Sunday, September 20, 2015

Cherrilyn Tyler Workshop

There are still a few places available for this Saturday's workshop, 26 September.

Cherrilyn Tyler

 

 Working in an Experimental Way to Make Silk Papers

To experiment using a variety of silk fibres to make papers to use in stitch. At the end of the day you will have at least 5 different papers and ideas as to how to use them.


Saturday, 26 September, 2016 10.00 am - 4.00 pm

Marsh Baldon Village Hall
Marsh Baldon
Oxford
OX44 9LL

Members £27
Non-members £32

Thursday, September 10, 2015

9 September 2015, Bethany Walker - "Breaking the Mould"

Last night was the first branch meeting for the 2015/16 programme and what a great start to the new year. The meeting was really well attended. Some of our branch have been members for many years so there was a lot of meeting and greeting long-time friends but there were also many visitors and new members so there was a buzz of excitement of meeting new friends.

There was also a lot of business to get through at the beginning of the meeting – Oxford Branch has a lot to look forward to over the next few months – but Karen got through it all in reasonable time so we could sit back and enjoy our speaker for the evening.

Bethany Walker is an exciting emerging Mixed Media Artist best known for her ‘signature’ combination of materials – cement and textiles - unique and surprising mix so Bethany began by telling us how it came about.

© Bethany Walker

Bethany told us about how she had enjoyed ‘making’ from an early age and that, although she enjoyed art at school, she was not confident about drawing and painting. We heard how working as an intern for mixed media artist Laura McCafferty convinced her to take the advice of her art teacher to take an art foundation course before going to University.

Early work based on road markings
© Bethany Walker

In the third year Bethany at De Montfort University, found inspiration for her degree show in the urban environment of her walking route to and from campus. On her website, Bethany describes it thus :

“A derelict building with its windows smashed and exposed brickwork covered with graffiti; a weathered billboard, its latest poster peeling revealing the one below; rusty railings which look as though tiny volcanoes have erupted all over it tarnishing it with burn marks.”

© Bethany Walker

© Bethany Walker

For her degree show Bethany focused on the streets and pavements - the contrast of colour between the dull tarmac and the bright flashes of road markings. While essentially happy with her first piece of work – screen printing and mark-making on canvas - Bethany felt that it was lacking something. A fellow student suggested, “Why don’t you dip it in cement?”. The throw away comment was intended as a joke but Bethany recognised that this radical contrast of texture was exactly what she was aiming for. She did exactly that and was pleased with the outcome. After that Bethany devised her own methods for combining textiles with the cement mix resulting in captivating and intriguing pieces.

Following her degree show Bethany was invited to take part in the New Designers Exhibition, where she made her first sale, then spent a year as artist in residence at De Montfort University.

Interlace
© Ruth Singer & Bethany Walker

Interlace
© Ruth Singer & Bethany Walker

Last year Bethany was invited by textile artist, Ruth Singer, to work in collaboration with her, resulting in Interlace – a colourful and surprising installations formed of concrete bowls set with delicate textiles. Since their first exhibition at Bilston Craft Gallery, Ruth and Bethany continue to work and exhibit together.

New samples exploring rust
© Bethany Walker

Meanwhile Bethany continues to work on her own collections and has begun exploring and developing ideas based upon rust.

Monday, September 7, 2015

What's on in September

Bethany Walker is an exciting emerging Mixed Media Artist best known for her ‘signature’ combination of materials – cement and textiles. This dynamic contrast of materials create beautiful and captivating pieces which possess immense tactile qualities. Bethany has developed her individual hand techniques, meaning each piece is individual and creates intrigue with its integral shape, colour and relief.

© Bethany Walker

"Breaking the Mould"
7.15 pm on Wednesday 9 September 2015
at Iffley Village Church Hall, Iffley, OX4 4EG.

Visitors welcome £5.00

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Happy New Year

The Oxford branch of the Embroiderers' Guild is a friendly and active group of embroiderers and mixed media artists of all levels of experience and a broad range of interests. We meet at 7.15pm on the second Wednesday of each month (except August) at Iffley Village Church Hall, Iffley, OX4 4EG.

For Oxford Branch the year begins in September and we have an exciting 12 months ahead of us.

Ten Fascinating Lectures

We have a varied programme of interesting speakers, including a contemporary artist whose ‘signature’ materials are cement and textiles; a student of traditional Japanese embroidery; a jewellery designer whose flamboyant adornments are the influence of nature; an applied artist who uses ‘soft materials’ in her one-off tactile and organic pieces; and an artist who aims to both celebrate and critique vintage textile pieces. Other lectures will be on the history of banners and why they have their place in the contemporary arts; the attraction of repaired things and the intimacy of being shown the holes in other people’s clothes; an introduction to the Textile Collections of at the Ashmolean Museum; and a year in the life of an Embroiderers’ Guild Scholar.

Five Fun Workshops

In the workshops we will experiment with silk papers; learn Japanese bead embroidery techniques; explore a range of different print techniques with can be used on paper and fabric; try out different techniques to create a range of different flowers; and try our hand at white work.

And Two 'Big' Events

Celebrating Capability Brown at Blenheim Palace

The entire Embroiderers’ Guild will be celebrating Capability Brown at venues up and down the country. Oxford Branch are delighted that Blenheim Palace will be hosting and exhibition of our work from Saturday, 13 February to Monday, 2 May 2016.

© Blenheim Palace

South East West Regional Day

Oxford Branch are proud to be hosting the SEW Regional Day on Saturday, 16 April, 2016 and we hope to make it the best Regional Day yet. We are very excited about our two guest speakers, Diana Springall and Michele Carragher.

Diana Springall is amongst the most well-known of all British textile artists. Her work is found in many private and public collections, including the Embroiderers' Guild. She has devoted more than half of her forty plus year career to full-time teaching and lecturing. Diana is also a former chairman of The Embroiderers' Guild and has written five books on the subject of embroidery.

Michele Carragher is a hand embroiderer who has been working in costume on film and television productions for over 15 years. She was principal costume embroiderer on the Emmy costume award-winning production of "Elizabeth 1" and her most recent work has been on the Costume award-winning television series "Game of Thrones", working on all five seasons.

There will be a selection of traders present, including Art Van Go and 21st Century Yarn.

The competition, titled "Any silk, any thread" (Act IV, scene IV, A Winter’s Tale) is a celebration of 400 years of William Shakespeare. Work may be based on the competition title "Any silk, any thread", on the play A Winter's Tale or any aspect of William Shakespeare that offers inspiration.

William Shakespeare

If you are interested in embroidery and/or mixed media art why not join us. Visitors and new members are always welcome.