Tag: Julia Smyth

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Isle of Man Art News – 13 March 2017

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The News is kindly Supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council.

 

You may remember a few weeks ago I mentioned that Manx Cancer Help were giving out 1000 mini canvases to the public? They have been kindly sponsored by CuPlas Callow and Gareth Nicholson from MCH said he realised that not everyone wants to do sporting or endurance type events to raise money for charity. He hoped the art project would encourage people to dust off their paintbrushes or perhaps even take it up for the first time to create a picture for sale to raise funds for the Charity. When I spoke to him last, Gareth told me that he was delighted to hear people were embracing the challenge, working on their pictures in groups and really engaging with each other and most importantly, having fun.

Gareth was recently excited to be able to announce that Julia Smyth from the Hodgson Loom Gallery and John from the Laxey Woollen Mills will be displaying all the submitted pieces in the Hodgson Loom Gallery from 26th June to 15th July. That will give everyone who painted a canvas and their families and friends a 3 week period to visit the show and take their time to look at the amazing works of art and to purchase any favourites. Julia and John have very kindly waived the commission they would usually take on selling any art work and this incredibly kind gesture means that ALL the money raised from selling the completed pieces will go to Manx Cancer Help, stay on the Island and will directly help someone who is suffering from Cancer and needs the help of the Charity’s Psychotherapists. If you are looking for your paintings for the Art project you can find them here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manxcancerhelp/    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/852070248228613/ or Twitter: https://twitter.com/ManxCancerHelp

Here are a few of the lovely creations so far.

 

Talking about the Hodgson Loom Gallery and Laxey Woollen Mills, Julia has been having a wander round with her camera. It’s a great place to visit any time of year and a fabulous choice if you’re looking for a local gift to give to someone. It smells lovely too (not in a flowery way). I think its a mixture of the fabrics and the wood burning stove – it really is a feast for the senses in there. If you haven’t been for a while go and have a mooch. It’s worth it for the visual delights, the smell of the place and the sound of the loom going.

 

Paul Parker had another go at filming with his Go Pro and it looks like he’s cracked it. I loved watching this painting unfold.

 

 

Dave Corkish caught these iridescent clouds over Peel last week – aren’t they stunning? I looked these up and apparently they are caused by especially tiny ice crystals or water droplets in the air. Larger ice crystals produce solar or lunar halos, but tiny ice crystals or water droplets cause light to be diffracted – spread out – creating this rainbow-like effect in the clouds. The phenomenon is called cloud iridescence or irisation. The term comes from Iris, the Greek personification of the rainbow.

 

Milen Stankov has been out and about with his camera and I think it just goes to prove how beautiful the Island can be even on a dreary day. The photo of the war memorial is particularly lovely I think. Click to enlarge the pictures.

 

 

Something I’ve spotted recently but not yet had a chance to investigate is the new Archibald Knox drop-in centre at Braddan Church New Hall. It’s a place where enthusiasts can meet, discuss Knox, have access to a reference library and bring in Knox works to share their knowledge and information about the items. There will also be the option to ask for Knox works to be brought to a subsequent meeting where there will be a chance to discuss them, handle them, draw or photograph them and so on. 

The drop in centre was open last Friday and yesterday so the next meeting won’t be until Sunday 23rd April however, the organisers are hoping that Knox’s birthplace at Cronkbourne village will be open on 9th April  for the 153rd anniversary of his birth. 

Silver pen tray or dressing table tray with entwined Knox decoration and blue green enamels. Designed by Archibald Knox for Liberty & Co. in 1902. Size 25.5cms long, 11.5cms wide. Photograph and description courtesy of Titus Omega.

 

I bumped into Alice Quayle the other day and we stopped for a quick chat. She’s certainly keeping busy and her distinctive style is now a firm favourite with a broad range of clients – her work can be seen popping up all over the place – nice one Alice. Here are a couple of her recent pieces.

