Spincycleskye 

I have been working on Spincycle Skye project recently with Atlas Arts  on Skye a multi-disciplinary project looking at visual culture, performance, music and crafts, In collaboration with Atlas Arts I have been  exploring the theme of spin, revolution and all things that revolve and turn. The project will encompass workshops, work-in-progress presentations, community events and exhibitions of new work across all art forms. You can follow the Spincycle-Skye tumblr blog.  The project has been funded by Creative Scotland 

On 23rd and 24th August SpincycleSkye will be linking with Skye Bike Festival to present part of the project. Nick Hand will be taking a SPIN around the Isle of Skye on his bike and will recording all things spin as he goes and David Littler  + Jason Singh of Sampler Culture Clash will perform the results of their own research into spin on skye.  

from source to land 
a spincycleskye project

In a project celebrating stock clubs, wool and all things spin, I am developing new work on Skye in collaboration with crofters, spinners and those who walk the land of Skye. In addition we will be launching 'the great wellie sock challenge' a community knit project in support of Row St Kilda to Skye  

Head phones for Irene.
Blow-in Bespoke exhibition at An Tobar . Isle of Mull

Irene is a glamorous grandmother. She likes to dance but her husband doesnt. She once met the Beatles in Belfast.  


Ruth Littles essay for Blow-in Bespoke can be found HERE

Mash up Mull + Lithuania . 
work in progress= wristwarmers knit in Ardalanish wool from Isle of Mull

'Wrist warmers were part of the national costume in Lithuania, where the climate is cold and even summers can be chilly. Both men and women wore wrist warmers year round, indoors and outdoors, because they add warmth without encumbering the hands.'

his + hers  labcoat +apron

apron for a dog loving ceramicist (with a messy studio) who lives with an evolutionary biologist (with a tidy lab ) .


an apron , labcoat, shopping bag, laptop sunvisor, headphones, customised shirt, messenger bag, hankerchief, curtains = items in Blow-in Bespoke exhibition at An Tobar, Tobermory Isle of Mull  5th July - 28 August . 

An embroidered  lab coat for an evolutionary biologist .

After an interesting visit to an evolutionary biologist lab on the Isle of Mull, I have been working on motifs relating to 'aristotles lantern' a beautiful and complex bone structure from a sea urchin.  I found this on a shelf surrounded by interesting pale and chalky bones and elephants teeth. White on white embroidery seemed a perfect choice for a very neat and tidy biologist!  

Aristotles Lantern

a complex arrangement of muscles and calcareous teeth and platesforming an eversible organ in most echinoids, functioning inmastication.

Origin: 

 so called from a reference by Aristotle to a sea urchin resembling inshape certain lanterns

The sun always shines at exam time and when a deadline is looming ! With a few weeks to go until Blow-in bespoke exhibition , its all systems go stitching and making . 
One of the participants of the exhibition is a lively Latvian who is always on the move , running, cycling or volunteering for the fire service here on Mull . When choosing materials to use , High vis and reflective seemed the obvious choice . Experimenting with Latvian cross stitch motifs, I have been trying out a bit of high vis embroidery Latvian style . 

I have been  computer bound all week preparing imagery for digital print for three of the pieces which will be in Blow-in bespoke exhibition at An Tobar, Tobermory Isle of Mull . Each print will be constructed into functional textile pieces, an apron, curtains and shopping bag. As a result of conversations had with each 'blow-in' ( a countryside ranger, a ceramicist and a former chip van owner ), ideas developed  and it is hoped each print will tell a story and also celebrate each individual. The work will be printed at Centre for Advanced Textiles .

blow-in bespoke  An Tobar Isle of Mull 5th July - 29th August 2013 

'During her time on the Isle of Mull Deirdre has been gathering real life stories from a range of 'blow in' (incomer) island residents. She has unearthed stories of past, present and place of origin from a range of people who have chosen to make the Isle of Mull their home.

Each work has been made specifically in exchange for personal stories given and designed in collaboration with individuals she has encountered during her residency at An Tobar. The works reflect the personality and life of those involved and reflect a diverse contemporary life on the Isle of Mull. The resulting works will be gifted to the participants on completion of the exhibition and become an ongoing part of Isle of Mull life '.  

The work will comprise of digital print, embroidery and knit and provide a series of functional textiles gifted to those who have shared their time and stories.   


Here are a few of the chosen 'blow ins'

A Latvian barmaid, marathon runner, cyclist and volunteer firefighter

A French marine engineer with a passion for food

A N. Irish glamorous grandmother with a love of dancing 

A Bangladeshi waiter who worked on a tea plantation in the hills

A Scottish  international recruitment consultant who is a self confessed techno geek
An English postman who loves vinyl and has a reputation as a snappy dresser
A Scottish ceramicist married to a South African evolutionary biologist


Isle of Mull 

Aran 0.5 in Design with Heart at St Ettienne Design Biennale 

Curated and designed by Sebastian Bergne. An exhibition of 70 objects that have been created with humanity, intelligence and passion to improve the way we live and interact, helping us to decide what really matters when choosing the things we live with.

An album of the exhibition can be found HERE  and Pinterest HERE

There is now a blog relating to my commission with Willis Newson at Saffron Gardens care home in Bristol which will document progress in the lead up to a community based napkin project. 

