Currently I am working towards the first gallery show of the year. It’s a new venue The Fountain Gallery in East Molesey near Hampton Court.
I am delighted to be sharing this gallery space with Jaci Hogan to present a two woman show. We enjoy displaying my textiles and Jaci’s pastel drawings together as they share the same level of detail and texture. We are both working on the same theme of water.
WATER: COAST, LAKE AND SEA 23rd May to 4th June 11am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday 26 Bridge Rd, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9HA
A selection of our work that will be on display The 3 stages of this embroidery shows the silk painted base, the layers of stitch building up the texture and detail and the final finished piece ( 20 x 20 cm)
The show will include my intricate detailed embroideries alongside Jaci’s beautifully observed pastel drawings. Vibrant and textured interpretations of water in all its forms. One of us will be in the gallery each day and we look forward to seeing you there! If you want to meet me email me to find out which days,I will be there. alison@alisonholt.com
Its always a pleasure to create another project for my Aurifil Artisan group. This month is an easy brief, a seasonal project. It seemed obvious to me it had to a snow scene! I have been experimenting with contre jour and finding ways in paint and stitch of creating that illusion of light breaking through the landscape.
The first stages show 1. My drawing on silk using a textile pencil for guidelines and gutta for the frame. 2. The sketchy painting to give some background colour and structure to the composition. 3. Choosing my range of threads. 4. The first few stitches for distant foliage.
I have worked with a series of straight stitches so far, drawing what I see in the background of the photograph. I then move forward to the foreground and start incorporating some zigzag stitch to give bolder, smoother marks for the snow and give perspective to the work.
1. My reference photograph on my tablet for a constant reminder of colour, shape and texture. 2. I have added some tree tunks. 3. Moving to the middle distance and working some snow on the ground and a few more tree trunks. 4. Finally to the foreground with zigzag for the snow speckled textured trunk.A finishing touches like decreasing the size of the sunlit “hole” and its complete. This embroidery has the classic limited pallette, I only used 9 colours of 50 weight Aurifil mako. They are beautiful shades and quality to work with. I love the way it looks like it snowing!
You will know me as a machine embroiderer, but I was a hand embroiderer first of all, it was 30 years ago! One of the interesting aspects of working with Aurifil is some of the monthly challenges push me out of my comfort zone. This month was a hand quilting project and I used the opportunity to use one of my embroidery design velvet panels.
The original embroidery was 5 x 5 inches and the print sees this enlarged to 17 x 17 inches, the perfect size for a cushion or wall hanging. The detail and texture of the original paint and stitch shows up really well on this scale.
1. Choosing a thread 2. Hand quilting close up 3. The reverse 4. Thinking of adding more colours
I cut a 17 x 17 inch square each of soft cotton interlining and a medium weight muslin to make my “quilt sandwich”. I pinned them together starting in the centre and working my way out to the edges, then I was ready to start stitching. I used Aurifil 12 weight in the most beautiful fushia pink.
Hand quilting complete
I decided to make it into a cushion and chose a dark grey velvet back panel and top stitched edges to make the design pop..
Completed cushion
I had forgotten how soft and pliable hand quilted pieces are. As tempting as using my machine is for speed I did enjoy the therapeutic aspect of hand stitching and the feel of the completed panel.
I am very pleased to be an Aurifil Artisan for a second year. It’s a pleasure to work with them as a company and use their fabulous threads. Here is a step by step of my process showing the evolution of my Lavender Field. This has been worked using my favourite Aurifil thread, 50 weight cotton.
1. Choosing the composition and threads. 2. The first few stitches on my silk painted base. 3. Adding more shades of green for the trees and defining the lavender plants 4.Starting to embroiderer the lavender flowers in the distanceProgressing towards the foreground adding more flowers and stems
The flowers are worked in a straight stitch at first and I as move towards the foreground I use a small zigzag stitch to make a larger mark to represent each flower. The direction that they lie, the size of stitch and the various shades of purple all add to the realism I aim for.
I try to get movement into my scenes, so you can imagine the lavender moving in the breeze. It’s a living thing and I want it to look alive!
I felt an update was due to let everyone know how the last few weeks have been for me. If you read the previous blog post you will be up to speed on the #artistsupportpledge.
The support has been wonderful, thank you. My sales have continued thanks to collectors of my work in USA, NZ, UK and Europe. So lots of trips to the post office and perfecting my wrapping skills!
The other great part of the pledge is the promise to purchase artwork from another participating artist. I have linked up with artists all around the world following their work on Instagram. Here are the first few pictures I have bought.
The first purchase. An oil painting, The Brisoms by Steve Sherris an artist based on the Ilses of Scilly
This is my second purchase, “Morning Light” by David Smith a UK artist. It hangs in our breakfast room and looks great especially in the evening lit by the lamp below.
I will continue with the pledge producing new pieces of my work with the incentive to be able to buy more from other artists but also grateful to have an outlet for my work during this time. It has become a joyous community of artists that have connected with each other through worrying times.
Clockwise top left- Oil by Christina Weaver.(USA) Watercolour by Sara Johnson. (UK) Watercolour by Deboah Gourley (UK). Oil by Sergiu Ciochina (MOLDOVA)
It is such a generous scheme, giving everyone access to original artwork at a fraction of the cost that artists normally sell for. Something to cheer us up until life gets back on track.
If you are tempted to buy take a look on my embroidery page on my website and look at the range of £200 or less embroideries on offer. I will be adding new ones regularly too.
