NOTICEBOARD

As the Rivers Run

Two Artists explore how the rivers flow through the fabric of life

recent work by Alison King and Rosemary Campbell

Alison King and Rosemary Campbell reflect on two Scottish rivers - the Gairn and the Tay. Both very different rivers that have their own history and landscape. In this exhibition their natural beauty is reflected in a distinctive and innovative way. Through their use of mixed media, particularly textiles, both artists express their own personal visions of the rivers running.

Living in the valley of the River Gairn has brought Alison King into daily contact with the landscape. The river is surrounded on either side by magnificent mountains and moorland vegetation. Ruins of buildings tell of a lost way of life.Through her sketch books, she has recorded the changing terrain and weather through the passing seasons. Alongside framed pieces she is showing large sculptural works, inspired by traditional "geological block diagrams". These illustrate the journey of the river as it descends the mountains into Glengairn. With hand dyed fabrics, felt and stitch she recreates all the textures and colours of this beautiful, historic valley.

Rosemary Campbell also includes large-scale framed textile panels in this exhibition along with mixed media paintings and drawings. The imagery is often autobiographical in nature and family history informs much of her recent work. She has a fascination for the landscape surrounding Mugdrum Island which lies in the middle of the Tay and dominates the view from the shore at Newburgh. The reed banks stretch along the dry ground for more than two miles. The light continuously changes as it falls on the reeds and the water. The rotting hulks of fishing boats lie submerged in the mud and remind us of more prosperous times. Her unusual way of working with translucent and delicate materials reflects the transient qualities of the river.

The exhibition will first be shown from the 6th April in

The Lang Byre Gallery,
Woodend Barn Arts Centre,
Banchory,
Aberdeenshire

Exhibition continues until 22nd May 2008
OPEN 10am -12.30pm weekdays and during all public evening events and associated workshops.
Weekends open by appointment.
Also open Sunday 4th May 11am - 4.30pm

Contact Woodend Barn for details (01330 825431) and at www.woodendbarn.co.uk

The exhibition will then move onto The Steeple, the new Arts Centre in Newburgh, Fife and from there it travels to Peebles Museum and Art Gallery. Dates and times to be confirmed shortly.

BOBBY BRITNELL

'SIX' STORIES

Bobby Britnell has currently completed the first stage of an international touring exhibition with the group SIX (www.sixart.co.uk). The exhibition previewed at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire, with workshops, meet the artist afternoon and a full day of lectures. The exhibition will now tour to Canada and Germany and to the gallery at Art Van Go. Further venues are still to be confirmed. The tour has received funding support from Arts Council, England. We hope visitors enjoy seeing the work. Please check appropriate websites and the Six website for further details of shows, including previews and workshops. Please also check times with venues before travelling any distance.

ART VAN GO

Sat 6th June - Sat 30th June 2007
Tues - Fri 9.30 - 5.00 pm, Sat 9.30 - 2.30 pm
Meet the artist - Sat 16th June 2007 - 10.00 - 4.00 pm
Viv Arthur
01438 814946

www.artvango.co.uk
The Studios, 1 Stevenage Road, Knebworth, Hertfordshire, SG3 6AN

QUILT UND TEXTILKUNST

3rd August - 31st August 2007
Christine Koehne
(0049) (0)89-23 07 74 01

www.quiltundtextilkunst.de
Sebastiansplatz 4, 80331, Munich, Germany.

LA CONNER QUILT MUSEUM

26th September - 28th December 2008
Wednesday - Saturday 11.00am - 4.00pm, Sunday 12.00 - 4.00
Marie Kirkman, Director/Curator
360 466 4288

www.laconnerquilts.com
703 S 2nd Street, PO Box 1270, La Conner, WA 98257-1

Art and textile courses

New inspirational art and textile courses will start from September 2007 at Moor Hall Farmhouse, from the studio of Bobby Britnell.

Moor Hall is a 400 hundred-year-old farmhouse, of great historical interest, set in an area of outstanding natural beauty in South Shropshire. The area is an excellent place for walking and cycling, drawing and photography. Courses will include:

• Drawing workshops for beginners to build confidence, and those with some experience to extend their skills
• Textile workshops, exploring a variety of textile techniques and inspirational sources.
• Advanced courses for serious students and teachers who wish to extend their skills and experiences.
• Consultation sessions, which will include, reviewing work, a one to one tutorial and a written evaluation.

Workshops will run from 10.00am - 4.00pm. Vouchers for these workshops are also available and will make ideal gifts.

For further information on these courses and to download a booking form please visit www.bobbybritnell.co.uk or contact her, by or post, for the required information.
Moor Hall Farmhouse Bettws-y-Crwyn Newcastle on Clun Shropshire SY7 8PH; tel 01547 510664.

Not What it Seams exhibition catalogue

The exhibition catalogue is now available to order in the UK, now £3.50 including p&p. How to order...

Creating Sketchbooks for embroiderers and textile artists
Kay Greenlees
published by Batsford
ISBN 0-7134-8957-X
£18.99

This exciting book by Kay Greenlees explores different approaches to keeping sketchbooks. Through exploration of the purposes of a sketchbook and examples from leading textile artists and embroiderers' it provides an inspirational platform from which to develop your own personal practice. There are over 90 fantastic colour illustrations providing fascinating glimpses into the personal sketchbook pages of a variety of practitioners. The different approaches include drawing and collage; fabric and thread; annotation and thumbnails; exploring concepts; working on location; museum study and many more.

African Inspirations in Embroidery
Mary Sleigh
published by Batsford
ISBN 0-7134-8921-9
£17.99

This lavishly illustrated book contains over 90 colour images of the African people and landscape encountered in my travels and research expeditions in southern Africa. These images together with textiles, beadwork and artefacts from my personal collection are used as inspiration to explore the journey from source material through the design process to completed textiles.

• A wide variety of media, materials and techniques are included to explore colour, pattern and surface texture.
• A range of textile techniques and working samples provide ideas for experimentation.
• The work of leading textile artists is featured showing their responses to an African theme.

COLOUR ON CLOTH by Ruth Issett August 2004, publishers B.T. Batsford

a book focusing on the many aspects of cold water dyeing, from direct painting to discharging, thickened dye and devoré.

Embroidered Purses, by Linda Tudor, was published by Chrysalis Books (Batsford) July 2004, priced £17.99.

It covers a section on the fascinating history of purses, surveys purses from around the world and looks at inspirational purses by some of the best contemporary makers in Britain. Sources of design and methods of construction are accompanied by over a hundred clear diagrams, along with detailed instructions on how to make several types of purses. Inspirational ideas for further embellishments, handles, fastenings and tassels as well as the use of paper, wood and wire are also lavishly illustrated in colour with more than ninety beautiful photographs by one of Britain's leading textile photographers.