Phoenix Blog

ALTHEA McNISH: COLOUR IS MINE William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow 2 April – 11 September 2022 https://www.wmgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions-43/althea-mcnish-colour-is-mine Phoenix member Rosaline Darby recently visited this exhibition, and this is what she says about it: The William Morris Gallery is always a rewarding place to visit, with its permanent displays about the company Morris & Co and the … Continue reading ALTHEA McNISH: COLOUR IS MINE

TECHNIQUES FROM KAREN STAMPER’S “FREE UP YOUR SKETCHBOOK AND GROW” COURSE Sketchbooks by Joan Bingley, Lynne Butt, Jo Coombes and Linda Walsh For many textile artists, sketchbooks are an integral part of their creative practice.  For others, it is an unrewarding and difficult challenge. Concertina sketchbooks, however, are a fantastic way to explore themes by … Continue reading CONCERTINA SKETCHBOOKS

SKETCHUARY CHALLENGE Have you ever struggled to get your creativity going again after Christmas? Do you suffer from post-exhibition malaise? In January our members were feeling a bit lacking in inspiration. As a group we had been extremely busy in October and November staging two exhibitions in quick succession and were now feeling listless after … Continue reading SKETCHUARY CHALLENGE

The Broderers Exhibition: The Art of Embroidery Bankside Gallery, 22 -27 February 2022 The Worshipful Company of Broderers is one of the City of London livery companies. It is over 450 years old and historically was responsible for maintaining the standard of embroidery in London. Although none of us in Phoenix submitted work for this … Continue reading EXHIBITION REVIEW – THE BRODERERS EXHIBITION

Here at Phoenix, we know Debbie Lyddon well because she used to be a member of our group, and so it was a delight to welcome her back as a tutor for this fun, stimulating and intellectually challenging workshop using collage to focus on design and composition. Debbie’s engaging personality, well-planned structure for the day … Continue reading COLLAGE WORKSHOP WITH DEBBIE LYDDON

INTRODUCTION Phoenix Member, Marie-Ghislaine Beaucé, is passionate about fabrics, and she uses them to great effect to create her contemporary hangings, panels and sculptures, which she makes by weaving together soft furnishing fabrics and incorporating layers of abstract shapes in knitting or crochet-work. Her interest in architecture is evident in the design and structure of … Continue reading A PASSION FOR FABRICS

Phoenix member Maria Walker was excited that the 2021 Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy had been curated by Yinka Shonibare, with the theme of “Reclaiming Magic”. She was looking forward to seeing more textile art in this exhibition, as we all know that Shonibare appreciates the value of textiles in his art. Last month she found time to … Continue reading Summer 2021 Show at the RA: A Textile Perspective

Whilst we have each interpreted the theme of SeenUnseen in our own personal ways, we have also carried the theme over into the layout of the exhibition as a whole. Observant visitors who look up to the beams or down to the floor will be rewarded with hidden gems. Can you spot Rosaline Darby’s blackbirds … Continue reading SEENUNSEEN EXHIBITION – WALTON ON THAMES

With a delay due to Covid lockdown, this exhibition has been three years in the making and it was so exciting to be in the gallery putting it up at last! It is always satisfying to see all the ideas and planning come to fruition, if a bit nerve wracking because we can never be … Continue reading INSTALLING OUR EXHIBITION – SEENUNSEEN

Here at Phoenix we have all been very busy getting our  work ready for our postponed exhibition, SeenUnseen, which opens on 13 th October at the Robert Phillips Gallery, Walton-on-Thames. Here is our lovely poster, designed by Lynne Butt. We do hope that you will be able to visit our exhibition in person, and come and say hello. We … Continue reading FORTHCOMING EXHIBITION NEWS