Canvas Magazine by David Warren

Canvas Hampshire’s Only Art and Design Magazine

May 2012 Issue 5 £3.50

How to...

Get Your Work On Display Reviews: Courses Galleries Markets

Current Design Trends: Knitting Vintage Jewellery Decoupage

Discover: The Art House Café and Gallery

EDITOR’S LETTER

Editor’s Letter

Image by: Hugo da Silva, sxc

This month was all about pop art, and we asked you to submit your own art-works for the cover to go with that theme. We only gave you three things to put in it; a tea cup, a paint brush and butterflies, and you all gave it your best.shot.and Selina’s beautifulcomposition made it through, and we’re thrilled to have it as our cover.

We’ve been cavorting all around Hampshire this month to bring you all the latest art and design news, trends and reviews. Thought Knitting was for winter and grannies? Think again, as we interview the owner of Love Yarn in Andover on page 36. Our reviews on markets, courses and exhibitons on pages 40 to 53 are guaranteed to excite you into a frenzy. We’ve interviewed designers, gone to markets, cafés and walked around plenty of galleries just for you. We want you to go out and enjoy yourself by delving into the world of art and design. So this May, enjoy the weather and do some exploring of your own. David and Kyra

Contributors: Features:

Kyra O’Reilly David Warren

Subbing:

Kyra O’Reilly David Warren

Image sourcing:

Kyra O’Reilly David Waren

Canvas

This Month’s cover art was submitted by Selina Quach, 19, a student at Southampton Solent University. She currently studies Illustration and was extremely inspired by our description of the objects we wanted on our cover. She thought the butterflies were exactly her thing and proved herself right. Selina brought the pop art feel to her piece by keeping the lines bold and the colours blocked. The dots on the teacup pay homage Roy Lichtenstein’s art Our runner-up, Hannah McIntyre, also from Southampton, is featured on page 31. Next Month: We’re celebrating the Diamond Jubilee with portraits of the Royals (preferably the Queen). Please submit a good quality digital image of your art work with a short paragraph on why you made it that way. We also need your name, age and address.

Winchester Art and Design Market takes place every third Sunday of the month, and

The Art House Cafe is a place where anyone can enjoy

offers products from some of

an artistic past time in a friendly and calm enviroment,

the most creative minds and

while eating cake or maybe even a alcoholic drink.

companies in Hampshire.

Yayoi Kusama, born 1929, is arguably Japan’s most famous living artist. Her originality, innovation and powerful desire to communicate have propelled her through a career that haas spanned six decades. 4

Canvas

CONTENTS 6 NEWS 8 LETTERS 10

WHATS ON

12 SUSAN CUTTS 14

CHARITY TREASURE

HOW TO.. DECOUPAGE

VINTAGE SHOP

HOW TO... GET YOUR WORK ON DISPLAY

THE MAGIC’S IN THE MAKING

WINCHESTER ART AND DESIGN MARKET

ART HOUSE CAFE

WHO IS UBERLUV?

36 TRENDING 40

YAYOI KUSAMA

LIZA LOU

PORTOBELLO ROAD MARKET

COURSES AT CITY COLLEGE

ART AND DESIGN COURSES FROM STUDENTS

POP-UP SHOP PORTSMOUTH

PHOTO CREDITS WINCHESTER MARKET: Kyra O’Reilly

KUSAMA:

54 HELP!!

ART HOUSE: David Warren

FRONT COVER: Selina Quach

Canvas

NEWS

The ArtSway in the New Forest will be closing its gallery in Sway on 31st July. Since notification that the organisation was not included in the Arts Council national portfolio from April 2012 onwards, staff and trustees have explored other potential long term sources of funding. A sustainable solution has not been found so the trustees have taken the decision that the operation in Sway must cease. The learning place is Portsmouth City Council’s new adult education centre, has lots of exciting creativecourses for the summer term. Courses include flower design, shabby chic, interior design, Painting (acrylic, landscapes, portraits), printmaking, decoupage. All materialsare provided with their courses and there are concessionary fees for people in receipt of a means tested benefit. Budgeting and fundraising for youth arts projects is a two day course aimed at anyone who is new to youth arts project management. Running from the 8-9 May it is a learning process for those looking to get involved. The Roland Penrose and British Surrealism exhibit will be leaving Southampton from 13th May, It is on display at Southampton City Gallery until then. Artist Nikola Orpen is running creative workshops on the 5-6 May. Saturday will be learning to make felted jewellery and on Sunday the workshop will be all about brooches and corsages. £39 per day and all materials are provided.

Images by: David Warren

NEWS

Sprayed on by ROA at Chance Street, Shoreditch, a thirty foot hedgehog watches those at the London Boxpark

The £47.4 million redevelopment of the National Museum of Scotland has reinvented the grand Victorian vision of an encyclopaedic museum and earned it a place on the Art Fund Prize 2012longlist. At the Barbican Art Galley from the 3rd May, comes the Bauhaus: Art as life exhibit. The German exhibit is a model of early 20th century European culture that was aimed to remodel the structure of society itself and their efforts helped to Liberate European design from historicism and define the look of the modern environment. In its brief 14-year history, before the Nazis shut it down, the Bauhaus art school had an enormous impact on German art, design, architecture and film. Jersey’s government have now unveiled the £100 note of a holographic portrait of the Queen, commissioned in 2004, to mark the Queen’s jubilee. Artist Chris Levine to mark 800 years of the island’s allegiance to the Crown produced the artwork, called Equanimity. The work that will be given to the National Portrait Gallery is a new, more technically refined version of the original piece. Jean Haines’s new release is out from this month. The watercolour artist is popular amongst those who practice that technique and her new book ‘Atmospheric Watercolours’ is sure to be a must buy for anyone who is a fan of her work. With the country’s local elections coming up Grafiti Life get involved by spraying this in London.

Canvas

LETTERS

Letters Star Letter

Image by: Stacey O’Reilly

Dear Canvas, Your interview with photographer Chris Martin was great to read as it was and really got me into my photography more. I recently went to Washington on a trip and took some great photographs. Maybe I’m not so much of a sport photographer like Chris, but what do you think of my fountain? (right) Stacey, 25, Basingstoke Canvas Team: We think your use of contrast is great, Stacey. As star letter, you also win £50 worth of Jessops vouchers.

Dear Canvas, I really loved the theme of your March issue! I think everything retro and 80s is brilliant and I thought the way the magazine matched the era was great. I especially loved the cover! I’m really looking forward to see what you have in store for us next time. Alan, 23, Southampton

Your Tweets @janieeeee: @canvasmaghampshire is awesome, I want to start submitting to galleries straight away!

Dear Canvas, After reading your article on the meetings of the Marwell Art Society I was inspired to create my own art group for me and my creative friends. So far we’ve had one meeting and we all really enjoyed taking some time out of our lives to relax and create some beautiful pieces of art. I think it has brought us all closer together. Joanne, 28, Alton

@karllitchfield11: Chris Martin’s photography tips in @canvasmaghampshire are great… I’m going to the skate ramp now to try them out!

