2012 OPEN WEEKEND AT THE BIG SCREEN, GUILDHALL SQUARE PORTSMOUTH

Today I went down to Guildhall Square, Portsmouth to see what was going on for the 2012 Olympic Open Weekend at the Big Screen. Go to http://www.london2012.com/events/open-weekend-at-the-portsmouth-live-site.php for full details about the day. Alongside the outdoor events was a fantastic art, craft and vintage market in the guildhall.

I bought a kooky fabric doll (see pic) from "PANSY AND CHACHA" who are coming soon to facebook. I also really liked illustration based work by the "Hey Day Collective"www.heydaycollective.com , quirky owl cushions by Chloe Hood http://chloehtextiles.tumblr.com and vintage inspired accessories by the Rare Designer Must Haves Boutique www.raredesignermusthaves.co.uk

  

BADGER PRESS PRINT STUDIO OPEN DAY

When I wasn't dicing with hornet based danger yesterday I was hanging out at Badger Press Print Studio in Bishops Waltham for their annual open day. Screen print tutor and ace photographer Rob Luckins put on a chilled out day of printing and socialising while his sister Emma Luckins made the best cupcakes with moustaches I have tasted in a long while. Stay tuned for some new screen prints from me in the future (cake and chats got in the way of actual printing, though I did make up my screen!) For more info about Badger Press and the courses they run got to...http://badgerpress.org/blog

GIANT HORNET

I risked life and limb yesterday to bring you a pic of this enormous hornet I found. Despite the 10p I put down for scale, I'm not sure the size of this thing really comes across. I wouldn't be surprised if the neighbor's cat is missing by dawn.....

MOVING HOUSE

I have been moving house this week and consequently have quite a bit of blogging to catch up on so bear with me as it has been a busy and creative weekend......
I am now living in Knowle Village and am very much enjoying it. Apart from next door but one guitar hero-ing for hours and dawn till dusk clay pigeon shooting it is very peaceful. It's also quite exciting to live in the grounds of a Victorian Asylum after researching the area with my Brune Park School Young Roots group. Check out their film about the area at http://ashcroftheritagefilms.co.uk

Enjoy these pics from scenic Knowle, I'm sure there will be many more in the future!

Yesterday..........

Last night I made a foray into the world of willow weaving thanks to a workshop run by Judith Needham at The Ashcroft Arts Centre. Described by Judith as "trying to wrestle an octopus", willow weaving does involve trying to wrangle damp willow lengths into shapes it has no desire to be in! We experimented with different ways to make hearts (the results of which are below) and I found it weirdly addictive. I'm already thinking about wrapping bits in wool and weaving feathers into the shapes. It is also tempting to sneak out in the dead of night leaving "Blair Witch"- esq effigies dangling from the trees and porches of my neighbors. Too "Wicker Man"? Perhaps......

Take a look at Judith Needham's website for images of her beautiful willow playhouses and information on willow weaving workshops. www.judithneedham.co.uk

Introducing BROKEN BIRD HOSPITAL ...

My new website and Etsy Shop are under construction as we speak and will come together under the name, "Broken Bird Hospital". Here is a little preview...........

NEW WORK FOR SALE AS LIMITED EDITION GICLEE PRINTS...

I have just realised that I failed to post any images of the new work I created in the run up to Artsmart. All of these new pieces are available to buy and can be ordered in a range of sizes. A size and price to suit all walls and wallets! All prints are released in editions of 50 so get in there quick...

As promised here are a selection of my favourite stalls from Artsmart...

Katie Spragg's beautiful jewellery really caught my eye. Made by screen printing drawings onto porcelain, Katie's pieces feature mythical beasts in sea greens and browns that evoke a vintage feel. Check out her blog to find out more..........http://katie-spragg.blogspot.com/

I'm sure anyone who visited Artsmart will remember Hiroko Matsushita's gorgeous stall "Paperholic". Which featured a range of delicate paper products including handmade crackers, cards shaped like cups of tea with biscuits and paper birds. Check out her blog or website to see her gorgeous paper cut messages displayed in gift boxes. http://hirokomatsushita.com 

http://hirokomatsushita.blogspot.com/

Lauren Mortimer's stunning pencil drawings depicting children have a lovely retro quality enhanced by her use of vintage audio visual equipment within her compositions. Lauren's illustrations are quirky and nostalgic, visiting her website is a must...www.laurenmortimer.co.uk

Kangan Arora Design produce beautifully individual textiles and signs which draw heavily on an indian design aesthetic with a distinctly modern edge. Check out her blog for the full product range and enjoy her gorgeous photographs at the same time! www.kanganarora.blogspot.com 

TODAY a million emails, a dog and a dead duck

I promise the duck died of natural causes neither Joe the dog nor I had anything to do with it. (And no, the duck is not now in my freezer). I am building up a collection of "Fallen Fauna" photos though so stay tuned for a future project.

Post Artsmart ...

So my sleep patterns have taken a hit since the Artsmart prep began, illustrated by this view from my window at 5am. I was tempted to post the pics from 2am and 3.30am too but it was dark.

Artsmart.............

So Artsmart has been and gone and hopefully everyone has a great time. The standard of work on show was fantastic. Luckily I was stuck behind my stall otherwise I'd have a house full o' stuff and zero money.

A huge thank you to everyone who came down. Meeting so many lovely people made the weekend worthwhile and the generous comments about my work were much appreciated. In the following days I'll be posting some of my favourite stalls from the show so you can check out the talent.