Totally CHUFFED!

The art& RAW Talent Award is a mentoring programme which nurtures emerging artists by offering support in business development and a subsidised space at the Art&York show. It is open to newly emerging artists anywhere in the UK. I applied for the award last year but my application was too wide ranging in terms of media and message. Instead, I went to Art&York 2019 as an installation artist showing my dementia work.
The Art& RAW Talent Award is something I've dreamed of for a year and a half, so I am thrilled to announce that my 2020 application was successful and that I am one of 12 selected to take part. This means that, this year, I shall be going to Art& in October as an exhibiting artist and I am totally CHUFFED!

Having heard many good things about these two organisations, this week I finally joined the York Art Workers Association (YAWA) and the Northern Potters. Consequently, on Monday, I attended a YAWA event, a talk by Kate Jones from Gillies Jones, makers of exceptional contemporary blown glass. It was such a joy to listen to an expert who was able to share her passion with such vibrancy and eloquence. The mastery of the traditional methods that Gillies and Jones use has led to them gaining an international reputation and their work can be found in public and private collections around the world, including at the V&A. When life calms down I am looking forward to taking a trip up to the village of Rosedale Abbey to the Gillies Jones studio and workshop.

Original work by Gillies Jones. Inspiration is drawn from the elemental beauty of their rural surroundings, as evidenced in the field patterns in this bowl.

As I prepare for York Open Studios I have begun preparing my signage and am working flat-out in the ceramics and mixed media studios at York College developing a number of colours with a range of shades in pure porcelain. Here are my reds, quietly drying before bisque firing. The true colours will be 'fired up' in the final firing.