You can find the blog by clicking here here  

Aran 0.5 ( no.2) is off to St Etienne Design Bienalle  to be part of an exhibition curated by Sebastian Bergne called Designed with Heart.  Aran 0.5 is a repurposed Ebay aran jumper and plays with ideas of cultural authenticity. More information here barántúil

"We're hardly short of new products in the modern world. But how often do the products we rely on really matter to us? Why do we so often favour big brand names? Is it because we trust in their power to improve our lives or because we lack the knowledge and confidence to make bolder choices ?

This exhibition gets to the heart of why these choices are important by showcasing new products that have what Sebastian Bergne calls 'Design with Heart'. But visitors expecting to find a collection of exclusive design 'icons' may be in for a surprise. Exhibits range from tableware to trumpets and cheeseboards to circus equipment. Some are beautiful; a few may not even appear to have been designed at all.

The ingredients that these products have in common often transcend issues of style or aesthetics. Some are distinguished by the spirit of generosity or integrity in which they were created; others are products with the power to create a special sense of community; still more stand out because of their unique sense of innovation or their sheer beauty."

Here is a selection of the birds I am making for Saffron Gardens .  Birds have been chosen from Jamacia , Asia and Europe and link with nationalities of those in the care home. Each bird will be knitted and embroidered from a variety of different yarns and threads with particular attention paid to touch.

Happy New Year !

2013 is beginning to look like an exciting year with many interesting opportunities arising. Alot of careful timetabling is happening trying to fit it all in ! I am continuing to work on  commission with Willis Newson creating international knitted  birds, tree hat stands and fabric books for dementia residents at Saffron Gardens Home in Bristol. It is exciting to be working alongside artist Eamon O Kane  who is creating interactive works. It has been both interesting and challenging to create tactile works on the theme of 'home' for multicultural residents at Saffron Gardens. 

I have just returned from Skye and look forward to working on a project titled spin cycle skye later in the year. In a multi-disciplinary project looking at visual culture, performance, music and crafts, in collaboration with  Atlas I will be  exploring the theme of spin, revolution and all things that revolve and turn. The project will encompass workshops, work-in-progress presentations, community events and exhibitions of new work across all art forms. You can follow the Spincycle-Skye blog here. 

I return to the isle of Mull soon to continue my research into 'incomers' to the island and to develop new works. Each piece being created for individuals on the island in exchange for their stories . I will have a solo exhibition in July / August 2012 at An Tobar.  

I am also working with singer and illustrator Hanna Tuulikki creating costume/ installation  in Away with the Birds .  

 

Design ideas have been approved for my commission with Saffron Gardens in Bristol so the making has begun! I am collaborating with Helen Kalmijn in creating a set of tree hat stands. Through spending time with  residents when artist in residence at Saffron Gardens ( July / August ) , I was interested to observe residents interacting with  bags , scarves and coats hanging  in different parts of the home. The hatstands, covered in fine knit, will  provide a tactile  functional object within the home which act as a prompt from inside to outside. 

A series of international birds are also being created which will refer to residents countries of origin and provide tactile movable objects which will make their own journeys around the new care home. Each bird will combine textured surfaces suitable for handling . 

'How does dementia affect an understanding of ‘home’ and ‘homely’ for people across different cultures and backgrounds, including those who may have emigrated to Britain in their youth? This is the central question being addressed through an artist residency by Deirdre Nelson within a Bristol care home. She is exploring the concept of ‘home’ within the differing cultural backgrounds and rich life stories of residents and staff at a Brunelcare Care Home for people living with dementia.

Nelson will produce her own work in response to this dialogue and the completed artworks will be installed in a new care home, Saffron Gardens, in Whitehall. Many of the residents and staff with whom Nelson will be in contact during her residency will be moved here when the building opens in December 2012. .'

Making moves Exhibition is on tour 2012-13:
Moor St Station, Queensway, Birmingham, B4 7UL, 3 December 2012 - 3 January 2013
Centre for the Aston Family, 359-361 Witton Road, Birmingham, B6 6NS, 7 -31 January 2013
School of Jewellery, 82-86 Vittoria Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B1 3PA, 4-28 February 2013

A community project and exhibition.

Making Moves, Creating Futures for Craft

Making Moves is a West Midlands craft development initiative involving four regional partnerships, led by Staffordshire County Council and Craftspace, a Birmingham based craft development organisation. The project consisted of nine craft residencies which took place in community settings between September 2011 and July 2012, culminating in a touring exhibition.

The nine makers were challenged by residencies in unusual workspaces - including a hospital, a pub and a park visitor centre - which acted as sources of inspiration to develop ideas for new work. They worked with local communities, offering making workshops that were high quality, inspirational and in some cases, life-changing. The exhibition showcases new work by the makers in response to their residency setting, as well examples of tools, materials and work created in the community sessions.

The project also provided opportunities for nine crafts graduates who supported the community making sessions as well as receiving mentoring from the resident maker. They were given a small bursary towards the development of their practice and have also created new work for the exhibition. Making Moves aimed to provide valuable opportunities for learning. Makers gave masterclasses and lectures to Higher and Further education institutions as well as talks to the wider community. They wrote about the residency experiences on a project blog, as well as coming together for regular networking sessions

To find out more about the project visit www.makingmoves.org and the Makers’ Residency Blog www.makingmoves.posterous.com

Flickr photostream here