Dear Canvas, I thought ‘How to… make pressed flower art’ was a really interesting read and it inspired me to make one of my own. I liked it so much that I’ve started a project on it! Alice, 20, Andover

Get in touch: Canvashampshire.co.uk Email: canvas.mail@ (hearst/natmags).co.uk Facebook:facebook.com/canvasmaghampshire Tweet: @canvasmaghampshire

Canvas

Your Facebook Statuses Clare Lawrence: I never knew there were so many creative clubs around! Thanks Canvas Hampshire, you’ve brightened up my social life :)

Space and Time Beech Trees

Clare Woods Funnelled Hole (oil on aluminium) 2011. Her work will be seen by the millions who will be in London this summer to enjoy the olympics, but will be showcased at Southampton City Gallery

At the Southampton gallery from the 25th May until 2th September, there will be a major exhibit of locally born artist CLAIRE WOODS. Two of her paintings, BRICK FIELD and Carpenter’s Curve have been chosen by the Olympic delivery Authority to be largely scaled and to be situated on the London 2012 site in STRATFORD. The two originals will be on display during the OLYMPIC SEASON, and the exhibition will explore the subjects behind the two monumental works. PATRICK LICHFIELD: THE POLAROIDS exhibition presents the work of the celebrated portrait photographer at 10

Canvas

Adrift on Undulating Green Words From Nigel Moores: I I I I I I I I I

paint paint paint paint paint paint paint paint paint

not knowing. to discover. to record feeling. to communicate, what I can’t say. to order chaos. to defy, my inevitable death. to express, the individual in us all. in a dream. to see, if you feel the same.

MOTTISFONT, The exhibit highlights his Polaroid boards which has been his speciality for the last 30 YEARS, covering the many people he has photographed and its starting from 19th May. Throughout the month of May at the John Hansard Gallery will be the show case of QUARANTANIA. Quarantania features the work of three emerging INTERNATIONAL artists, Neha Choksi (India), Eva Kotátková (Czech Republic) and Taus Makhacheva (Russia).The exhibition narrates these artists’ personal lives and their social environments in POETIC and PYSCHOLOGICAL terms. Everyday objects,

Image by: C the artist, Courtesy Stuart ShaveModern Art, London (small)

WHAT’S ON

HAMPSHIRE: MAY

Canvas

Escarpments

Sunlit Photo credits: NIGEL MOORES

REVIEWS WHAT’S ON

rituals, sites and social structures are re-imagined and transformed. The name Quarantania derives from a work by artist LOUISE BOURGEOIS, which the artist described as ‘growing from the duel between the isolated individual and the shared awareness of the group’. The imagination of modern day revolutions through personal, social, cultural, philosophical, technological, as well as political revolutions; This spoken word workshop is inspired by Dickens’ novel, A TALE OF TWO CITIES and the exhibition explores how literature might be implicated in the imagination and trajectories of revolutions. Taking place at the

ASPEX Gallery, the installation will use the sound of 100 individual voices as a sculptural material and Suki Chan’s A HUNDRED SEAS RISING starts from the 18th May. An exhibition of paintings is taking place at the WYKENHAM GALLERY until the May 12. The three artists who feature are, Julia CASSEL’s arresting watercolours harking back to times spent in Africa; Dominique SALM’s remarkable award winning naturalistic portraits and the at times understated exuberance of Jake WINKLE’s striking and critically acclaimed watercolours. An exhibition of 58 NEW WORKS from Trevor Chamberlain and Bert Wright, in both oil and watercolour by two highly sought after painters will take place at Island Fine Arts in BEMBRIDGE from 2nd to 31st May. This is the first time both painters will have exhibited together on the ISLE OF WIGHT. Project Workshops are about to host another of their OPEN STUDIOS weekends. It will be taking place at their centre at QUARLEY, on the weekend of the 12-13th from 10am to 5pm. The open weekend is a rare chance to mingle with a group of some of the best artists and craftsmen in the area in the superb setting of PROJECT WORKSHOPS: It’s a great day out for all the family and is free. Local abstract artist NIGEL MOORES showcases this month at The Frame, ODIHAM, with a selection of his work on display from 6th – 27th May. Featuring a collection of Nigel’s landscape and MINDSCAPE pieces, the much-cultured artist has also included some new work created specifically for the show. There will also be a private viewing evening arranged for 11th May where you will be able to purchase some of his work.

REVIEWS EXPERIENCE

SUSAN CUTTS: CHERISH

3rd March - 7th October

The inspiration behind the uniquely unconventional craft is by the Hampshire tradition of maiden’s garlands. Maidens Garlands are also known as Virgins, Crowns or Crants are a funerary memento for young unmarried women or generally they marked the tragic death of a young person. The garlands were decorated with flowers, rosettes and ribbons made of paper bearing the name of the deceased. The work of Cutts fits accordingly with one of Southampton’s most historic buildings. Tudor House reveals over 800 years of history in one fascinating location at the heart of the Old Town. The timber-framed building facing St Michael’s Square was built in the late 15th Century, with King John’s Palace, an adjacent Norman house accessible from Tudor House Garden, dating back a further 300 years. Susan Cutts employs traditional European equipment and techniques to create her intricate sculptures. By making her own handmade paper and working from raw fibres, she is able to create sculptural pieces without the use of glue or stitching. Cutts studied Constructed Textiles at the London College of Furniture Parts I & II City & Guilds. Studied Theatrical Corsetry London College of Fashion, College Diploma. She has work in various Public Collections as well as private collections. Her work has appeared in numerous books, catalogues, magazine and websites.

Canvas

Photo credits: Susan Cutts Cherish 2012. Image courtesy of the artist Susan Cutts. Photography Simon Margetson

‘Cherish’ is an exhibition of works from well-known paper sculptor Susan Cutts. The exhibit consists of exquisite paper dress sculptures with elaborate netting, which in turn enclose smaller paper sculptures. This new work is the first commission for Tudor House and Garden and it represents her first acquaintances with the house and its history.

REGULAR

Charity Treasure Images by: Kyra O’Reilly, Stacey O’Reilly

One man’s trash is another’s treasure, as the saying goes; and it’s certainly true here. This month, we went to charity shops around Southampton to forage for bargains and found this little lot.

From top left, clockwise: Doll; £2.00, Canvas with poppies; £3.00, Beaded flowers; £5.00, Coaster holder with four coasters, £2.00. From assorted charity shops.

Canvas

REGULAR

From top left, clockwise: Framed Renoir print; £3.00, Cupcake decorated tea set with box; £11.50, Vintage style cup and saucer; £2.00, Watercolour painting; £2.00.

Canvas

Decoupage is a great way to spruce up an old household item or accessory. And they don’t just have to be small things – a wooden chair can be covered partially or entirely to create a colourful bespoke item. This is an easy, fun and calming crafting activity that anyone can do. Let your creative flair shine through and you’ll end up with a unique item that you have crafted by hand. It is cheap to do, and is perfect for gifts such as photo frames, jewellery, shoes… The beauty of decoupage is that you can decoupage almost anything. Just try not to get too carried away.

1. Good quality paintbrushes in different sizes. The size will depend on your project, but you will need a larger brush for the main gluing and a smaller one for the more fiddly parts, like in edges. You may also need something to dig in the paper, like an old pen.

You will need:

3. Tissue paper or very thin paper – white for a

2. Scissors - to cut up the tissue paper if needed.

The finished product

Canvas

Images by: Kyra O’Reilly

HOW TO...

How to... Decoupage

REVIEWS HOW TO...

base and coloured or patterned for the top layer. 4. PVA or specialist decoupage glue, like Mod Podge 5. Sealing varnish First, you need to select the item you want to decoupage. It can be anything: shoes, lampshades, bangles, light switch covers, notebooks, lighters, key rings, the possibilities are endless. However, wooden objects tend to work best, so it may be good to start with that. Then, depending on the size, choose your brushes.

Glue over the top of the paper to secure it in place

Don’t forget, for colourful items you may need to apply white layers first

If your object is already coloured in, for example if it is an old breakfast tray that needs a revamp, it is a good idea to decoupage two or three layers of white tissue paper on it to prepare it. This way, the original colour cannot affect the colours of the paper you want it to be.

