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

Finding follies

Hello!

It is shameful that I haven't written a blog for so long, but I am going to excuse myself just this once as we got the keys for our beautiful new house on July 5th, so before and after was a little hectic and my studio consisted of a pile of boxes. I'm incredibly pleased to say that I have been upgraded from working in our living/dining room to having use of the spare room now, which is just fantastic after nearly two years of having to pack my work away every evening! I now get to look out of the window at my little garden, swooping swallows and the backs of the houses on our quiet street by the river in south York.

The new studio

It's great getting back to papercutting too, after a little break. My exhibition 'Down Hidden Tracks' draws ever closer and I am miles away from covering all the subjects I want to cover, let alone getting on with publicity and working on the catalogue. I am getting a some help though -  having met some lovely people from the Folly Fellowship at North Yorkshire Open Studios in June, I was very excited to be contacted by them this week and told that they would like to do an article about me for their summer magazine. This will be my first ever magazine feature, and it's brilliant knowing that it's going to be read by folly lovers. I hope I'll get to meet more members at the exhibition in September.

Before diving head first into northern follies however, I have a few pieces left to finish for the Itch gallery in Oakham, Rutland. I got one completed earlier this week, of a striking structure in south Lincolnshire called Belmont Tower. The tower can be seen from Belton House down a 2 mile long tree-lined walkway, and I have wanted to work on it since I first started researching follies. I chose to make a flat collage of this one and loved the contrast of sharp lines and flowers/trees.

I have just today finished cutting one of my most difficult subjects to date - the Triangular Lodge at Rushton. This mind boggling building was built by Thomas Tresham, a devoted catholic, and the folly's design is excessively influenced by the number 3 (presumably in reference to the holy trinity). Three sides, each measuring 33 feet, three stories etc, right down to the tiny ornate details.  I have not found it easy to draw and cut this building and I strongly suspect I will be having another go in the future, but this is how it's looking so far.

Well, I think I will get back to work, more updates very soon.

Rosie

Further afield....

Hello there!

Well, North Yorkshire Open Studios is done for another year. It's amazing how much intense preparation leads to an event that just whizzes by. I had a great time though, we had a fantastic number of visitors through, many of whom bought my brand new cards, and who allowed me to persistently publicise my exhibition Down Hidden Tracks. I'm feeling very positive about the events ahead, the first being Art in the Pen in August.

This week I'm enjoying the nice feeling of having got a big event out of the way, and being able to focus on something else. And at the top of my list is a small collection of work for the lovely Itch Gallery in Oakham. I have had my work in the gallery for about a year, and I keep finding exciting subjects in the area to work on. I was very excited to discover that a folly tower I have long admired, Belmont Tower in south Lincolnshire, was actually fairly close by, thus giving me an excuse to start a new picture. I have decided to go back to my flat papercut collage format for this piece (though given the stunning views towards the tower from Belton House, I'm sure I'll be doing a pinned piece soon), and have reached the end of the cutting stage today, so I thought I'd give you a preview.

Belmont Tower, Lincolnshire

The tower can be seen from the hall at the end of two mile long tree-lined walkway. The brickwork is stunning, as are the windows (which do look at little like eyes). The tower apparently used to have an arch either side of the main archway originally, but these have been demolished, leaving this slightly bizarre structure, nicknamed 'Lord Brownlow's Trousers'.

I've also finished a couple of pieces destined for Fountains Hall this September in the last week. The first is based on the lovely pond-side view of the Mausoleum at Castle Howard, the second completes my Terrace Temples pair, based on the leafy walkway at Rievaulx Abbey.

The Mausoleum from the pond, Castle Howard

The Terrace Temples ii, Rievaulx Abbey

That's all from me this week, have a lovely weekend.

Rosie

Open studios this weekend!

Hello!

