Category Archives: West Dean

Upcoming events and workshops: Early bird booking

In October 2015 I’m involved in quite a few things. I will be taking part in a new event in Cheltenham, SITselect SHOWCASE organised by Stroud International Textiles. This promises to be an exciting addition to the art / craft calendar. It runs over three days, Friday 23 October, Saturday 24 October and Sunday 25 October and includes talks, exhibitions, book signings, a conference, workshops and over 70 maker stands. Until the end of July there is a 20% discount on entrance ticket prices. An early bird day ticket is £6 and for 3 days is £18. Children 14 and under go free and there are concessions tickets also.

Do go look at the website www.sitselect.org/showcase to find out more. Highlights for me are the talks ‘In Conversation’ between Isamini Samanido and Jilly Edwards and between Isamini and Theo Wright on Friday 23 October. Details about these and other talks can be found on this page: www.sitselect.org/showcase/showcasetalks

I will be there for the three days as I have a stand. I’m very excited to take part and am looking forward to meeting visitors to the show. I will also be running a one-day experimental papermaking workshop on Saturday 24 October. The workshop will be very much hand-on and we will explore textures and patterns to make a simple zig-zag or pamphlet book. Starting simple means that we can try out all sorts of techniques that participants will be able to use in their own work. The course will include using cotton rag pulps, casting and couching, laminating and embossing. We will use a Hollander beater and we will also explore processes that can be used at home. As part of this day I am giving a short talk about my work and inviting you to participate in my latest project by making and dip dying a sheet of paper.

The workshop is suitable for all.

Tickets: £55. Concessions: £35.

Entrance ticket required. There will be ample time to go round and look at all the other things going on as part of a really enjoyable day.

At the end of that week I am running a short course at lovely West Dean, ‘An Introduction to Creative Papermaking’, Friday 30 October – Sunday 1 November. (Suitable for all)

Course Reference: WE 5743

At West Dean we will be exploring traditional western papermaking techniques to create paper artworks inspired by the landscape. We will make pulps using cotton rag, and learn casting and couching, laminating and embossing, using a Hollander beater but also learn other pulping processes that can be used at home. More information here: pdf

To book please visit the West Dean Short Course booking page here: https://www.westdean.org.uk/CollegeChannel/ShortCourses/Courses/CourseSubCat.aspx?group=boo

Or phone for a brochure: Tel: +44 (0)1243 811301

There is a new on-line booking log-in system which allows one to view the various options (non-residential, single room, double etc) but setting up a log-in doesn’t commit you anything. I really enjoyed my last visit and am looking forward to this one a great deal. As anyone will attest who has attended a course here, the setting is wonderful, the facilities are great, the food is ample and good and there is a very friendly creative atmosphere (and a lovely bar).

The course cost without the residential element is £230.

Exhibition

Also in October I will be showing an installation of some recent work inspired by walks along the Downland paths of Southern England. I can’t say more about it than that as details are still to be confirmed but there will be more information soon.

Land, material and memory, ongoing

Papermaking workshop at West Dean

Creative papermaking with colour and thread

Sunday 15 February – Thursday 19 February 2015

Explore the creative possibilities of papermaking using cotton and linen pulps. Incorporate colour and structure using thread and dyed pulps. In this enjoyable and hands-on short course you will develop your skills and used traditional western style papermaking techniques to make beautiful and unique artworks inspired by textiles.

In this course as part of a themed week on cloth and thread we will investigate the creative possibilities of papermaking using fabric and textiles as our starting point in terms of raw material, structure and colour as well as inspiration. After an initial practical session running through traditional western papermaking we will experiment with making and using cotton and linen pulps to form sheets before moving on to incorporating thread and joining, layering and collaging paper and thinking about how this alters the structure of the paper. Referring back to the structure of cloth and thread we will investigate working with dyed pulps to overlay colour and designs. We will also think about how drying and pressing the paper can alter it, which can be used in a creative way to enhance the structure and shape of the paper. Paper does not always need to be flat!

The course will be taught by means of demonstrations and practical work as well as individual attention to support your project. There will be information and handouts to allow you to take these skills further independently after the course. We will be making paper traditionally using a Hollander beater and professional equipment but will also explore more easily accessible and more experimental techniques.

At the end of the course you will have made a selection of beautiful handmade paper and unique artworks. You will have experimented with making and dying pulps and casting (couching) sheets of paper using a range of techniques including laminating, embossing, pressing, building in insertions and you will have gained and built upon skills to take further in your own work. This course is in our week of courses linked by a theme of Cloth and Thread. Each explores this versatile material in two and three dimensions and various scales. The week includes a short cross-over session when you work with a different tutor, and illustrated talks by other tutors in the series of courses.

More information here: https://www.westdean.org.uk/resources/longdetails/4D5140.pdf

Booking here: https://www.westdean.org.uk/CollegeChannel/ShortCourses/Courses/Courses.aspx?ref=4D5140

West Dean

I had an exciting trip yesterday to West Dean to discuss running some papermaking workshops for them next year. I’ll post up more information soon but I can say that the initial course will be part of a themed week on cloth and thread with three artist / makers, me, Matthew Harris (who has recently worked on ‘Field Notes’, a brilliant collaboration with composer Howard Skempton) and Liz Clay the author and textile artist who works with nuno felt. Each of us will take a different approach to working with cloth and thread. Mine of course will involve using cotton and linen to make paper pulp but will also investigate the creative possibilities of incorporating thread into cast sheets of paper. Pigments and dyes may well be involved too! I am so looking forward to this.

West Dean is an extraordinary setting for creative courses. Do go look at their website

http://www.westdean.org.uk/

Materials week 15 – 19 February 2015 at West Dean