Wednesday 19 September 2012

19th September 2012

 


I am very pleased to be working at Fenners. My studio feels comfortable and useable. Today we tried the heating and my radiator works. I also put some shelves in the old electricity cupboard which happens to be in my studio and I am delighted that everything has a place now! I am really grateful to the Digswell Arts Trust for providing me with the studio.

I am doing two main things in my studio.  First I am making some children's book illustrations.  I have an MA in Children's Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art and I have not yet approached a single publisher or agent.  That seems a bit remiss of me and I am attempting to make some dummy books and see if I can find anybody who would like to publish them.  I am now teaching just one day a week and this is the first time in the past ten years that I have had time to spend regular designated time in my studio working on my own art work.  I am excited about that and feel as if I have met up with an old friend.


Secondly I am making a lot of small, handmade books; this started as a way of practising making books and ensuring that I made something everyday, before my studio was ready and while I was doing a lot of teaching, but it has taken on a life of its own, as I hoped it would, and has become a way of exploring many things including the tactile, emotional and physical qualities of 'real' books.  I have also been making animations of the books in movement.  The short animation below is on show at Fenners at the moment as part of the Herts Open Studios.

If you'd like to see what I and the other Fenners artists have been doing please come along this Saturday or Sunday (22nd/23rd September) and have a look.: Fenners Building, 7 Openshaw Way, Letchworth, Herts SG6 3EN

Thursday 13 September 2012

13th September 2012

Enjoyed visiting Goodwood Sculpture Park in Sussex yesterday. Always good to see exciting large scale work in beautiful surroundings.


  Open Book by Diane Maclean 



  Host by Peter Burke 
























Luke by Tony Cragg




No work by Laura Ford at the moment but I found this picture of a piece I love which I saw there years ago.  And I've also added a video of her talking about her working process:







Saturday 8 September 2012

8th September 2012

It is great to be working in my studio at Fenners in Letchworth and I am extremely grateful to the Digswell Arts Trust for making me a fellow.

It has taken months for this to come to fruition but the building is now up and running and we are in residence!

This weekend (and again on the 22nd/23rd September) Fenners is open as part of the Hertfordshire Open Studios.

Here's a link to the DAT website for details.