Just a quick blog to show you what you'll be missing if you don't come and visit us at North Yorkshire Open Studios this weekend! I had great time last weekend, exhibiting alongside Charlotte Morrison, Ian Scott Massie and Josie Beszant in  the ArtisOn studios. We had some lovely visitors, and ate lots of delicious cake (homemade by us of course). Here's how things are looking...

 

 

 

 

This weekend we'll be doing it all over again, and then that's it for another year, so if you fancy popping in, checking out a great mix of work and having a chat with some coffee and cake, come down this weekend and see us! While you're in the area you can also visit Hester Cox in her studio in Masham, and pop into the gallery to see my exhibition Paperworks, which I assure you is definitely worth a visit.

North Yorkshire Open Studios

Hello!

I have been trying to get round to doing some blogging all week, as this weekend is the start of North Yorkshire Open Studios so I wanted to tell you all about it. But for that very reason, I have been snowed under with framing, packing cards and other exciting preparation, so I'm only just getting round to it!

This will be my second year taking part in Open Studios, a county-wide event involving artists and makers working in all mediums. It gives visitors a chance to see artists at work, in their own studios and homes, or in my case, in the wonderful ArtisOn studios just outside Masham. The event is free, though you may need your car if your planning to visit a number of studios as some of us are out in the sticks, but you'll get a nice warm welcome and maybe a cup of tea wherever you choose to go.

I had a great time last year exhibiting along side Charlotte Morrison, Josie Beszant and Ian Scott Massie (who is, of course, my dad). We got loads of lovely visitors, who enjoyed learning about our work and the ArtisOn studios, as well as eating the lovely array of homemade cakes we provided (honestly, baking for open studios is one of my favourite bits of the event). We'll be doing it all again this year so please drop by if you can. The event runs over the 8th/9th and the 15th/16th of June.




Charlotte Morrison





Josie Beszant



Ian Scott Massie

I have managed to gather together the largest ever collection of work, including lots of new pieces (like these ones below), and I can't wait to get over there and hang them! I am also going to be selling cards for the first time, so there will be lots to see.

Banqueting House, Studley Royal

The Temple, Allerton Castle

For more information on the event and the artists involved visit the NYOS site here. You will find maps, a list of artists to visit and much more.

I hope to see you at the weekend!

Opening Night...

Hello!

Last week I was enjoying a nice few days away in Norway, having a little bit of time off before a very busy week this week. The exhibition I have been organising at Masham Gallery is opening this evening, and I've spent the week hanging the show, arranging beautiful paper objects, printing prices and crossing my fingers for a successful preview evening! It was like Christmas in the gallery on Tuesday, unwrapping all the lovely deliveries from the Paperworks artists, and enjoying a cup of tea with Sarah Morpeth, who dropped this beautiful piece off.

Bee Book, Sarah Morpeth

I am really excited to be unveiling some new pieces of mine too, as over the last few months I've come up with a few pics that I'm particularly happy with. My personal favourite for this exhibition is this latest depiction of the banqueting house, Hackfall. I love this subject and have included it in pinned pieces, collages and prints before, but I think this piece is the best so far!

The opening of Paperworks is the first in a string of events over the next month - next week a small collection of my work will be on display in the lovely village of Saltaire for their Art Festival. I am taking part in their incredible Open Houses project, which allows visitors to take a tour around the homes of Saltaire residences as they display contemporary art and craft from a huge collection of artists and makers. The event runs over the whole bank holiday weekend, and I will be there on Sunday to chat to visitors. You can find me at 1 Myrtle Place!

The following weekend I'm tutoring Vintage Jewellery - From Drab to Fab with Josie Bezant at ArtisOn. We'll be covering so much that I can't possible detail it here, have a look at the ArtisOn site for more details. And finally.....for the middle two weekends in June I will be back at ArtisOn for North Yorkshire Open Studios! More on that soon.

So as you can see, a busy month is ahead. I better get to work. If you fancy a glass of wine and an exclusive first look at Paperworks, do drop by tonight to Masham Gallery at 7.30pm!

Have a great weekend
Rosie

New year plans

Happy New Year!

