Arts on Prescription at MK Arts for Health

I have just started a new project with MK Arts for Health, which I am so chuffed about as have wanted to work with them for ages! It is a 10 week Art on Prescription programme, with participants referred through their GPs or other services within the NHS. I wanted to start with something quite easy, so we have been doing collage for the past two sessions, with participants using a dream holiday vision as their inspiration. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the activity and the majority were surprised by the high quality work they produced. I was also really pleased to see how complimentary they were to one another, giving each other a huge confidence boost.

Painting collages

 

After the success of my last painting, I have decided to try another one, using a collage as a basis for a painting. This collage was produced by a group of students at Lord Grey Secondary School in MK, where I did a mini-residency last year. I absolutely love all the colours a textures within it, which together make for a really bright and vibrant composition. Normally I would start on one small section and try to get that bit complete in an hour or so, but today I decided to take a different approach and do a rough all over paint with very little attention to detail. I like the fact that I can already see roughly what it is going to look like and can easily change bits and pieces at this stage if they don't look right. Planning on going back to it in a few days and concentrating on adding depth and accuracy to one area. Then I will build from there. Hopefully this one won't take me quite as long as the last!

A bit more bunting....

I made this this morning for my friend's daughter's birthday present. They have just moved house and she has got a lovely new room, so I am hoping it will look nice strung up somewhere. Hoping to do a mural for her too soon!

Making shapes at Mini Makers, MK Gallery

 

This session was inspired by the work of artist Deborah Mills, who uses themes of balance, shape and form in her unique abstract sculptures. I would definitely describe myself as a 2D artist so anything sculpture based is out of my natural comfort zone! For the main activity I combined the 2D and 3D elements by working with the group to create colourful abstract artworks using coloured cellophane wrap stuck onto acetates. Each time someone finished a piece of work they hung it on 'cats-cradle' hanging system I had created using twine wrapped between two posts in the Project Space. We all loved watching the collaborative sculpture evolve and grow over the course of the afternoon, especially as the sun shone through the shapes and filled the room with colour.



Save the Date!

 

This is a Save the date card I have designed for my very good friend Rachael and her fiancé Chris. They are having the reception in a brewery in London and so were keen to have a beer barrel feature in the design. The did a bit of research first, looking at other save the date designs - there are A LOT out there with bunting, but not so many with beer barrels, and then I found some images of barrels. I was extremely pleased with the final result and I think they are too! I have suggested that they get it printed on brown card, rather than white if possible, as I think it will enhance the look of the barrel. Hoping they send the Invitation design my way too!

Happy New Home

Two of my very good friends Lucy and Natalie have recently moved house, so I thought I would make them a little card each to wish them the best. I think this is the first time I have used patterned papers on the roof and door and I am really pleased with the result.

Heart and Soul's Beautiful Octopus Club

 

A few weekends ago I had the absolute pleasure of being involved with Heart and Soul's Beautiful Octopus Club, for the further year in a row. Held at the Southbank Centre in London, the event is like no other I have ever seen. They take over the whole building with the most amazing array of performers and interactive activities. I was supporting on the Agozie Art Zone and we just had such a fun evening, helping people to make and create, from drawing, to collage, to sculpture, to jewellery making, all with a Nigerian theme. I really hope I can carry on doing the BOC each year and hopefully get more involved with Heart and Soul.

Finally finished...

I started this painting for my friend's 30th birthday gift months ago, but just hadn't quite got around to finishing it. But with some time off work over the summer holidays, I was able to dedicate some quality time to my studio and get this to the standard I wanted it to be. It was a based on a collage I did as part of schools project last year and I had always loved the geometric shapes and soft colours of it. I found the hardest part was getting the clean lines between the different sections - I had to redo them so many times! The tree and sea sections were also very time consuming, but I was thrilled with the result in the end. I feel like it is a good reflection of my practice - process, collaboration, collage, shape, colour, texture and of course, paint. My friend loved it to.

Musical Mini-Makers at MK Gallery

 

 

 

Last weekend I had the pleasure of delivering another Mini-Makers session for MK Gallery and I think it was one of the best sessions I have ever done. The theme was based around the exhibition currently on display in the Project Space, 'Platform', showcasing work by four local graduates. This musical themed Mini-Makers was linked to the work of Alex Wickenden, whose work depicts a fictional band, Vinny and the Verdudes. I thought it would be a great idea to make musical instruments which the kids could not only make, but play with afterwards. We made guitars, microphones and shakers, which they all just loved posing with afterwards and pretending they themselves were rock or pop stars. We also had the large projection screen on and I encouraged the kids to give me musical requests of songs they wanted to listen to and watch, which they loved!

Inspiration in nature

I get my inspiration from really strange things, like decaying wood, broken fences, peeling paint and doors...I really love doors. These a few shots I took on a walk with my boyfriend up a country lane and my work car park. I'm sure most people would think them ugly, but I just love the colours, textures, patterns and potential that they hold.

Time to celebrate

There is nothing I love more than the opportunity to make someone a homemade card, usually to celebrate something - a birthday, a new job, a baby, moving house. Here is just a few of the cards I have made for friends and family this year...

Mad for bunting

I recently had a craving to make a friend some bunting for a wedding gift. I don't know why (perhaps because I know she is into vintage things), but I certainly did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. My lovely friend Hannah told me a really easy way of doing it with pinking shears and away I went. I was so please with the result and finished it off by sewing in the happy couples initials and date of their wedding, and presenting it in a wicker basket with some retro wine glasses. She absolutely loved it!

It's been a while...

Wow I can't believe I haven't blogged since January! It's definitely not through a lack of being creative, I just forget to upload stuff! Ok let's try and get some pics up on here...

Some publicity for the Great Art Quest...

MK Gallery introduces arts project to primary school children

Great Art Quest Exhibition

 

 

Several months of hard work finally paid off last night with the opening of The Great Art Quest exhibition at MK Gallery's project space. It was so brilliant to see the fruits of the children's artwork on display and even more wonderful to see so many of the children and teachers at the event.