Exhibition and news

There is an exhibition on in Didcot in which you can see the lovely work of one of the Caversham Artists, Julie Simmonds. Details below on the flyer, just click on the image to get a larger, legible version.

Also, the Jelly has acquired a new home - today (10am - 6pm) is the last day to help paint and fix up the new location. If you're free, it's at the Coopers Arms in Reading town centre, across the street from the main post office and NatWest.

And lastly, it's a hard time for arts centres, and several are struggling to hang on in the face of "cost cutting", reduced funding, or relocation. If you are interested in keeping The Fire Station in Henley as an exhibition centre, then move fast - attend the meeting at the Council Chamber of the Town Hall, Henley at 7.30 this Tuesday, 5th July.

South Hill Park in Bracknell has also lost a lot of funding - this is a thriving arts centre that hosts numerous exhibitions of painting, drawing, conceptual art, ceramics, jewellery, to name but a few. Many people attend and enjoy the courses in all manner of artistic fields. Hopefully it will still manage to do all these things, but of course a big chunk of funding gone means cuts have to be made somewhere! To support South Hill Park, please sign the petition here (we have 681 signatures, we need at least 1000): http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save_our_south_hill_park/

Third Thursday

My next event as part of the Caversham Artists will be taking place on 17th February 2011 at Kings Walk, Kings Street, Reading, RG1 2HG from 5.30pm until 9pm. Why not come along, we would love to see you there.

As part of the Third Thursday events for one evening only the shop windows will come alive, you will see demonstrations from artists, have the opportunity to talk to the artists and purchase the art work on show, all in the ambient surroundings of Kings Walk through sponsorship by London and County.

There will be musical entertainment, wine tasting from Award Winning local Organic Wine Merchant, Vintage Roots and The Third Thursday team will be on hand to talk about the partnership project between Reading UK CIC, jelly and the future arts events.

Our next event after the Third Thursday will be the Caversham Arts Trail on 7th & 8th and 13th-15th May 2011. There will be 15 venues with 31 exhibitors. Click here to see who is taking part.

(thanks Lauren Ceramics for this text and image!)

Exciting events coming up

Plan to go out the evening of February 17th - and enjoy an exciting Third Thursday event in Reading town centre: Please see below the note from Reading's very own Jelly: (Please RSVP to come along!)

We would warmly like to invite you to an evening of creativity at our next Third Thursday, on 17 February, The Walk, Kings Street, Reading from 5.30 until 9pm.

The hosts for the evening are the Caversham Artists who have taken over the currently available units in The Walk, through sponsorship by London and County.

The Caversham Artists have over the past few years put on a number of successful Arts Trails. The work ranges across many mediums including painting, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, decoupage, printmaking and jewellery.

For one evening the shop windows will come alive, you will see demonstrations of how the artworks are made, talk to the artists, all in the ambient surroundings of The Walk.

There will be musical entertainment, wine tasting from Award Winning local Organic Wine Merchant, Vintage Roots and The Third Thursday team will be on hand to talk about the partnership project between Reading UK CIC, jelly and the future arts events.

Why not extend your evening by enjoying the delights of the restaurants and bars in the The Walk ~ details can be found here on the Rguide or if you fancy musical entertainment, head up the road to South Street for Thirdsday Blues where National Steel - Cumberpatch, Cohen and Geraghty with their take on late 19th, early 20th Century Delta Blues will be performing. Click here for full details on Thirdsday Blues.

For more information on the Caversham Artists, you can take a peek at their website http://cavershamartists.co.uk/. The exhibitions will continue throughout February, with a further Open Day on Saturday 19th.

For more information on Third Thursdays, please visit this page http://jelly.org.uk/third-thursdays/

We are always looking for new venues to take part, new artists across all art forms and new guests to come along too so please feel free to pop by, bring a friend and find out more.

Hopefully see you there
Suzanne, Jo and Justine

RSVP suzanne@jelly.org.uk by Tuesday 15th February

other art exhibits to see...

South Hill Park Arts Centre, Ringmead, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 7PA.

Directions at: http://www.southhillpark.org.uk/aboutUsTravel.jsp

New exhibitions on 11 September - 7 November:

Memento by Ed Pien (Bracknell Gallery)

Out of Print? by Printmakers Council (Mansion Spaces)

The Human Response by Bracknell Camera Club (Community Gallery)

Beauty Spot (diptych) by Rowena Easton (outside the Bracknell Gallery)

Craft Fair (13-14 Nov)

Caversham Artists autumn show

Caversham Artists' next show will be taking place on Saturday 18th (11-6pm) and Sunday (12-6pm) 19th September 2010. The exhibition is housed in Mays Barn, a historic 17th century brick & flint building tucked away in the garden of 234 Peppard Road, Emmer Green, RG4 8UA.

