A Calming Stone,A Blank Canvas Happening at Turner Contemporary.

Blank Canvas organized a happening at Turner Contemporary last week, called A Calming Stone, as part of the closing day events for their exhibition.
We collected stones and pebbles from local beaches and arranged then in the gallery on one of the benches, over spilling to the floor.

The simple act of arranging them in size, colour and shape, turned an ordinary collection of random stones into something much more interesting and attractive.

Our plan was to invite visitors to select a stone, or rather let a stone select them, they could take their stone with them as they walked around the gallery and then return the stone to a sculpture on the floor, or select a stone and add it to the sculpture straight away.

We also encouraged visitors to think about why they chose their stone and if they wanted to, allow the stone to absorb any thoughts they wanted to leave behind.

We were returning all the stones and pebbles to the sea, and any thoughts left in the stones would be washed away in the sea.


Well a lot of visitors were interested in the event, talked about their choice of stones, love of collecting or memories of collecting from their childhood.

For some, the stones called to them straight away, others took their time. Visitors described things such as the texture of their stone,the patterns and suggested images they could see on the stone, the noise it made, what it reminded them of and qualities like love.

 Some took their stones away with them as they explored the gallery and became quite attached to them. There is something very tactile and soothing about holding a stone or a pebble.

Everyone however wanted to be part of what was a ritual in someways, and added their stone to the growing sculpture on the floor. We had envisaged a spiral but went with what the visitors co created.

After the event we collected all the stones and pebbles together and all took some of them with us to return them to the sea.

Made in Margate's Thanet Open Studio event opens today

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We opened our Made in Margate's Thanet Open Studios yesterday at the Viking Gallery. 25 artists from Thanet are showing a wide range of work, including glass, prints, paintings, photography, textiles, jewellery and ceramics.

Triston Wallace shows a visitor his photographs

Ian Barrowcliffe talks to visitors about his glass sculptures.

The event is part of Thanet Open Studios who have produced a pocket guide to all the studios, homes and galleries taking part this year.

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Tris Kennedy and Marion Armstrong

Lovely to see so many visitors and make sales too.  Lots of affordable art for people to buy here.

Joan Ward with her felt clothes, hats and jewellery

Debbie Hughes with her sea glass work

We have tables upstairs with felt clothing and jewellry, automata and glass sculptures and prints, paintings, photography and illustration downstairs with some glass wear and ceramics.

Megan Metcalf sorts her prints

Lesley Gray hanging work with Jose Fonseca

Ope today Sunday 14th and then Thursday 18th till Sunday 21st 12-6pm  all welcome. Viking Gallery Cliftonville Ave Margate.  CT9 2AH

Julie Caves and H Locke hanging work

Moon themed work by Wendy Le Ber

Pictures by Dosh Archer

Made in Margate's Open Studio Event at the Viking Gallery

Work by Wendy Le Ber

Felt work by Janet Webzell

Made in Margate are organizing an Open Studio Event as part of Thanet Open Studios this year.
We are holding the event in the Viking Gallery, Cliftonville Ave, Margate.

Work by Tracy Davidson

We have 25 artists taking part and our opening is on Saturday 13th August 6-8pm. The exhibition is open Sat/Sun 13th and 14th August and Thurs 18th / Sunday 21st 12-6pm.

Jewellery by Deni Case

The Thanet Open Studios has a guide available from outlets on it's facebook page here.

Studios and homes are open in Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Margate and Westgate.

Photography by Mel Chennell

Painting by Lesley Gray

We have artists showing felt pictures and clothes, printmakers, portrait artists, mixed media pictures, painting, jewellery, glass sculptures and ceramics, photography,  automata and light scucptures.

Painting by Julie Caves

Portrait by Tristan Kennedy

So an amazing diversity of artists from Thanet, with art for sale and a chance to meet the artists on Saturday 13th 6-8pm.

Photography by Triston Wallace

Come along and enjoy the art and refreshments on offer.

Work by Leilah Leask

Glass sculptures by Ian Barrowcliffe

Working with the Theme of Circles.

Inspired by the current exhibition Seeing Round Corners at Turner Contemporary , I have been exploring circles in my work. I have also been working in Blank Canvas with circles and ephemeral works like bubbles.

It is interesting to see how universal an image, form and symbol the circle is.

Bouy on the harbour in Margate.

The eclipse of the sun.

Symbolic forms.

Most of my circles have been drawings and paintings of full moons, or planets. I am drawn to the moon and its symbolism and power.

At Blank Canvas we've been using liquids to make bubbles, ink, paint and glitter and blowing mounds of bubbles, watching them move, pop and dissolve. Making prints from the bubbles and photographing them.

I like the way that the structure of the bubbles starts to look like wire sculptures and the reflections can look like crystals suspended on a framework.