care collaboration commission

Thrilled to share that I'm working with Ruth Singer on one of three Care Collaboration commissions within Ruth's new Cultures of Care Arts Council England funded project.

My starting point is the Hope Robinson Letters Collection, on display at Erewash Museum, Ilkeston. I was very moved by particular items in the display and these have sparked ideas that I'm excited to develop.

Detail of Blossom & Thorn, installation by Ruth at the Timber Festival, July 2023

air arts workshops

In March I responded to a call out from air arts and was delighted to be selected to provide lunchtime workshops for staff at Royal Derby Hospital.

I was particularly interested as the brief asked artists to respond to the UHDB Medical Museum collection - a unique archive of over 1000 objects that provides an insight to the history of medicine and Derby and Burton hospitals. The brief also requested that an element of celebration and/or the colour blue be included to mark the 75th Birthday of the NHS on the 5th of July 2023. 

Below are the items I picked from the collection. I've developed a lunchtime mono-print drawing and block-printing activity that I really hope staff will enjoy.

Derbyshire General Infirmary

Birds eye view of the proposed new buildings - architectural blueprint

Bloomsbury & Young Architects 1891

Rubber stamps with wooden handles: Elastoplast, Hypertensive, Penicillin, Septrin, Diabetic, Asthmatic, Angina 

Lincoln Rubber Stamps 20th Century

Maddox Cheiroscope with picture cards

London Clemment Clarke Ltd 1960's

draw derby - april/may/june 🙂

My Draw Derby gatherings are simple and complex all at once. DD provides a time and space to meet and draw together and draw together: in friendship, gentle support and in building confidence.

We meet by the Waterfall Sculpture in the Market Place (shown in first image) at 10.30am on the last Saturday of each month and draw for two hours. Here's a link for the July gathering, please see eventbrite for all 2023 dates - all welcome, don't let believing you can't draw put you off.

April - Market Place Derby

Selection of April drawings

May - Derby Cathedral

Selection of May drawings

June - Bridge by the Museum of Making

Selection of June drawings

experimental drawing with horizons 6th form

My Tuesday mornings are rather exciting as I'm running experimental drawing sessions with fabulous students from Horizons 6th from at Derby QUAD. 

We had our third session this Tuesday, hardly ever take photos (no time!) BUT managed to take these beauties this week. Last week we went on a gathering walk near the river by the Museum of Making, we also took photographs along the route. This week we made drawing tools from the natural materials gathered and the photographs inspired mark-making and drawing.

To keep the DIY ethos going, the group used pestle and mortars to create 'paint' from turmeric, spinach, blueberries, beetroot, coffee, charcoal and soil! Amazing and sometimes unexpected colours were released.

Jamie captured his beautiful river photograph with the leaf drawing tool and charcoal 'ink' 🖤

for wilfred

In early 2022 I had the privilege of working on a very special commemorative commission. I pieced together vintage linen (much repaired, hemmed, some monogrammed, tea towel sized) to create a two meter hanging.

The piece was commissioned by a granddaughter in memory of her grandfather Wilfred. My heart warmed towards Wilfred while looking at documents from his life and reading a handwritten note of thanks to his son and daughter-in-law (the commissioners parents). Precious echos from which to create from and this writing became central to the piece.

I love working with repaired fabric and these textiles were skilfully mended, showing their value, that thrift and longevity were important. I added another layer, working in collaboration with the unknown sewer, connected for a time and couldn't help but wonder about their life too.

Goodbye, Hurriedly, Dear Both

play nicely

2022 was a particularly tough one.

This February I moved into a roomy one-bed rental flat in Langley Mill, Derbyshire with my cat Cilla. Unable to find affordable accommodation along the Derwent Valley I made the difficult decision to leave Haarlem Artspace in Wirksworth and the familiar people/surroundings that I love - hopefully I'll return one day.

I'm grateful for my own space and being reunited with my darling cat. Have set up a studio in the living room and am planning to take time to reengage with my art practice, pick up unfinished work and consider next steps. There is a neglected garden here and I've purchased a selection of interesting heritage seeds and plan to sew a small patch of flax.

I'm currently working as a creative practitioner for Derby QUAD, the Museum of Making (Midlands Maker Challenge) and Artcore.

Draw Derby is going from strength to strength: word of mouth and DD's Instagram is calling in the drawing kin - as I'd hoped. A regular attendee took me aside at the March gathering and said Draw Derby had changed her life, giving her confidence and the opportunity to meet likeminded, Kindly people - WOW! For more information and to book a free Eventbrite ticket see here!

Watch this space! Come on 2023 - play nicely!

pause

Having moved 6 times in the last 4 years and dealing with everything the pandemic has bought into our lives, I'm currently in low battery/preservation mode and have paused in updating my blog.

All focus is directed at finding part-time paid work(s) and securing a stable home where I can unpack and ground and b r e a t h e.

I'll pick up the threads of my practice soon (it's always buzzing around my head anyhow) and share all the fabulous things that are on the tip of my tongue 💥 

Thanks folks, sending best wishes to you all ❤️

Ink drawn insect in a handmade book made in 1944 - a gift for brother Wilfred

(inspiration for a hand stitched textile commission)