Lost in the Wood

Ar Y Gweill, Successful 1st Meeting, 6th May 15 Gerry: Apple Tart (her words) Excitingly, May has seen the debut of a new knitting & crochet club in Caernarfon! 'Ar y Gweill' (literally meaning 'on the needle' in Welsh) is a weekly group to knit/ crochet, chat and eat cake together, 5.30-6.30pm, at Palas Print bookshop. The intention is to create a relaxing and sociable environment to support and inspire each other. For more news/ pics/ our ongoing adventures please follow: Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , Ar Y Gweill Tumbler Blog . It's important to get off on the right foot so the first meeting dealt with the important issue of cake. Part icebreaker, part genuine scientific (ok, cakey) research, everyone was required to state their first name and favourite type of cake. Lemon drizzle cake and coffee cake (with the strident caveat of 'no walnuts') emerged as favourites although clearly the best answer was 'large cakes' (unanimous agr...

Ann Crompton's garden, Menai Bridge Yesterday I had an afternoon so enjoyable it prompted me to finally rouse myself to writing a new blog post (my previous weekly posting ambitions having gone astray almost immediately). As the last weekend in Anglesey Open Studios approached, I was feeling slightly ashamed of missing this fortnight every year and determined to visit at least somewhere this time! With my knowledgeable arty friend ready to whisper insightful things, we set off over the Menai Bridge to visit Ann Crompton in her idyllic looking workshop right on the banks of the Menai Straits. The workshop proved a treasure trove of intricate, astonishing miniatures with little vignettes ranging from a First World War trench, with rats and actual soil from the garden, to meticulously woven tiny rugs for more traditional dolls houses. Ann Crompton (fab lady) Ann Crompton's Bountiful Workshop Much of the  work is infused with a wit and playfulness, such as a tiny h...

Needle Felted Anatomical Heart Brooches   Needle Felted Love Rats Love may very well be in the air, and all around etc but for me this February is mostly about the radishes (amongst other crochet foods). More on this in a while. Santes Dwynwn (25th January) suddenly loomed out of nowhere this year, despite all of my well formed making plans, and had to be written off as a not-at-all-grabbed opportunity. I felt only marginally better prepared for Valentines Day. There were quite a few 'Things I Could Have Made More Of But Ran Out Of Time'. Not to worry, let's celebrate things I did manage: a few anatomical heart brooches (in 2 sizes) and three 'love rats'  which all scurried off to Mostyn gallery shop (Llandudno, North Wales). 'Not Holding Together', detail Sticking with the cardiac theme, I've been working on a new needle felted anatomical heart piece in an artier vein (pun intended). Here's a little peak of 'Not Holding To...

Roll on 2015 Perhaps I'm pushing it but since we're still in January, I think it's still just about appropriate to wish you all a very Happy New Year! There's so much to say about 2014 that I'm not sure I can really face going over any of it and presenting the highlights. Lazily, and probably wisely,  I'm going to opt out of a thorough review of the year. 2014 had wonderful times, professionally (tv feature, art exhibitions, encouraging sales etc) and personally (fun stuff & holidays) but weird and distressing personal things too that upset the always delicately balanced emotional applecart, although it all proved interesting (to me) at least. Large mugfuls of mulled wine with a friend who appreciates these things The Dome, Edinburgh. Always spectacular decorations. Christmas at home in Edinburgh was an absolute delight and proved a much needed relaxing and joyful end to the year. Being loose in a city with it's late night bars & sparkl...

Detail from ' Visceral Whisperings...'  Oh poor neglected blog, it's time to do a brief round up before the pre-Christmas making madness eclipses everything else. Exhibitions : I'm delighted to have work currently in two local exhibitions: a needle felted heart & brain installation in the Galeri (Caernafon) 's Agored / Open 2014 Exhibition , entitled 'Visceral Whisperings (sometimes my heart murmurs things my brain decides not to hear)'. It happily nestles amongst an interesting mix of works from a reworked chest of drawers ( Rebecca F Hardy ) to an impressive pool filled with water & bronze statues (Llyr Erddyn Davies). Definitely worth seeing, it runs from 3rd October until 14th November .   Also, I have 5 woolidermy heads on display at Ysbyty Gwynedd, part of  their 'Art in Hospitals' programme of exhibitions, this one features selected Helfa Gelf artists working in various mediums and seems to be a cheery sight as you...

Me in Creu Studio, 1st weekend of Helfa Gelf Art Trail Evie, queen of the studio We're half way through this year's Helfa Gelf art trail so I thought I'd better make some kind of comment on this fab open studios event. With Evie now firmly established in our shared studio ( 'Creu') at Parc Glynllifon, participation in our second Helfa Gelf feels much more relaxed than last year's debut. Despite some nerves, last year was an incredibly positive experience: I got to know some lovely artists/ makers, it galvanised me into getting my act together, I had a chance to introduce my work to the public (in a gentle, supportive way) & be part of something I think is a great boost for the area (for artists & the public). It seems a shame then that there was apparently a bit of struggle this year to secure some of the funding to allow the co-ordinated event to go ahead. Think we've got enough signs now (more not shown!) All the artists financia...

Surrounding myself with appropriate deckchairs @ Edinburgh Book Festival Life as a self-employed artist is an often precarious existence which constantly feels a bit hand-to-mouth on the financial front. However, what it lacks in stability is more than compensated for on the flexibility & freedom fronts. Seduced by the lure of freewheeling round Edinburgh at the height of festival time, I happily decamped to the Capital, clutching a (very long) shortlist of shows I wanted to see, mentally prepared for spontaneous adventures and with a slightly ridiculous amount of wool & felting supplies (intended for efficient between show crafting). Twenty days of stimulating sights was the intention and despite inevitable days when I just couldn't face the weekend crowds, worried about the impact on my credit card or was too jaded to bother seeing anything, it basically delivered. Shows: Of the 18 shows I managed to see these were the highlights: Underbelly, Richard herring,...