Drawn to the Valley Monthly Newsletter for Artists of the Tamar Valley April 2016 Why You Should Participate in Open Studios No matter what your practice is, you need to build your audience to expand opportunities for your work. Open studios are a powerful way to connect with people who may bring new ideas, feedback and projects when they come through your door. Standing back from your work and seeing it through a different lens can be incredibly valuable, especially if you work in isolation most of the time. You can make your studio whatever you want. Artists who sell work from their studios generally create displays and price lists, but if that s not your intention, how else might you use your space? What do you want your space to say about you? What public conversation do you want it to start? The more you open, the better (and easier) it gets. Building up an Open Studio event requires time but once it takes hold in the public s imagination, people begin to look forward to it and the stronger the event is overall and the more it becomes a destination for visitors the following year. this issue Open Studios P.1 Featured Artist P.2 & 3 Members News P.4, 5, 6 & 7 Events Guide P.8 Your studio community needs you. There is a certain buzz that happens when artists get together and plan what they want their event to be. This helps build an organisations cohesiveness. Collaborations happen, artists learn about what their neighbours are doing, ideas are shared, support is offered and friendships are made. Speaking to students or visitors who aspire to make art themselves is a positive way to give back. Open Studios only happens one week a year. That makes it special. You can put as much or as little time as you want in creating work especially for the event, but ultimately it only involves your public presence for a week. You might find it helpful to use the dates as markers for planning new work to be launched or to give curators, galleries, collectors and members of your mailing list plenty of notice. OPEN STUDIOS 2016 Saturday 27 th August to Sunday 4 th September 2016 Registration forms are now issued By Wednesday 9th March, deadline for entry is Friday 8th April 2016. (Or contact Sarah if You are struggling to meet the deadline). Article By Teresa Flavin; an author and illustrator at East Street Arts Patrick Studios in Leeds. She s a veteran of many Open Studio events in the UK and USA.
Featured Artist; Ian Purvis Although I was born in Leeds 1957, my family moved to the Midlands by the time I was three. At school I always enjoyed art and at home drawing my family. I left school at 16 and became a commercial artist, which included going to life drawing school in the evenings. This was to help me draw curves! For my 18th Birthday my parents bought me an easel, oil paints and a palette... I started oil painting. Self taught for many years, I entered local art exhibitions and with the RBSA (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), joined the LSA (Leamington Studio Artists), exhibited at the NEC during the Spring and Autumn Fairs and also any private commissions that came my way. Finally in 2004 having had the time and money to take on the course, I graduated with BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Birmingham. Probably one of the best things I have ever done. I loved the course. It made me think more about the art I was to produce, researching, presenting, exhibiting and opening it up for criticism. The whole system of how I approach my art to completion, I still employ today. Although I am capable of painting a diverse range of styles and subjects, my influences (and the Degree course) have shaped my art as it is today. Influences would be from Caravaggio to Hans Belmer and Mark Gertler to Salvador Dali. But there are many other artists who I admire and I'm sure subconsciously filter into my work! In moving to Cornwall in 2010, I have joined Drawn to the Valley, & Tamar Art Gallery. In the past I have been involved with.. South East Cornwall Artists, The Bridge Gallery and the Plymouth Hoe Art fair Group. My art continues to develop and evolve. My aim is to produce art that encourages the viewer to interact with, although at first appearing ambiguous, it does incorporate clues both in title and subject matter. To get the whole picture Please visit my website: Waiting www.ianpurvisart.co.uk
Ask the Artist; Ian Purvis Where is your favourite place? Abroad- Australia. Here, as I love views, then our current home in Cornwall. What would you take with you to a desert island? A photo of my Wife and Daughters. What irritates you? The Public's ignorance of Art. They never appreciate how much time and effort it takes! Top 2 dinner party guests? Salvador Dali (imagine!) & Neil Armstrong (now there's an after dinner story!) What is your hidden talent? Mmm. I once gave up alcohol for fourteen years, does that count? What is your favourite motto? 'Don't judge a book by its cover' What is the best work related thing you have done recently? Not so recent, but still worthy; selling seven originals at Bristol's 'The Other Art Fair' last July. On a clear day
Opportunity to see a Grayson Perry at Castle Drogo Castle Drogo has recently acquired a Grayson Perry tapestry on loan for 2016. Please consult the National Trust website for opening times. Standard entry fee if not a NT member. Map of Truths and Beliefs by Grayson Perry The tapestry by Grayson Perry was made in 2011 for his exhibition The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman at The British Museum. (In this exhibition Grayson Perry specifically created new works and selected pieces from all parts of the Museum's collection). Grayson Perry about the tapestry; "l wanted to make a sort of altarpiece a map of heaven. I looked at the floorplan of the British Museum as a mandala and added all the different terms I could find for the afterlife. The charge of it is it in the clash of the prosaic and the spiritual. I was thinking of pilgrimage in the non- religious sense, so I included places of pilgrimage that I'd googled. Most are religious but many are historical and secular.' Please do contact us if you have any news or items you wish to share. Perhaps you have an exhibition coming up or some art equipment or materials to sell. If so please do let us know.