Check out the details here: http://cavershamartstrail.co.uk/

Caversham Arts Trail

We've been on the radio, loads of flyers have been circulated, things have been made, people have already said they are excited about it : tomorrow is the first day of the Caversham Arts Trail!!!! See details over at http://cavershamartiststrail.co.uk - we're open from 11am - 5pm. See you there....................

End of term

It's the end of the first term of this year. Less than a month until the next term starts and I have big plans which I need to get sorted. Before that I *still* have to sort out the commissions. I'm making major progress though, so that's getting there. I'm still waiting for the stone setter and he's making me nervous so I really hope post arrives from him today.
Today I'm very happy to be featured on a fantastic new website called Creative Boom. There's a central Creative Boom website and then there are regional ones and I'm on the Reading Creative Boom. (The link is http://www.creativeboom.co.uk/reading/2010/03/25/focus-on-jewellery-maker-magpienest) It's a website that showcases art and creative happenings around the country and it has a fab design. Check it out!

ps. just got tipped off to this website...oooo if you like modern furniture: http://www.deconet.com/

bah humbug

Please read this blog post if you're local to the Reading area and comment. The jelly is a Reading arts institution and provides support and inspiration for numerous Reading arts groups. Currently based in the town hall, they won't have a home from March. I hope a solution can be found!!

exciting stuff going on....

1. Reveal - a fantastic showcase of talent right in the middle of Henley. Private view this Thursday evening. Details on this flyer or on the Reveal website. (I'm at this show!)


2. My lovely friends over at ToDryFor (tea towel experts) are giving away FREE TEA - can it get better than that? Go check it out over here.


3. Art show displaying the talents of artists who live in Caversham, Reading. Caversham Artists present "Exhuberance". Details on this flyer (click for larger view)! (I'm not at this show, but the lovely Lauren is!)

Events tomorrow...

Wondering what to do tomorrow? Plenty on offer! First there's the Jewellery Showcase at Norden Farm Arts Centre in Maidenhead.


Then if you have time, you could go to the events on over at South Hill Park in Bracknell (free admission):

Season on Englishness and Bracknell

OPENING RECEPTION: Bracknell on Saturday 28 November, 1pm – 3pm

Opened by The Mayor Chas Baily, Bracknell Town Council, 1pm

An Act to Follow at cinema, 2pm

In the Bracknell Gallery, Observations on a Town by Janet Curley Cannon is an observation on the peripheral characteristics of the urban environment before they are lost by way of destruction or regeneration. Through this she creates a visual record of the rituals and habits of modern life, capturing the ordinary and everyday surroundings in which we live.

In Tall Hall and Reception, Bracknell Re:views brings together the silversmith Jane Tadrist and local residents’ spectacular canopy of 2,500 postcards, appropriately red and brick-sized, to represent 10% of the original designated population of the new town. These accompany Jane’s display of souvenir items, expressing her creative response to the town. Views expressed in the project are as myriad, diverse, as the estates that characterise Bracknell that is “full of hidden gems”, as Jane puts it.

In Atrium Projection Space, Patricia MacKinnon-Day and Beverley Carpenter with Rainforest Walk present An Act to Follow that explores Bracknell through moving image by artists and the residents of Look Ahead Housing and Care’s Rainforest Walk, a supported housing project for young people. This disjointed, poetic and colourful trip uses the 32 cameras of Rainforest Walk to capture unique scenes offering a fascinating glimpse of young British life.

The exhibitions also include new work by the Bracknell Camera Club in Community Gallery, looking at aspects of what makes us British today, including British culture, leisure, sports and favourite foods, as well as references to British law and authority.

In addition to these Bracknell focused exhibitions; we are delighted to present We English, the photography series by Simon Roberts. Simon travelled throughout England in a motorhome for this photographic enquiry into the character of Englishness. The series is the most significant contribution to the photography of England in recent years. Simon’s photographs have been exhibited widely, with recent shows at Klompching Gallery in New York and the Museum of Modern Art in Shanghai.

South Hill Park Arts Centre

Ringmead, Bracknell

Berkshire RG12 7PA

Directions at: http://www.southhillpark.org.uk/aboutUsTravel.jsp

Art in Reading

A great opportunity for Reading and for Reading artists:

October 28, 2009

Empty shop windows in Reading town centre will transform into art exhibitions as part of an ‘Art Windows’ scheme this winter.

Arts organisation jelly, teamed with Reading UK Community Interest Company (CIC), will fill vacant buildings with temporary displays featuring pieces by Reading artists.

Suzanne Stallard jelly owner and a former Pride of Reading award winner, said: “When jelly first started we used lots of empty spaces and filled them with beautiful images – it’s how it originated really.