I was intending to have written my first blog of 2013 before now, but I'm pleased to say that I've been pretty busy so far this year.

Being January, my first unexciting task is tackling the annual tax return. But luckily I have plenty of more interesting things to get on with too, such as getting some pinned papercuts ready to deliver to The Heart Gallery this weekend. It's a beautiful gallery filled with some fantastic work, and situated in the heart of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. The Heart gallery was one of the very first places to display my work 4 years ago, so I'm really pleased to going back. I've made three pieces inspired by the local area;

Gibson Mill, Hardcastle Crags

Lund's Tower, Earl Crag

and The folly in the woods, Cottingley

Next month I shall be taking some work to The Imaginarium Gallery in Haworth, so I am already planning some more West Yorkshire pieces.

I was really excited to be contacted last week by the Cambridge Contemporary Art gallery, who have invited me to take part in their April exhibition this year. It is such a gorgeous gallery that I had the pleasure of visiting in 2011, and I have wanted to have some work in there ever since. It also means that I have an excuse to research all the beautiful buildings in and around Cambridge, and maybe do a piece on the Wimpole folly, an amazing tower nearby.

I've also spent some time this week researching and applying to some more creative events. I am going to be enjoying my second year of North Yorkshire Open Studios in June, but I am also hoping to take part in Art in the Pen in Skipton again in August, as well as the Saltaire Arts Trail and the Art Market in Holmfirth. Fingers crossed I am successful...

So as you can see, with this lot plus the Paperworks exhibition at Masham Gallery and my joint exhibition with Charlotte Morrison, Down Hidden Tracks at Fountains Abbey in September, it's shaping up to be a busy year. I better get back to work!

Have a great weekend!
Rosie x

Back to Normal

Hi!

The last few weeks have been very busy, what with the preparation for North Yorkshire Open Studios, and then the event itself. I was really excited about my first open studios event and I wasn't disappointed; we had plenty of visitors, all really enthusiastic, and a good few sales too!

I can't believe that after all the preparation it is over so quickly, but now there are more things to focus on. I have just entered my first ever printmaking competition, BITE, I have another event to prepare for , Art in the pen in skipton, and I have work to do for a lovely gallery in Rutland, called the Itch Gallery, who will soon stock a selection of my collages and prints.

Right now I'm also preparing for my final workshop this term. Basic Beading and Jewellery Making is this Saturday at ArtisOn, after which I will be having a teaching break for a couple of months before I return with another papercutting course in September.

Busy busy!

Rosie x

New Term...

Hello!

I have just returned from a lovely week off, during which I celebrated my 26th birthday in the beautiful town of Bruges!

It's been great having a break, but now the summer term has started (for me anyway) and there is lots to do.

This Friday a Close to Home, an exhibition I am involved with, opens at The Gallery in Masham. The exhibition supports the work of Herriot Hospice Homecare, a local charity helping house-bound patients around the hambleton district. I will be exhibiting three new pieces, and will be sharing the space with a group of contemporary artists from around Yorkshire and the north, including Angie Rogers and Elizabeth Price. The preview opens on Friday night at 7.30pm, please come down and join us for a glass of wine.

I can't quite believe it, but in only four short weeks the North Yorkshire Open Studios will begin. In case you haven't heard, over two weekends in June artists from all over the county will be opening their doors to visitors (and potential customers), and giving people a rare chance to see inside their studios, have a chat, and maybe even a cup of tea. This is my first year taking part in NYOS, and I'm really excited to by using the studio spaces at ArtisOn, near Masham to display my work. I shall be sharing the venue with 3 other great artists, Charlotte Morrison (ceramics), Josie Beszant (collage/assemblage), and Ian Scott Massie (painter/printmaker and incidentally, my dad!). Please please come along to visit us, enjoy some tea and cake, and watch us do some demonstations of our work.

North Yorkshire Open Studios: June 9th/10th and 16th/17th, studio opening times 10.30am - 5.30pm.

