British Made for Quality Exhibition 25th-30th April

Natalia Komis 'Resin Irons' 2009

Kate Ward 'Embroidered Recipes' 2011

Nick Stamp '‘Unavoidable Inevitability’ (Part of an installation) 2011'

Kate Ward 'Embroidered cook book' 2010

Natalia Komis 'Dust' & ' Domestic Objects' 2011

Lauren Hudson 'Ghosts' 2011 & 'My Garden' 2009

Kate Ward 'Apothecary Bottles' 2011

Lauren Hudson ' This little piggy' 2011

Nick Stamp 'Unavoidable inevitability' 2011

' If it aint broke don't fix it' (after Liese) 2011

It's the end of the week, and I'm knackered! The exhibition has gone brilliantly and we're so pleased. We've got the chance to meet lots of interesting people from the Birmingham artistic communities and we'd like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who popped in to say hello!

Here are a few pictures of the exhibition.

Apothecary Bottles

A few weeks ago I was rummaging around in Hills Furniture house clearance again when I happened across this beautiful little box of photographic tinting colours. I knew I could work with it.

I did lots of research into old pharmaceuticals and remedies and decided to make some small alterations, edit and re-embroider the labels on them and turn the bottles into a piece for the Trowbridge August Festival.

Here they are!

British Made For Quality P.V.

Pop along to the British Made for Quality private view 1-4pm, Poplar Arcade, Touchwood, Solihull for a chat, some free lemonade and a look at our work!

Would be lovely to see you!

Kate, Natalia, Nick and Lauren.

Trowbridge Treasures.

Yesterday I went to meet Sarah in Trowbridge to discuss the work I'll be submitting for the Trowbridge August Festival this year.

I thought I'd have another look around the collections while I was there - It always amazes me how much you can miss on your first visit. I'm really enjoying all the lettering and handwritten scripts on the pieces, they'll be perfect for stitching!

Monday Embroidery

Yesterday I took advantage of the sunshine and sat outside uni embroidering Great Auntie Katherine. Missy Cat arrived to help and keep me company.

Here is the finished embroidery as well. She'll go on to a pot tomorrow!

Face pots and Embroideries

Here is this week's pot progress. I'm really enjoying the underglaze and how it picks up the details in the stitching and the textures in the fabric. I'm getting there... Only a full set of pots to make now!

Here are the embroideries as well, they look like a funny little family all lined up. I suppose they are really!

House Clearance - £2 well spent.

We went off bright and early to house clearance again this morning. It didn't disappoint!

For just £2 i managed to find a little box of strange old sewing equipment with lots of interesting cardboard winds of yarn, an envelope of buttons and the name tapes for a R. M. Purnell, a clinical thermometer, an old book of calligraphy and fonts, a bit of old newspaper from October 1947, some greaseproof drawer lining paper and a nice old wooden drawer that I collected it all in.

British Made For Quality

This is the completed poster for the exhibition we've been organising in Solihull at the end of the month. The theme will be loosely based around the idea of 'The Domestic' and will be a mix of applied and fine art.

The exhibiting artists are: Myself, Natalia Komis, Nick Stamp and Lauren Hudson.

Hopefully see you there!

Esoteric Illusions

Emily Montgomery ' Untitled'

(Silkscreen print on fabric with embroidery)

Olivia Mason 'Untitled'

(Recycled textiles and print)

James McNeill 'Rock Series' 2011

(Slipcast, glazed earthenware)

I missed the private view of Esoteric Illusions on Tuesday so we wandered down to Walcot Chapel in the sunshine today.

The exhibition itself was lovely, and the chapel looked quite airy in the bright sunlight as well as more spacious than usual.

The work was really interesting, I really liked the variety of the work that was exhibited and the exciting mix of textiles and ceramics work alongside fine art.

I particularly enjoyed the work of Emily Montgomery, Olivia Mason and James McNeill.

Face pots - Underglaze

This is Grandad (Ernest) Ward on his pot.

The underglaze picks out his face and the texture in the hessian really nicely.

I decided last week to ditch the idea of the hessian around the face, and let the stitches from the embroidery do the talking - I've not fired that one yet, but I sense it will look better!

The kiln shrinkage seems to have reduced the pots to a slightly more manageable size - so that's good. I'm not so terrified about my degree show shelving supporting them all now!

Embroidered Owl

I made my mum a little corduroy owl with little floral wings for Mothers Day. Here he is.