Plein Air Painting with Steve Pleydell-Pearce

Home after a family break along the beautiful North Devon coastline where I was lucky enough to spend a whole day painting with Woolacombe artist Steve PP.

Kirk discovered Steve's paintings years ago when he used to surf a lot in Devon and we started buying each other his amazing art work for birthdays, Christmas and anniversaries.

Steve's artwork is so amazing. Check his website out.
http://www.stevepp.co.uk/

Steve also worked as an animator on Dangermouse! He is a real character who reads the weather by looking at the clouds, surfs and plays ukelele.

If you are ever in Woolacombe you might even be lucky enough to see him painting near his surf van or see his artwork in a gallery.

You can read about our plein air painting day at Barrican Beach here at Steve's blog. http://surfyart.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/plein-air-painting-on-barricane.html?m=1

Igo Eco Arts New Studio and Big Draw Event

Our new studio officially opened today with a Big Draw event! It was also Farmer's Market Day, Brownies coffee morning and St Mary's Craft Fair in our small town, Burton Latimer.

We are in The Paddocks car park, appropriately behind the recycling bins, and next to The Sugar Barn.

Workshops are getting booked up for November and we'll have Yarn & Glue (bring your personal project) meet up on Thursday afternoons 1-3pm.

French classes for children start for 4 years + on Thursday 3.30-4.00pm with Chrystelle. There's also a pre-school session on Friday mornings 10-10.30am.

Arty Parties can be booked for your children or group, or what about a girl's night out? Learn a new craft then pop over to Vivo or The Shaad for dinner?!

Look out for our drop-ins, competitions and events and let us know if you'd like to exhibit your own arts, crafts and creations.

Also calling all creatives... If you have a skill to share please let us know and we can support you in running a workshop in our town's very own arts studio/gallery space.

We have some very talented people locally, lets shout about it.

Art in Action 2012

I got the chance to visit Art in Action! I was due to be at another festival which, due to bad weather, had to cancel. Not Art in Action though... Their website clearly instructed all visitors to bring wellies and it was a military operation to enable the festival to go ahead. Clear signs led festival goers to hard standing, where free buses shuttled to Waterperry.

Many pleasant surprises at this art festival, classes, lectures, performances, shopping and meeting artists and watching their alchemical processes in wonder.

Things I loved 

Nature in Art

I had the opportunity to try machine embroidery! Sewing machine phobia overcome by the great character, Richard Box, who seemed to genuinely trust I wouldn't mess up the piece he was working on. He will be running a machine embroidery course at Knuston Hall in January 2013.

The unique Shelly Perkins explained that she uses Photoshop to produce beautifully clear crisp art from up to 100 layers of her scanned traditional artwork and runs courses in Gloucestershire at Art in Nature.

Painting

Wandering and watching artists at work in real time and particularly David Caldwell's portraits and Sarah Spackman's use of muted colours.

 

Sculpture

Art was in Action here as I was surprised to find a real pony in the sculpture area so artists were able to craft from a real living thing.

Printmaking

Louise Scott took me though the copperplate etching process. Her work has a magical feel with animals that look like they have stories to tell.

Laura Boswell demonstrated her Japanese watercolour and woodblock printing and linocut techniques to produce beautiful trees and foliage and rooks.

Best of the Best

Wow the biggest felted picture I have ever seen.

Illustration

I knew Jackie Morris would be coming to share her magical books and illustrations and I finally got to meet the lovely lady herself. She kindly drew a beatiful cat when she signed our copy of The Cat and the Fiddle.

The Illustrator Paul Kidby painted a large baby dragon whilst talking to visitors and answering questions. He is the Terry Pratchet artist who gives life to some individual characters.

I will be coming again next year and hope to try out some classes and watch some performances. Art in Action is definitely a festival for all ages.

In the meantime, I will begin Autumn Term workshops after a festival Summer on the road.

Watch this space for details.