WOO-HOO

Yes I am glad to say Christmas is upon us and I'm nearly ready for it, I've finished my painting (phew) I've wrapped some presents and from now on out I pop, in festive up doos and outfits. I had a week of bugs that nealy threw me off track, but even though I had a face of pain....... I've been making a man with no hair and no tan and it's been good for relieveing my..........tention!  yes I've been helping Santa out for a certain little boy who would like a new blue friend for Christmas

Below "Blue the clown" on the slab

As you can see we're all decked up at our house!

But lucky for us the desingnated time for Blue's pick up is Friday as we've fallen for him bad and might not want him to leave!

The Blue clown before his finnishing hair

So HAPPY CHRISTMAS everyone, time for awakening the senses and sharpening the anticipation for what is about to come but look out though for those bubbly bunch of Elfs who might get you under the mistletoe!

                                           HO HO HO

ITS' CHRISTMAS!

Tha Artist have been so busy this week trimming the mill up old fashion 70's style, we had a bit of fun making our own and a drop of sherry thrown in for good measure!

Even Montee the technician was on hand to help but mainly got his tail twisted in tinsel.

 

Ladies up ladders and jokes of two blondes and light bulbs but we got it all done!

So you know the time and you know the place, SEE YOU TONIGHT!

Christmas D.I.S.C.O!

And On With The New!

After all the hussle bussle of the London show it is finally time to get on with my work and I've decided to go ahead with a new project. I won't be doing a walk this time but I have been a busy bee of late looking into the life of Sylvia Plath. The reason for my choice you ask, well I was given a book of hers "The Colossus" some years ago and found her poetry tough meat, but seeing as the lass had a connection with these parts (in fact buried around the corner) for some reason the thought just popped in my head and well, that's all it takes and then you can't shake it.

Now I like poetry. We start off with a bit of it before yoga on a Tuesday but I've been finding it hard to get into, so my thoughts were to go deeper and look first into Sylvia herself, I thought if I knew more about her then I will make the connection. I then went to see her grave in Heptenstall and when I got a chance on my own (peeps crawling all over the place to find her) I had a few words.

The huge amount of pens that people leave for Sylvia

I'm really enjoying her work now and really getting into the flow of my first piece and I've started with the poem "Mirror".

Next week though I'll be also getting my outfit ready for our Open studios Xmas eve and the theme is glam rock (just artist dress up, unless you want to?) so watch this space but after all there's really nothing shocking about a glimpse of Xmas Stocking

Open night Friday 7th December, 6.30 til 8.30 come along for free mulled wine and mince pies and bring along a little glitter if you fancy?

My international debut.....Milan's Spettacoli

Follow the link below for the full article

Spettacoli

Working It

 

The build up to my show last week was a fandango flurry, at times I felt like a doll in a box, although when interviewed I soon warmed to the peeps as they were very kind and appreciated my Halloween build up, dress for success.

Simon and I put up the show, although it took us a while I think we did the best job, we wanted you to be hit by the Witches when you came through the door then taken by the colour of the others soon after.

On a cold All Hallows Eve a party was hosted by Simon W Desmond at Newman St Gallery, he addressed a room of influential people from the world of art and a few of my mates, each well- dressed and sipping on prosecco. It was a night of glitz, the venue was packed by 5.50 and my do didn't start till 6.30.

                                              More Press!!

All our guests rather liked the pictures and Simon and Megan had me working the room and telling clues about the work, below is the article in the independent and Simon and I talking about the Witches, we kind of go off on one at the end but I guess that's what we do, you're not wrong there love!


Independent article

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/interview-with-a-pendle-witch-8256171.html

Monicle Radio interview 36:20 in

http://www.monocle.com/monocle24/?openepisode=11100055

Spookee false fun the day after, well it was Halloween!

Black Magic

A Witches Brew was afoot on Friday night at Philippe Handford's 1612 photo competition, a witch  and her helper were on hand to serve the brew to a small invited group of fabulous people. This drink was made up of vodka Tia Maria and a good old scoop of pure magic, Helen and I below, how refreshing.

Works were on show from local folk, artists, photographers and really anyone who came upon Phils huge numbers in the few days they were on that there hill. Phil below with some of the shots.

It was such a treat to bump into Pat Southern a vibrant artist  I haven't seen in years who was one of the judges.
Twas a great do.

 Saturday I headed off up to Halifax with my good friend John, back up to Dean Clough for a look at the new shows, starting with Chris Vines : The Baked Alaska Story then onto the Speaking Tubes

We were like children going to Blackpool Pleasure Beach for the very first time, the speaking tubes really did reawaken our sense of wonder! The sound travels around a ring of steel air ducting tubes and giant cones, spilling out into special listening zones. Wow.