To decoupage: 1. First, apply a thin layer of glue with your larger brush directly to your object 2. Apply a piece of tissue paper over the glued area. The piece can be torn or cut, whichever you like. 3. Glue over the tissue paper, again only using a thin layer. The brushes need to be fairly soft and good quality so that you do not rip the paper when you try to smooth it over. You may need to use the smaller brush or another item to push the paper into creases and corners. 4. Repeat these steps until the object is as covered as you would like it to be. This gives you a lot of creative license. You could apply several different patterns or papers to the object for a more dramatic effect. Or if you prefer, you can cut out the shape of the object and apply that sheet to it. This can be more difficult to do than ripping or cutting off pieces, but produces a lovely effect.

5. When dry, apply a coat of sealing varnish to finish and protect the paper. Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? And there are several more techniques to experiment with. Some people prefer to cut pieces out and fit them specifically to the object, making a mosaic-like effect. If you are applying paper to a bangle, some of you may prefer to cut strips from the tissue papers and alternate them, or put them at a slight angle. Mirrors and cupboards can be partially decorated with cut outs from papers. A plain tin for food storage could be decorated with flowers, fruit or other food items. The designs all depend on how creative your ideas are, but if you’re having difficulties there are several books that will give you some guidance and helpful videos online.

Canvas

SHOPPING

Vintage has been in fashion for some time now, and you can find some great items in specific vintage shops. These beauties are from Hepwrights in Southampton, for example. But how do we know what’s vintage and what’s not? Catherine Wright, the owner of Hepwrights, gave us her tips:

1. Look for quality. Round buttonholes, full lining and finished inner seams are dead giveaways as many modern clothes can be badly stitched and unfinished.

Lilli Ann, Pucci (prints, especially), Ami, Et al, Gigi Young, Suzy Perette. And of course the classic designers like Chanel, Dior, Fendi, the list goes on.

2. Always check the label. Do they have a lot or style number? Do they have major cities like London or Paris on them? Many clothes now are made in China. Does the label look markedly different to the current design? Does it have interesting or ornate typography? Many labels have been redesigned over the years. All of these aspects can point to a vintage item.

And remember, when buying vintage clothes, always check the measurements, especially if you are buying online. Sizes have changed over the years so be careful not to be mislead into buying clothing that is too small or too large for you.

3. Labels to look out for: Bill Gibb, Jean Boron, Biba,

Canvas

Prices for all of the items pictured are available on request unless already bought. All from Hepwrights, Bedford Place, Southampton, SO15 2DG.

Images by: Kyra O’Reilly

Vintage Shop

HOW TO...

How to... get your work on display You probably have many drawings, paintings, photographs and videos at home. They’ll be scattered around, your favourites hanging from the walls and your worst hidden away in folders that peep out behind wardrobes, cabinets and lurk in cupboards. Other pieces probably lie finished but untouched in your work room, or even your studio, if you are lucky enough to have one. But what you really want to do is sell them to people, and one of the ways to do that is to display it in a gallery. Online As the internet is slowly taking over our lives, it seems only proper to show your work online. It’s not traditional, and it certainly doesn’t show your craftsmanship, but it does show your work to the masses, which may be many more than you would get at your usual gallery. You have so many places to choose from, too. You could create your own website and show images of your work on there. There are many sites that give you free web space to set up a personal gallery. Wix. com is a good example of one of these, and it gives you lots of templates to choose from, depending on your level of online skill. You can even make it into an online shop as well as a place to showcase your artistic ability. If you specifically want to show your portfolio, there are sites like Flickr that are specifically for photographers wishing to display their work. Blog sites like Tumblr, Wordpress and Blogger are popular, and are good platforms for getting people on to your own site to buy your images or to ask for commissions from you. There are plenty of online art galleries, too. All you have to do is search Google to get hundreds of thousands of results. You will find many that are free to join and only take commissions when you sell your work. So just apply to join and you’ll be on your way. Galleries and Exhibitions Application for your work to be featured in an exhibition completely depends on where you want your work to be displayed. The best advice we can 20

Canvas

give you is to have a look around for a place that you think will sell your work well, and then call them to make enquiries. Some places, like The Art House in Southampton, have an expression of interest form that is linked into their website. They will want to arrange a meeting to look at the pieces of work you have before making a decision. Other places, such as the Bargate Monument Gallery, Southampton, will ask you to submit a proposal by mail or in person that includes your CV and a selection of your work that you wish to exhibit. Many art groups also have exhibitions, so joining one would be very beneficial. As a member you will have more of a chance of showing and selling your work. They may also show work on their websites. The Yellow Art House, an art group based in Winchester, displays and sells the work of its artists in Winchester art and design market. Here are some more local art groups that may be of interest to you: Marwell International Wildlife Artists, Andover Art Society, Romsey Art Group, Alton Decorative and Fine Arts Society Universities often have their own galleries. You could try the John Hansard Gallery at Southampton University or the Link gallery, in Winchester to see if they will show your work. Helpful Hints • Remember to include an up-to-date CV that has your contact details on it • Have preferred dates to exhibit that are in good time. Be aware that many exhibitions are programmed six months to a year in advance. Sometimes it is even earlier than that. • Ask about joining fees and commissions when you meet, but don’t be too forceful with it. • Some public galleries require the work to be of public benefit. For example, that it is also a learning experience. • Some galleries will not have sufficient facilities for film or digital media • Some galleries may also have limited space, so be aware of this for installations

Magic’sMaking in the Have you ever wanted to start up your own business from your art or craft form? So many people have done it, and now it’s easier than ever with the internet providing social networks and selling sites like Ebay that can boost your business. Pauline Weighall has recently started renting out a premises for her steadily expanding business; Black Cat Crafts. She isn’t your usual shop owner by any means; with bright purple hair, 10 tattoos and a trike in the garage, she undoubtedly catches your attention. But it is her love of independence and her ambition that makes her like every other woman who has started a business in recent years. She says that being her own boss is the best thing she ever did. And with the power over which hours you work, the stock you take, and who you get to work with, we certainly think it’s a lucrative scenario.

It’s £600 a month including VAT, which is pretty cheap. A shop in town for half this size costs more in rent than this does. There’s only a months commitment for this, so I can give my notice and be gone in a month, whereas in town a five year lease is a minimum with three months deposit. One problem though, is that it’s a little bit out of the way here, so there’s no passing trade. Do you have to pay business tax?

The shop caters for jewellery makers in the Andover area, and supplies them with all the essential tools they need at affordable prices. Hundreds of beads glitter from boxes spread out across the shop; from lamp work glass to plastic dice and alphabet beads. Pendants and charms dangle from wall fixings, and assorted crafting kits adorn the shelves. It also stocks bags and homemade toiletries. Black Cat Crafts has been running for four years as a website (which is currently being revamped), but Pauline decided to go full time in October 2011. On the first of December, the shop finally opened. We asked Pauline about her experiences in opening her business as a shop and the difficulties she faced along the way: How much does it cost you to rent the premises? 22

Canvas

The shop stocks all sorts of colourful beads

Images by :Kyra O’Reilly

REVIEWS INTERVIEW

The

INTERVIEW

No, because the rateable value is low here, and it’s a start-up. I wouldn’t get away with in town because the rateable value might be higher and so it would cost more for me. Where does your stock come from? India, China, America, Czech Republic… It comes directly from the manufacturers. That’s why my prices are much cheaper than those you would find on Ebay. And it will be much cheaper to make your own jewellery using my beads than it would be to buy it, which is the point.

