The Winter Hibernation of a Mixed Media Artist

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Yesterday was the last open day of the Studio Gallery for 2013. The Gallery will now become my sitting room for the winter, and will slowly undergo a transformation into "The Movement and Action of Worms" exhibition, which will be part of Coastival in February 2014. Lots of work to do, but 3 years preparation has gone into the planning of the exhibition, and I'm really excited to see the outcome.

I'm going into hibernation so that i can work on the exhibition, a commission and preparation for BCTF in Harrogate in April. All well defined projects, fixed end dates, and predictable outcomes. Just how I like to work. I will be around and about for my birthday weekend 6th December, and there is a musical evening at the gallery in january - details to follow - but essentially i am now out of circulation - not that anyone will notice probably!!!

And then, in the spring/early summer I hope to start working on the totally unpredictable result of one of the hardest personal  journeys I've been on.  The long saga of our property in Lockton, on the Moors near Pickering, came to a head a couple of weeks ago, with news that the sale had fallen through (again) and we knew we needed, at least, to "winterproof" the buildings. While organising that, my enthusiasm for the place, and its potential, just bubbled over again, so The Pantry at Lockton is about to undergo Plan 74:z stage (<iiii) part 109!

Hopefully working with a group of Ryedale artists, and with backing from the Parks Authority and the Parish Council, my husband, Rob, and I, are going to set up a Charitable Trust which will play host to a gallery and seasonal tearooms, run a weekend residential workshop programme, including Poetry, Art, Photography, nature studies, walking groups, and, and, and - with accommodation and activities for up to 6 guests. 

More work needs to be done on the building, and obviously there is a huge mountain of administration and planning to undertake, but Rob and I have re-gained our enthusiasm for Lockton - and each other - with 300 miles distance between us, and the next year will hopefully bear fruit in many aspects of our lives which we have struggled with. Watch this space.

So, until the Spring, you can keep in touch with me on my exhibition blog www.movementofworms.blogspot.com  x x. Have a great Christmas if i dont see you over my birthday weekend. X x. 

Commissions and Open Studios Application

 

This is a wallhanging which I made as a commission earlier this month. It seems to have been very well received, and i really enjoyed making it. I have now also been commissioned to make a screen and a window blind for another customer, as part of the decor in a newly refurbished cottage in Snainton.  I hadn't realised how exciting it would be to visit the client and measure, and design the product to suit the situation - but again, very happy with brief, and the quotation and specification sheets have been signed off this weekend by the client -  so full steam ahead. Delivery w/c 9th December. I'll post photographs as i go along.

Thanks to an impromtu chip butty in Lockton on Friday, I was made aware that the final deadline for North Yorkshire Open Studio 2014 applications is tomorrow!! (very grateful - thank you Sue!) Spent today putting my application together. I hope I am successful in being selected again. This year it will feel really good to be part of the scheme, with my screens and wallhangings. I will have BCFT Harrogate under my belt by then, and will therefore have a good product range to display and hopefully sell.

Work on my Darwin exhibition for Coastival goes on - but mostly in my head at the moment. I am anticipating getting a good long run at it over Christmas. The preparation has been 3 years in the making, so I am hopeful that the work itself will fall into place quite easily.  Once the current exhibition in the gallery is taken down next weekend I should be able to see some physical and mental space.

And then there is the Lockton situation.. . .  after a nightmare year with bad tenants, unsuccessful auctions and sadness at finally deciding to virtually give it away, our buyer has pulled out! Lots of soul searching and decision making has had to take place - but we have come up with another cunning plan, Firstly though, we need to weather-proof it against the winter. 

 

  . .  Watch this space for updates!