Well that's all to report for now but hey did you catch me in the Express?

Thinking

The Grimm Grimm Ball

Yes "the Hare and the Hedgehog" that was my name, bet you didn't guess? Below with my good friend Annette and the spooky nose is John

We arrived to the howl of wolves and then drank poisonous apples from a familiar but strange man with a most dashing beard, so Grimm but yet so special at the same time MARK!

Florence lookinh FAB

Things really got going as we entered the club to be greated by a little lady in a bottle, and then more from her and her friends inside

In this game prescience is a dish best eaten piping hot, what with the fire and spokeee goings on, oh and any noise from you later on, you'd be swept off into a coffin of your own

All in all it was a mad cacophony carnival of souls in a bowl for ingredients, with a big excuse to play dress up but actually you had to be there to experience all of the fun.

Hanging with my super gang is always splendid, before hitting the dancefloor until the Arts club closed.

It's all because of Sam and Steve's good hard work, below oh and that's Kevin on the end

Thanks to my ace friend Brian for all the super pics

But the biggest thanks go to my new family the Passey's (I've adopted them) who again looked after me and put me up.

The Doctor Will See You Now

Kill time and ditch those plans to go shopping for that special outfit and come on down to the Doctors doll hospital, for a similar price you could be swanning around in one of my surgery sculptures.

Distressed wabbit or something equally spookee, you will look the part for any occaion as was I at the Grimm Grimm Ball last week at the Chelsae Arts Club, the theme was the Brothers Grimm, do you know what I went as? Can you guess what it is yet?

Well this was a hat for Jan Passey, but for my outfit you should keep a closer eye on that Wabbit.

Print Biennial

All aboard the skylark, then, for a spectacular trip to our mill for a print off! Neeta (Anita Burrows) is busy as a bee cleaning and sorting the spaces in the mill for her Print Biennial starting on the 1st September. She's pulled out the big guns with her new (bigger) studio (Mangle Print Studios) and has visiting artist from Germany and Denmark and peeps have booked on from all over the country!

So come on over and let your inner artist free, or just come for the open studios and tea and cake: next weekend 1st and 2nd Sept, 11am till 4pm.

I, on the other hand have had a week of thinking, the work is starting to come together now I've had time to settle into my own studio, that is apart from a leek in the roof, twas soon sorted though!

It's a very exciting time for me with the Witches (paintings) soon to be going to London, things like this can put one off ones work. Okay, I might not have actually done much paint to canvas but believe me the work is in my head, big time thinker below, watch out for that glove!

1612

HE HAS DONE IT!

My friend Phil and Pendle Hill have been the talk of the town around these parts for some time. He's been in local and national press from the beginning of the year, he only wanted to put 1612 on that hill for the 400th anniversary of the Pendle Witch trials, it shouldn't make a difference, it shouldn't get in the way, but it does in the lives of local folk! It was going on, it wasn't going on, he could do it, he couldn't do it, so you know what he just went and did it! And we all commend him, even people that say they didn't want it must appreciate the hard work? No maybe not, grumps and critics ought to have a bad mood forecast at the top of the hill, gloom and scattered cynicism all round for the next few days but I am tickled pink. He only has til Wednesday, then it's off, what a shame, would of been nice to have a month!

Witches Galore

There's a Tidal wave of Witches in Pendle and for once you might say it's not a bad thing! My show has been greatly recieved (and still two days to go) books, sculpture and talks all on the positive side of what happened in 1612 and roll up roll up, last week Anita Burrows turned a ordinary library into a exciting situation by openning a show of a oridignal prints by Paula Rego in Colne, courtesy of Marlborough Galleries, London.

Anita with the prints

All mill folk turned up for the event and even John B popped in from Silverdale to grab a butchers, John below with three of the prints

PSST! I have moved back to my own studio but lets keep that on the quiet side as who knows what will go wrong next, Hey lets hope NOWT.

Picnic peeps helping me move back in, below

Witches in Pendle

And so to the last show of my Witches inspired paintings in the North. The cream of Pendle gathered to sip Red Witch cocktails and view the work and also learnt a thing or three about my four day walk and camp last year.

I'm going to give myself 5 stars for refreshments, you can never have to many canapés, and with the wine, eye-rollingly sweet muffins and Witches brew to boot I think everyone had something to their taste!

The Telegraph did a super write up on myself and the show, so lets hope lots of folk now know and call in!

Well can't stand here catching flies, more paintings to paint!