Black Cat Crafts, Andover Commercial Centre

Pauline

Have you crafted any jewellery yourself recently? Do you think you should? Not for sale, but I do make my own at home. Unfortunately I haven’t got the time to make any jewellery to sell along with running the business. I do have a young lady coming in to do workshops, though, and she is very good at jewellery -making. How do you market yourself? I’ve got the shop into the local paper, and advertised in a national jewellery magazine. I handed out leaflets dressed in a cat suit once! We’ve done a market stall in Andover on a Saturday twice now, and used that to advertise too. We’re also on Facebook and we have an Ebay site set up. Outside of shop hours, what do you do to get customers? We’ve done the market twice. We do the bike shows but we do it with a different range of stock to this. We do fetes and stuff too. What advice would you have given yourself back in December about starting up a business? Don’t rush into it. We opened on the first of December and I finished at Lloyds TSB in

November. We actually took the lease in October, but we needed time to fit it and get the stock in. Perhaps I shouldn’t have rushed into it quite so quickly because I paid a month and a half’s rent before we were even open. Perhaps doing more advertising up front before we got here would have been good too. I didn’t bother doing anything until we opened. Canvas

Winchester Art and Design Market

EXPERIENCE

EVERY THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH, SOMETHI

Winchester art and design market - the High Street and some of the stalls

“One stall holds a cornucopia of iron garden ornaments and trellises”

Winchester High Street on the third Sunday of the month, you will find what can only be described as an Aladdin’s cave of art and design wonders. We know, it sounds cliché, but it’s true. 26

Canvas

In the sunlight, the hordes of ornate fused glassware and delicate handmade jewellery cast patterns on the pavement. Anyone looking for home wares will also be nicely surprised with what’s on offer at each stall. They include bowls, glass coasters, garden decorations, vintage images on canvas, cushions, candles, furniture; even cutlery was included. Adaliza is the name of a stall that sells anything made from textiles. There are handmade cushions

Images by: Kyra O’Reilly

If you wander down

EXPERIENCE

ING A BIT SPECIAL HAPPENS...

purpose, rather than throwing it away. There are pendants with old stamps and watch parts embedded in them. Watch faces dangle from underneath bronze birds and deer. Compasses, jewellery parts, whistles, thimbles and other small items have been reused to create original, bespoke pieces. The necklaces, brooches and rings on display would make excellent presents for a friend with a quirky style and a sense of humour. The glassware is yet another striking part of the experience. Many clearly talented people have made fused glass pieces by hand to sell at the market. One memorable product is called a mug splat; a coaster shaped like a paint splat. It seems just perfect for the people perusing the stalls, who can be seen carrying cameras and wearing vintage or handmade clothing items. There arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just coasters made with glass, either. There are pieces of wall art, ornaments, jewellery, cufflinks and small gift items like plaques with animals or words on them.

with intricate designs on them, purses, noticeboards, jewellery boards, bags and more. Patchworks quilts and cushions adorn the tent wherever there is enough room. The woman selling them reliably tells me that she designs each one herself. Another stall boasts finely knitted scarves and other accessories, and yet another is absolutely covered with brightly painted, wooden people, who bounce up and down and sway in the breeze. If you look carefully, you may even spot some very interesting looking tea cosies. Nestled among the many stalls is Forage and Find. It has a huge selection of handmade jewellery, mostly made with broken or old trinkets. This jumps right on the bandwagon of upcycling, where people reuse old items for a different

Metalwork sculptures for the garden

Canvas

Winchester Art and Design Market

EXPERIENCE

Of course, there are artists at the market. And whilst most of them are selling realistic oil paintings, pop art canvases and their own original art, there are a few imaginative pieces that are bound to catch your eye. One stall holds a cornucopia of iron garden ornaments and trellises, some of which are purposefully rusty and shaped like animals and flowers. To one side springs a tree that is taller than most people, complete with iron leaves. Another stall stands out for its perfectly executed impressionist style landscapes, which are truly beautiful. 28

Canvas

Woodwork seems to be quite abundant, too. Uniquely shaped wooden bowls and other kitchen utensils are spread under a few tents. Pencil animal portraits, oil landscapes, cupcakes on canvas and lots of exclusively designed cards can be found at Winchester art and design market. Vintage and antique products are to be found on many of the stalls, too. One memorable stall was full with finely carved wooden objects, but the real star was a beautiful barn owl sitting at the back of the tent. For ÂŁ2, the stallholder would let you hold it for as long as you

Images by: Kyra Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly

Findings

EXPERIENCE

A selection of pendants made from watch parts, from Forage and Find. Below: You can even get to hold barn owls at the market

market delivers an interesting and arty shopping experience. There’s just one thing… make sure that you leave enough room in your boot! Here are just a few websites of sellers at the market: Glassware: www.studiozo. co.uk, www.lymeglass.co.uk Textiles: www.adaliza.co.uk Felt work and illustrations: www. barabara-jofelts.moonfruit.com Jewellery: www.etsy.com/ shop/materialgirlworld To find out more about Winchester Art and Design Market, please visit the following website: www.artdesignmarket.co.uk

wanted, and see the bird up close. And there’s more. Much more. With about 70 stalls, you’ll be bound to find something you like. It may be a spoon wind chime for your garden, or zipped bags and brooches from Raspberry. If you love shopping for jewellery or you need a unique gift for a friend, then this is the place to go. The Winchester Art and Design Canvas

REVIEWS EXPERIENCE

r The

Photography Experiencer

The Art House Café is a vegetarian food place with and arty twist. We sent one of our writers there to test it out... Let’s Try Photography Information: Where: The Art House Gallery and Café 178 Above Bar Street, Southampton, SO14

This session is one of the many events that are run by The Art House in the interet of the art community of Southampton. Others include Let’s try Beading workshops, Knitter Natter, Writing Buddies, Life Drawing, Book club, Animal Action. There are several themed days, such as Buskers Café and Stammtisch German Café.

7DW 02380 238582 What: Gallery, Café, Boutique, Arts and Music Venue. The Art House is a non-profit community interest company.

Despite its name, which happens to sound like a photography class for young children, this event is actually a camera club. It’s also a very welcoming and friendly group of people. The members range hugely; young, old, amateur and professional – anyone is welcome to drop in. The group, which takes place every third Thursday of the month, has no set charge and instead asks for a small donation towards the running costs of the

The Art House Café is on Above Bar Street, opposite Solent Conference Centre

Canvas

Images by,: Kyra O’Reilly, Hannah McIntyre

Art House Café

EXPERIENCE REVIEWS

Art House, whose ventures are not for profit. I went into the group not knowing quite what to expect. As it turned out, it exceeded my expectations, whatever they were. Regular meetings comprise of a good chat about what everyone has been doing recently whilst cradling a beverage of your choice. They give advice to those who ask for it and take the time to share their recent work with each other. In some cases, flyers for upcoming exhibits are given out. New members get the chance to tell everyone about themselves; which camera they use, their favourite photography form, their family background –anything and everything. If there is anything that you need help with, the group will try to make sure that help is given. Whether that’s improving your compositions or learning how to do a certain Photoshop technique, there is bound to be help. With 72 members on their Facebook page, from sport enthusiasts and portrait lovers to artistic photographers, the group is full of interesting people who love to share their expertise. Cover art submission by Hannah McIntyre Each month, the group sets itself a photography task to do. This particular month it was to photograph an everyday item in an interesting be so full that members have to sit where they can way. They also help each other to set personal goals find a space and at other times there are not enough to achieve. So if someone people to sit around the usually only photographs “The members range main table. But this flowers, they ask that month was a rather person to try something hugely; young, old, amateur pleasant surprise; there were more than enough entirely different. Some examples would be and professional” people to have a good photographing ‘decay’, like conversation with - a a dead bird, even a mouldy sociable group of noncup. Everything ends up looking interesting and threatening camera-lovers. beautiful if you photograph it the right way, and this is what they want others to see. Let’s Try Photography takes place every third Thursday of the Month at 7.30pm, in the upstairs On some occasions the camera club has been known of The Art House. Just bring your camera/laptop/ to take trips outside during their meetings when iPad and an open mind along. The Art House are very wheelchair friendly, and will try to move the they feel really inspired. Members often up outside of the sessions to socialise and brush up on their meeting downstairs for you if you ask them. No skills with some company. booking necessary.

