I need to email the new owner of these paintings to see when I can deliver them and then take them over to her. I'm really pleased that these little pieces of serendipity will end up on someone's wall to be enjoyed.
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Delivery of Paintings.
Tuesday saw the take down of my exhibition at The Crompton Tavern and the chance to collect two paintings that I sold on the opening night. These are two small pieces, that started out as representational pieces, but I have to admit, they went slightly wrong. However I did like the colours, so decided to see what they looked like if I chopped them up. The result was two small pieces which really worked.
I need to email the new owner of these paintings to see when I can deliver them and then take them over to her. I'm really pleased that these little pieces of serendipity will end up on someone's wall to be enjoyed.
I need to email the new owner of these paintings to see when I can deliver them and then take them over to her. I'm really pleased that these little pieces of serendipity will end up on someone's wall to be enjoyed.
Friday, 23 March 2012
The Power of Social Media
I've recently been included in a press release and we are to have a group interview and photo taken for the Derby Evening Telegraph next week. It's very exciting and I have been boingy and buzzing since yesterday afternoon, I returned from taking Maybe for a walk to see my inbox flooded with emails arranging it all. So today my mission is to go and get my haircut!
Four Belper Artists Brought Together by Social Media Have A Chance Of Selection to Exhibit in London Gallery
Back in summer 2011 Belper artist Ruth Gray read her twitter feed and the words ‘We are looking for Desperate Artwives!’ Jumped out at her. The call on the website read:
‘We are a group of women and artists who have been putting our "artistic needs" on hold to attend to our family and work duties, but who have also never forgotten who we really are at heart. We are now ready to reclaim our artist status and are looking for others who feel they belong to this category to join our group. Desperate Artwives aims to be a starting point and a common platform to gather artists and artwork that will make our project unique. We are looking for work that is entirely created at home, in between chores, family and paying bills. All artwork will be showcased on our website, while a smaller selection will join the Desperate Artwives group in our upcoming exhibition in London. Artworks in all media are welcomed, Inc. visual, film, sculpture, performance, textile art, poetry and writers. Submissions from international artists are also very welcomed!’
Ruth immediately submitted four pieces of work that she had been painting in the evening when her children were in bed and was accepted with her work show cased on the Desperate Artwives website. Since then the project has grown from strength to strength with over forty women artists from all over the world contributing. Amy Digham the project founder has announced that Desperate Artwives is now officially supported by the Women's Art Library, Goldsmiths University of London and the Desperate Artwives Exhibition will take place from the 19/05 to the 29/05 (PV friday 18th) at the Vibe Gallery, London. SE16 4DG. Student Jerwood Prize winner 2011 Nicki Rolls, will be taking part as special guest.
What Ruth didn’t bargain for was the project bringing together Jenny Oldknow, Christine Gray and Mandy –Jayne Ahlfors all Belper artists who all share similar stories of raising families and working yet still finding time to create artwork in between, this has been an added bonus and now the artists have had opportunities through social networks such as twitter and facebook to meet up and collaborate on other projects such as the Belper Art Trail and #twitterartexhibit (taking place in Moss Norway.) All have seen their profile raised since Desperate Artwives began and are now very positive that the time spent painting in between chores is paying off!
The Belper Artists
Ruth Gray
Ruth Gray is a fine artist who is both a British and Australian citizen specialising in semi abstract artworks that explore the emotion of natural environments through the use of colour and form.
Working predominantly in acrylics, using collage to add texture. With a long background in representational art Ruth also has a love of traditional watercolours and pencil work. Because fine art was not considered to be a stable career choice, she studied Textiles Technology at University and became a clothes designer for twelve years. But continuing her art education at night school and sketching at home. After immigrating to Australia in 2003 with her husband, she found herself living hours away from any major town or city and unable to continue her fashion career, so she reinvented herself as a fine artist. Successfully selling artwork in regional and national exhibitions, solo, joint and group shows. Media attention from newspapers, local radio and regional TV followed. Eventually writing ‘how to’ articles for national arts magazines. All the while discovering new skills in fine art at the local college.
