WIRKSWORTH ART FESTIVAL 2017 Happy Crowds / Hostile Weather

APART FROM THE RAIN....well it is September, that month of month of mellow mists, fruitfulness  and relentless rain - the autumnal balancing act for April. Socially, it was a great couple of days as long as you were under cover. We were. Warned by various weather apps, we bought a great gazebo and had a regular footfall at The Old Lockup. This was probably owing to the really loud bands, beer, and bonhomie. Nothing like a bit of hostile weather to bring us Brits into cosy contact, huddled up together for warmth.  Our gazebo did good work sheltering beer & music-lovers as well as our products, and those of Shop Reddish, next stall along. It sported a plethora of unique wooden items, from cheese knives to chopping boards.

We were selling hand-painted ceramic coasters and ceramic place-mats/tiles. We found people liked to PICK N MIX their choice of tiles, making up their own sets. And who are we to argue?

 100 x 100 cms (4x4"

200 x 200 cms (8x8")

These are a series of Underwater tiles. Partly because of the alcohol ink pictures, partly because they are dishwasher safe. They all measure 200x200 cms

Below are a series of Red Flower tiles which proved popular.

  

Also a selection of Linell Design            BAGS

 AND THINGS MUGS

Things are falling into
perspective

Things are looking up

Some Things are not meant for this world

                       & PET MUGS

THE TRICK IS TO MAKE IT FLAT!

It made a cheerful display on a miserable day, and attracted plenty of hunters for Xmas gifts.  The hand-painted coasters sold for £6 for 4 & £10 for 6 (We were told they were far too cheap, but this was a market, not a shop.) And the 8" square tiles went  for £10 each, or a set of 4 for £36. Stoneware mugs were £5 and China mugs £6.

We were encouraged to think this is a great start to a new business.

If anyone would like to see the full range of ceramic wares and other LinellDesigns items they will shortly be available on Etsy.

Book Launch: Jake Wolf-Blood, Book one of FIRESTONE

Long time in the making, this teenage novel is finally ready for launch! I've been working on it for about 10 years, alternating with painting, but this year I stopped painting, finalised the book, and drew the pictures for each chapter. There's a sequel to be written as well, so that's my plan for the rest of 2017 into 2018

Nutshell Synopsis:

Jake lives in safety but is plagued by nightmares. Urgun lives in a nightmare,and can only dream of safety. Tulsi’s nightmare is about to begin.

 In an instant, their worlds collide. Hunted by wolves and a murderous uncle, only their strength and courage can save them.

Why does the Firestone bring them together, and will it heal or destroy them if they can't uncover the secrets of the Firestone in time?

If you like a page-turner, this will keep your hands busy. It's a fast-moving adventure, action never stops, and the heroes and heroines are very human, full of flaws, but also humour. Each character goes on a personal journey as they try to understand what's happening, and help unravel some injustices done years earlier. 

It's a novel about loss of homeland and family, about finding new friends and belonging.

So if you have a teenage kid who likes lots of action, or you like reading teen novels yourself, Amazon is stocking it in print and in Kindle form. It is also available from me, direct in a [posh] paperback at £9.99 plus p&p
If you go to Amazon you can read the first chapter, and keep up to date with the world of Firestone on the Fan Page .

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Hoping you enjoy it! and please leave feedback.

Inkersall Women's Group Get Arty Jan 2017

THE DEN @ INKERSALL

The challenge of this glass painting Workshop was to decorate either tiles or glass items that students brought with them.

We experimented with two methods: water-based soluble paints, and peelable paints.  

The method is to first draw a design with a chinagraph pencil.

Then use a glass paint outliner, blow it dry with a hairdryer, and fill in the pattern with coloured paint

Using white tiles and glass paints, with a simple repetitive pattern is something anyone can do, regardless of previous experience. It's always surprising how another pattern will emerge from your original design.

Below are some of the designs made on Jan 18th, along with some further tips for taking your painting to the next stage.

This Maltese-type cross is particularly suited to repetition either as a vertical or horizontal frieze. Very simple  design with a striking impact. Four tiles mounted on a board makes a stunning centrepiece for a dining table.

BUTTERFLIES:

You can take a simple motif like a butterfly and make it dance across a bathroom wall. \If you reproduce the design smaller, the butterflies will look as if they are rising up into the distance. Should you change your mind and want to remove the design, it can be cleaned off without harming the tiles.

                                                                                                        

 BIRD FRIEZES
Two-colour bird designs that work very well. It's amazing how simple and effective just two colours are. I don't know if this is a chicken below, but it looks very stylish pecking away at a flower.

This flamingo was painted on a transparent folder, with peelable glass paints. These have to be applied thickly and left to set for 24 hours before peeling off the folder, and reapplying to a window or other shiny surface, including white tiles.

                                                                  

 FLOWERS:

Daisy chain

Cherry Blossom. This is a very simple design which just catches the delicacy of cherry blossom.

If you want to trace your design and transfer it to another tile, use ordinary kitchen parchment paper. 



This floral design lends itself very well to a frieze as the sinuous branch leads along the wall












These floral crosses can be placed in random patterns or in a row. Simple but sweet.

You can use tiles to make picture frames as well as borders. Collect off-cuts from anyone having their bathroom re-done and see what you can make.

Leaf frieze

Autumnal leaves, or shell patterns make very good motifs for a frieze 

This row of lotus blossoms could be enhanced with a green leaf joining one tile to the next

Very  intricate design of a chrysanthemum which would look stunning on any wall, or window, since it's being painted in peelable paints.   If the paint isn't applied thickly enough it will be hard to peel it off in one solid piece when dry. If it looks too delicate, you can buy transparent peelable paint to reinforce the picture before attempting to lift it off the plastic folder.  

 Painting directly onto glass is perfectly possible. My Granny used to paint cheap drinking glasses back in the 1950s, although I doubt glass paints existed back in the day. Just make sure to leave a space for lips if you are going to drink out of it, and don't put any glass-paintings in the dishwasher.

This is an abstract swirl which reveals a herringbone pattern at its centre. Didn't see that coming! 

I added a little bit of red to this vase of flowers, just to show the artist how a very little paint goes a long way!

This lovely flowery cross makes an ideal pattern for making a border, or an entire wall.

Cloud Dragons romping across the sky. Ever thought of putting tiles around your bathroom mirror?

Last, but not least is perhaps the simplest pattern of all, green squares with plenty of white space. When put together they make an avenue, a border round a fireplace, a dado rail....

I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about glass painting, and won't stop now. You can buy your own paints and experiment at home. Thanks for inviting me to your  Scout Den, and good luck with your newfound Arty Selves!