Overall, the session seemed to be a great success. According to one member, sometimes the room can

More details can be found at: http://www. thearthousesouthampton.co.uk

Canvas

c 31

Formed in 2008, the mixture of art and community are the principals on how the café came to fruition. 32

Canvas

Art House’s offer to those aspiring to be in any facet of the art industry whether those involved in crafts and antiques as well as fine art, they provide a space for small-scale, local and grassroots creativity. Encouraging individual creative fulfilment through the provision of low-cost workshops, art activities and inspiring surroundings and supporting local artists, facilitators and makers by offering opportunities to exhibit and sell their work.

Images by: David Warren

ART HOUSE CAFE

ART HOUSE

The Art House is a café, gallery and arts venue in Southampton where you can meet with friends or meet new people but it also supplies a practical purpose. The not-for-profit café is still a café in its traditional capacity, but it offers a lot to the local art community. They have a constant series of events happening from workshops, art exhibitions, clothing and crafts boutique plus more.

INTERVIEW

“The mood is always mellow in here, even if we were talking politics. It is just a nice place to just sit and talk, have a meeting or read a book” Rebecca, 31, Hythe

each time alone. It is the inventiveness of the place, it makes you want to come back and get involved. I have been to a few workshops and bought a few things at the boutique. It is as if a bit of Shoreditch has been brought to Southampton.” Rachel, 26, Southampton You could be forgiven from the look of the inside if you thought it was an indoor jumble sale. However just like a jumble sale you are likely to unearth some pieces of quality or talent. The Trash Cocktail Boutique is where you can look through one-off handmade crafts and donated clothes. Speaking to people customers inside the café: “I’m not here regularly but when I have a chance I like to come here and read while having a cheeky drink. When you drink here, it doesn’t feel like you’re drinking alcohol because of the mood and the colour of the café. In a pub its sort of depressing but here it feels very cultured and a throwback to the 60’s.” Kate, 25, Chandlers Ford “I love the cake here, that will bring me back

The Art House Café is not a place where you can pick up an early morning coffee, as it doesn’t open before 11 but if you want to grab a bite to eat and take a laidback lunch session then it is a great place to go to. There are numerous activities going on as well as the workshops and the best part thing about it is that it is free, but as it is a not for profit group there is a donation hat which is available at your own discretion. Canvas

UBERLUV

UBERLUV Mickey mouse with a gas mark would probably signal the end of the world for most but for the creator of Uberluv Lee Murray, it is only the beginning of a promising future.

By trade he is a graphic designer based in Southampton but his skills are now being recognised for talent as he has now a fully operational company designed to entertain through visual and fashion.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Somebody asked me what my vision was for Uberluv, I see it as Hello Kitty gone bad. Quite the cool brand but is just a little bit alternative but is not genre restricted. I would like a indie kid to rock Uberluv and I would want a hip hop dude to wear it to. We want to be cool and there are some political aspects in there, but also we just want to have fun with it.â&#x20AC;? Uberluv started out as a company that dealt with only printed images of musical icons with a colourful artistic spin of the picture. Michael Jackson, Notorious B.i.g, 34

Canvas

Image by: Uberluv

Uberluv have now evolved further as a brand and are exploring the fashion market which they are gaining a cult following. Speaking to Lee Murray at one of their pop up showcases in Southampton, he filled me in of the ethos and vision of Uberluv.

However with the current positive response regarding Uberluv garments, he feels that the pictures for the moment may have to be a secondary priority. “The clothing, at the moment. The clothing is something that just gets more of an instant response, fashion is synonymous with so many things, everybody is into fashion, even the person who thinks is not is into fashion because everybody wants to look good. I love doing the frames and the art work side of things, but the fashion has always been a dream. It is literally a bit of an offspring from the pictures as people were saying this would look good on a t-shirt. “The picture were really just an expression, just to have some creative licence, not putting any marketing agendas on there. After work I would think, let me have a play around, they started looking nice I put them online and started getting a lot of hype around them, I put them in nice framed pictures and

INTERVIEW

Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Kanye West all had their images re-worked to be branded by Uberluv.

You will find a lot of the uberluv prints in 90 degrees bar in Southampton. This one of Notourios BIG is in the 90’s penthouse.

Images by: David Warren

that was it. We then decided to do a show before Christmas which basically launched the whole thing.” With so much going on with Uberluv currently, it is easy for somebody to get carried away with their success but Lee firmly remains humble in what he has achieved and where this could all go. “I want Uberluv to be out there but it is important to not be saturated by the industry. A lot of brands get big quickly for a season and after all that be forgotten. I would want to see this brand be as fresh as the Johnny Cupcakes brand, always new and different. I don’t mind if we are not commercial, as long as we have our following, I’m happy.” Not just being proud of the fashion side of things, it is intriguing to know what he

Image by: David Warren

considers his best framed work. “There is so many that I like for different reasons so it is hard for me to pick one. I got a couple hanging up in my house, but for me that mickey with the gas mask is….” Canvas

Uberluv picture frames and clothing are available from their website. WWW.UBERLUV.COM

INTERVIEW

Trending:

Knit your summer wardrobe

Knitting isn’t just for winter, you know. You can make your own tops, hats, cardigans… whatever, and wear them in warm weather. And we are here to tell you that you can make those boho and crochet style tops you’ve seen in

Fiona is the owner of Love Yarn, a shop in Andover that sells knitting patterns and yarns of any colour and size imaginable. The place holds a plethora of interesting- looking yarns; you can make a blanket that consists entirely of pom-poms or a sparkly scarf that is so easy to knit, a fiveyear old could do it. Fiona will always greet you warmly and if you’re just starting out, she’ll show you exactly how to knit with the wool you choose. She will even make you a cup of tea if you plan on staying a while, and has a table and chairs set out exactly for that purpose.

Fiona recommends either books or classes. She said: “I think that for a total beginner, a kids book is a good way to go because it’s very graphic. I sent one to my niece, who’s 24 and she started with that. If you’ve got a little bit of experience and maybe you’re a bit scared to start something, then go to a shop where you’ve got someone there who knows what they’re talking about, and there’s back up there for you to keep popping in. Some people are very visual, so they should find a place where they do ‘learn to

The shop started over a year and a half ago. Fiona had already begun to research the shop, looking at suppliers of yarn as well as the patterns she wanted to sell. But it wasn’t until the death of a friend that she decided to take the plunge and rent out a unit at the Commercial Centre, in Picket Piece. It has since expanded and been taken to a larger premises on the same site. “We were bursting at the seams,” said Fiona. “I wouldn’t have necessarily moved at that point. It’s just that this unit came up and it was the best position on the site for my business. So I thought let’s go for it and see what happens.” Now, Fiona has a very varied client base, with her customers ranging from people in their 20s to their 80s or 90s. Her usual clients are younger than expected, with their age mostly being from 35 to 50. She even has a few males to brag about, one of which is a soldier who uses knitting as a release from the stress of war. If you’re a beginner to all of this knitting malarkey,

Canvas

Fiona chatting to friends in the shop

Images by: Kyra O’Reilly

the shops (and that knitting isn’t as old-fashioned as you might think).

Fiona said that you need to learn by trial and error. Practice will, eventually, make perfect, as the old saying goes. “I would start with something really simple like a scarf, and then go on to a cushion,” said Fiona. “Both of these items will help to get your tension nice, so when you go on to the garment, your basics are sorted. You can then gradually increase in difficulty and start reading

“Once you understand the basic principles you’ll be well on your way.” more difficult patterns. Most people have knitted when they were younger, and it’s amazing how it will come through.”

