A bit of a quickie - 10th Annual York Open Studios

I'm not sure I am yet capable of a 'blog quickie' but I'll have a go....

I am down in York at the home and studio of my friend and ceramic artist Trudy Weir who has opened both to the public with two fellow artists - ceramicist and silver jewellry maker, Ann Decker and printmaker, Rebecca Wright.

The YOS (www.yorkopenstudios.co.uk) is celebrating it's 10 year by opening this weekend (2,3,4th April) and next (9,10,11th) - quite a burden for the participants and maybe a bit of a risk in these cash strapped times. There are also more artists too (well over 100) showing this year although some are choosing to do one weekend only.

The preview night on the 2nd was fairly quiet but things busied up on Saturday and today, Sunday, morning has brought out the sunshine and the public!

Ann and Trudy finished their mixed media degree from York in fine style bit gaining first class honours in 2009. Both mainly concentrate on hand building but Ann does some thrown and altered pieces and has recently started to make silver jewellry.

Ann's silver jewellry.....

                                               Ann's ceramic pieces - coiled and altered pots

Ann's little creatures!

You can find Ann at www.anndecker.co.uk

Trudy's Ceramics

Trudy's work is made from overlaying clays and slips and stretching into slabs and made into sculptural pieces, trompe l'oeil . She works on a regular basis with Ben Arnup who took her on for a week as a student and they developed a mutual addiction! It has proved a useful ceramic collaboration and an even more valued friendship. I have been fortunate enough to have a 'placement' with Trudy which I will blog about later and had a day working with Ben and Trudy in Ben's basement studio - I even got to make a pot! So exciting!

More recently I met up with Ben and Trudy at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle when they brought up their work for the Spring collection and attended the open evening which was really well attended and showcased a lot of artists new to the gallery.

Ben is an amazing ceramicist and a lovely person - check him out at: http://www.benarnup.com

On a walk around Open studio's I discovered 'micro-concrete ' which makes great outdoor  pieces

 

The micro concrete can be mixed with materials such as shells and really looks good. These are made by Richard Macknesss of urbis design (www.urbisdesign.co.uk)

Back to Trudy's and Rebecca Wright who makes intaglio prints - her etching are really lovely - her sketch books are amazing - pieces of art in themselves - check her out www.rebeccawright-drawing.blogspot.com and www.Rebeccawright.biz

Sketch books

Ooops clockwise 90 degrees!

I treated myself to Jo Bagshaw jewellry ( www.jobagshaw.co.uk) a lovely book by Amy Husband, collage maker (www.amyhusband.co.uk) and a book about Glasgow School of Art at Janette Ray Booksellers  - just seemed right after my recent visit to the college.

Freya Horsley's landscapes are stunning with new paintings from her visit to the Himalaya's. (www.freyahorsley.com) as are Simon Palmour's photo's (www,palmor.eu). Andrea Cundall has some really nice new ceramic pieces based on sound waves

I'll be back at YOS next week for more