Category Archives: Select 2014

Review of Selected 2014 on Helen Terry’s blog

I came across a lovely blog post about the exhibitions which are part of this year’s Stroud International Textiles events.

‘I drove 150 miles to Gloucestershire in the rain on Friday to see what I could of the SITSelect exhibitions. My sat nav guided me up the steepest, narrowest lane with heart-stoppingly beautiful views (when I dared to look) to Newark Park. I read the advice to not use your sat nav only after that little adventure, once I…..’

See the rest of Helen Terry’s post here on her beautiful blog.

Painswick papermaking workshop

On the 10 and 11 May I ran some workshops in Painswick as part of the Stroud International Textiles events. There were two events scheduled at the Painswick Centre, my papermaking workshop and a one day workshop with Sian Martin. The studio for the first day’s event was a little overcrowded but on the second day we moved to a bigger room and had a brilliant time. I always enjoy meeting the people who sign up to my papermaking workshops. Often they have an interest in textiles and related fibre / art things so there is a great deal of common ground. Quite often I feel that we are exchanging information; it isn’t just a one way street. Many of the participants were using the workshop to think over things that would feed into their other art work rather than just using the papermaking as a stand alone project. Anyway, if any of you are reading this, it was lovely to meet you and I found your ability to pick up and run with a new technique really encouraging.

Paper drying during the workshop

Painswick itself is a beautiful town with the most extraordinary churchyard filled with yew trees carved into looming shapes. I was asked if I know the story of the yews. Apparently there are 99 of them and whenever anyone tries to even the number up by planting another to make a round 100, one of the older trees dies. I didn’t count them to check up on the facts but it is definitely the kind of place that grows stories as well as trees.

Some small pieces of handmade cotton rag paper after drying

Venue: The Painswick Centre, Bisley Street, Painswick, Stroud GL6 6QQ

Selected at Newark Park

Newark Park is a lovely, quirky house set high above and overlooking a valley. Work for the exhibition is infiltrated into the indoor and outdoor spaces in such a way that sometimes it is difficult to work out if it is part of the exhibition or is always here. The last owners of the house collected all sorts of objects and the work in ‘Selected’ often sets up a dialogue with them.

‘A landscape in ten parts’ is placed up on the top floor in a long gallery overlooking the spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. It’s interesting for me to see the work in situ and compare it to how it looks set in a neutral background. This is part of the process that I really enjoy; the beginning of the conversation that objects have with their surroundings.

A landscape in ten parts – Jane Ponsford

A landscape in ten parts, detail – Jane Ponsford

The artists and makers showing as part of this exhibition show a real range of different approaches to making work in relation to Newark Park. I’ll show some of their work in another post but looking at photos is no substitute for visiting in person.

Website for Newark Park, National Trust : www.nationaltrust.org.uk/newark-park/

‘A landscape in ten parts’

I wrote in an earlier post about my interest in collecting pigments, stains and impressions from the landscape and the materials of particular places. These traces and the process of collecting them shape the form of pieces of work as well as providing the colours that I use.

When I’m collecting materials towards some work I frequently come back with pockets full of bags of clay or sand or chalk. These samples end up in jars with strips of paper tests to show the colours derived from them. This collecting and classifying urge shows itself in the work that I make which often takes the form of accumulations of cast paper shapes. Process and material are different ends of the same thing in my work. I find it extraordinarily difficult to think about or plan new work without material in my hands but I also need a process or framework of approach to be able to make. Working in relation to the landscape gives me both matter and method.

For the work that is going to be shown at Newark Park I was very interested to be able to respond both to the surrounding outdoor landscape but also to the indoor ‘landscape’ of the house where objects placed in relation to each other form a connection.

The photo was taken in my studio while I was finishing things off last week. I don’t want to show whole pieces of work yet before they have arrived at Newark Park but I am pleased to see the way that individual parts work, overlapped with others.

Countdown to ‘Selected at Newark Park’

In the next few days I’m going to be packing up my work for ‘Selected at Newark Park’ which opens to the public on 23 April. The exhibition is part of Stroud International Textiles’ annual Festival which this year includes various exhibitions, a symposium and a local artists studio trail. More information can be found here: Stroud International Textiles.

There are two beautiful e-brochures, one for the exhibitions, workshops and symposium and one for the trail. Link here.

Artists and makers in ‘Selected at Newark Park’:

Mary Butcher, Caroline Bartlett, Lucy Birtles, Moira Buckley, Jilly Cobbe, Jennifer Collier, Francesca Chalk, Gaynor Dowling, Tara Downs, Ruth Dresman, Susan Early, Caren Garfen, Eleanor Glover, Anna Glasbrook, Matthew Harris, Sue Hartree, Annie Hewett, Annie Hutchinson, Zoe Hillyard, Jo Lovelock, Katharine Morling, Morag MacPherson, Malcolm Martin, Plum Neasmith, Jane Ponsford, Penny Prince, Sue Rae, Bart Sabel, Anthea Walsh, Sasha Wardell, Camilla Ward, Laura Youngson Coll.

Exhibition open: Wednesday 23 April – Sunday 8 June Wednesday – Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 11am – 5pm closed Mondays & Tuesdays, except Bank Holidays

Newark Park, Ozleworth, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 7PZ

New work

Jane Ponsford, A landscape in ten parts, 2012 - 13, detail

Jane Ponsford, A landscape in ten parts, 2013 – 14, detail

I’m looking forward to showing some recent work at ‘Selected at Newark Park’ in April. ‘A landscape in ten parts’ is based on material from research trips and walks in different parts of England over the last few years. It is a celebration of the receptive nature of paper in collecting traces and impressions and makes use of pigments found in the landscape, chalk, clay, coal and natural dyes. The form of the work reflects the repetitive processes involved in collecting. Walking has become an essential part of my practice and I hope the work shows something of the meditative and calm nature of the experience of walking, collecting and serendipitous discovery that inspired it.

The pigments and materials that have fed into this work have come from places as far-flung as the Medway and Kings Wood in Kent and Teesdale in County Durham.

Selected at Newark Park

Newark Park
Ozleworth
Wotton-under-Edge
Gloucestershire
GL12 7PZ

www.sitselect.org/
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/newark-park/things-to-see-and-do/events/

A two-day Papermaking Workshop with Jane Ponsford

Saturday, May 10, 2014 10.00-5.00 and Sunday, May 11, 2014 10.00-5.00

As an artist and papermaker I am inspired by the landscape around us. Join me for two hands-on and enjoyable days exploring your landscape through papermaking.

The workshop will include making pulps using cotton and linen rag, casting and couching, laminating and embossing. We will use a Hollander beater (a ‘Critter’) and we will also explore processes that can be used at home. On the first day we will take a short walk to draw inspiration from the local landscape so please have suitable footwear.

The ticket includes a light lunch on both days.

Suitable for all. Click on the link to book through Eventbrite. Price £80.

The workshop is part of the Select Festival 2014 organised by Lizzi Walton of Stroud International Textiles. I have work in the Newark Park exhibition Select 2014.

The Painswick Centre
Bisley Street
Painswick nr Stroud
Gloucestershire
GL6 6QQ

Community book, 2007, Jane Ponsford