Colour it's where it's at!

Journey - Tina Francis 2013

I had a fantastic time in Edinburgh at the Fringe Festival, it is pretty full on and so I really enjoyed time out at Dovecot Studios  viewing their latest exhibitions.  Dovecot is such a great place to visit and watch other people working!!  I was really inspired by the Artists Rugs exhibition it rekindled my love of colour!!

Back in Brighton I decided to take a look at other people that enjoy colour as much as I do and found kindred spirits in Will at Bright Bazaar and Tina at Colour Living.  The Bright Bazaar blog is a great place to start your working week as the inspiration provided by Wills "10 Things I Learned and Loved this Weekend" will see you through the Monday blues (and yellows and reds!).  Tina at Colour Living was already on to a winner by sharing "my" name, her site is packed full of inspiration, ideas and most importantly beautiful book recommendations, take a look next time you have some time.

Speaking of colour take a look at the beautiful logo from Luke Insect for the Lewes Art Fair, I love the simplicity of the design and the colours used.

I have stand at Lewes Art Fair this Saturday 24th August which also sees the start of the Artwave Festival.  If you around Lewes way why not pop in and say hello?

So what is next on the horizon?  I am in an exhibition called Down to the Bone in September, the piece at the top of this blog will be for sale.  It's called Journey because so often we look at the outside of a person or an animal and think everything is fine but look underneath and you really get to understand where they have come from.  The piece is the front and back of my stitching and will also be available as a print.

Knitting and Stitching Show is fast creeping up but more of that in the next blog.

Happy Colourful Stitching!

Tina

One busy week does not a business make!!!

Petrol - Tina Francis - 2013

I am off to Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival and along the way I will be taking the advice of Craft Scotland and visiting some of the great exhibitions and Craft shows that will be taking place during August. I am really looking forward to the short break and just being able to look rather than do, I need a break and this is why.......

The week starting Monday 15th July was one of the busiest of my life!!  It began with a meeting at Craft Central with Dr Rachel Smart who after listening to what I had been doing, what I wanted to do, how many projects I had on the go and how many hours sleep I was getting gave me some fabulous advice on how to step out of this whirlwind and get myself in order!!! Now I love a list and I am pretty pedantic about ticking things off so Rachels advice on making targetted lists was joy to my ears - list making with permission! It has really helped me to look at my practice and question my choices, I'm not stopping on the ideas front just writing them down and investigating them rather than tangenting off into the merry world of research and then having to stay awake half the night catching up on making!  Thanks Rachel!

Next a second trip to London to drop off a small piece of work for Zeitgeist Summer Open.  Zeitgeist Arts Project is run by Rosalind Davis and Annabel Tilley and this exhibition was a chance for all ZAP members to show a small piece of their work and meet each other alongside collectors.  It was a fantastic show and I met some great people and even sold my piece Petrol (above image) which was a total bonus. Meeting other artists and listening to what they are doing really does give you a bit of confidence to carry on with it all, thanks ZAP gang!

During the whole of the week I was stitching like mad because I am going to be on TV as part of a makeover show in the Autumn. So on the Friday of my whirlwind week I was being filmed on the sunny terrace outside my beach hut studio, it mad me laugh quite a bit (inside of course - had to be sensible on film!!) because I had never had to stitch on camera before, it was one of the hottest days of the year and I was stitching with warm wool! As they say in the trade it was a wrap and so once I know when the show will be on TV I'll post it on here, probably be just a shot of me trying to thread a needle under time pressure in the blazing heat but hey any publicity is good publicity - apparently!

So there we go, the reason why I need to take a little break from myself and look and talk and listen to the makers of Scotland and then come back happy and ready to yet again get on with it!

Enjoy the sunshine and happy stitching!

Meeting and greeting!

I had a great time at Fusion at West Dean College, it was a fantastic venue with so much to see and do.  The weather was a little bit of a problem but what can you do?  I was in a small marquee with two other makers which was open to the elements!!  There were food stands, craft stalls, maker displays, drop in classes and much more, I can really see this event growing and growing. I met lots of great people interested in stitch and will definitely be back there next year.

Meeting people who love stitch is the highlight of any show for me being a maker sometimes means lots of hours alone with the radio so it was a great surprise when I had a knock on the door this morning. Standing on the doorstep were the Shermans wondering whether they could see my work - what an honour!  Sam Sherman is a keen stitcher and so I took them down to the Gallery and showed them my wares and talked about stitch for a while.  Sam bought two of my "Use Your Stash" patterns and will be taking them back with her when she returns to the States.  As you can tell this really made my day!  But I think that I need to keep my studio a little tidier in the future!