Returning to the UK in 2009 and settling in Belper on the edge of The Peak District Ruth completed a degree in International Business and has continued with her art practice. Currently represented by local galleries in Derbyshire.
Mandy –Jayne Ahlfors
Before embarking on opening a working artist studio and gallery Mandy began exhibiting her art in the year 2007 it was a big step and was encouraged by her family to take the leap into the otherside of the art world. So her first exhibition was at a lovely little gallerynestled in Lea nr Holloway, followed by an exhibition at View from The Top gallery in Nottingham. The following year Mandy was made redundant from her job as drawing office administrator this meant looking for work,after six months of looking Mandy was approached by a friend who suggested sharing studio space. This was the beginning of something new and challenging. Mandy moved her studio and gallery to her home town and opened in July 2011 in Heage Derbyshire.
Jenny Oldknow
‘I paint expressive and vibrant watercolour’s of ALL kinds of lovely animals - pets, wildlife, insects, horses, farm animals, you name it! I also paint pure abstract work.I have exhibited my work widely and my paintings have been sold throughout the UK and abroad.
Commissions are very welcome - pet portraits are a specialty! But I am happy to paint ANY animal, or an abstract piece, for your special commission!
I am an artist member of the 'Association of Animal Artists'.
Christine Gray
Christine is a mixed media artist who explores the use of colour and texture. Using a combination of collage, handmade silk papers, dyes and paint she creates abstract studies often combined with an illustrative technique.
Her work often reflects the landscape around her, including areas of Belper, Matlock, The Peak District and from visits to her parents on Anglesey. Christine also uses creative writing in her work. She is currently exploring Art and Running, painting abstract landscapes of the world in motion.
She moved to Derbyshire in 1991 and has made Belper her permanent home.
‘I studied Fine Art at the University of Derby and graduated in 2009 alongside bringing up a young family, I then continued onto a Postgraduate Certificate in Community & Participatory Arts at Staffordshire University . In 2010, I was selected for the ‘Start Up & Go’ business programme with University of Derby and since then have been working as an artist, making and selling work through various outlets and attending local festivals.
I am also working in collaboration with Andrew Martyn Sugars in our not for profit arts organisation called Corridor Arts, we put on art events in Amber Valley such as The Belper Art Trail with the Belper Food Festival Committee, that promotes collaboration between artists and works to keep our artistic community thriving.’
Desperate Artwives Project Founder
Amy Dignam.
Amy graduated from Central St Martin in 2005. Dictated by the need to support herself financially and by the fact that job prospects for conceptual artists are not exactly flourishing, Amy ended up having to take up a job that is not even remotely near her artistic ambitions. A few years on and Amy is now married, has two gorgeous girls and is still in the same job. She is a housewife, mother and part-time employee, but at heart she is also an artist who is looking for an opportunity to keep her passion going.
Meditating on her situation, Amy realised that there are plenty of women in exactly the same situation – women that continue to produce incredible work behind closed doors while they feed their babies, support their husbands and chase a job that pays the bills but doesn’t satisfy their creative needs. These women need a voice and an outlet.
What if we created a movement to celebrate these talented women? What if we could find a way to collect the work of these women and then look for an opportunity to exhibit their work? In answering these questions, Amy created ‘Desperate Artwives‘, a movement, a website and a collection of work that will eventually be sifted and shortlisted for a London exhibition.
