Phoenix Blog

TEXTILE RETROSPECTIVE BY JOAN BINGLEY Past and Present – Finding Connections from Nature One’s present often echoes one’s past. Looking at samples of textile work completed over my lifetime, I find that subjects, colours and techniques recur and perhaps a paraphrase of Wordsworth’s “The child is father of the man” should be coined to describe … Continue reading FEATURED ARTIST – JOAN BINGLEY

Here we reach the fourth and final part of Maria Walker’s captivating series on mark-making. “Mark making is the broad term used to include all marks that are made visible as a manifestation of applied or gestural energy”. The Tate Over the past three blogs we have explored marks made through writing, using tools found in your … Continue reading MAKING MARKS – PART FOUR

Maria Walker  continues her epic mark making series, capitalising on the natural world’s ability to continually inspire us. Natural Talent     “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Pablo Picasso Our previous blog demonstrated the variety of marks that can be made from humble … Continue reading MAKING MARKS – PART THREE

Maria Walker guides us through part two of this inspirational mark making series:  The Great Indoors “It is all a game of construction – some with a brush, some with a shovel, some choose a pen” Jackson Pollock Part one of this “Making Marks” blog concentrated on marks made using traditional artists’ materials such as … Continue reading MAKING MARKS – PART TWO

One of our talented artists, Maria Walker, exploits her passion for mark making in this four-part series, where she encourages us to explore and “play” with making marks. INTRODUCTION “Mark-making” is very much like Marmite – artists claim to either love it or hate it! But making marks is actually an essential aspect of our … Continue reading MAKING MARKS

What is Stitch? Alison Hird-Beecroft takes us on her journey through stitch, and embarks on a passion which has become the driving force to her remarkable creativity. I was preparing a piece of work for an embroidery exhibition.  I had woven a piece on a peg loom in colours and textures that I was pleased … Continue reading Featured Artist – Alison Hird-Beecroft

Our fourth and final part in this series on artists’ tools explores the potential for making our own tools to fit a purpose or explore artistic potential, which makes for an exciting,  productive and engaging way of connecting with the finished piece. We will also show you the fun some of us have had making … Continue reading Artists’ Tools: Part 4

The English proverb:  “Necessity is the Mother of Invention” probably holds true for this third part in our series where we will be showing how we improvise in our art practice by making use of everyday objects, and adapting those designed for other purposes. Joan Glasgow turns to the cocktail stick continually. She uses it for … Continue reading Artists’ Tools – Part 3

Vintage and antique tools are some of the most treasured and sought-after possessions, whether its for nostalgic reasons or simply because there is nothing better on the current market, our relationship with our tools play an important part of our creative process. In this second part of our tools blog we will be showing you … Continue reading Artists’ Tools: Part 2

What are your go-to tools when designing or creating?  Rosaline Darby has collected ideas from all our artists and presents us with some exciting images and stories from a range of contemporary tools to some which may take you down memory lane.  Written in a four-part series, you’ll be keen to continue to the next … Continue reading Artists’ Tools