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Julia Giles at ‘Ground Up’ Conference, Kings Lynn

 

Following on from the residency with GroundWork gallery this summer, I’ll be contributing to the ‘Ground Up’ Conference at Thoresby College on Friday 15th & Saturday 16th November 2024. My presentation will be on the 16th in Session 3: Above and Beneath the surface – nature, observation, protection.  The Conference runs alongside the first Ground Up exhibition presenting work created by artists participating in this year’s residency. I’m very pleased to be showing 3 pieces. Ground Up opened on Oct 12th and runs until Dec 14th. Scroll down to see the poster for details.

Below is a horsetail plant, proliferating on the Norfolk wetland where I was staying. It was the starting point for one of my pieces in the exhibition – and will be the starting point of my presentation on Saturday.

As explained on the gallery website, ‘Over the last year more than 20 artists have been working together with GroundWork Gallery and partners, and with all kinds of other collaborations, sharing expertise. The Ground Up Conference, is broadly about extraction – of any material taken out of the earth, for any reason. Extraction has underpinned our summer residencies for four years now. During the 2024 season, we explored the subject together in so many ways, with artists focusing on extraction issues by visiting river, coastal and inland landscapes. This conference will focus mainly on land and is the first of two, the next one will be in summer 2025, when we will focus more on the coastline and shore.

Further information about the event is on the GroundWork website. If you are in the area and would like to come, tickets are still available on Eventbrite.

 

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Sophie Capron Solo Exhibition

Sophie Capron Solo Exhibition ‘Echos of the Past’ at Artwave West

Artwave West is proud to present “Echoes of the Past,” a solo exhibition by the highly talented artist,

Sophie Capron.

Running from 2nd – 30th November, this compelling show invites viewers to explore the interplay of memory, history, and transformation through Capron’s innovative use of reclaimed materials.

Sophie Capron’s artistic process is rooted in sustainability and the profound narratives embedded in old paint. Using paint donated from various sources, she meticulously layers and sands her works, revealing the stories hidden within. Each stroke and texture tells a tale, echoing the past while engaging with contemporary themes of renewal and change.

Capron’s technique of building up layers and then sanding them down not only creates depth but also symbolises the passage of time and the way memories can fade yet remain impactful. The resulting pieces are rich in both visual and emotional complexity, inviting viewers to reflect on their own connections to the past.

“Echoes of the Past” is not just an exhibition; it is an experience that challenges us to consider the histories we carry with us and how they shape our present. Capron’s work resonates with those interested in the relationship between art, environment, and memory, making it a must-see for art lovers and enthusiasts alike.

Sophie be in the gallery on 2nd November 10:30am – 12:30pm, where attendees can meet her and gain insight into her creative process. The gallery invites everyone to engage with this thought-provoking collection and discover the beauty that arises from repurposed materials.’

Artwave West Gallery, Morcombelake, Bridport, DT6 6DY

artwavewest.com

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Women Talking: Paintings by Janet Lynch and poetry by Ellen Phethean

Women Talking

13th Sept to 5th Oct    1 1.00 4.00pm.

Private view 4 pm Tuesday Sept 24th

The private view to which all are invited will take the form of a public discussion between Ellen and myself about all the important things in life, love, art, creativity and trying to juggle it all. Ellen will read some of her poetry, and tea will be served (and I hope cake).

Poet Ellen Phethean chose some of my paintings as a starting point for poems which now appear in her book ‘Woman Talking’. Some of the paintings were done many years ago. Most have never been seen outside the studio. We put a show together before lockdown which was to go to Newcastle where Ellen lives. It had to be cancelled but this new show, with some extra paintings added, has been created, curated by Miranda Leonard of Restless Gallery.

For more information: www.janetlynch.com

Image: The Fisherman’s Wife

From the Tremenheere website www.tremenheere.co.uk:

‘…Ellen is a life-long writer with a distinct voice. In her recent book Portrait of the Quince as an Older Woman, Ellen wrote about her life in a world made alien with loss and absence. She acknowledges aging but also the pleasure of grandchildren and the recompenses of writing. Her poems explore the older woman’s place in contemporary culture. Shedding the Niceties published last year is reviewed as a collection of ’rambunctious poems that insist on finding their own way home in the dark’.