Links:
http://www.desperateartwives.com/desperateartwives.com/Welcome.html
http://www.gold.ac.uk/make/
http://www.jerwoodvisualarts.org/
http://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2011/11/27/new-project-desperate-artwives/
http://www.jennyoldknow.com/
http://www.purpleshedstudio.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/Ruthggray
http://www.ruthgraHYPERLINK "http://www.ruthgrayimages.co.uk/"yHYPERLINK "http://www.ruthgrayimages.co.uk/"images.co.uk
http://www.artbymandy.com/http___artbymandy.com/About.html
http://davidsandumart.posterous.com/call-for-artists-2nd-twitter-art-exhibit-in-m
http://www.corridor-arts.org.uk/
Four Belper Artists Brought Together by Social Media Have A Chance Of Selection to Exhibit in London Gallery
Back in summer 2011 Belper artist Ruth Gray read her twitter feed and the words ‘We are looking for Desperate Artwives!’ Jumped out at her. The call on the website read:
‘We are a group of women and artists who have been putting our "artistic needs" on hold to attend to our family and work duties, but who have also never forgotten who we really are at heart. We are now ready to reclaim our artist status and are looking for others who feel they belong to this category to join our group. Desperate Artwives aims to be a starting point and a common platform to gather artists and artwork that will make our project unique. We are looking for work that is entirely created at home, in between chores, family and paying bills. All artwork will be showcased on our website, while a smaller selection will join the Desperate Artwives group in our upcoming exhibition in London. Artworks in all media are welcomed, Inc. visual, film, sculpture, performance, textile art, poetry and writers. Submissions from international artists are also very welcomed!’
Ruth immediately submitted four pieces of work that she had been painting in the evening when her children were in bed and was accepted with her work show cased on the Desperate Artwives website. Since then the project has grown from strength to strength with over forty women artists from all over the world contributing. Amy Digham the project founder has announced that Desperate Artwives is now officially supported by the Women's Art Library, Goldsmiths University of London and the Desperate Artwives Exhibition will take place from the 19/05 to the 29/05 (PV friday 18th) at the Vibe Gallery, London. SE16 4DG. Student Jerwood Prize winner 2011 Nicki Rolls, will be taking part as special guest.
What Ruth didn’t bargain for was the project bringing together Jenny Oldknow, Christine Gray and Mandy –Jayne Ahlfors all Belper artists who all share similar stories of raising families and working yet still finding time to create artwork in between, this has been an added bonus and now the artists have had opportunities through social networks such as twitter and facebook to meet up and collaborate on other projects such as the Belper Art Trail and #twitterartexhibit (taking place in Moss Norway.) All have seen their profile raised since Desperate Artwives began and are now very positive that the time spent painting in between chores is paying off!
The Belper Artists
Ruth Gray
Ruth Gray is a fine artist who is both a British and Australian citizen specialising in semi abstract artworks that explore the emotion of natural environments through the use of colour and form.
Working predominantly in acrylics, using collage to add texture. With a long background in representational art Ruth also has a love of traditional watercolours and pencil work. Because fine art was not considered to be a stable career choice, she studied Textiles Technology at University and became a clothes designer for twelve years. But continuing her art education at night school and sketching at home. After immigrating to Australia in 2003 with her husband, she found herself living hours away from any major town or city and unable to continue her fashion career, so she reinvented herself as a fine artist. Successfully selling artwork in regional and national exhibitions, solo, joint and group shows. Media attention from newspapers, local radio and regional TV followed. Eventually writing ‘how to’ articles for national arts magazines. All the while discovering new skills in fine art at the local college.
Returning to the UK in 2009 and settling in Belper on the edge of The Peak District Ruth completed a degree in International Business and has continued with her art practice. Currently represented by local galleries in Derbyshire.
 |
| Bondi Rip by Ruth Gray |
Before embarking on opening a working artist studio and gallery Mandy began exhibiting her art in the year 2007 it was a big step and was encouraged by her family to take the leap into the otherside of the art world. So her first exhibition was at a lovely little gallerynestled in Lea nr Holloway, followed by an exhibition at View from The Top gallery in Nottingham. The following year Mandy was made redundant from her job as drawing office administrator this meant looking for work,after six months of looking Mandy was approached by a friend who suggested sharing studio space. This was the beginning of something new and challenging. Mandy moved her studio and gallery to her home town and opened in July 2011 in Heage Derbyshire.
 |
| Mandy Jane Ahlfors in her Studio |
Jenny Oldknow
‘I paint expressive and vibrant watercolour’s of ALL kinds of lovely animals - pets, wildlife, insects, horses, farm animals, you name it! I also paint pure abstract work.I have exhibited my work widely and my paintings have been sold throughout the UK and abroad.
