Threadneedle Prize Developments

Good afternoon!


I hope you have been making the most of the weather and getting excited for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations! I just wanted to share an exciting little development with you all.
A few weeks ago I entered the two paintings I made last year as a Diptych for this year's Threadneedle Prize, it's a great award celebrating current work being made, and it has some fabulous cash prizes as well as a big exhibition for the lucky artists selected.
I am pleased to say that my diptych has been pre-selected for the next stage of the process and I will be taking them to Mall Galleries next week where they will be judged again and decided if they are chosen for the exhibition!
Of course I am aware that hundreds of people have also been pre-selected so I haven't quite got my hopes up yet but it's still quite exciting.


I will of course, let you all know what happens either way.
Keep your fingers crossed for me!


Xx


UPDATE! June 12th
Hi folks, so the list of successful applicants for the Threadneedle Prize 2012 has been put up on the Mall Galleries website and sadly I'm not one of them. Will be collecting my work this weekend. I am a bit gutted but with over 3000 artworks in the pre-selection round I'm not surprised my work wasn't picked.
Think I'll spend my afternoon trawling through call for entries and trying again for other prizes and exhibition opportunities!
Xx

Ceramics Class - Term 2

Hello all!


So here you will find photos of the pieces I have been making on my second term of ceramics class at City & Islington College!

Stoneware pinch bowls with buttery cream and matt green glaze

Textured soft slabbed pot and tumblers decorated with coloured slips and a transparent glaze

Stoneware dish with terracotta clay inlayed and a transparent glaze with glass in the eyes.

Small stoneware dishes with oxides decoration, glazed with 3 different types to see the effect on the decoration.

Thrown stoneware pot with rough ochre and mattish blue glazing.

My potter's stamp! Haven't used it on anything yet but have tested it out and it looks good!

Thrown stoneware bowl with a turned foot ring. Glazed with matt white then brushed shiny blue-green glazed inside the bowl.

So the course is finished, yet another term has flown by! I have a finished box to collect after the summer exhibition and I have a bisque fired tea pot that cannot be glazed and fired until the next course in september! Gutted I didn't get it finished in time.

Xx

My Best Bits from Grand Designs Live

Good afternoon everybody,

I thought I'd share a few of my favourite finds at this year's 'Grand Designs Live' show at ExCel. I was lucky enough to be given tickets by a friend, so I spent Saturday navigating the hundreds of stands and being convinced by salesmen that I should definitely buy that hot tub/rowing machine/state-of-the-art kitchen storage unit for a house that I don't have. It wasn't all sales pitches though, there were some great talks and seminars at the theatre sections, some by Mr Grand Designs himself - Kevin McCloud.

I was also delighted to find a whole section of galleries exhibiting work, although none of the art particularly interested me as the majority was 'living room art' and didn't really push the boundaries like Fine Art can. However, I did enjoy looking at the design and craft stalls, it was encouraging for me to see people selling their own products - there's hope for my career yet!

One of my favourite stands was The Happy Cupcake Company - if you are a baker and love to add decorative flourishes to your cakes and packaging you must check out their website! They have such a large choice of sprinkles and toppings for your cakes as well as loads of different themed cupcake cases and toppers for every party occasion, great for kids, weddings, gifts, loads!! I'm not much of a baker myself but I would start doing it with the incentive to make them look so pretty!

Another brilliant stand was Theo, who sell a wide variety of products - ranging from the home, gifts, accessories and novelty items, all of which are beautifully designed and look like so much fun! They have a great blog page that you can see HERE, it's clear from looking on their website that they love what they do, it's fresh, enthusiastic and quirky! I particularly liked this MAKE YOUR OWN MONSTER kit. I'll definitely be buying plenty of things from them for the house I don't have (yet)!

Aside from the overwhelming amount of stalls and the crowds, I had a really great day, there were plenty of places inside and outside of the show to stop for a break and eat. I'd recommend it to all of you who are interested in developing a property or are even just looking for something to give your interiors a new lease of life! It really does have something for everyone.

xx

UCL Slade Degree Shows 2012

Evening all!
Just thought I'd post this year's degree show dates for UCL Slade School of Fine Art, the BA/BFA Show is currently being installed and is looking great! I'm very excited for my friends who are leaving us, the exhibition is going to look brilliant.
I wish them every success in the future.
It's suddenly hit home that it will be me leaving next year... *eep*


Hope you're all enjoying your evenings 


Xx