Working with Circles continued.

Following on with the theme of circles that we have been working with at Blank Canvas for a few terms

 I have been photographing circular forms and using them in other art works.
Walking along the Harbour arm in Margate, there were circles in the stones, on the walls, and as part of signs and structures.

 The weathered stumps of iron railings looked like metal nests for some strange mechanical birds.

The sunsets we have here in Margate, continue to inspire and gather groups of people to photograph them, or sit and simply enjoy the show.

Dreamland continues with it's restoration of the site and buildings and here the big wheel was lit up for an arts event.

Autumn Themes

With the Autumn season moving on into Winter, I have been working on some of my prints and photographs with an Autumn theme.

My Acer tree's leaves turned red this year, after a couple of years of staying mostly green in the Autumn. I particularly love the vibrant reds, yellows and oranges of  the trees and shrubs, helped by the sun shining at the right time.

I often collect a few leaves on my walks, just to admire them for a few days, along with conkers, with their tactile shape and size.

Seeing trees bare branched with their leaves on the ground around them, I am struck by sense that they have shook off a set of clothes.

Altered photographs

I have been playing around with one of my tree photographs, using various filters and digital manipulations.

I like the way it changes my own relationship to the original image, allowing me to see it in a new way and to see more possibilities in further work on the picture. I also like the fact that the image can become more painterly, showing me new ways that I could work with paint to depict the tree.

The original photograph was taken while I was on retreat at The Seekers Trust in Addington Kent.
An Oak tree that was often used by the jackdaws and crows to perch on.


The sort of  negative photographic effect of the darker tree image appealed to me, as well as the paler version with the white tree trunk. The original photograph is in the centre of the post.

E17 Designers market Friday 11th May

I have been busy for a while getting things together for the next E17 designers market, details above. It's still taking some working out to print my artists book, Fragments of Blue and White. I am also producing some small concertina books, one with a poem for the market.

Other new items include some pendants incorporating my photos and some new art work taking the idea of collecting butterflies, but mine are made of paper.
It's a good evening out with live music, wine and a great cake stall too. Look forward to seeing you there

Street Photography project

I have joined in with a new Street Photography project is a collaboration by The Photographers Gallery and Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren who have written the recent Street Photography now book.

The project started on Oct 1st and instructions are posted online each week by leading photographers to inspire participants in their image of the week. Any one can join in at any time and 1 photo can be uploaded to their Flickr group.Flickr group here
My 2 responses to the 2 weeks instructions, " If you can smell the street by looking at the photo, then it's a street photo" Bruce Gilden, and "Turn your attention to the four legged population" Ying Tang.

Photo Exhibition Lauderdale House

This year I finally managed to enter some photographs in the Lauderdale House Photo Open competition, after thinking about it for a number of years. Info about Lauderdale house and events on here I really liked the house and park around it when I visited, the house is on Highgate Hill, an area I don't really know.

There is a good cafe/restaurant there too always a plus point, and regular exhibitions in it's gallery.They accepted one of my entries, Mandala of Peace for the exhibition which was great. The exhibition is on from 2nd September to Sunday 12th September. Opening hours are weekdays Tuesday till Fridays 11-4pm. Weekends, closed Sat 4th Sunday 5th 12-5pm Sat 11th Sept. 10-1.30 Sun 12th Sept. 12-2pm upper gallery and 3.30-5pm long gallery.


Unfortunately the private view is on the !st Sept exactly the same time as the E17 Art Trail exhibition I'm part of at the Hornbeam. I will get over to see the exhibition in the week.

I Do Like To Be Beside The Lea exhibition

Waltham Forest Arts Club is showing work now at the Waterworks Nature Reserve info about the waterworks here in an exhibition called I Do Like To be beside The Lea. More info here There is a good mix of work, sculpture, including a large fascinating piece by Martin Adams, Martin's site here
Photographs,including some atmospheric photos by Paul Tucker, info about Paul's work here paintings and drawings, ceramics and textiles. The show is mixed in between the usual display about the Waterworks, the old filter beds that now make a sanctuary for birds. Perhaps surprisingly it works out pretty well.
There are other works out side including Katja's and Helen's pieces, like seaside amusements where you put your head through a hole in a picture. Katja's site here


I am showing an interactive 3D piece, Landscape by Design, made of acrylic cubes with photo images on 5 sides and a quote on the other. The photos are of landscapes in London, some from the waterworks, and other urban scenes. You can face the cubes to make different landscapes.



At the opening, the The Rose and Crown Singers (Director: Aaron Clingham) performed the premiere of "The Rival Engineers" by Eleanor Firman.

Winter Exhibition at Vestry House.

The Waltham Forest Arts Club has a winter exhibition on at the Vestry House Museum at the moment. I have 2 small paintings in there and was invigilating on Sunday.
It's a small space in a quirky local museum, but it is valuable in being one of the few spaces available in the borough to show art work.

There is a range of work on show from video, printmaking, 3D, painting and photography. My paintings are imaginary winter landscapes referencing popular images used at this time of year to sell all sorts of wares. But there is something about these sorts of landscapes that appeals to me and others I presume. Perhaps something about the wildness or remoteness of these spaces and the sense of an idyllic place somewhere that we might visit.

