

http://www.stylebubble.co.uk/style_bubble/2011/02/bodily-textures.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+StyleBubble+%28Style+Bubble%29

dress

by request

Ducks in the kitchen

Interesting Saturday morning - two packages from the postman. One - a beautiful vintage Harris Tweed dress that my husband just won for me on ebay. (thank you greatly) Two - a bag of duck wings from my brother, who has just slaughtered some of his flock for the freezer. They are very beautiful, yet the flesh attached definitely confirms my squeamishness and reason I am a veggie! So anyone out there who may have some advice on the best way forward with the excess flesh on the wings as I would like to use the whole wings. they have all been washed and are now in the freezer for de-lousing for a few days. My freezer is now 50:50 frozen food and dead bird remnants mmh.

Makes me have more choices as to where I go next with my MA work, the Ruffled Feather work I began last year when doing the hat for Lotherton hasn't really reached a conclusion and I would like to develop more responses to the ideas of conveying the loss of wildlife and how to we create solutions, yet the needlewoman idea also has me captivated.  Time for some reflective journal work i think.

Feltmakers display

The successful students ' hats have just come back from the Feltlmakers Guild so it seemed apt to exhibit them within college as most perceive that we make bog standard hats and these two are anything but that, however i am not holding my breath as to positive return. the hats are stunning and its wonderful t be able to show more people the possibilities of millinery.

Leeds College of Art is open Monday to Saturday and anyone is able to come and look at the exhibitions we have, there are some Rob Ryan pieces on display at the moment too. all details onwww.leeds-art.ac.uk

Design for Life project-Exhibition

Opening night of 'The Exhibition', Roundhay School's Year 10 textiles groups design response to the workshop and day spent at Leeds City Museum and their Heroes & Heroines Exhibition. I had a brilliant time working for 5 afternoons in the school, the group were inspirational and their teacher Miss Hoult even more so. Most of the students and their parents turned up to Leeds College of Art last night for the opening and they all seemed really pleased with seeing their work on show. It was a lovely evening and Esther from the museum was thrilled with the results also. The exhibition moves to the museum from next Monday 14th February.  Two Visual Communication students Elvina and Jenny were brilliant help with recording the process and helping set up the exhibition.