Welcome to our all-too-infrequently updated little blog about goings on at Art Van Go - art suppliers to the stars.

Tuesday 31 August 2010

Workshops and Drop-Ins

While I was wandering around trying (unsuccessfully) not to spend money at the Bead Fair on Sunday, I bumped into Sarah Lamb, who you may be aware of as the creator of some of the beautiful jewellery  on  display in the gallery.  Sarah told me that apparently there are still a few spaces on her Creative Metal Clay workshop on Friday 17th September.  If you have some basic knowledge of silver metal clay, or have been on one of Sarah's introductory sessions - this is the perfect workshop for you, to help you develop your skills and creative ideas.  Sarah told me that she intends to introduce colour into the pieces you  will create, by incorporating some of her dichroic glass beads.  Here's a photograph to show you an example......

and to see more of Sarah's work - visit her website or, of course, you could just call into the gallery - maybe while you're visiting the current MADE AT ART VAN GO exhibition.

Also, a quick reminder of the Drop In session with Pauline Verrinder this coming Saturday.  No need to book - just turn up, we may even make you a cup of tea!

Thursday 12 August 2010

Don't forget the exhibition!

I've done mine - have you done yours??
Yes, I've completed my submission form for the Made at Art Van Go exhibition, which is to be held from 31st August until 25th September.  Applications need to be in by Friday 13th August - so  visit the AVG website and download your form.  The only criteria is that you've been on an AVG workshop and the work submitted reflects this.  It can be from a single workshop, or inspired by a combination of workshops.  
You can drop your completed form into the Studios, or you can send it by post or email.

I decided to drop my form into the shop, so I got to see the 'impromptu' exhibition on at the moment from local artist Sue Pegg.
Handmade papers form the base of many of the pieces, which take the form of layered surfaces, using wax and plaster to seal and submerge text and imagery.
You should all have received your workshop programme by now - and there are some exciting ones coming up.  In the near future, there are still some spaces on Dionne Swift's "Developing Devore" two day class on 25th and 26th August.  You may have seen Dionne at "Art in Action" - her work there has prompted a number of people to come along to learn the basics of devore, moving on to during the two days to explore all of it's possibilities.  (And as a bonus, most of the materials are provided - so a very limited 'requirements list' if you come along to this workshop).

Also, one or two spaces left on Jill Flowers workshop on Friday 27th to 'Make a Brooch in a Day' using papers and stitch.  I saw Jill's work at the last Knitting and Stitching Show - it was very impressive and having chatted to her, I just know you'll have a brilliant day at her workshop.

Another date for your diary (it's in mine!) is the Pauline Verrinder "Drop In" day on Saturday 4th September.
(Not sure if Pauline will thank me for the photo!  She was wearing the snazzy headgear for Textiles in Focus)

Pauline will be demonstrating and offering her expertise during the day, and there will be machines available for you to try your hand at machine embroidery.  We have classes coming up later in the year with Pauline, so this is a great opportunity to come along and meet her.  There is no charge for this session, and no need to book.

I think I mentioned that I called into the shop on  Wednesday.  Viv managed to grab five minutes for a cuppa and a chat in the garden - which was looking lovelier than my previous photos as Viv had spent the weekend planting.  (I expect Kevin was asleep in a deckchair)  Anyway, when we came back inside, Kevin had unearthed this ...............
It's Viv in her 'Sheena Easton' days in case you didn't recognise her.  She said "Oh that's good, I wanted some memorabilia for the Made At AVG exhibition".  I said I didn't think anyone would remember that far back.

It's a wonder I've got any friends.

Tuesday 3 August 2010

Let the Ground Force Be With You

Do you remember the redundant space outside at the back of the studio?  Well, it's been transformed.  First of all Kevin (AVG's small-but-perfectly-formed answer to Tommy Walsh) pruned and chopped and dug and cleared.  And planned.  Here we are at the planning stage ...........
Then, after several weeks hard graft by the lovely guys from Cutting Edge 
  it now looks like this.....

How about that for a transformation!!  (Now, if we can just stop Viv from dumping piles of paper out there...)
So now, when you're at a workshop, and its a sunny day, you can sit outside for lunch.  Well, I suppose it doesn't matter if it's not sunny - we have a canopy!

There was to be a grand garden opening, but due to sad family events, this didn't take place as planned, but there are now plans for a little garden party during the time that the  'Made At Art Van Go' exhibition is on, from Tues Aug 31st to Sat Sept 25th.  Invites will go out to all exhibitors, so if that's not a good enough reason to submit some work into the exhibition, what is?  You ARE going to submit work, aren't you?

Talking of exhibitions, a quick update on the current exhibition, which runs until 7th August, the Stanley Andrews Retrospective.  So far, almost £5,000 has been raised for The Prostrate Cancer Charity, and The Paul Strickland Scanner Centre, Mount Vernon.  This money was raised from sales of Stanley's work, and from a raffle drawn at the Private View held in the gallery on Friday 16th July.  It was a lovely gathering of family, friends and collectors of Stanley's work.  The prize - one of Stanley's watercolours - was won by an absolutely delighted Aileen Lawrence - a good friend of Stanley and Cindy Andrews, and a wonderful watercolour artist herself, whose work we regularly show in the gallery.