We're here now Xmas pop up shop

Today's the day! 

We're here now Xmas pop up shop (open till 8). 

Come and see us at Banbury and Bicester College, Broughton Road. 

Join us at 6 for my mince pies and mulled wine.

Either I will find a way, or I will make one.

I've been so busy lately, I thought I'd give myself a little break and write a new blog post!

With my head stuck in books and the internet, researching psychology, the unconscious and artists who make work based on it for my dissertation, I haven't felt like I've had any time to think. But of course, being my final year, I have another 6 projects on the go, and it's feeling like an avalanche right now. It's hard enough thinking about 1 project, never mind 7! I think I'm at that point now where I'm forgetting the basics of how to live like a normal human being!

But anyway, I thought I'd show you a couple of stitch pieces I did a little while ago for screen printing which is going towards 1 of my other projects.

I originally sewed the owl onto cotton, but scanned it in and edited the curves and levels in photoshop to make it thicker for putting on a screen (seeing as I'm being taught how to use adobe now, might as well use it to my advantage!).

I quite like that you can't really tell it's stitch, and it looks a bit jaunty - but as usual I just love that it's black and white!

And I'm getting so many compliments on my bee! Originally I made him for yet another project, but feeling under so much stress recently, I decided to drop it, but felt I couldn't just let him come to nothing, so decided to transfer him to my card project - which thankfully I can forget about in 3 weeks time!

Anyone else thinking Christmas is approaching waaaaaay too fast?

Our most beautiful and complex art work we can make are our identities - Grayson Perry

So if you haven't been watching Grayson Perry: Who Are You? on channel 4 on Wednesdays, I don't know where you've been! You've really missed out! But don't worry - that's what 4OD is for.

I've seen Perry's work before, seen interviews and exhibitions, and grew a fondness for him as an artist and a human being. I think it's the way he puts pieces together, and how much he looks into his subject, and the way he has of making his journey through the subject to what interests him about it that inspires me most, and I think this new series really shows that well.

I enjoy the fact that he's been given the honour of presenting his works in the National Portrait Gallery, and one of the first thing he mentions or notices is what it's lacking, and so effectively what he could change with his pieces.

I know Perry has a routed interest in personalities and identities, and now what with me going back to finish my BA degree and getting to get into the subject matter of my own choice for my FMP (and heading down a psychological route), I think Perry has an even bigger influence on me.

All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

So I started this beautifully grotty half term by being asked to help run a free roller printing workshop in Castle Quay in Banbury with my old drawing, book binding and stamp making teacher Stephen Fowler.

Having not done nearly as much art since graduating as I would have liked, I jumped at the chance, and now knowing I've been accepted onto the top-up BA starting in September, I was desperate to get back into as much creative being as possible.

The day was a blast (and I didn't even mind getting up nice and early on my day off), so many people turned up and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

I'd not done roller printing before, but had done many fairly similar things to it in my time so I got into it really quickly. By using scaffolding padding, a craft knife (or stick on strip padding for the younger ones) and a painting roller, every age and ability managed to leave their mark all over the shop walls!

Although loving getting messy and having such a fun-filled, silly day, I have to admit my favourite part was seeing Dad's desperately trying to get their children to 'try somewhere different now' or asking 'why don't we leave that bit for someone else?' when of course they were having none of it, and had no plan to stop. As well as the wife and children going off to do what they'd come to town to do and leaving dad making rollers and drawing designs for people.

I just thought it was magical, having to glide across ice.

So I've been inspired lately by the Winter Olympics, which I have well and truly become adicted to. I don't know wether it's that the sports are more interesting to me, or the fact there's so much white (and I love simplicity). Anyway I've found so many inspirational lines - especially when it comes to figure skating - that I've just had to do something about it, have an outlet. So here is my outlet...they're only first trials, and of course I can find so many faults in them but I'm so inspired, I think I'll just keep going until I feel they're right.