For more information on us, or the many other fantastic artists taking part, and a map so you can plan your route, visit the NYOS website here.

I better get on with preparing some work. Bye!

Rosie x

New Work in New Places

hello there!

I've been working away for the last month or so, trying to finish my new work for my two new stockists, the New Leaf Gallery in Monmouth, South Wales, and the Leeds Craft Centre and Design Gallery.

Countless childhood holidays in South Wales meant that I was really excited to be invited to take part in the New Leaf Gallery's current exhibition all about Wales. It gave me a chance to seek out old holiday snaps and remind myself of the places I really loved. I've produced 3 pieces which are on sale in the gallery now, here they are:

Tenby Harbour

Whitford Point Lighthouse

Laugharne Castle

This week I will be dropping off 7 pieces at the Leeds Craft Gallery. I am supplying them with a mixture of my usual style of collages and some of my new linocuts. The gallery in Leeds will be only the second place to have some of my new linocuts, which are also on sale in The Gallery, Masham. I have made 3 new collages for Leeds too, featuring some good old Yorkshire landmarks, such as Bootham Bar in York and Settle train station. Drop in there from this wednesday onwards to check them out.

Lastly, I am starting to get really excited about the North Yorkshire Open Studios, which is drawing ever closer! I shall be displaying and selling my work, demostrating papercutting, and probably drinking lots of tea at ArtisOn along with Charlotte Morrison, Ian Scott Massie and Josie Beszant over the two weekends in June. For more information visit the open studios facebook page.
I have also just found out that I am going to be exhibiting and selling at Art in The Pen this year in Skipton
this August. Watch this space for more info...



Thats it from me, have a good week!

Rosie x

New work and new galleries!

Hi there

It's been far too long since my last blog - a few weeks with a slightly altered routine can really shake things up! I've been working hard on my growing linocut collection and had my first day of printing with a press last week, which produced some great results! I have also been working on some pieces for two new stockists - I'm really excited to say that soon my work will be available in the Leeds Craft Centre and Design Gallery, and Monmouth - based gallery The New Leaf Gallery.

The New leaf Gallery are holding an exhibition called 'Painting Wales - Home and Away' from April 26th to May 21st, in which I will be showing three new collages. Luckily, I know the south coast of Wales very well from childhood holidays, so I'm really excited to use the area as inspiration. I have already completed one piece, based on Tenby harbour.

A selection of my collages and my new linocuts will be available from the Leeds Craft Centre from the beginning of May, including my latest print of Walmgate Bar in York.

I took a very brief trip down to London last week, to drop off my pieces for the Royal Academy Summer Show. The pictures have to be judged, and I will hear the outcome at the end of May, Fingers Crossed!

My next job is to choose a piece to enter into the North Yorkshire Open Studios taster exhibition 'Secret Places, Hidden Gems', which will be held at the Royal Hall in Harrogate from May 31st to June 17th. don't forget I will be taking part in the open studios event this year at ArtisOn near Masham, on the 9th/10th and 16th/17th of June!


Thats all for now, have a great week.

Rosie x

Return to the Seaside...

Hello!

I hope you're having a good February so far. I've been enjoying some leisure time at the seaside! After visiting Saltburn By The Sea last year for a commission, I went back last weekend and was inspired again by the beautiful beach and splendid buildings. Watch this space for some new coastal designs.

Even though it's not seaside inspired, I have made a new big piece this week. I found a beautiful map of Wensleydale in my drawer of maps and fancied making a new edition  to my hot air balloon series.

Here are some mid-work snaps...

And the finished piece!

In other news, I am delighted to say that I have been accepted into the North Yorkshire Open Studios this year! I will be exhibiting my work over two weekends in June at ArtisOn along with Charlotte Morrison, Ian Scott Massie and Josie Beszant. I'm so pleased to have this oppurtunity and look forward to seeing you there! For more details visit the Open Studios site.

Thats all from me for now, bye!

Rosie x