Katja was showing a Memory Game using a number of artists images reflecting on the borough

Julie caves is showing a beautifully coloured painting Twilight Pauline Evans ceramic piece Lyme Avenue made me smile and DNA Dilemma an installation by Anna Spain was intriguing.

Tree of Life at St Andrews Leytonstone and E17 Designers

I have been pretty busy these last few weeks, I have started teaching my courses at the City Lit. (November and December) and have been sorting out cards and other items for the Christmas craft fairs coming up.
I also have 3 large photographs at the exhibition, "Roots and Remembrance" at St Andrews, Leytonstone. The exhibition is part of a programme for the arts, Tree of Life, more info here there and I am facilitating one of their lunchtime arts sessions on 18th November, in the cafe space.

I am showing 3 photographs of trees, one from Epping Forest,"A Path Through the Forest" one from the gardens next to me, "The Silver Dancing Tree and one from The Seekers Trust, "Reflections of Autumn Trees"

The first art and craft event I'm part of is the E17 Designers Fair on 27th November at the Asian Centre18a Orford road, Walthamstow. There is always a great range of designers there and a fabulous cake stand, which will be selling seasonal goodies.
I am also taking as well as a new range of cards, wooden decorations that I've painted and Ruth is printing wrapping paper this year. Info about the market here

The Art of Politics

The Art of Politics exhibition has opened at The Changing Room gallery.


There is some great work on show, Martin Adams has several pieces that deal with the local political situation with wit and invention. His mixed media piece "Sweet Temptation" had edible sweet treats in a box,with piped lettering on the sweets including "Influence", "Power" and "Renumeration" As the text concluded "Get elected get appointed and dig into the box of delights" You can see more of Martin's work here.



May Ayers had two pieces of ceramic sculptures that dealt with government policies of locking up vulnerable young people, "Zero Tolerance, in dedication to Joseph Scholes" and human indifference, "Indifference" "Zero Tolerance" is a large piece made up of several sections. The base sections have text around them and incised images. The top section is a torso, hands wrapped around the body and the head is split to show other faces inside. It is a powerful piece and addresses real issues in government policies that have lethal consequences. You can see more of May's work here.

In "this space has been left intentionally blank", people from the fight the height campaign had gathered together the ideas people had put forward for the space at the top of the high street in Walthamstow. These are on postcards and paper and form an installation on one of the walls. Visitors to the gallery are asked to contribute as well.


I was pleased to see that visitors had also been responding to my "The pound in your pocket"installation piece, writing their ideas of how they would spend their Waltham Forest pounds.






On the theme of money Chandra Mora, showed "Veni, Vidi, Depradavi, I came , I saw, I plundered" A large copy of A Zimbabwe million dollar note, and text citing the corruption and exploitation of the Zimbabwe government, as well as drawing parallels closer to home.




The exhibition continues till Sunday 6th of September and is part of the E17 Art Trail which starts on Saturday 5th.

Roni Horn and by the Thames

There is an exhibition of Roni Horn's work at Tate Modern till 25th May, I was struck by her series of photographs of the Thames, that incorporated text as footnotes, thoughts, reflections and quotes about the river and water including things like, "The river is a drain" "Going into water is like going into yourself" " The opacity of the world dissapates in water"

Her large glass sculptures were striking, especially "Pink Tons" A large pink glass cube, the sides are translucent and top polished clear, the light is reflected around the flaws in the glass and the polished top reflects like water.




Outside the gallery the tide was out and people were beachcombing along the side of the Thames. There is access to the river at this point, so I went down and had a look myself through some of the debris washed up by the river. There were a surprising number of pieces of old clay pipes and pottery among rather a lot of modern waste, the old posts left rotting along the shore line reminded me of ancient monuments or enviromental sculptures.

British museum and He Weimin

At the British Museum this week looking at a small exhibition Between Tibet and Assam: cultural diversity in the eastern Himalaya In room 91. There were photographs and ritual items, clothing and paintings from two different peoples, the Apatani and Monpas. Unfortunately a recording of part of a festival mentioned on the website was not there. There was a copy of the book of photographs collected from mid twentieth century academics and a contemporary photographer, Michael Aram to browse.


Walking down the road to Tottenham court road I noticed the Arthur Probsthain bookshop. I hadn't been in there before and so was pleased to find a collection of Oriental and African books, the bookshop is part of SOAS. There was a creative air in the shop, with a selection of cards and prints for sale and an exhibition space at the back of the shop. The wood block artist He Weimin had a show in there. I am always impressed by wood block prints, I haven't made any myself yet. I particularly liked the densely worked prints that He Weimin had done.

E17 Designers Fair

I took part in one of the E17 Designers events, for the first time last Friday. I took my cards, the new eco cards as well, photographic prints, badges and mirrors and my new sticker range. I enjoy looking for new ways to use my images and the stickers are made up of dozens of my photos.

The Fair was very good, excellent organization, live music and wine all adding to a great atmosphere. The range of items people were selling was a good mix, and there was a wealth of design talent on show.

Getting out and meeting people with my work is always enjoyable. feedback is really important and I have a bit of a market girl in me. I will definitely be attending the next event in July at the Green Fair.