Meeting people who make for a living is hard even in a small town like Brighton so I am really pleased that some local makers have got together to create the Brighton Etsy group.  Their window display can be seen at Super and Super.  A lot of energy is going into this group with a mentoring programme being run in July, check them out if you are a maker in Brighton.

At the start of this week The Big Forest issued a challenge, this challenge is to remain positive.  It's hard to do sometimes but when you start getting out there meeting and greeting and the sun is shining you just can't help yourself!

Flaming June?! Well Crafting June probably better sums it up!

So June is now here - I don't know about you but this year is flying by.  Maybe it's because we don't really seem to have gotten started weather wise or maybe it's because I haven't lifted my head high enough from my stitching to notice time going by!
I am very excited this month to be taking part in Fusion at West Dean College in Chichester.  West Dean is famous for woven tapestry's and so I am hoping that my tapestry needlepoint designs will be well accepted.  It's a great weekend event with many activities taking place, I'm looking forward to meeting other makers and craftspeople there.

As my time will be taken up by this event I will not be able to attend some of the Craft and Maker Fairs happening in Brighton.  If you are visiting be sure to take time and visit Makers Boutique on 8th June at Brighton Unitarian Church, always an eclectic mix of makers and designers they also have a residency at the Fishing Quarter on the seafront until August. Craftaganza on 15th June will be held in Fabrica which is in the centre of good ol' Brighton Town, there are some great makers this time check out their blog to "meet the makers".  Finally as if that wasn't enough Brighton Craft Alliance round the month off on 22nd June back at the Unitarian Church it will be the first time in the centre of town for this new team so take a look and see what you think.

Finally a big mention to We Make London who celebrate their 5th Birthday this year.  Mary and the team really are some of the hardest working people promoting craft and designers around.  Without them I would not have been brave enough to take my "wares" to London last year.  Have a great time visiting them in Camden Lock on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month until September. Happy Birthday!!!

Last weekend in May!!

This weekend sees the last chance to view my exhibition Resonance.  This exhibition features my tapestry needlepoint using secondhand wools and is based on how many years ago I was told that "colour is a killer".  Now we all know which colours we like and we all have colours we love to wear and so maybe there is some truth in it. I have trouble with blue, I know it's the colour of the sky and the sea but it sometimes fills me with dread when I look in my secondhand wool box and find so much blue to use up!  

Talking of Blue if you are in Brighton this weekend after visiting me (!) why not head to Fabrica and see Karina Kaikonnens exhibition "The Blue Route" where she has filled the old church with shirts, shirts and more shirts.  Also alongside this exhibition artist in residence Stig Evans will continue to compile names for the colour blue.  So maybe blue really is the colour in Brighton this weekend!

So May is rumbling on at quite a pace!  Along with having my own exhibtion here in Brighton I have found a little time to visit some Artists Open Houses here in the City - there is such a wide array this year and I have particularly enjoyed Tichborne Gallery and From Brighton with Love as they have both satisfied my love of texture, colour and process.

This week I am at Made in Clerkenwell selling tapestry kits, patterns, printed homewares and available to talk to about commissioned stitching.  

I am really looking forward to going up to Clekenwell there's always something new to see there.  I am especially looking forward to meeting the other studio owners and sellers.  Craft Central really is a great group to be involved with as they run courses to help with business planning and marketing as well as providing opportunities for members to sell and display their work - check out the Cloud Leopard which is on display there this May.

So maybe I will see you at Clerkenwell or if you are in Brighton please take a look at my exhibition in JAG Gallery whilst visiting the Open Houses.

So May is here and the sun has shone (a bit!!)

Here in Brighton the May Festival is in full swing.  The children's parade was the usual colourful mass of excitement - it really is the parade the weather can not spoil!

The first weekend of Artists Open House saw many visitors to JAG Gallery on Madeira Drive in Brighton and my Resonance Exhibition met with good reactions.  My exhibition continues throughout May.  I am at the gallery most days so if you come in and I am not downstairs just ask for me and I will pop down to see you.  The only exceptions are 11th May and 16th-19th May when I will be away from the Gallery.  

16th-19th May I will be at Craft Central for Made in Clerkenwell, this is a big step for me because I will be displaying my tapestry kits and printed homewares alongside my bespoke stitching (I'm covering all the bases!!).  I am just working out where to put everything and as usual worrying that I will have too much or too little to display.  I will be selling my kits and my Use Your Stash range, I'm really looking forward to it!

JAG Gallery Artists are being promoted throughout May, here is my entry into their hall of fame!!  Louisa White is a fantastic Artist and so it is great to be on the same page as her!

JAG Gallery Artists Louisa White and Tina Francis - copyright 2013

Just one last thing if you do come down to see me at Clerkenwell be sure to visit The Big Forest they have a new bear and he is an astronaut!!!! Hope to see you there!