New Year

Happy New Year!

It's 2014, it's cold and it's about time I posted a new blog. Before Christmas I had a great time working on some interesting commissions (as you can see in my last post) and I am lucky to have a few more commissions to tide me over in the long quiet month of January. One of them is of Slenningford Park near West Tanfield, North Yorkshire. A handsome house not far from where I grew up, I have been driving past it for years but never stopped to look until now.

At this quiet time of year it's tempting to do very little, particularly when the weather is so dark and uninspiring. But I have to remind myself that although Spring feels like it's a long way off, it'll come around fast and with it my first big event of the year - York Open Studios. This is my first year doing YOS, and I can't wait to fill my living room with pictures and await visitors over the first two weekends of April. My stocks are low after a great few months of sales at the end of last year, so in between commissions I am getting on with finding new subjects and producing some new work. Following on from my exhibition Down Hidden Tracks in 2013, where I explored follies around North Yorkshire, I have begun by having a look at the stunning landscape of the Yorkshire Wolds, and some of the interesting buildings therein. At the moment I am particularly fascinated by the village of Sledmere, where you can't move for memorials, towers, sham-castles and temples. I am currently working on a large piece based on two of the memorials in Sledmere, including the amazing Waggoner's memorial (pictured), but I have a feeling this is the first of a number of pieces based on this lovely place.

A little further east of Sledmere, near to the sea, is the village of Carnaby, and tucked away up a narrow farm track is Carnaby Temple. I first came across the temple in a book of follies, and it instantly pricked my interest. There seem to be many stories surrounding it, apparently it was used as a sighting tower to aid smugglers coming in to Bridlington. I have also been told that the interior was decorated by paper cut outs, which seems appropriate for me! I love the way it sits amongst the endless flat fields catching the sun, and luckily when I came to visit it the weather was particularly beautiful (for January!).

I am also involved in North Yorkshire Open Studios and Art in the Pen this year, and more events will be confirmed soon, so keep reading!

Rosie x

Hello!

This week I've spent the majority of my time preparing for my forthcoming exhibition at Fountain's Abbey called Down Hidden Tracks. It's a joint exhibition with ceramic artist Charlotte Morrison, with whom I have exhibited at North Yorkshire Open Studios for the past two years.
My side of the exhibition follows my work on follies and other unusual buildings around the north. I am now at the point where I'm working on my last few pieces for the exhibition. There are some subjects that I really wanted to include, so I am desperately trying to find time to work on them. One of them is Polly Peachum's Tower, which can  be seen on from the road between Leyburn and Aysgarth In Wensleydale. In fact, one of the best views is from the churchyard in the village of Wensley, where I took a few snaps a few weeks ago while helping my dad Ian Scott Massie hang his current exhibition in the church there. I used the view from the churchyard (complete with gravestones) to make this piece. The tower has it's own unusual little story, as do so many of the buildings I have been working on, read more about it here.

The exhibition will be a mixure of wall hung work (mine) and 3D ceramics (Charlotte's) and will be on display in the beautiful Fountain's Hall, a short walk from the Abbey itself, between the 13th and the 26th of September. Charlotte and I will be there everyday to welcome visitors, so please do drop by.

In other news, I shall be exhibiting next weekend at Art in the Pen in Skipton. This will be my second year, and I'm really looking forward to meeting lots of people, and checking out the other artist's pens. There are over 120 artists and makers exhibiting and selling their work, and it's only £2 to get in, so how can you resist? Art in the Pen opens with a special evening preview on Friday August 16th, and runs 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

One last exciting snippet before I go...I am very excited to tell you that my piece 'The Temple, Allerton Castle', has been shortlisted for the New Lights Art Prize. My work, along with 49 other artists from around the north, will be on display at The Mercer gallery, Harrogate from September 20th, and I am in with a chance of winning one of the amazing list of prizes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.....

 

That's all for now, have good weekend!
Rosie x

Autumn Holiday (hopefully with Follies)

Hello

Rather excitingly, I'm going to be on holiday next week, so I thought I'd get a little blog out there before signing off tomorrow, just so you don't worry. This long-awaited week off is going to be jam packed as it includes two birthdays, and luckily for me I get to visit nice places for both!