Commissions are very welcome - pet portraits are a specialty! But I am happy to paint ANY animal, or an abstract piece, for your special commission!
I am an artist member of the 'Association of Animal Artists'.
 |
| Red Flight by Jenny Oldknow |
Christine Gray
Christine is a mixed media artist who explores the use of colour and texture. Using a combination of collage, handmade silk papers, dyes and paint she creates abstract studies often combined with an illustrative technique.
Her work often reflects the landscape around her, including areas of Belper, Matlock, The Peak District and from visits to her parents on Anglesey. Christine also uses creative writing in her work. She is currently exploring Art and Running, painting abstract landscapes of the world in motion.
She moved to Derbyshire in 1991 and has made Belper her permanent home.
‘I studied Fine Art at the University of Derby and graduated in 2009 alongside bringing up a young family, I then continued onto a Postgraduate Certificate in Community & Participatory Arts at Staffordshire University . In 2010, I was selected for the ‘Start Up & Go’ business programme with University of Derby and since then have been working as an artist, making and selling work through various outlets and attending local festivals.
I am also working in collaboration with Andrew Martyn Sugars in our not for profit arts organisation called Corridor Arts, we put on art events in Amber Valley such as The Belper Art Trail with the Belper Food Festival Committee, that promotes collaboration between artists and works to keep our artistic community thriving.’
 |
| Belper by Christine Gray |
Desperate Artwives Project Founder
Amy Dignam.
Amy graduated from Central St Martin in 2005. Dictated by the need to support herself financially and by the fact that job prospects for conceptual artists are not exactly flourishing, Amy ended up having to take up a job that is not even remotely near her artistic ambitions. A few years on and Amy is now married, has two gorgeous girls and is still in the same job. She is a housewife, mother and part-time employee, but at heart she is also an artist who is looking for an opportunity to keep her passion going.
Meditating on her situation, Amy realised that there are plenty of women in exactly the same situation – women that continue to produce incredible work behind closed doors while they feed their babies, support their husbands and chase a job that pays the bills but doesn’t satisfy their creative needs. These women need a voice and an outlet.
What if we created a movement to celebrate these talented women? What if we could find a way to collect the work of these women and then look for an opportunity to exhibit their work? In answering these questions, Amy created ‘Desperate Artwives‘, a movement, a website and a collection of work that will eventually be sifted and shortlisted for a London exhibition.
Links:
http://www.desperateartwives.com/desperateartwives.com/Welcome.html
http://www.gold.ac.uk/make/
http://www.jerwoodvisualarts.org/
http://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2011/11/27/new-project-desperate-artwives/
http://www.jennyoldknow.com/
http://www.purpleshedstudio.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/Ruthggray
http://www.ruthgraHYPERLINK "http://www.ruthgrayimages.co.uk/"yHYPERLINK "http://www.ruthgrayimages.co.uk/"images.co.uk
http://www.artbymandy.com/http___artbymandy.com/About.html
http://davidsandumart.posterous.com/call-for-artists-2nd-twitter-art-exhibit-in-m
http://www.corridor-arts.org.uk/
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Peripatetic Art of Running
For this weeks AlphabeThursday post for the letter P, (click on the badge below for more posts) I would like to introduce my new blog - The Peripatetic Art of Running.
I have taken on a new mission to get fit and healthy lately and have been running since January. It's been a slow process, the wrong trainers for the way I run left me with rather bad shin pain, so I had to just go very very slow and easy, but keep going I did.