“We are going to exhibit work by local artists and people who have a connection with Reading.

“Anyone who wants to display should get in touch with us.”

As part of the programme jelly will re-vamp the unit, clearing debris, giving it a lick of paint and making it more attractive for passers-by.

In return the groups are asking for free use of the unit and free lighting and power.

Business Improvement District manager at Reading UK CIC, Guy Douglas, said: “Empty shops don’t look good and they are not the nicest neighbours for the businesses next to them.

“This is a really appealing proposition to estate agents and it is great publicity for the artists.

“It is a positive, warm and interesting street-scape.”

The exhibitions, which can be vacated within 48 hours, will be focused around Market Place and the groups hope to have them set up by Christmas.

Interested parties should contact Suzanne Stallard at suzanne@jelly.org.uk or Guy Douglas at bid@livingreading.co.uk.

cold!!

It is very cold here today - the kind of day that reminds me of winters in Pennsylvania - where the temperature is measured in wind chill factor. It's about -1C in wind chill temperatures here today. I walked for a bit without gloves and that was a mistake - frozen fingers!!!
Anyway...another busy week...I'm applying for next year's craft fairs with all that that entails. More photos, application forms, updated CV, etc. I'm looking forward to it all already, seeing as the craft fairs went very well this year! I'm hoping to do more and be in more galleries as well.
An item sold in the Yorkshire gallery (Projeto) and on DaWanda, so things are looking good! Also sold some more small earrings and have plans to make more for the 13th December Rising Sun Art Market.
I'm also excited about the christmas holidays in general - some time off to eat nice things (xmas lunch is already planned - nut roast, roasted parsnips, garlicky salad, date pudding for dessert!) and to go into London and see some exhibits. I'm interested in seeing the exhibit which I believe is on at the Hayward Gallery of the South African artist who does chalk drawings and photographs them. Oh drat, I just found it on the Hayward site, it's Robin Rhode, but that exhibit's only on til 7 Dec. sigh. Hm. Oh well, there is a big Rothko exhibit at the Tate Modern. I do like Rothko and I've seen lots of his work in Houston, where he made a special chapel with huge black paintings. Well, they were black. He used cheaper paint, so it's kinda purpley now!

I saw this photo somewhere on the internet. I think the artist is Chinese-German, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I liked the tongue-in-cheekness of these ceramic cans. I've seen plastic cups made with ceramics before, but adding the Chinese vase element strikes me as clever.

When I was in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago with the parentals, we chanced upon the Droog store. My mom enlightened me that Droog is the ultra-hip Dutch design group engaged in producing innovative items for the home. Well, mostly for the home, as far as I know. The store was most entertaining, with lots of interesting items. I think they are best known for a lamp which is made out of numerous milk bottles. I personally liked the marble bench most. It's a bench, filled with clear marbles. On top of the marbles there are three seats, so you sit on the seat and you can slide around. It's quite fun! Here's a photo of me on the bench:

I'm getting increasingly frustrated by lack of camera, it having been stolen. I made two paintings for the boy for his xmas present. I took a photo with my camera phone, so the quality is pretty poor. But just to give an idea, below is that photo. The paintings are felt on canvas, with some patterned cellophane and paint behind the felt. Most of the pattern is cut out and some of the pattern is with paper on top of the felt.

dreary again today. but I did get my copy of Art Jewelry magazine today! So I'm going to be browsing through that.
Went to meet some arty Reading people yesterday afternoon in town and met some new people. Amongst others, I met textile artist Julie Roberts. I asked for her website so I could have a look at her work and I accidentally typed in .com instead of .co.uk at the end. That was confusing. I didn't think her work was about men and mascara...
Anyways....her website is www.julieroberts.co.uk in case you want to have a look. I like the blue vessel and the lampshades.

Well, it's Monday again and suitably dreary outside. Had a lovely day yesterday, walked to Henley along the Thames. Went to a classic English tea room in Henley which was, funnily enough, run by a Spanish family.
Thanks for the comments on the site! There's one photo that doesn't look so hot, so will change that one today. Then hopefully take some more photos of the small stud earrings for etsy with a thimble next to them for size. I read a lot in the etsy forums about displaying items next to regular objects to give an idea of size. Coins are out, as are every other item that is country-specific. Someone used rice, but I thought that was too messy and anyway you can have long and short grain rice... but seeing as it's a crafty site, I figured a thimble should be a good item.
I'm going to write an article about Reading artists for Blah Blah - this area's what's happening guide. I haven't completely settled on a format yet, that's another thing I'll be sorting out today. So hopefully tomorrow I will send a questionnaire around to the knitters who agreed to be questioned!