VARC and Zoe Childerley

I am still trying to debrief myself from the weekend and research the glimpses of treasure from the Fruitmarket. One presentation was by Visual Arts in Rural Communities a wonderful organisation that offers year-long artist residencies in Northumberland. The sensitivity, diversity and beauty of work created on these residencies are astounding. One of the projects I was shown was Zoe Childerley's 'The Debatable Lands',  where Zoe walked the border of Scotland and England sketching the landscape and its features, whilst also photographing the people she met on both sides of the border. Is is a powerful and fascinating, powerful study of this area and its people that has been made into a limited edition concertina book.

Klara Lidén

I have always loved those thick wedges of posters that you see on hoardings with layers and layers of paper and information and I have always wanted to have one with a really lovely poster on the top. Here Klara Lidén has taken these crusty layers of paper and obliterated the advert with acrylic paint making these strange, faceless, silent hoardings, that are peaceful, beautiful and full of trapped history and information.

Nick Gentry I

 

Nick Gentry's social art from the obsolete takes ever day objects that have formed part of our physical histories and transforms them into contemporary portraits. This series is painted floppy discs, it is very like graffiti and has the appeal of  contemporary commercial illustration.
"People say to me well who are the subjects? well actually the subjects are the discs themselves  . . . the data inside. Nick Gentry (thank you)

Souther Salazar

Souther Salazar's illustrations, paintings, sculptures and installations are all so busy and rich in content and ideas.

Emma Kidd

More of Emma Kidd's wonderful illustrations and Moleskins, Emma has an etsy shop and a great blog.

Atisuko Inagawa Smith

A wee glimpse of the art work of Atisuko, I particularly love the newspaper domestic tools.

Pastastic

Freya's picture of me, Yes those are bags!

Today, to combat flu cabin fever, we played with pasta. The creations are now going hard ready to paint, sticky messy fun, and a good way to rid yourself of pasta, purchase, mistakes (the intestine like tube pasta is not good).

Design Ski

A little nature fron Jenn Ski http://www.etsy.com/shop/JennSki

Jenn Ski

Here are some examples of Jenn Ski's collages with text. I have been making collaged angel toys today with my students using maps and music and thus the blog is a little collagetastic. http://www.jennski.com/ This is Jenn's web page with links to her fantastic blog and shop, Jenn has a wonderful range of work including paintings, stationary.

Box Heads

My first art project (in two weeks, I can't wait) is going to be box heads, packaging boxes when you turn them inside out can be really nice and that is what I am busy doing. This image is from the blog 'Ocechou' http://o-c-chou.blogspot.com/ It is an image promoting adhesive moustaches and features from 'Gorilla' http://ourchildrensgorilla.com/ both of these sites have wonderful things for you to see, Gorillas products are fab.

Seams by Caroline Broadhead

I like the structure, the skeleton of clothes that Caroline Broadhead has exposed in her work Seven Seams, that was part of the Brighton Art Schools 150 years exhibition. c/o http://www.thylemma.blogspot.com

Ann P Smith

Above Top to Bottom: Horse, Bug (bee), Antelope

Ah! I do like a good robot, here is the work of Ann P Smith, you can see her website here: http://www.burrowburrow.com/ and also at etsy. She creates these creatures from broken machinery and assimilates them into wonderful robotic; creatures, bugs and birds.

Felt Tips Lesley Halliwell

Such a bright sunny day deserves bright sunny art, so here are some of Lesley Halliwell's experiments with felt tips.

Blue square by Lesley Halliwell

Spirograph madness by Lesley Halliwell. Lesley pushes childhood art materials to adult extremes, fantastic work is available to view at: http://www.lesleyhalliwell.co.uk/

Richard Sarson's Point

It's simple, fun and beautiful, Richard Sarson's 'Point' produced with a ball point pen going from a central point out to a circle circumference. http://www.richardsarson.com/

James May's Plasticine Garden

The gardeners are upset, but this gardener and artist loves the anarchic art event that is James May's Chelsea garden. I can't wait for Chelsea to open so I can get a good look at its garish wonder of two and a half tonnes of plasticine. I love the way it has been a creative endeavour with artists, children and viewers of James May's toy programme requested to contribute.

Yayoi Kusama

Surreal, scary, extreme and fantastic you can catch the installations of Yoyoi Kusama at Sydney MCA until June. Certainly a case of I am the art and the artist.