Dates for your Diary

 

On now – 27  March – Turning Point at The Sayle Gallery

15 March – Sarah Hendy’s new arts show ‘Spotlight’ on Manx Radio, 5.30 – 6.00pm (and every Wednesday)

16 March – 2.00 – 3.00pm Manx Radio – Women Today with me, Christy DeHaven and Beth Espey

16 March 6.30pm – 10.00pm – Isle of Architecture – PechaKucha 20×20: On Buildings – The Alpine Cafe, Regent Street, Douglas

19 March – 10.00am – 3.00pm Bohemian Floral Decorative Wall Panel – Adult Art Workshop at The Isle Gallery

23 March 7.00pm – 10.00pm SofA filmclub 07 – EAMES the painter + the architect at the Bath & Bottle

25 March – Mother’s Day Shop – Katy Mitchell Ceramics at Lower Bishopscourt Farm, Kirk Michael

27 March – Jimmy Duggan Solo Show at The Isle Gallery

31 March – 7.00pm – 9.00pm – Manx Wearable Art Catwalk Show at the Youth Arts Centre, Kensington Road

And don’t forget to call and see Rob Jones’s Drawn Steel Through the Seasons at Milntown Gardens, Ramsey

 

Here’s this week’s round up of images from Social Media. 

 

 

Have a great week!

Jane x

 

Keep up-to-date by ‘Liking’ the Facebook Page or by ‘Following’ me on Linkedin or Twitter@manxart or Instagram @manxartdirectory or Pinterest. To get in touch please email:jane@graceandhall.com. 

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Isle of Man Art News – 27 February 2017

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The News is kindly Supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council.

 

Wow! Talk about raising the bar. What an exciting show at The Sayle. I was at the preview on Friday evening and was really impressed with how cosmopolitan it feels. 

When I called into the gallery last Wednesday it was in the process of being transformed. A wall had been built cordoning off around a third of the space which now hosts the Mark Wallinger exhibit but it still had to be clad in black fabric and the plinth that displays Kevin Atherton’s work had not even been started. I’ve no idea how they managed to pull it all off by Friday evening but they did and it’s been well worth the effort. The gallery would certainly stand up to scrutiny by any art professional and indeed, Michael Sandle RA, who I had the pleasure of being introduced to on Friday, was very happy to see the gallery fulfilling its remit.

 

 

I talked to Kevin Atherton for a few minutes about his work ‘Log’ which he made originally in 1981 and has now animated as ‘Log II’. It’s a series of sketches documenting his boat journey from the Isle of Man to Liverpool and was originally shown in Liverpool. He told me that he had thought about exhibiting it there again but feels that it’s more relevant to people who live on the Island and that he thinks they were more likely to understand it.

At the beginning of the series you can see the lifeboat station and the Tower of Refuge, then as you progress through the pages many of them turn to simple lines representing the horizon, some with seagulls. On average each sketch took 17 seconds to do and over the course of the 4 hour journey this translates to over 800 pages. As you  get towards the end of the journey the sketches capture the change in horizon and the Liverpool shoreline. I think if you were to look at this work without understanding it you would likely be critical. Indeed the original work has graffiti on it such as “6/10” which Kevin has addressed in his animation rather than removing it from the original pages.

When you visit the gallery do pick up the information sheet about the different exhibits as you will get so much more from the show if you take a few minutes to read through it. 

I asked Helen Fox, curator the show, a few questions just before the preview opened. Apologies for the background noise – people were starting to arrive as I recorded this. I’ve since ordered a tripod for my camera as my arms were aching trying to hold the camera still – and I need to do something about sorting the sound out too! It’s all a bit of a learning curve so please bear with me.

 

 

I also talked to Keith McIntyre briefly about his work (as it was getting quite busy and noisy by then) and managed to record just about the whole thing out of focus, and wobbly due to not knowing how to use my camera properly and the lack of a tripod, but it’s still interesting to hear what he says about his work.

 

Here are a few more photo’s, taken by someone who is obviously eminently more competent with a camera than me!  (As with all the photos you can click to view them in the lightbox).

It’s a great show and is on until 26th March so you’ve got a whole month to go and see it – don’t miss it because this could well be the best show of 2017.

 

 Julia Smyth and Nicola Dixon were finally able to reveal their latest commissions for the new mental health unit at Manannan Court which is due to open in March. The original works have been blown up in size to create these fabulous focal points. Julia’s ‘Road Map to Recovery’ is surrounded by works of the patients from the unit and her own lovely personality shines through – I love the road marker that says ‘Unexpected Hug’.