Thanks again to all of you who have bought so far your support is much appreciated.
With the best intentions to write my final blog on my NZ travels before the end of 2018 I failed! With only a few days between arriving home and our boys coming home to join us for a week over Christmas it didn’t happen unfortunately. But here it is!
After travelling down the west coast we moved inland and stayed in Te Anu so we could drive to Milford Sound. We enjoyed more amazing scenery with a trip into Fiordland, driving along the river valley with wild lupins growing in abundance. Towards Milford Sound the valley gets deeper and the mountains get higher. The boat trip when we arrived was fabulous, we saw seals and waterfalls everywhere along the sheer sides of the fiord. A few days in Lake Tepeko was the next stop, turquoise water looked almost unnatural and the surrounding snow capped mountains made a beautiful backdrop. We went up to the observatory to see the 360° view, breathtaking!
Final destination before heading home was Christchurch. We have had not been prior to the earthquake so couldn’t compare then and now but there was plenty of evidence of a city being rebuilt. The Christchurch Gallery is an amazing building. The exterior has beautiful curved glass walls and inside is light and spacious with national and international artists well represented . We enjoyed the Botanical Gardens too. Its huge with a river meandering through it and a lot of variety of native trees and flowers.
Home was via Abu Dhabi with an opportunity to see the Louvre Gallery. A truly amazing building with a metal lace dome curving over a cluster of white buildings all on the waters edge.
We couldn’t leave before visiting the Grande Mosque, the largest in the world and awe inspiring in its scale and majesty . This was an inspirational trip. I took hundreds of photographs and I am full of ideas for new embroideries. Watch this space!
I have just got home after a few days in London. It was an opportunity to feed my creativity by visiting lots of galleries and take a break from teaching and my studio work. It was a great mix of exhibitions, theatre, restaurants and a little retail therapy. I was fortunate to be invited to Burberry House to see the lastest catwalk collection from London Fashion Week. Amazing clothes and fabulous fantasy capes inspired by Henry Moore sculptures. Some made out of found objects others sculpted out of metal, wood or leather.
It was great to see the Burberry collection, but the real treat for me was the chance to see sculptures, maquettes, sketches and studio tools giving a great insight into Moores way of working.
Over the few days of the trip I went to the Mall Galleries to see the Pastel Societys Exhibition, Tate Britain for the Hockney and the RA for the America After the Fall Exhibition, lots of visual treats. I love to look at other artists work, their techniques, colour palete, choice of compositions. I am inspired by the brave choices and bold decisions they make and hope it encourages me out of my comfort zone!
On the way home we made a detour for Stanley Spencer. We visited the lovely gallery in Cookham, his home town. The unfinished Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta is on display there and it was like meeting an old friend! On seeing it for the first time in the RA I was fascinated by the unfinished areas as much as the finished sections of the painting. I particularly like the details on the mop head and the check trousers of the centre figure.
I first saw his work at a retrospective at the RA about 30 years ago and have been a huge admirer of his work ever since. I especially love his eye for colour, pattern and rhythm.
Its that time of year again and springtime means lots of teaching for me. I have travelled to some beautiful areas around the UK. This year up to North Wales and the Wirral. Also down to Malmesbury, Bideford, Devon, Bridport, Dorset and of course at home at Highfield in Oswestry. A range of courses on various themes but the most popular has been “Dancing in the Breeze” inspired by my embroidery above.
If you want to see a selection of students work from the courses this year I have posted some on my courses page
I recently met up with my textile tutor from Shrewsbury Art School, Cameron Scott. He nurtured my love of textiles and set me on the road to Goldsmiths for which I am eternally grateful. I was invited to the Private View of his current exhibition at the Portico Gallery in Manchester. What amazing work, such skill and attention to detail. His exhibition features his collages, quirky insights to his personal world and my favourite, his wood carvings. A picture is worth a 1000 words so please go, look and marvel! The exhibition is on until Aug 31st. There is a good review of the exhibition in the Manchester Evening News
I have been invited to be the “Behind the Scenes” Author on www.makeandcraft.com
This is a feature that changes each month and my interview will be live for the month of January 2013.
Take a look, its an interesting website featuring a wide range of artists and craftmen. Make & Craft magazine is an inspiring environment featuring contemporary tutorials and projects using a wide variety of supplies and techniques, as well as, reviving traditional crafts worth cherishing
Busy afternoon putting a collection of my work on display in Oswestry Library. I have lower priced pieces here aimed unashamedly at the Christmas market !
Sharing the space with me is Myk Briggs with his amazing photographs of sunsets. I hope you can get along to take a look. The work will be there until November 31st ( The Library is closed on Thursday and Sunday )
I have just been to the Wrekin Embroiderers Guild to give a slide talk on the development of my work, 30 Years of Machine Embroidery and a one day workshop – Flowers and Foliage
Thanks to everyone for a great welcome and your enthusiasm on the day course
If you want to see the results look here
I was interviewed and filmed last week for Shropshire County Channel TV for their programme Shropart
We had a productive morning and I can’t wait to see the finished film Shropshire TV
Many thanks to Geoff for an enjoyable time
I am planning a trip to Australia in November 2013. I have been invited to exhibit at Australia’s premier arts and crafts event, the Tasmanian Craft Fair, Deloraine, Tasmania as the feature International Artist
I am also planning to teach a range of courses during November,
in a variety of locations
I have 3 definite locations where I will be teaching, Adelaide, Deloraine,Tasmania and Brisbane. I will post more details as they are confirmed but meanwhile…..