Trends “For summer, the key is knitting with cotton rather than wool,” said Fiona. “At the moment I’m knitting a silk and cotton shrug to maybe go over a maxi dress, but you can knit cotton jumpers or cardigans too.” This year, lace work and tape cottons are trending. Floral crochet is being used a lot of high street brands, but if you want to make it yourself, Rowan are a good company to buy patterns from for this. Companies that you may want to look at for similar patterns include Debbie Bliss and Louisa Harding, both of which Fiona stocks. If you want a transitional garment for summer and autumn, you may want to work with wool. Fiona said: “You’d go for something like a three or four ply; a double knit, so it’s a lighter weight. These are yarns that you can use that are wool-based, but they’re much lighter

than what you’d use for winter. Lace weight is a key one this year, because it’s only two ply, which is really, really fine.” Once you understand the basic principles and know how to read the patterns, you’ll be well on your way. You may even want to start knitting people gifts. “This year’s project for me is knitting everyone socks because they’re a personal thing; they’re quirky, because you can get so many patterns and different yarns. But also there’s more complexity to it so I don’t get bored. You can knit them at any level too, it just depends on the pattern you’ve got for it. I did some for my husband for his birthday, and my brother saw them and said ‘I want some of those’ so they are a good gift. They take time, but they’re lovely and warm on your feet.” Other ideas for gifts include: blankets, tea cosies, corsages, jumpers or cardigans, scarf, hat and gloves sets for winter and toys or teddies for children.

Final words Fiona said: “I think knitting is good because it’s such a relaxation. I think life is so busy that you can sit down and knit and you don’t feel guilty because you get something out of it at the end. You’re doing something while you’re sitting. I think crafting is getting more mainstream because you can sit down and not feel guilty about it.” You can find Love Yarn at The Commercial Centre, Picket Piece, Andover, open Monday to Saturday from 10am till 4.30pm

Love Yarn is in the Commercial Centre, Andover

Canvas

REVIEWS INTERVIEW

knit’ classes. We run lots of technique-based classes here, for example.”

Forage and Find is a pop-up stall that specialises in unusual and interesting jewellery. We make bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings out of vintage or upcycled watch parts, bronze charms, whistles, stamps, gaming pieces and keys. If you would like a bespoke, hand made piece of jewellery at an affordable price, come to us and we will make sure you go home with something truly special. Find us: We can be found on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month at Winchester Art & Design Market and Winchester Vintage Market. As of May 2012, we will be trying out Judyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vintage Fair in Spitalfields, so please look out for us there. Contact Us: You can find out all our latest news and events by following us on Facebook, and you can contact us there too.

The Art House Gallery Café offers great vegetarian food and a display of excellent local art-works. We offer groups for every artistic type and always have events on for you to enjoy. We are a non-profit organisation, so eating here ensures we stay open and continue to encourage the community in their art. Open: Tue, Thur and Fri:11am - 5pm, Wed: 11am - 8pm, Sat and Sun:12pm - 5pm Find Us: The Art House Gallery and Café 178 Above Bar Street, Southampton Hampshire, SO14 7DW Contact Us: 02380 238582

Black Cat Crafts sells all sorts of beads and material for you to make your own jewellery. We sell, glass, plastic, metal, stone, alphabet... any type of beads you want, we have. We also offer bags, crafting kits and soaps in the shop. Our prices are unbeaten for the Hampshire area, so why don’t you come down and see what we might have for you? Open: 10am - 4pm Tue to Fri, 11am - 2pm Sat. Free Parking Find us: Unit 107, The Commercial Centre, Picket Piece, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 6RU Contact Us: 01264 324818

Find Us: Love Yarn, Unit 133, The Commercial Centre, Picket Piece, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 6RU Contact Us: 01264 357333 Love Yarn deals in everything you need to make your own woollen garments, blankets, toys.. anything. Our range of yarns is huge and if we don’t have it, we’ll order it in for you. We also have a decoupage section.

Hepwrights Vintage has a huge range of vintage-wear from all decades for you to rummage through. Our prices are very reasonable and most of our garments are both for hire and for sale. Open: 10am - 5pm Tue to Sat Find Us: 34 Bedford Place, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 2DG Contact Us: 07733 766746

CLASSIFIEDS

Open: Tue to Sat 10am - 4:30pm. Free Parking

TATE MODERN

YAYOI KUSAMA Why

Celebrating her unique style of art

YAYOI KUSAMA 9 February-5 June 2012 Supported by Louis Vuitton Open everyday from 10.00 – 18.00 and late night until 22.00 on Friday and Saturday Born in Matsumdo, Japan in 1929, Kusama is one of Japan’s best known living artists and since the 1940s she has developed an extensive body of work. From her earliest explorations of painting in provincial Japan to new unseen works, the exhibition will reveal a history of continual developments and daring advances, demonstrating why Kusama remains one of the most engaging practitioners. You may already know her work as her trademark patterned polka dots are iconic, but the gallery’s retrospective display presents so much more.

Yaoyi Kusama’s pioneering work spans over six decades and the Tate Modern are showcasing the artist’s moments of most intense innovation. Yayoi Kusama 1965

Courtesy of Victoria Miro Gallery, London and Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo. Photo: Eikoh Hosoe © Yayoi Kusama & © Yayoi Studios Inc.

The most impressive aspect of Kusama’s work is her wide variety of conventions. Using paper, canvas, photos for collages, fabric and practical objects as well as the usage of watercolour, gouache, pastel and paint among others are the tools to her unique creations and ultimately paints the picture for the take on her diverse cultural influences. Renowned for her heavy accumulation of colour and detail, Kusama has the ability to immerse you into a provocative state of awe and this is evident throughout the exhibit.

Canvas

Every room tells its own story as they all unravel a chapter in Yayoi Kusama’s life. These multiple rooms which cover her life’s

work starting with Lingering Dream, 1949 in room one: Early paintings, which is of her earliest available work.

Photo credits

REVIEWS EXHIBITION

Room two: early works on paper. Her works in this room is a consequence of her studying a mixture of art from the traditional Japanese painting to the exploration of the European and American avantgarde. Flower Bud, 1952 is a prime example of an eccentric appreciation of tradition. With Kusama moving to New York during the late 1950s, this is where she strived to become the epicentre of the city’s art scene. By doing this she did her first infinity net painting, which room three is dedicated to; canvases covered in endlessly sequential, scalloped brushstrokes. By the early 60s, her works had furthered into an accumulation of sculptures and this exhibition has included Aggregation: One Thousand Boats Show 1963, (bottom right) her first room instillation. As the 1960s moved into its later years, she came into contact with artists including Donald Judd, Andy Warhol, Joseph Cornell and Claes Oldenburg, influencing many along the way. She traded on her identity as an ‘outsider’ in many contexts as a female artist in a male dominated society, as a Japanese person in the Western art world and had arguably became the showpiece of the contemporary art world. Kusama moved from painting, sculpture and collage to instillations, films, performances and ‘happenings’ as well as political actions, counter-cultural events, fashion design and publishing. Rooms five and eight shows you the artist featuring in her own work,

with Kusama’s ‘Self obliteration’ works being the pinnacle of her expertise. This helps to reveal how Kusama’s artistic activity extended beyond the bounds of the gallery. With May being the final month of which the exhibit is on at the Tate Modern, Kusama’s brand of unique style and colour makes the exhibit a vibrant and interesting insight to an 20th century artistic genius.

Canvas

Kusama posing in Aggregation: One Thousand Boats Show 1963 Installation view at Getrude Stein Gallery, New York © Yayoi Kusama & © Yayoi Studios Inc.