Janet Lynch, now 84, is a painter whose work is full of life that genuinely springs forth from her brush, this current way of working represents a new way of approaching her creativity.

These two artists have much to discuss through their correspondence of paintings and poems…

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Exhibition – Autumn 2024

EXHIBITION | Autumn 2024

Saturday October 12th to Sunday November 3rd

The Autumn show is one of Newlyn Society of Artists’ twice-yearly exhibitions at the Tremenheere gallery. Autumn 2024 presents a cross section of members’ most recent work. Thought provoking and diverse, there is no house style in the NSA. The visitor can expect to see high-quality work reflecting the wide range of practice within the membership, where the nature and challenges of contemporary life can find an artistic voice.

The Opening Party is on Saturday 12th October 2.00 to 4.00pm. All are welcome.

On Sunday October 20th a group of participating artists will be at the gallery from 2.00 to 3.30pm to talk to visitors about the ideas and processes involved in their practice. If you can’t make the talks, there will be one or two participating artists at the gallery every day. They will be happy to answer any questions.

The gallery is open every day 11.00 – 4.00pm (Except Monday)

Entry to the gallery is free.

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INSIDE JOB Staff Biennale Tate Modern

This August Viv Allbright’s  mixed media painting ‘Palimpsest’ was selected for the Tate Modern in their ‘Inside Job’ Biennale Staff Exhibition. The selection this year was drawn from all 4 Tates open to all staff working there, in this case Viv was a volunteer.

Explore artworks by over 200 Tate staff members

Now in its fourth iteration, Inside Job (the Tate Staff Biennale) gives Tate staff the opportunity to showcase their work at Tate Modern. Inside Job features work by over 200 staff members from all departments.

The exhibition boasts work from practising professionals, aspirational masters as well as those for whom art is a rewarding pastime. The mix of work on display ranges from the 2D, 3D, film, performance and live art. Inside Job reflects and celebrates the diversity of Tate staff working across London, Liverpool and St Ives.

The exhibition has been curated and organised by the Inside Job Collective: a group of Tate staff members united in their shared interest to showcase the talents of Tate’s staff.

Tate Modern

Blavatnik Building Level 5

Bankside
London SE1 9TG

Dates

7–20 August 2024

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‘impromptu’

‘impromptu’
artists:
Maureen Kennedy
Winnie Lyn
Baz Mehew
Andrew Swan
opening times:
thursday 11 -3
friday 11-3
saturday 11-3
Until 1st Sept

If you are interested in buying one of the artworks
and would like to arrange a private viewing with the artist
outside the regular opening times please text 07970 392 763
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Sophie Capron – Alchemy

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Spring Cannot Be Cancelled

NSA member Mike Newton’s exhibition Spring Cannot Be Cancelled is currently showing at the Borlase Smart Room, Porthmeor Studios, St Ives.

Here he explains the genesis and development of the project:

“But you knew there would always be the spring…”

Ernest Hemingway

 

This series of paintings was undertaken as a response to a series of poems by Mike Stevens loosely based on the theme of Spring. My task was to work outside of my comfort zone (Portraits) and draw inspiration from the poems to come up with a body of work that was still recognisable as my own. The title for the resulting series of paintings comes from David Hockney’s book describing his work completed during the COVID lockdown. Chosen firstly because one of the breakthrough paintings was prompted by a poem written by Mike during lockdown and secondly it seemed for a few weeks that we wouldn’t have a venue to show the work in Spring.

 

To create my selective responses to a different subject, not just in terms of aesthetics but also feelings, I started by sketching ideas on paper in pencil and then in paint. For imagery I have drawn heavily on the work of others not as copy of the artists’ original but endeavouring to achieve a deepening of meaning through a creative conversation between the poetry and the original paintings, and my own re-workings of them both.