Nicola Dixon had a challenge on her hands as she usually works fairly small and was given a colour palette to work to, but she’s done a fantastic job I’m sure you’ll agree. As with Julia’s work, the picture has been enlarged for the reception area. It’s actually several pieces in one as the four corner pictures depict the names of the different suites – ‘Harbour’, ‘Glen’, ‘River’ and ‘Spring’ – although the ‘Spring’ suite has not yet been designed. They have been used on the signage around the building. Well done to both of them – and also to Simon Park who I believe has ‘a wonderfully serene wall in one of the lounges’, although I don’t have a picture of that to share with you as yet.

 
  

 
   

The Department of Economic Development has launched a new creative industries booklet. The booklet titled ‘Build a Career in the Creative Industries’ focuses on creative industries which produce wealth and jobs through the creation and exploitation of ideas using individual creativity, skills and talent.

 

 

Daphne Caine MHK, Political Member at the Department of Economic Development with responsibility for Creative Industries, commented:

‘Creativity and innovation are key skills that can facilitate economic growth throughout all sectors of the economy. Creative Industries in the Isle of Man offer a range of diverse and exciting opportunities, often celebrating our unique culture and heritage. The Department of Economic Development is able to offer support to Creative Industry businesses via our grants assistance schemes, by providing networking opportunities and facilitating a wide range of projects which frequently include film and television productions.’

Jane Jelski, Senior Manager for Special Projects at the Department, added:

‘The Department also works with a range of partners to support collaboration and celebrate grass roots creative activity in the Isle of Man. This has included support for a range of events, workshops and regular industry skills development evenings held at Noa Bakehouse.’

Sub sectors included within the Creative Industries include advertising and marketing, architecture, crafts, design, IT, publishing, museums and heritage, performing and visual arts and film.

Build a Career in the Creative Industries is available to download at: http://www.whereyoucan.com/ibweb/res/pdf//Creative-Industries%202017.pdf. Printed copies are available from the Department of Economic Development.

The Department of Economic Development, in partnership with the wider Isle of Man Creative Industries sector, is hosting the next networking and skills event for creative professionals from 6pm – 8pm, 16th March at Noa Bakehouse. The event is free to attend and pre-registration is not required.

Please contact jane.jelski@gov.im for more information.

 

 Here are a few pictures for you from the current Hodgson Loom Exhibition which is the Isle of Man Photographic Society’s show. A nice little show to pop into if you’re in Laxey (and the tea and cake next door is very good too).

 

 

Dates for your Diary

 

On now – Rob Jones’s Drawn Steel Through the Seasons – Milntown Gardens, Ramsey

On now – Western Photographic Society Exhibition at the Manx Museum

On now – 24 February – Bob Hitchin’s Digi-rama at the Erin Arts Centre

On now – 11 March Manx Landscapes and Seascapes at The Isle Gallery (Group Show)

On now – 11 March Hodgson Loom – Isle of Man Photographic Society Exhibition

On now – 27  March – Turning Point at The Sayle Gallery

28 February – Cut off point for Creative Network Website update

1 March – Sarah Hendy’s new arts show on Manx Radio, 5.30 – 6.00pm (and every Wednesday)

6 March – Adult Workshop – Ceramic Decorative Dishes at The Isle Gallery 10.00am – 1.00pm

16 March 6.00pm – 8.00pm DED Networking and Skills event for creative professionals at Noa Bakehouse

27 March – Jimmy Duggan Solo Show at The Isle Gallery

 

And finally, here’s this week’s round up of images from Social Media. The colour palette is a bit ‘same-y’ this week I think. Still, I hope you enjoy having a look through them.

 

Have a great week!

Jane x

 

Keep up-to-date by ‘Liking’ the Facebook Page or by ‘Following’ me on Linkedin or Twitter@manxart or Instagram @manxartdirectory or Pinterest. To get in touch please email:jane@graceandhall.com. 

