Dragonflies finished!

Well, almost. I still have to finish backing them which I will do today. Then, this evening I have to staple the backing on.

Then I need to scrap them to go in my album. I have some off cuts of silk from putting them on the frame and plenty of thread and beads to use on the page. I might even try to make a beaded dragonfly to show the beads I used. I suddenly realised this morning that I had not made the desktop calender for May. So, as I was editing the pics of the dragonflies anyway, I decided to use them.

They look really good on my desktop. If you fancy them on yours, just click on the pic on the left to download.

And I had some good news yesterday. I found out that one of my smaller lilies has sold! That means a total of two. I have (almost) finished the new winter. That just needs backing as well ready to staple tonight.

I have to go to the Angle Theatre in Wisbech and pick up the others tomorrow morning. The friend who was going to take me phoned me really upset yesterday. Her car got stolen so she can't. However, she has asked her hubby to take us all up and he has kindly agreed. I am even more pleased I decided to do this silk for her now, it will cheer her up!.

The Morning After.

It sort of went ok.

I managed to get tea sorted and the family sorted and get there on time. Although the Tesco van we got stuck behind on the way did have me worried for a bit.

However, hardly any people came. Only two I invited came. I must have invited about 50,000 people.

Yes, I know that most of them lived a bit far away. Although I didn't think it was that much hassle to hop on a plane and come over from the US for a couple of hours!!!!!

The good news is, I sold Winter!!!!!

There is also somebody interested in the full set. If they do want them, I will have to make another Winter. I didn't really want to but a sale is a sale.

Tonights the night!

Loads of butterflies!!!!!

I have to be there at 5.50pm tonight, which means organising tea and the family extra early. Fun!!!

The scrapbook is coming along nicely but the journalling is taking ages. There will be a load more journalling tags when I have finished. I decided I didn't like the others, couldn't get the text to line up with the lins so am making more as I go along!

I would love to see anybody who is able to come along and support me. Just click on the pink invite on the left for details.

Back to the scrapbook!

Summer is here!

Although you wouldn't believe it from the weather!

Anyway, it wasn't that Summer I was on about!
As with the others it is 23 cm square and the quilting as much the same as possible.
I used a bright yellow backing fabric to get the vibrance of summer.

I covered the twigs with green beads, apart from the very end which I put shades of peach beads for flowers.
Then I put multi coloured flowers around the tree and cottages.

There are nearly 1000 beads on this one!
Hope you like it!
I went to the Angles Theatre in Wisbech this morning to hang the silks. I took a few pics of them in situ.
I will post lots of pics for you next week - but first I have a scrapbook to finish..........

Atelier East presents

This is my press release from Atlier East about my exhibiton. Only a few days left now. I am not including the pics, they are all on here already!

Helen Free – Silk

An Exhibition at the Angles Theatre, Wisbech, Cambs.

Bright, bold and colourful- the best words to describe the work of textile artist Helen Free who’s exhibition entitled Silk opens on April 6th at the Angles Theatre, Wisbech.

Silk is a collection of beautifully sumptuous floral motifs- all hand painted onto silk, lightly quilted and embellished with beadwork and stitching.

Helen was brought up to appreciate crafts; she loves working with textiles- sewing, quilting, silk painting, knitting, tatting, crocheting and much more. Helen was taught to crochet by her father when she was very young and now she is a successful crochet pattern designer and writer, selling her patterns worldwide through her website.

“This is the first time that we have shown textile work at the Angles Theatre and I am sure people will really like it. Helen’s work is really fresh and vibrant- perfect for cheering us up after the winter months!” said Karen Harvey who has curated the exhibition for Atelier East.

Silk by Helen Free will be showing from 6 April – 2 May at the Angles Theatre.

On Sunday 6 April from 6-8pm there will be a free opening reception and, as always, everyone is welcome to come along.

The theatre is also open Monday to Friday all day and Saturday mornings, plus it is open for shows. Best the check with the theatre if you are going out of normal hours.

For more information on exhibitions at the Angles Theatre contact info@atelier-east.co.uk

The current exhibition by Jennie Claire runs until Friday 4th April.

Atelier East presents

Jennie Clare – Solo Exhibition March’s exhibition at the Angles Theatre, one of a continuing series curated by Atelier East, will be a showcase of the photography and painting of Elm based artist Jennie Clare.

The aptly entitled Solo Exhibition will be Jennies’s first one-person show and will include recent photographic works alongside mixed media paintings. Jennie graduated last year with a degree in Fine Art from Leicester Demonfort, having previously studied Foundation Art at Wisbech Isle College.

Jennie Clare’s work focuses on intertwining themes including time and nostalgia, aesthetics and beauty in the banal. An obvious interest in light and shadow can be seen most prominently in her photography where light casts eerie shadows and silhouettes glow outlined by brightness and colour.

