Rabbitmen are on the cover of Good on Paper Magazine!

 

The Rabbitmen are on the cover of the August issue of the Good on Paper magazine. Thanks to Adam and Alex for getting in touch and Jonny Barratt for the photography. The Rabbitmen look deep in thought as usual but actually they are thrilled...

"The magazine is stocked in 70 independent cafes, music venues, art galleries, record stores, book shops, restaurants, hotels, farmers markets and more across the Stroud District reaching a huge, dedicated, highly targeted and often hard to reach audience who care deeply about arts and culture. It also has a consistently growing number of subscribers to digital and postal copies throughout Gloucestershire."

New sculptures - Houses on Legs

One of my new little houses on legs arrived safely in Iowa to be hung next to a print by Julie Liger Belair who led the collage course which inspired my little houses in the first place.

One of our first tasks on the course was to make fantastical creatures called Scrappy Blah Blahs. Some of mine were houses on legs. I then could not resist trying to make some 3D ones for Stroud Open Studios.

They have porcelain legs and collaged wooden bodies and bases and are about 20cms tall. I also made some which hang on the wall...

 

First Week of Stroud Open Studios

Two little chaps worn out after the first week of Open Studios

One week down, one week to go. Saturday was busy and I met quite a few people who already owned some of my work from years ago. I had lovely chats with people and they were all very complimentary, which was encouraging. Sunday was quieter. We will see what next weekend brings...

Taking part in Stroud Open Studios!!

I am taking part in Stroud Open Studios at Stroud Pottery on the weekends of 10th & 11th and 17th & 18th June. I only decided to do it a few weeks ago and at first I really was not sure. But I have been working hard and although it might seem a modest amount of work to some, I am actually quite pleased as a few years ago I really would have imagined it was impossible!

So do pop by if you are around... 

Rabbitmen having a good chin wag in Wales

The Royal Cambrian Open exhibition has just finished. A few weeks ago the organisers sent me these pictures of the Rabbitmen in situ. Looks like they are having a great time catching up on all the gossip.

Rabbitmen in RCA Open Exhibition

 

Shell Head Girls

                

Next I want to make a coral head girl...

And then there were eight...

I still want to make 2 more Rabbitmen but I'm not sure they'll be sculpted and fired and a mould made before Christmas now... We'll see... Maybe...

Green Man

I've been going through my piles of old artwork lately in a 'use it or lose it' sort of way. Today I've been trying out a bit of green. Not sure about it on this large collagraph print... But I did like how the colour worked when I tried it on the Topiary Tragedy postcards which I made at Uni (my homage to the wonderful Edward Gorey). It's brought them to life more, I think. They are a set of 12. The rest are on my website now if you fancy taking look...

RWA 169 Open

I went to the RWA Open varnishing day on Friday and saw my Trojan horse sculpture, Shielding III, displayed in some esteemed company (including a king!). The galleries are crammed full with lots of really interesting art to see and I recognised many of the names on the labels. I did think at first that my horse was a bit lost amongst all the colourful paintings surrounding it but it actually sold at the Private View later that evening.

During the speeches some new academicians were awarded their certificates, including the sculptor Beth Carter whom I have always admired. She has several pieces in the show and I managed to have a little chat with her as she was taking a photo of my horse!

Romance is in the air...

 I have just found out that my friend is getting married at Christmas and I thought it would be a good time to show you one of my Kissing Couples sculptures. The photos of Kissing Flora were taken just before they were fired.

I also have a couple called Joining the Dots. This is my particular favourite with their inward and outward dots.

New Rabbitmen

 I have been working some new Rabbitmen. They are different to the old ones in that they have larger feet and ears and little tails. Some of them also have a bit of middle-aged spread. After all they are a bit older and wiser but still slightly ponderous...

Big Red Knickers

I have been going through some of my piles of old work and sketchbooks and came across some paper stencil screen prints of an exuberant naked lady which I did quite some time ago (10years?) But something made me think she was in need of some Big Red Knickers - so I gave her some (made from tissue paper). Now I'm thinking I want to make more with different background... and maybe different knickers...

 

Shoe People Lawyers

I recently finished these two rather snooty looking gentlemen. Their bodies are made from vintage wooden shoe trees and the heads are high-fired porcelain. I have a big box of vintage shoe trees (thanks to Stephen) so expect to see a few more 'shoe people' turning up on here...

Seashell Girl

Just thought I'd show you this bust I made for my daughter last Christmas. I only got around to photographing it today. I can remember that it took ages to stick the shells on. It was really tricky getting them to fit together in a pleasing way. I actually made the porcelain head itself years ago and it only took me about 6 years or so to decide what to do with it...!

Papier Mache Trojan Horse

Yet another Trojan Horse! This is quite a large one, approx 50cms x 50cms. It's made from paper mache and a few metal elements. I haven't done much papier mache before and I learned a lot making this horse. I would probably make another one slightly differently but he came out ok. Luckily my sister took a fancy to him so he's gone to live with her. 

More Trojan horses

Before Stephen got too ill, we used to sit at the kitchen table and make stuff out of clay. It was a distraction from everything that was going on at the time. I got a bit obsessed with making Trojan horses. Here are a few more which I made at that time. They were fired for me by the lovely Dawn at Stroud Pottery. 

Stoneware with oxides (30 x 28 x 10 cms)

Terracotta earthenware with oxides (29 x30 x8 cms)

Glazed Stoneware (22 x 28 x 8 cms)

Shoe people - cheeky chappies

I finished these little chaps the other day. I made the heads ages ago but only recently had an idea what to do with them.

They are about 28cms tall. The heads are high-fired porcelain, the bodies are vintage shoe stretchers plus buttons, washers, carpet tacks, reclaimed wood, icing nozzles... and they wobble slightly when moved which is fun (because small shoe trees/stretchers like these are made with sprung steel).