Failed bodging

Puppetry

Lines

Final Cut.

Inside the box - rough cut

Tools (frame one)

Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust

I'm thrilled and rather overwhelmed to let you know that I am the lucky recipient of a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship. QEST, the charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, was established in 1990 to advance education in modern and traditional crafts and trades in the UK. Past scholarship winners have included antiques restorers, calligraphers, book conservators, potters, silversmiths and upholsterers; I am delighted as a hand-embroiderer and textile artist to now be counted amongst them. 

The scholarship will make a significant contribution to my RCA fees and as such, allow me to focus on my course rather than a handful of part-time jobs. The application process was stress free and I am incredibly grateful to the Trustees who did their best to put me at ease during my interview! QEST make awards twice yearly - the next closing date is 20th January 2012, see their website for full details, www.qest.org.uk. You can also see profiles of other recent scholars here.

Fizzing whizbees

Apothecary - miniature installations

Fluorine
Chlorine
Chromium
Sodium
Xenon
Carbon
Sulphur
Oxygen
Hydrogen
Boron

The magic medicine worked

 

Medicine box at the Science Museum. 

Stage 2

Find or make a container

to customise or decorate and fill with original and personal images, objects, photos, artefacts materials and colour. This should visibly communicate your identity, design philosophy and ambition for Textiles at this moment in time, for your creative future within the context of SPACE at Textiles RCA.

Stage 1.

Piercing

View

As previously mentioned...

...exciting times are ahead (and given that it's been a while, some are now in fact past). The aforementioned applications paid off and I am now sadly reaching the end of a thoroughly enjoyable six month internship in the Programmes department of the Art Fund. 

On a more sanguine, yet slightly terrifying note, I am now only four weeks away from beginning my MA at the Royal College of Art! I will be specialising in Mixed Media Textiles - giving me a little more freedom than the Embroidered Textiles of my BA. I have got a couple of projects to keep me busy already and will post my progress here in an effort to make my blog into more of an online sketchbook...

Onwards

Well, Designer Crafts at the Mall was a great success! So much positive feedback from the public and fellow Society members- thank you all.

Never one for complacency though; I've been feeling as though it's time to push on with my work again. So, various applications have been made and I'm hoping for progressive and exciting times ahead...

In order to get there I've been having a bit of a review; delving back into old projects and sketchbooks, rediscoving some unexplored paths. Here are a few of the things I found:

You might like these...

Here are some of my favourite exhibitors from Designer Crafts, quite an eclectic array but all superbly executed:   

                                             

                Imogen Belfield                                                                                               Emma Yeo

       incredibly striking jewellery                                                           stunningly intricate sculptural millinery

        www.imogenbelfield.com                                                                             www.emmayeo.com

                                            

                  

                 Zuzana Denesova                                                                                         Jeremy M Price

   elegant and sophisticated ceramics                                                              beautifully made furniture

        www.ZuzanaDenesova.com                                                                        www.JeremyMPrice.com

                                                    

    

 

                    Rosanna Martin                                                                                         Anna Glasbrook

    clean and graphic ceramic vessels                                                         highly innovative 3D embroidery

    www.rosannamartin.blogspot.com                                                              www.annaglasbrook.com

 

 

Another of my favourites is ceramicist Angela Speight, I could'n't find a high res image to put up here but her work is on all the promotional material for the show and her website is well worth a look.  Designer Crafts at the Mall is open until Sunday 16th January. There are over 100 designer-makers exhibiting work so, there is something to suit every taste. For full details see the catalouge here.

And the winner is... me!

Designer Crafts 2011 got off to a great start for me at the packed Private View on Friday. I was presented with the SDC TSB Award for Excellence. The award is made to a new Licentiate and automatically promotes that person to the status of Member. The selection panel was made up of Chairman of the SDC, Fiona Zobole, along with curators Carol Naylor and Heidi Lichterman, my thanks to them for all their support. There was certainly stiff competition for the award; I will be revealing some of my favourite makers from the show in my next post, along with further photographs of the exhibition.

The exhibition is open to the public until next Sunday (16th Jan) at the Mall Galleries, London (right next to Trafalgar Square and just down the road from Buckingham Palace). For full details, see the catalouge here.

Set Up

I spent Thursday and Friday setting up at the beautiful Mall Galleries. I'd been allocated a great space right at the entrance which meant I was able to show all of the work I took along. 

Once I had decided how to display the pieces, the set-up went smoothly,  with  the help of my fellow exhibitors.

Here are a couple of shots of the work in progress. 

News from the opening night and images of the show to follow shortly.