The exhibition opens on Sunday 2nd March with a reception from 6-8pm and continues until Friday 4th April. The bar will be open for the reception and everyone is welcome to come along for a chat, a drink and a look!

The theatre is also open Monday to Friday all day and Saturday mornings, plus it is open for shows. Best the check with the theatre if you are going out of normal hours. For more information on exhibitions at the Angles Theatre contact info@atelier-east.co.uk The current exhibition by Neville Palmer runs until Friday 29th February.

Atelier East presents

Neville Palmer - Digital Graphics
and other recent work.
An Exhibition at the Angles Theatre, Wisbech, Cambs.

February’s exhibition at the Angles Theatre, one of a continuing series curated by Atelier East, will feature digital graphics by Neville Palmer. For many years a sculptor and a painter, this new digital work is part of a relatively recent exploration for the artist and forms the major part of his first solo exhibition in Wisbech since 1981.

We are very excited to be able to show the work of Neville Palmer here in Wisbech. His attention to detail is phenomenal and his use of colour is beautiful. If you have an interest in visual arts of any kind then it would be really worth your while to view this exhibition. Neville Palmer’s work allows you to look at things differently; you can look at one of his pieces for ages and it is amazing how your visual perception of depth alters as you notice the difference in the way that the colour and form interweave. – Karen Harvey, Atelier East.

The exhibition opens on Sunday 3rd February with a reception from 6-8pm and continues until Friday 29 February.

The theatre is also open Monday to Friday all day and Saturday mornings, plus it is open for shows. Best the check with the theatre if you are going out of normal hours.

The January Sale exhibition is going well. It is on until FEB 1st. There are still lots of bargains to be had from some great artists, lovely individual pieces of art would make great gifts, especially with Valentines Day coming up, and its all for a good cause- our lovely local theatre!

Beads, Beads, Beads!

I have been beading and crocheting like mad! I have finished beading my 3 magnolia paintings. Now they need mounting and backing. Next I have to start on the 2 lilies. I have some others with the beading finished, also needing mounting and backing. I was thinking of doing some today but, after a shopping trip to Tesco, I have managed to pull a muscle in my back! My family eat too much!

I have got the jpegs and "blurb" off to Karen (but not heard if it is right yet). Next job is to create a flyer/invite for her. Its all go!

Here are the Poppies. I love the colours on these and have tried to use both the stitching and beading a bit more creatively. I have a huge stash of seed beads. I tend to buy old or cheap jewellery and then take them apart. Its amazing what you can find in charity shops!

These are the dolphins. This one is totally different from the others. I painted the rainbow stripes on the silk then cut dolphin shapes from dark fabric and put them between the silk and the backing. Then I quilted around the dolphin shapes. This is a sort of shadow applique.

What have I done?????

I do some daft things occasionally.  Ok, more than occasionally!!!!! 

This time, I am wondering if I have bitten off more than I can chew.  Last September I agreed to do a one man exhibition of my silk paintings in April 2008.  I thought that, although I had a whole load of stuff on up to Christmas, that I would have plenty of time after Christmas to get it sorted.  Last week it suddenly dawned on me that I have 2½ months to get enough stuff together.

Big time Panic!!!!!

Plus I have to get jpegs in of my work (which isn't made yet) and some "blurb" about me to go with it.

However, after digging to the bottom of the wardrobe, I found a few things. I also have 2 finished from ages ago.

This one is my Sunflowers.  It is the first one I ever did.  I joined a class in 2001 at the end of the course and was presented with a huge frame (as all the "more experienced" class members had taken the smaller ones) and told to paint it.  I actually enjoyed it once I started, not having painted anything for a long time it felt good to have a brush in my hand again.

When it was finished I had to back it and mount it.   Not knowing quite what to do with it, I quilted it, beaded it and made it into a wall hanging.

It measures 125cm from pole to pole and the small picture is a close up of the beading.

Then I had the "bug".  Being a single Mum of a 3 year old, I had to organise my own Christmas pressie.  So I went to a local craft shop and almost paid for a silk painting kit.  I then sent Benjamin in on his own with the £2 balance and he "bought" it for me.

Of course, I never got to use it.  Too many other things to do in too little time.  It wasn't until I met my dearest and he bought me a frame for my birthday that I was able to do some more.

This one is a pink flower and is mounted on a wooden frame.  The painting is wrapped around so that the picture carries on around the sides.

.

.

.

.

.

It measures 41cm x 34 cm and, as you can see, I was a bit more adventurous with the beading.

I will be posting more pictures of my work as I do it - hopefully!

The exhibition is going to be at the Angles Theatre in Wisbech.  They hold a different one every month and I have now been put on the press mailing list so I can tell you all about them.  There is currently a "January Sale" one on.  The Theatre is open all day Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings for you to look.  It is also open in the evenings of there is a show on.