Untitled, #1 2011-2012 Woven glass beads and wood

An exhibition of new work from Liza Lou is now showcasing at Hoxton Square’s White Cube. Lou’s recent work is smaller in scale and almost completely abstract, where her more notable work Kitchen (1991-96) and Security fence (2005) was more indicative with a blatant purpose and representation and also larger in size. Emphasising formal characteristics such as surface, structure and rhythm, Lou has produced a group of easy to understand but hard to comprehend meditation on time, labour and the pleasures and ambiguities of looking. Ways of Seeing, by John Berger

Liza Lou is an American visual artist best known for producing large-scale instillations and sculptures using her unique trademark of beads. The exhibit is home to her latest work in May with the gallery displaying her contemporary but humbling work. 42

Canvas

It is hard to know what to refer to her new works as but Lou refers to them as ‘paintings’. The exhibit is not necessarily about what you think the work is but how it makes you feel which is typical of the abstract artists. It is about the appreciation of how these pieces of work have come about rather than the why.

Image by: White Cube. Copyright belongs to Liza Lou. Photos by Dean Elliot

NATIONAL

LIZA LOU

REVIEWS

This applies especially to her work on display on the upstairs gallery, as Lou has installed a group of five similar works (Canvas #4-6 and 8-9, 2011-12), which to most people will look like five of the same blank cream canvases. In each painting, strips of off-white beads form bands of subtly modulated cream and ivory canvases. The upstairs gallery is almost like a room of tranquil setting Each strip of beads was stitched by a member of her studio according to one rule: the beads must not be cleaned, hence the unpredictable colouration of the paintings. While the upstairs gallery is the definition of a tranquil setting, Louâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paintings in the main gallery have more range, which displays a variety of technique and craft.

Canvas, #3 2011-2012 Woven glass beads Right: Untitled, #7 2011-2012 Woven glass beads Below: Canvas, #8 2011-2012 Woven glass beads

Canvas

Notting Hill on Saturday may just be the liveliest spot not just in London but the country. Home of the worlds largest antiques market, Portobello market remains trendy after more than a century.

West London is the home to the world famous Portobello Road street market. The hugely popular market is a huge tourist attraction in London and on a Saturday you may find yourself in a jam down there. Stretching more than a mile, it would be difficult to not find what you are looking for there because as 44

well as the shops, the market stalls contribute to total more than a thousand places to browse. This then leaves you with a dilemma of what to buy if you are on a budget because there are such a variety of items to choose from. However prices range from a few pounds to the tens of thousands.

Canvas

Early is never to early here, in particularly the antiques section as they are in full swing from eight at the very latest. But it is not just antiques they have on offer; the market is divided into plenty of sections. You will find the antique traders at the south end of the market and if that is your starting point then

Image by: David Warren

PORTOBELLO ROAD

MAKES A GOOD SATURDAY IN THE CAPITAL

MARKET

PORTOBELLO ROAD W11, ATTRACTS TOURISTS F

EXPERIENCE

FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. Miss Flica originally from Spain has a stall that sells items made from felt. Her English is not very good but has her partner with her and uses him to interact with customers. “Her mother owns a shop, that does this kind of thing. They sell felt and all these kind of materials. She was born into this shop, she started making things when she was a child, she loves doing it.”

Notting Hill Gate is your end destination on the underground, unless you would prefer the walk from Ladbroke Grove or Westbourne Park. After that there is a fruit and vegetable section that leads onto a section for new goods. On the north side of Westbourne Park Road is where you will find the fashion stalls and the arts and craft stalls.

The arts and crafts area surprisingly has only has a small section, so small in fact that it is not actually on the road but opposite the market office just under the Westway. Speaking to some of the Craft stall owners, they spoke about how they arrived at Portobello Road.

break from it because I was working, but I just started up about six months ago and moved my pitch here eight weeks ago. It has been fun to work here.”

Speaking to another trader, her stall consists of all her own hand made ceramics products. “I did my ceramics degree about 14 years ago and I had a long

If antiques is your forte, or even if not, Portobello is at the very least an excellent place to window shop on a Saturday. It is virtually impossible to leave without buying something from one of the stalls but essential if the sun is out Portobello market is a great day out.

Canvas

Images by: David Warren

COURSES

COURSES AT CITY COLLEGE

Southampton City College run a wide variety of leisure course in Art and Design for the adult learner throughout the year. They have courses for the creative, the hands-on and the theorist, with courses in colour theory, photography and hand crafted Christmas cards. Leisure courses have been running at City College for a number of years. Many of the students complete a range of different courses due to the quality of teaching on offer. Leisure courses offer the opportunity for learners to explore working with new skills and techniques. There is no entry requirement to join, but you will have to adapt to the enthusiastic and pleasant environment and fundamentally learn to develop knowledge and skills in the subjects.

INTRODUCTION TO TEXTILES Pretty self explanatory, it is the first step when wanting to practice working with textiles. This course aims to provide learners with an introduction to textile techniques and processes such as felt making, freehand machine embroidery, printing, dissolvable fabric, collage, repeat pattern design. You will need to enquire with the college about the next workshop as there is no official set date. 48

Canvas

This is aimed at intermediate to beginner level students with some photographic experience or ability, that own a compact or SLR digital camera & those who wish to extend and develop their creative and technical knowledge. This will be done by working more independently in their approach to image making through a structured program of study. Participants will be learning about camera use and functions as well as learning techniques for taking better photographs.

JEWELLERY: CREATIVE ENAMELING This course will introduce learners to enamelling techniques for creating jewellery and small works. You will be able to make outcomes that include pendants, earrings, buttons, key fobs, bookmarks and other small scale items. Techniques will include dry sifting and wet packing powdered enamel, use of decorative mediums, graffiti and use of stencils. Running Time:10:00-16:00 07/06/12 – 08/06/12 Fee £80

Running Time:13:00-15:00 22/09/12 – 01/12/12 Fee £120 WORKSHOP FOR SUPPORT STAFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO ART AND DESIGN COLOUR THEORY A one day course introducing learners to the principles of colour theory, understand how artists use it and through practical exercises applying that understanding. This course is suitable for both beginners and experienced learners who wish to enhance their practice. There is a course coming up, but a date has yet to be confirmed.

JEWELLERY: INTERMEDIATES/ADVANCED This will be the next step after the beginners course, as it is suitable for people who have a good knowledge of basic jewellery making skills and want to improve on their skills. Participants will be encouraged to explore a variety of materials and various design principles as the course will allow you to develop your own ideas and produce individual pieces of Work. Techniques will include filing, drilling, piercing and sawing, forging, stone setting and hot and cold joining including soldering. Running Time:18:00-21:00 19/09/12 – 28/11/12 Fee £180

This course will provide a introduction to the basic skills in art and design. Working with art and design materials and techniques can be daunting task if you have little experience in the field. This course will break down those barriers associated with ‘colour’ and the differences between 2D and 3D. The course will equip you with the basic terminology and provide artist and designer examples to support learners. Running Time: 10:00-16:00 One day Course. 12/07/12 Fee £60

PHOTOREALISM - PAINTINGS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS The course is about learning the basics of selecting, scaling, colour matching and technique. It isn’t a necessity to be excellent at drawing as this is taught by the process of tracing/scaling from photographic prints. The processes of photorealism will be demonstrated by initially looking at the work of prominent contemporary painters before you are shown specific techniques first-hand. The teacher will then help you to make a selection from a photograph, scale and transfer it to paper / canvas for painting. The next date has yet to be confirmed.

Canvas

COURSES REVIEWS

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS/IMPROVERS

Design Courses

For you, reviewed by you

Stuck on courses? Here’s our monthly guide on which art and design

have already experienced them. This month, we look at courses from Basingstoke Colleges and Southampton Solent University.