As usual, I find it impossible to embark on something without emerging myself totally in it, so have decided that the best way to deal with this aspect of my personality is to make art about it.
I've started exploring the colours and shapes I see when I'm out running, taking photographs on the move, and then abstracting them onto paper. I'm quite pleased with yesterdays endeavours.
I have taken on a new mission to get fit and healthy lately and have been running since January. It's been a slow process, the wrong trainers for the way I run left me with rather bad shin pain, so I had to just go very very slow and easy, but keep going I did.
As usual, I find it impossible to embark on something without emerging myself totally in it, so have decided that the best way to deal with this aspect of my personality is to make art about it.
I've started exploring the colours and shapes I see when I'm out running, taking photographs on the move, and then abstracting them onto paper. I'm quite pleased with yesterdays endeavours.
 |
| Running Routes 1 |
 |
| Running Routes 2 |
Thursday, 23 February 2012
N is for Nerves.
This weeks AlphabeThursday is N is for Nerves and I've got quite a few today. You can follow the badge below for more entries.
Tomorrow is installation day for my next exhibition at The Crompton Tavern in Derby. Its a lovely old pub steeped in history and the owner is an artist who lets other artists display their work.
For this exhibition, I've concentrated on paintings of Derbyshire and Wales, the two places that are special to me. I based the idea around Thomas Hobbes's travels in Derbyshire where he named it 'The Wonders of the Peak'
I've been busy framing, finishing off and trying to ignore the self doubt and worry. Luckily I will have some help from a fellow artist and friend to install the work, straight lines are not my strong point and its likely the paintings would all be slightly wonky if left to me!
I'm also showing some paintings for the first time, so I feel rather nervous about that too... However, I have my best Joe Brown dress ready and my friends, Red Ruff will be singing thier 3 part harmonies to entertain us all. Follow the link for their My Space page where you can hear some of their beautifully sung songs.
Tomorrow is installation day for my next exhibition at The Crompton Tavern in Derby. Its a lovely old pub steeped in history and the owner is an artist who lets other artists display their work.
For this exhibition, I've concentrated on paintings of Derbyshire and Wales, the two places that are special to me. I based the idea around Thomas Hobbes's travels in Derbyshire where he named it 'The Wonders of the Peak'
I've been busy framing, finishing off and trying to ignore the self doubt and worry. Luckily I will have some help from a fellow artist and friend to install the work, straight lines are not my strong point and its likely the paintings would all be slightly wonky if left to me!
 |
| View towards Belper, Derbyshire. Mixed Media Painting. |
Thursday, 9 February 2012
L is for Literacy - Emotional and Linguistic
For this weeks AlphabeThursday, its the letter L. For more entries, please go to Jenny Matlock's excellent blog.
This week I have done two workshops in relation to literacy. The first was to run a bookclub at my kids school and the second was as a participant at a workshop on Emotional Literacy.
I've never organised a bookclub before and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We started by making collages of our favourite characters, then I went round the room and asked the kids what they wanted from a bookclub and made a list of activities we can do over the next few months. Next month will be how to make our own books, something I have a good experience of, so we will probably do simple concertina books.
Then on Tuesday, I attended a workshop on Emotional Literacy and Multiple Intelligences run by Elizabeth Morris, a psychotherapist, psychologist and all round incredibly knowledgable lady on children and their development. To let our children grow up to be emotionally intelligent adults John Gottman recommends following 5 principles and these were the basis for the workshop that I attended.
What are the five elements of emotion coaching?
It was a fascinating day and I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to putting some of the things I learnt into place.
 |
| Branwen's Burglar. |
I've never organised a bookclub before and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We started by making collages of our favourite characters, then I went round the room and asked the kids what they wanted from a bookclub and made a list of activities we can do over the next few months. Next month will be how to make our own books, something I have a good experience of, so we will probably do simple concertina books.
