booklist

Since I finished my MA I've been getting back into reading.. not that I went an entire year without reading it's just most of my reading was research related and I didn't have much spare time for fun reading! I've just finished hardboiled, hard luck by Banana Yoshimoto. I think I like her books because they are remind me of murakami books - hopefully not just because they both tend to be set in Japan but theres something about them seeming quite ordinary and then having random dream/ghost/unusual side bits. Anyway I would definatly recommend her books although perhaps not this particular one as a starting book - hardboiled and hardluck are two seperate stories and I found hardluck to be quite a somber read.

Why am I randomly talking about books all of a sudden? two reasons really:
a. I'm hoping someone will reply and say - you should read and thus will solve my what to read next problem
b. I tend to read so many books I get confused when trying to recommend or remember why I liked a book. I'm going to make a note here of each book, I think it'll help jog my memory!

So a very art lacking post. I've been busy making today though which has been good. I've got an odd run of days now working Thursday + Saturday-Monday and on Friday I'm driving too and from Bath to install an exhibtion at Milsom Place . It's showcasing the work from our degree show so it'll be my MA Collection on display! The wall space I've got is a bit different though so I get to play around with the display a bit more - I wish I'd taken measurements mind it makes it much trickier to plan it in my head beforehand without them!

Not Another Rubbish Christmas

I've just made my first blog post 'Not Another Rubbish Christmas' over at the Fabrications Blog! It's all about the sustainable gift wrapping service Barley offers and the events Fabrication will be offering the service out so check out the post ... here!

I've been working on some new festive items for the bust christmas craftacular I'm feeling super festive this year (just like most years actually!) tomorrow is picture time for the new bits!

new work and interning!

more pictures

These are my new owl pieces! They come with little hooks on the back so they can be hung on the wall if you wish! I quite like the idea of having a stuffed piece hung on the wall but perhaps this is just because I imagine them alongside my wall mounted pieces - I'm sure they'd be just fine not on the wall!

I think I've mentioned that I'm interning with fabrications on here? Anyway! I am! I've been helping with workshops mostly but I'm currently sorting out different stuff so I'm based at the shop every Tuesday, whilst I'm up there I'm going to be guest blogging on the fabrications blog so please come along and read! I'll be talking about workshops and events, different store products and a little bit of behind the scenes to give an insight to the running of Fabrications! I'm really enjoying my time there + Barley is officially amazing as she made me fresh, hot, honey and lemon (!) on tuesday as I've still got a little cough left over from my uber cold!

misi craft fair!

more pictures

So since my last post I am much less ill which is rather wonderful! I completely lost my voice at one point which has never happened to me before, I was left with a rather husky sounding voice for a few days too which was quite fun... this weekend me and alexis richards (who I was on my MA with!) joined forces to have a stall at the MISI craft fair! It was fun and exciting to keep bantering beforehand about what we were making and have it all come together on the day! Hopefully it'll be the start of many a shared stall to come! I made a few new things - mostly some small stuffed owls which I love. I'm toying with naming them officially as I've named them myself already but I think nametags may come soon! I'm sending a few owls down to a gallery along with my other wall pieces next week but I'm already starting to think about some other stuffed pieces - I want them to be able to hang on the wall alongside the woodcut pieces I think.

The fair was really fun and it was good to have something to work towards - I've still got a few other things going on this side of christmas that I need to work for but I'm hoping to have a kind of break - but more in the way of a break to sit back and reflect on how to develop my current work and to bounce a few new ideas around in my head! Things have been some busy since finishing the MA (not that I'm complaining mind!) that I haven't had a chance to catch up with myself almost!

this week is all about: to do lists, posting out work, organising, tidying/sorting and gathering inspiration!

workshops!

I am super sick but I keep meaning to post this! if your in bristol please come along to our workshops! it'll be super fun! (and I promise I will hopefully be germ-free by then!)

calm air all ice presents.... art and craft@204!

more pictures!

This weekend I drove down to Bristol to meet up with Camilla to hang the new calm air all ice show! It's at 204 in Bristol! It's a window space so it was more installation than we've done previously! It was really fun + I'm excited to go back down in a few weeks as we're running some workshops in the shop space behind! I managed to get myself a job, a few days a week in an art framers which is quite exciting, more exciting is the fact that it's cycling distance from my house! I found a textile recycling centre last week which was pretty awesome! Lots of exciting new jumpers for me to make some new recycled pieces with! I'm feeling pretty upbeat today even though my list of things to do seems like it has about a million things on it!

busybusybusy

I've got a week till the show at 204 now and quite a few bits to finish for that - + the MISI event at the paintworks and workshops at 204 November 7th, also at the end of November I'll be showing work at Milsom Place in Bath! Oh and some of my recycled planes have gone up to made in the shade - if your in Glasgow on the 30th you must attend the grand opening of the masionette! It will be wonderful! It's all super motivating which is good as I've got to make some new pieces for 204, misi and aardvark ASAP!

This week I helped an artist, sarah doyle, run some workshops at a primary school - it was so much fun! I've never worked with kids that young really and it was really rewarding, so much so that I now appear to be running workshops with a local rainbows group in november/decemeber we're gonna be making calenders and doing finger knitting! I'm also trying to find some part time work of some description as it would be good to have a little bit of money coming in... this week I adventured to a biscuit factory for a trial shift - I got to ice, pack and cut oolala! It was really fun actually! Although I think as I found it so fun I probably will not get it! But not to fear I have another interview on Monday - I'm determined to find something in this climate! I'm always curious as to what other artists/designers do in that sense - can they make a living off what they do or do they have another job? what about those who read this, do you have to keep another job? One day I hope I can just make things but for now at least I think I need to have another income!