Basingstoke College Courses Name: Helena Taylor

will give you an excellent portfolio for industry. Money paid was only for art supplies, which were extremely varied and good quality. Overall a good value.

Name of the course: Fine Art, A Level Where: Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke Teaching: Laid back style meant that we had a lot of freedom. Lots of art styles and material uses were taught to us in the first year, giving us good background knowledge.

Like most: Allowed the students some space for creativity Like least: Very time consuming

Name: Selina Quach Content: First year gives three projects to work on: still life is one example of this. In the second year, you have a set project title, one that you set yourself and your final project, which is set but you have choice of what you choose. The final project also ends in a 15 hour exam in which you create your final piece.

Name of the course: Art and Design, Foundation Where: Basingstoke College of Technology Teaching: The tutors were very critical, but gave constructive criticism.

Workload: Not difficult to handle in the first year, but in the second most students come in at lunch times to work on top of their usual hours and at home too.

Content: Explored all aspects of art and design and was great for people who were unsure which aspect they wanted to pursue because it gave them a chance to try everything.

Value in industry and for money: Good value and

Workload: The workload was heavy but was great at preparing us for university courses.

Canvas

Calros Alvarez

courses you should, or shouldn’t choose, straight from the people who

Image by:

COURSES

Art and

REVIEWS COURSES

Value for money and in industry: The course is free for 18 year-olds and under, which is great, but it was not worth paying for as we had to provide everything for ourselves in terms of materials. In industry, it is good as a base that would lead on to other courses, but not to go straight into work with.

Name: Hannah McIntyre Name of the Course: BA (Hons) Illustration Where: Southampton Solent University

Like most: The freedom that the course gave us because we could create anything we wanted and had total artistic freedom. Like least: The ratio of students to tutors, as we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get very much one on one time with the tutors.

Teaching: The lecturers are really helpful. They have a good experience and we have learnt a lot about technique and developing our own style. Content: We look at a variationof illustration techniques, and have been taught to illustrate on comuters and on graphics tablets. Workload: A nice amount, and the work is fun.

Southampton Solent University Courses Name: Joanne Stevenson Name of the course: BA (Hons) Fashion with Photography

Value in industry and for money: It is good value for portfolio development., but I would not pay more for it. Like most: The style of learning and the fact that we draw all the time.

Where: Southampton Solent University Teaching: The teaching is great and the tutors have a lot of experience in industry but they are very unorganised and quite poor at communication.

Like least: It takes a lot of time and effort to do all the work.

Content: It is exactly what I expected and it gives us a chance to explore different aspects of the fashion industry from styling to photography and the other roles. Workload: A large amount, but manageable. Value in industry and for money: We are taught how to do things to industry standard, which will be helpful when we leave university. Valuable as a background in what we want to do, as well as building up a good portfolio of work to show to possible employers. Like most: Having the freedom to do what we want within a brief and having tutors who have experience in the industry to comment on my work and tell me how I can improve. Like least: How unorganised the course is as I feel that it is not made clear to us when we need to be in university for example when starting a new semester.

Value for money? Good Equipment? The students tell you how it is.

Canvas

POP-UP SHOP? This could be the platform everyone needs The Pop-Up shops are a new and innovative space in Portsmouth City Centre in a bid to regenerate the city. The project is overlooking the refurbishment of the plots and revolutionise their function.

The Pop-Up shops are a new and innovative space in Portsmouth City Centre in a bid to regenerate the city. The project is overlooking the refurbishment of the plots and revolutionise their function.

It is fair to say that city of

Canvas

Portsmouth has seen better days in terms of vibrancy, with the football club, the heart of Portsmouth, in danger of being ruined. A catalogue of abandoned shops represents a city in apparent decay, but that is starting to change. Once derelict and dirty spaces in line for demolition, the row of shops on Commercial Road/ Market Way have now been regenerated into stylish displays known as pop-up shops.

Images by Deer Park Alpha

ABOUT

What Is a

REVIEWS POP-UP

The space created by this project presents an opportunity for artists, retail, cultural and community groups who cannot find or afford traditional commercial space in the City. The three shops are available on short-term lets. The new and innovative spaces could be the platform you will want to showcase your work.

The Pop-up Shops are available for between two weeks to one month and every candidate must be able to cover nominal charges. Deer Park Alpha are the architects of this project. They are a specialist architectural group who are based in Hampshire that look to deliver creative and imaginative projects. They said this about the project. We developed the initial idea of temporary ‘pop-up shops’ in the location for anyone to use for short periods of time. Despite the small budget we have managed to incorporate some interesting features.

The shop interiors are lined with a panel system that incorporates shelving and picture hanging systems. The exterior signs feature laser cut lettering on a track system inspired by 1950’s cinema signage. The letters can be removed and reconfigured to spell the name of the business inhabiting the shop for that period.

Canvas

As a further project we have been involved in the refurbishment of a further five-shops on the same terrace.

REGULAR

HELP! Dear Canvas, I’ve just bought a house but now I’m struggling for ideas! I need to redecorate the entire thing, because the whole décor is still in the 70s. Do you have any modern ideas to help spruce it up? Edmund Hill I do, Edmund; I have so many I may not be able to fit them all on this page. But first things first, you need to think about a theme. No house is perfectly decorated unless there is some kind of theme running through it. Your house should be one big, nicely flowing space designed to keep you happy and comfortable. You shouldn’t walk from the kitchen to the dining room and feel jarred by the vast difference in the two spaces. The theme can be anything, from vintage to bright colours to nouveau. I see that here you’re looking for a modern vibe, so lets go with that. Secondly, you need to think about each room separately, according to your needs, and choose colours and textures that will suit it. Your living room, for example, needs to be a space where you can relax and shake off all your troubles, so you need a colour that evokes this. You may want two or three colours in that room, but if you do, remember that they need to be similar shades. I know, it’s simple colour theory, and yet even the best artists and interior designers can get this wrong. My best advice to you is that if you want a clean, modern-looking home, choose one vibrant colour for each room and only use it on a feature wall. Have all the other walls a plain colour, like white or cream. Say, for example, that your bedroom has a part that juts out slightly, which is just perfect to put a double bed against. Wouldn’t that wall look great painted a deep plum colour? Then, add accents to the room in similar shades; maybe a chair, a throw on the end of the bed, a rug and a lampshade to finish it off. Oh, and that patterned carpet and bathroom lino? Throw it away. They belong right in the 70s and 80s. Go for a one-colour carpet or tile that will go with anything instead. Being reserved 54

Canvas

with your colour choices here means you can go all out with your walls instead. Your furniture is an important part of your house. Where you can change the colour of the walls whenever you like, your furniture is a little more permanent. Most modern-looking homes have metal or plastic furniture as opposed to old-fashioned wood. Just be careful about the shape, if you’re not going for futuristic or retro, I would step away from the egg-chairs that hang from the ceiling. However, wood isn’t all bad. Light coloured wood for flooring and cupboards will make your room look larger and more welcoming than its darker counterpart. In the living room, a leather sofa will look more polished than material ones and in the bathroom, a bright white rounded suite will be sure never to look outdated. Here, it’s the taps you need to worry about. I would choose mixer taps in a similarly rounded fashion to go with the suite. Finally, I think the style of a room is completely dependant on the little things. You have the basics, but now you need the personal touches. Each room will tell your guests and visitors about you as a person. You will be showing what you value the most. My advice to you is to put your favourite artists in the rooms you spend the most time in. Maybe you want a copy of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in your kitchen, or maybe Warhol’s Tomato Soup Can will stand there proudly instead. Maybe your own projects will adorn the walls. Whatever art you put up, it will be injecting a piece of you into your home. Your ornaments, paintings and plants will create a much more homely environment; just try not to overcrowd your beautiful, currently clutterfree home. Kyra

Ad Full Page