January 10 2013, 1:13 PM  by nncmx
Just made a flying visit to the Place and Time exhibiton at Avenue Gallery.   Admittedly, I didn't give time to the video and sound pieces - I'll pop in again - but my favourite was the 'The Keeper' by Desmond Brett.  Think the whole concept of the exhibition was interesting - a research group making time and place to think about time and place!

http://aplaceintime.info/

It was good to see my one time mentor Professor Sebastian Blackie's ceramic quilts in the flesh and James Steventon's work from endurance running and endurance drawing.  And of course - books.  Graham Keddie.  I'm going to return to this next week.

It's true, I have been looking at an unhealthy number of stockings and hold ups lately.  Nothing saucy, no shades of grey!  Rather more interesting range of colours.  

Doors that locked forever on a section of Leicester's hosiery and knitwear industry will open up to welcome new creativity in its cultural quarter.  The old Charnwood building is soon to breathe new life after being cobwebbed since the 1990's.  'Makers' Yard is the oldest surviving hosiery factory in the East Midlands that's currently being restored into a dynamic and inspiring workspace for creative entrepreneurs, opening late January 2013'. 

http://www.makersyard.com/about-us-makers-yard

In a lead to this opening, I will be curating an exhibition and showing my work, helped with collaboration with other makers, at the nearby LCB Depot gallery towards the end of the month.

I was delighted at the opportunity to take some shots of the building before it gets mostly whitewashed.  Mmmmm! Delicious old peeling, scrubbed down layers of paint. Taking inspiration from this and of course the many stockings, the next few days will be rather busy!  I will post details - hopefully you will be able to visit the exhibition.  Trust this album works.

https://plus.google.com/photos/102644125362413360605/albums

Each time I moan at my kids to 'get off those gadgets', I have to remind myself how much I love them too (gadgets and kids), and the internet.  I can't do without them.  As a commited maker, I feel I should always be using my hands making making making.  Watching this interview made me wonder about some craftsmen who have always been, and probably spend most of their waking hours simply making.  

Japanese Film Director Takeshi Kitano talking to Shiro Tsujimura

Whereas I am someone who has always been a hobby maker while I worked for a few years in an office environment having to think about technology, processes, data, marketing, strategy, customers....  

Then that all stopped and I started making as a vocation.  Things I used to struggle with in the beginning as a craftsman have suddenly been made simple and accessible (though you do have to let go of some work and spend time figuring it all out) - contacting people, finding new markets, announcing events and products, taking payments, getting feedback, researching, making connections, finding pictures - it's all there, constantly evolving.  

And with that you also discover extremely quickly that

1. You're not the only one going through this dilemma and

2. Those ideas that you came up with that were oh so original and unique to you - well there are people who could well have exactly the same experience and notions and be making with the same inclinations and probably so much better

3. You've probably reinevented the wheel but so what - you learnt a lot, and probably also took slightly different paths

4. You've come a long way, but there's a very long, long way to go still.

A geek in making :)

Not sure when and how, but walking in fresh air and sunshine seems to have slipped out of our agenda of late.  Short and sweet, and very necessary.  

Was getting changed at a friend's to welcome in the New Year with a party. As she shut the door, I smelt wood - like old fashioned pencil sharpenings. All ready for a new school year. What smell heralds the New Year for you?

Up earlier than everyone, but not in my own home.  Like a spare part, I wobbled about the house after the many festive meals, then decided to have that promised play with the undiscovered buttons on my camera.  Kids were draped over the sofas still fast asleep - time to mess about with long exposure times.  One thing led to another, five minutes turned to more than, continued at a visit to my parents.  My appreciative mother constantly reviewing - ever enthusiastic about any of my projects.  

It's always great for me to take alternative portraits of the kids and my parents.   And each time I return to my folks, I return with some old momento - which lately have become small works of art or craft - frottage of their possessions, simplistic sketches, and this time these photos.  

I loved this unplanned project - think I'll do something with these.  You do have to move back to see the portraits amongst these.  Really exciting - feel like I'm going to give birth again, except this time in clay.

Another first - doing a demo of ceramic art at Gifted.12 at the National Centre for Craft and Design .  My last and very fresh memory of a demo was during a talk by an established ceramicist to a room full of people a few weeks ago.  She'd set the bar very high, so I went in all prepared with a strung together presentation, fingers crossed.  But phew! it was in the shop while people were busy and strolling by.  Nice gentle intro - very relieved!  Look forward to next one in January.

Ta da!  My first blog entry, a year after I originally thought about it.  Well, I've more than dipped my feet into facebook so decided to prepare for very different and productive new year with this.  Hope you enjoy reading and decide to follow and share.  

My little splashes!