 

 

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Isle of Man Art News – 10 October 2016

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If there’s one thing for certain on our little Island it’s that we have an amazing variety of wonderfully talented Artists. Last weekend we had the opening of Bruno Cavellec’s solo show ‘Lifted’ at The Isle Gallery and this week saw the opening of  ‘Elemental’ at the Hodgson Loom Gallery above Laxey Woollen Mills. Very different styles for sure but it’s the quality of all the Artists currently showing that I think is quite remarkable. I talked about Bruno’s show in the news last week and Manx Radio has very kindly sent me an edited version of his radio interview which I have added to his Artist page on  the Directory and have also included HERE if you would like to listen to it, so this week I’d like to tell you about ‘Elemental’….

I was very excited on Monday evening to receive an invitation from Julia Ashby Smyth to a ‘pre-Preview ‘on Thursday evening before the Preview itself on Friday. She tried to lure me in with the promise of cakes, tea and a naked torso or two and whilst my ears did prick up at the prospect of a naked torso, I didn’t really need any encouragement at all and was delighted to take up her offer. When I arrived shortly before 6pm, a lot of the show was hung or otherwise in place but there was still a fair amount to get done. There are three Artists’ work making up the Exhibition, Julia’s work, Neil Milsom and Liz Cowin. Julia is a fabulous curator and has a real talent for knowing which Artists’ work goes well together as evidenced by other shows I’ve seen at the gallery this year. Her ethereal works, mostly in pencil, of mythicial folk and creatures, contrast yet compliment Neil’s stone sculptures, honed and polished, some with runic symbols and others with gilding. Liz Cowin’s large scale pictures add an element of colour and pageantry which is also reflected in her beautifully crafted crown and cuff. There’s a wonderful essence of something ancient and powerful emanating from these works. Perhaps it appeals to me particularly from my love of reading fantasy as a young adult, but even if it’s not your cup of tea it’s still well worth going to see simply to appreciate the skill and craft of these three Artists.

These pictures are best viewed in the Lightbox – click on any image to view.

 

I recorded a bit of conversation on my phone with Julia to send to Manx Radio as I was on the show to do my monthly Art round-up on Friday with Colleen Corlett. I don’t know how to edit these things yet and my skills as a radio presenter need a fair bit of work, but you can listen to the clip HERE. Apologies for the first 15-20 seconds which are crackly and didn’t work and the comment at the end about hoping it worked! It’s about 6 minutes in all but interesting to hear a bit of the story behind a couple of the pictures on show. ‘Elemental’ is open Monday – Saturday, 9am to 5pm and the show runs until 5 November.

 

minilogoMoving onto Friday afternoon, I had the pleasure of being on the wireless with Colleen and the Women Today ladies. Colleen’s solo show ‘Answering the Need to Create’ at The Sayle Gallery also promises to be something special and it encompasses a broad range of mediums – everything from embroidery to pastels and watercolours to sand blasted glass with lots of other goodies in between. Colleen is very modest about her work – it was only that I had coffee with her a couple of weeks ago that I knew about the two illuminated pieces of work that have been presented to the Queen, otherwise I doubt she would have mentioned it. Many people will know Colleen’s work without even realising it as she worked for the Post Office for 15 years and designed many of our stamps. She says that the nice thing about our stamps is that the Artist is allowed to have their name on them which doesn’t happen in many other places, including the UK and – just name-dropping again for emphasis, the Queen has to review and approve all of the stamp designs before they can be used, so she must be pretty familiar with Colleen’s work. If it’s good enough for the Queen then I’m pretty sure it’s pretty good 🙂

Colleen’s show opens at The Sayle Galley on Friday 14th October with the Preview on the evening of Thursday 13th. 

 

minilogoSally Black’s exhibition at Noa Bakehouse also opens this week. I don’t know much about this one but I do know Sally’s work so I’m looking forward to going along to the Preview on Wednesday. If it is as I expect it will certainly be worth having a ‘waddle’ along to take a look – you can even have a coffee while you appreciate the Artwork and you never know, you might even get to start your Christmas shopping early. 

 

minilogoThis is slightly ‘left field’ for the Directory but I couldn’t resist some further bragging about what amazingly creative and artistic folk this Island turns out. Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, the owners and designers behind international fashion brand ‘Preen’ grew up and were educated on the Island. There was a good article in the Guardian recently which a few Artists who know them picked up on and I’ve included a link to it HERE. They were in the press again recently when the Duchess of Cambridge wore one of their dresses to a reception in Government House in Victoria, British Columbia.