sheron@madhattersstudio.com Mob: 07795 805520 Alice in Wonderland young person s literary event at Mad Hatters Studio. Saturday, 7 May 2016 from 10:00 to 11:30 Plymouth PL7 5BL Find your own muchyness and madness by taking a wander through the fascinating world of Mad Hatters Studio and garden...meet Alice, Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts from Upon a Wish, write and decorate the maddest menu ever! Hear the mad and wonderful story of Alice in Wonderland, play games with the characters.decorate your very own mad yum cake! there will be a prize for the mostest, most splendidly dressed! Tickets 10 per child each child may bring one adult for free if the adult will behave properly! Celia Over Dartmoor Open 2016 March 19 - April 16 Green Hill Arts Moretonhampstead I will be showing etched silver earrings & paperknives in the Dartmoor Open. 45 Southside Gallery, 45 Southside Street, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2LD Tel: 01752 224974 Email: arts@45southside.co.uk TAVI ARTS MARKETS www.taviartsmarket.com Next Date: Saturday 16 th April 2016
Teresa Wickstead I am very happy to announce that my art was selected for inclusion in 101 Abstract Artworks, a publication by Art has no Borders. This isn t an ordinary print publication. Its an iartbook, a digital publication available from Apple s ibooks store, that can be viewed on either an ipad or Mac on the ibooks App. What makes iart- Books so unique are the interactive and innovative features they incorporate. Discovering art through iart- Books is great fun, as you can zoom in on the images and also discover more artwork via links to the artist s website. Continued. The iartbook is published by Pandora Publications, who design and publish iartbooks for artists and art lovers worldwide. You can discover more of their iartbooks by searching Pandora Publications on ibooks or visiting: http:// www.pandorapublications.com/ For more details about Art Has No Borders publications, go to: www.arthasnoborders.com My piece "Growing 1", oil on canvas, 100x40cm, sits alongside 100 other artworks from artists all over the world. 101 Abstract Artworks has no restrictions on the media of art submitted! So, this publication has a broad spectrum of art; something for everyone.
The Garden House Artist Work Day Thursday 7th April Open from 10.30 am. Register with garden reception. (State you are with Drawn to the Valley) a committee member will be present. Buckland Monachorum, Yelverton PL20 7LQ Congratulations to Tessa Jane who won 1st Prize Best Oxford International Air Fair Artist Award 2016 - A unanimous decision to reward an exceptional artist with hugely diverse talents, Joelle Dinnage, Global Art Agency. When asked by Bill Heine, BBC Radio Oxford what inspires her and her passion for art Tessa replied that it was not enough to create beautiful things that there should be a meaning and purpose to her work. Showing her hand made shoes called Walking through worlds, hand printed from leather left overs Tessa explained that they represent where we tread, the path we take and that we should #golightly through life and asks that people care about the planet and one another. That chair speaks volumes and says more about the artist, her work than any other painting here, Richard Knight, Ex Chair of Old Masters at Christies, serving twice as joint Chair for Executive Committee of the European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF). The event was held 26-28 February 2016
Upcoming Events 2016 Events Listing Artist Business Skills Workshops with Melissa Choroszewska Tamar Valley Centre, Drakewalls, Near Gunnislake, Cornwall, PL18 9FE Arrive from 9.30am for coffee and catch up for a 10.30am start, finish at 12.30pm Friday 1 st July 2016 Workshop 1: Social Media Friday 8 th July 2016 Workshop 2: Selling on Etsy (and other online sites!) Friday 15 th July 2016 Workshop 3: All Things Websites These workshops are free of charge to artist members Tavistock Exhibition Set Up Monday 25 th July to Tuesday 26 th July 2016 Private View Tuesday 26 th July 2016 6.30pm to 8.30pm Exhibition Wednesday 27 th July to Sunday 31 st July 2016 Open Studios Saturday 27 th August to Sunday 4 th September 2016 Artist Work Days, Wednesdays; 23 rd March, 18 th May, 20 th July, and 19th October. Pentillie Castle & Estate St. Mellion, Saltash PL12 6QD Artists must register for inclusion, limited capacity. Artist Work Days, Thursday s; 7th April, 26 th May, 7th July, and 11th August. The Garden House Buckland Monachorum, Yelverton, PL20 7LQ No restrictions on attendance. Thursday 24 th November 2016 7.00pm to 9.00pm Drawn to the Valley Annual General Meeting Tamar Valley Centre, Drakewalls, Near Gunnislake DRAWN TO THE VALLEY Arts Administrator: Sarah-Jane Lincoln 20 Mill Hill Cottages, Mill Hill, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 8NW Tel: 0780 8813492 Email: admin@drawntothevalley.co.uk Please share your news and latest work on our Facebook Page; www.facebook.com/drawn-to-the-valley Twitter - Drawn 2Valley