Then on Tuesday, I attended a workshop on Emotional Literacy and Multiple Intelligences run by Elizabeth Morris, a psychotherapist, psychologist and all round incredibly knowledgable lady on children and their development. To let our children grow up to be emotionally intelligent adults John Gottman recommends following 5 principles and these were the basis for the workshop that I attended.
What are the five elements of emotion coaching?
- Be aware of a child's emotions
- Recognize emotional expression as an opportunity for intimacy and teaching
- Listen empathetically and validate a child's feelings
- Label emotions in words a child can understand
- Help a child come up with an appropriate way to solve a problem or deal with an upsetting issue or situation
It was a fascinating day and I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to putting some of the things I learnt into place.
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Kindness and Philanthropy - AlphabeThursday
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| Spreads a whiter wing. Acrylic and Collage on paper. June 2011 © Rachael Pinks |
I did find myself drawn to Rachel Pinks's campaign to save her art studio, The Old Lock Up in Cromford, Derbyshire. As its name suggests, her studio was the village jail in the 1700's and it sits nestled in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and Rachel set up the studio for her to do her fantastic artwork in.
A short history lessons - Derbyshire pioneered Hydro powered cotton mills, then one Samuel Slater, an apprentice from nearby Belper, headed off to America and became known as the 'Father of American Manufacturers'.
So there is a strong historical connection with Derbyshire and America that I quite love. A few years ago I took part in an exhibition which travelled to Pawtucket and I like to think that my piece of artwork is still sat on a wall in the musem there.
But, back to philanthropy, I decided to support Rachel's attempt to save her studio because she is living the dream that I wish I could be living. She is working and creating in a studio that she has worked hard to set up and maintain. So by donating, I can touch on that little piece of a dream and hopefully some of it will rub of on me.
This post ties in with Jenny Matlocks fantastic Blog and her Alphabe Thursday game. Lots of good blogs are linked to this and well worth taking a look.
My theme for philanthropy is the same approach I used with technology: to find a need and fill it. - An Wang
Friday, 27 January 2012
Mam Tor, Derbyshire
Last week I drove out to Castleton and took in some of the breath taking views. I decided to visit some of the '7 Wonders' of the Peak District, so named by Thomas Hobbes, which I am currently painting for my next exhibition.
Its known as the shivering mountain and is constantly on the move, the road beneath it was closed in the 1970's because of repeated landslides which means that the only access from the north end of the Hope Valley is via Winnats Pass, which means 'Windgates'.
This is some of the most stunning scenery in Derbyshire and it was incredibly cold when we visited.
Winnats Pass also has its own Murder Mystery Story about two lovers who were murdered for their fine clothes and £200 while eloping to the Peak Forest. It all adds to the moody feel of driving down the sunless pass before emerging to the sublime views of the Hope Valley.
When I was 6 years old, I visited Derbyshire, travelling from Anglesey during one of the hottest summers, Ladybower reservoir had dried up and we visited all the sites, Monsal Head, Chatsworth and the Hope Valley. On our arrival in Derbyshire, the heavens opened on our canvas tent and in true Enid Blyton style, we set about singing 'The sun has got his hat on... hip hip hooray!' and it worked, the sun came out and we were spent the next 2 weeks sweltering. (Thanks Mum, for remembering this!)
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| Mam Tor, Derbyshire |
Its known as the shivering mountain and is constantly on the move, the road beneath it was closed in the 1970's because of repeated landslides which means that the only access from the north end of the Hope Valley is via Winnats Pass, which means 'Windgates'.
This is some of the most stunning scenery in Derbyshire and it was incredibly cold when we visited.
Winnats Pass also has its own Murder Mystery Story about two lovers who were murdered for their fine clothes and £200 while eloping to the Peak Forest. It all adds to the moody feel of driving down the sunless pass before emerging to the sublime views of the Hope Valley.
 |
| A very cold Winnats Pass. |
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