 

minilogoThere’s a lovely new Artist page on the Directory: Andrew MacKellar. Andy’s work is vibrant and emotive and I’m delighted to be able to show you his work. Here is a sample for you.

 

minilogoI do like a good photo and it was great to see that Cian Quayle has been wielding his camera recently. Cian had an exhibition earlier this year at The Sayle Gallery, ‘Points of Departure’, which spanned a thirty year period. The exhibition investigated ideas of ‘place’ and what lies between ‘home’ and elsewhere. Cian was born and raised on the Isle of Man and studied the Foundation course at the Isle of Man College. He went on to study painting and printmaking at Bradford College, then gained an MA in Fine Art at Winchester School of Art and finally a PhD from Camberwell College of Arts (University of Arts London).

 

minilogoClaire Pearse from Element.isle posted up a very good idea on FB this week, saying that this year she would like to buy as many Christmas gifts as she can from Facebook friends who own small businesses whether it be handbags, jewellery, candles, pampering products, clothes, handmade crafts, books or art. As she says, we should buy from those we know! The idea is that you post ONE link to your business in the comments section (ie your Facebook page, Etsy shop etc.) then copy and paste the post as your status so that the original person posting can comment on your post. That way any friends can look through the links for their Christmas shopping and in so doing support local families directly.

To take this a step further, and because FB threads easily and quickly get lost, I’ve decided to create a Christmas page for ANY local craft or small business (such as those mentioned above) to have a link to their shop page. It will look a lot like the main Artist Directory page but when you click on the picture the hyperlink will take you directly to the relevant store or FB page, so even if you don’t have an online store you can still advertise your business. I’ve made a start on it HERE. 

All you need to do is send one image of less than 100kb in size to represent your business and the URL of your shop page. The cost is free to Premium Members of the Directory, £5.00 for Artists with listings and £10 to all other businesses and we will all benefit from the advertising. The Christmas shop page will be available until the end of December. You can pay the Admin fee by PayPal here:

[wpepsc name=”Christmas Listing Fee for Directory Artists” price=”5.00″ align=”left”] Directory Artists: Price £5.00 

[wpepsc name=”Christmas Listing Fee for Other Businesses” price=”10.00″ align=”left”] Other Businesses: Price £10.00 

[wpepsc_cart align=”left”] Cart

Please send your image and URL to: jane@graceandhall.com and put ‘Christmas Page’ and the name of your business in the Subject Line.

 

minilogoDates for your  Diary:

 

On now – Autumnal Show – Sheena Graham-George at Studio 42

On now to 30 October – Bruno Cavellec – Solo show ‘Lifted’ at The Isle Gallery 

On now to 5 November – Elemental at the Hodgson Loom Gallery

On now through to 19 November – Manx Museum – ‘Islands and Bridges’ The Art of Roger Dean

13 October – 2 November – Sally Black at Noa Bakehouse

13 October – 20 November – Colleen Corlett “Answering the Need to Create” at the Sayle Gallery

14 October – 28 October – Svetlana Cameron – Solo Exhibition – 37 Kensington High Street, London

20 October – Creative Industries Public Meeting No. 6 at Noa Bakehouse, 6pm

25 October – Make your own Breakfast Bowl and Spoon – The Isle Gallery, 10am

25 October – Ceramic Hands Family Art Workshop – The Isle Gallery, 2pm

26 October – The Book of Life Art Workshop- The Isle Gallery – 10am

26 October – Teens & Tweens Art Masterclass, Collage Landscape – The Isle Gallery – 6pm

 

minilogoFinally, here is my usual round up of images found on social media this week. Enjoy.

 

 

minilogoPlease Share these updates with your friends and colleagues on FB and Linkedin to help raise awareness of our very talented local Artists. If you would like to do more to help, you can make a small donation via PayPal here, advertise on this site or sponsor these news updates – just drop me a line for more information: jane@graceandhall.com. 

 

Have a great week!

Jane

Keep up-to-date by ‘Liking’ the Facebook Page or by ‘Following’ me on Linkedin or Twitter@manxart or Instagram @manxartdirectory or Pinterest.