 

The show runs until Sunday 19th May and there is Private View and reading on Friday 17th May 7-9pm

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Immerse Solo Exhibition by Heather McAlpine

Immerse yourself in the colourful, large-scale paintings of Heather McAlpine, a St Ives based artist and NSA member inspired by the sea and her love of wild swimming. As Heather McAlpine prepares for her inaugural solo exhibition at the Crypt Gallery, aptly titled Immerse, she has undertaken the challenge of painting her largest canvas to date, a monumental 2 x 1.7m. Her paintings embody the essence of St Ives’ unique colour palette and reflect not only the striking visual aspect of the ocean but also the sensory and emotional experiences that come with it.

Born in Stirling, Scotland, Heather McAlpine’s creative journey led her to London, where she earned an MA from the Royal College of Art. Then, after 16 years of living and painting in Vancouver, Canada, fate guided her to the rugged shores of Cornwall, where she has found solace and inspiration for the past eight years. She now works from her studio in historic ‘Downalong’, nestled in between three of her favourite beaches.

The exhibition promises an immersive experience into her world, reflecting her deep affinity for the sea, wild swimming and the immersive process of painting itself. The exhibition will include a range of paintings, from her small ‘captured moments’ on paper to her large, semi-abstract expressive canvases.

Crypt Gallery, Norway Square, St Ives, TR26 1NA.

Saturday 11th – Friday 17th May 10 – 5pm daily.

PV Sat 11th May 4-7pm. (All welcome)

 

 

 

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Katrina Naomi Poetry Reading

It’s been great having the involvement and insight of an artist from another discipline working with us on ‘Where the line Breaks’, our Spring show at Tremenheere. Award winning poet Katrina Naomi suggested the title for the show and curated it alongside the NSA’s Catherine Harvey Jefferson and Carlos Zapata. On Sunday afternoon, Katrina read the poem commissioned by the NSA in response to the show. After her talk about the process of writing it and some questions and discussion, the audience asked her to read the poem a second time, to great applause. The poem is called ‘The Golden Mbira, Or How to Really Look.’  It’s beautiful and thought provoking and the event was a lovely ending to Katrina’s collaboration with us. A video of Katrina’s reading will go on the NSA website in due course, but copies of it are available to read at the gallery. It’s a great show and it closes this Sunday 21st April. Don’t miss it

 

The Golden Mbira, Or How to Really Look

This place is changed

irrevocably, having taken on colour, brag & quirk

from a quicken of kerbs to a flurry of fields

something dirty made to shine

 

A gappy marriage of earth & air

 

We keep to boundaries

so much of our lives but I met a Celtic poet

who used 12 years to write

his Gaellic-Gallic-English mash-up of Sweeney.

 

Here, on a white wall, that same dedication, dare I say

obsession – as in words, as in art –

in the searching, the searching, in the whirring

of wire into gold, noting dates, lanes, time

This artist has been searching for two years

so far, offering a reminder to really look

 

Poets talk of looking aslant –

I consider how the artist Julia sees a dead cartridge

next to a bird

A musicality of form

even if birds no longer sing

let us believe

a woodpecker once made love to a buzzard

 

Poets might do well to write in art’s texture

that ability to recognise an individual

feather – to know the shaft of a hen pheasant

I long for specificity

as I long fervently for warplanes to stop

Such a failure in our inabilities

 

The gold keys bristle in empathy

try to take to the skies on a promise, a message, a promise

Their musicality cannot yet be played

though thumbs thrust to the mbira

 

We’re at the edge

each feather a lost shoe

in our wandering

Let us return to the oaky nest

where all birds are lovers

where an oak pretends to die

 

Others are not so fortunate

 

I’ve heard swallowing oak leaves

can extend a life –

a certain bitterness, guaranteed

 

What is it we might look for

in our long or short lives?

I stumble over dull metaphors

It’s good to see the humble

gleam from streets & hedges

in our rural/urban construct

How we wish for one but live in the other

 

I would like to be still

yet keep searching

 

Some things – such as love & compassion –

are hard to locate

Harder still, it seems, is peace

 

 

Katrina Naomi

 

 

 

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