To kick off we'll be heading up to one of my favourite spots, a popular subject in my work, Saltburn-By-The-Sea, for a couple of nights. It's a beautiful victorian seaside resort, I've been totally captivated by Saltburn since I was commissioned to make a picture of it last year. Here are my artistic representations so far...

At the end of the week we're having a lovely family weekend away in the Lake District, our childhood camping holiday destination. I'm quite relieved to say that we won't be camping, not that I don't enjoy it, it just might be a bit cold at this time of year! I'm hoping to visit another of my favourite places while there, Grizedale Sculpture Park, and maybe even spy a couple of lovely follies, such as Storr's Folly on Lake Windermere.

Obviously I will be doing my best to take plenty of photos and do as much artistic research as possible, and hopfully I'll return bursting with new inspiration. Not that I'm lacking in it at the moment - I've just finished this piece of the Lakeside Folly at Kiplin Hall...

...and I have a ever growing list of new subjects ready to be tackled!

This new collection, the pinned pictures, will be available to see and buy in the Treasure exhibition at Masham Gallery, which opens on November 17th. If one has caught your eye already, please get in touch by visiting my website.

Have a good week

Rosie x

Coming up...

Hello

I've had quite a busy few weeks developing my pinned pictures as previewed in the last blog, while preparing for workshops, developing my first installation and planning exhibitions for 2013!

First things first, my pinned pieces are coming along very nicely - I'm really enjoying experimenting with the depths and shadows, the only draw back so far is that they're pretty impossible to store so my living room table is covered! They're also fairly difficult to handle until the pins have been clipped (a slightly unnerving process in itself) but I'm sure once they're in frames they'll look great. The complete collection so far can be viewed on my Facebook page, and you will be able to see them in person in the Treasure exhibition, which opens at Masham Gallery on November the 17th.

The Doric Temple, Duncombe Park, Helmsley

Fishers Hall, Hackfall

The Temple Folly, Wensleydale

In the last blog I mentioned that I'd been invited to create an installation, on display for one day only as part of the Crafted by Hand fair at Masham Town Hall on October 28th. The deadline is fast approaching and things are looking good, although I have hit a few unexpected obstacles along the way. I'm sure when the day comes I'll have everything under control...! In the mean time here's the latest photo evidence.

Last but by any means least, myself and fellow artist Charlotte Morrison have just confirmed the dates and title for our joint exhibition at Fountains Abbey next year. Down Hidden Tracks will be on display in Fountains Hall (pictured below) from the 12th to the 26th of September 2013. The exhibition is inspired by the hidden, secret and unusual aspects of the northern landscape. Charlotte will be producing a new range of contemporary ceramics, exploring maps, trails and pathways, while I will be exploring the easily overlooked but often bizarre and wonderful follies which crop up around the northeast and northwest. More details to follow...

Rosie x

Follies and paper

Hi there

This week I am preparing for my Contemporary Papercutting workshop at ArtisOn this weekend. After the success of my last papercutting workshop I will be exploring the same projects this time such as cutting out names and  making layered greetings cards, while introducing a couple of different projects such as papercut tealight holders. If you are interested in spending your Saturday learning how to design and make your own papercut artwork, visit the ArtisOn website to book a place.

Next year I will be holding a joint exhibition at Fountains Hall,  Fountains Abbey with Charlotte Morrison. The exhibition, which is yet to have a title, will take place for from the 13th to the 26th of September 2013. It will be my largest exhibition to date, and I'm so excited as It allows me to explore some subjects that I haven't had a chance to look at yet. Although the theme is not set in stone, follies will certainly feature heavily. These often bizarre buildings have become a fascination to me over the last few years, and I'm already becoming completely engrossed in researching them. Take this amazing place, The Wonderful Barn in Leixlip, Ireland. Surely life would be more exciting is more buildings looked like this?

But maybe not - maybe I love follies so much because they are so different and unique. Anyway, watch this space for more news on the exhibition over the coming months.

Have a great week!

Rosie