THE LATEST ON "ART GALORE"

this is the end

2008-07-12T09:14:00.003+01:00

hmmm a bit of a sad sounding title ...

Art Galore, as a website.. will stop existing in a few months when hosting runs out.

Simply because we do no longer have the time to maintain the site or reply to your inquiries so rather than giving a bad service and providing old information... we have decided to take the website down in a couple of months.

In case you are interested in any of the subjects on our site, please bookmark the artist's direct contact information.

All the artists on the site are working from their own premises and offering their courses and workshops to you, the creative soul.

May you have many inspiring days for years to come.

Keep having fun !

the Art Galore team

A very Happy New Year to all !

2008-01-10T09:52:00.000Z

After a flu ridden start of the year and a well deserved rest, we are back. Our website being a "living space", we will be changing a lot in the coming months.

And as usual, we gladly listen to what you have to say about our site, and implement your suggestions.

We would also like to hear from you if you have been on a course with the artists on our site. Let us know what you learned, how you were welcomed, who you would recommend. You may even send us your pictures of the workshop.

Have a great creative year and if there is anything we can do to help you with that, give us a shout.

A.G.

LATEST ARTIST & NEW ACCOMMODATION !

2007-12-05T08:08:00.000Z

We have the pleasure to welcome a new artist :

MARYSA DE VEER - http://www.otterbookbinding.com

The Otter Bindery specialises in all areas of bookbinding. We offer innovative solutions to bookbinding problems on all levels, from the creation of a book, from conception to delivery including printing, to the restoration and/or conservation of antiquarian books.

In addition we also offer bookbinding tuition for all levels. The Otter Bindery now offers 1st Saturday in the month bookbinding mornings.

************

With the winter holiday season upon us, what better time to announce places to stay ... pleasant B&B run by artistic people.

Sonia and Neville welcome you here :
http://www.drynachan-accommodation.co.uk/

Pierre and Christiane have their organic B&B at your disposal :
http://www.shenval-welcome.co.uk/index.php

And for those of you who prefer self-catering there is Invermoriston Holidays where Clare & Errol can provide you with suitable accommodation :
http://www.invermoriston-holidays.com/index.html

New workshop schedules !

2007-10-20T09:57:00.000+01:00

Check out the latest workshop dates for Joanne B. Kaar. Silkpaper making, pulp paper making, arty bookbinding, Chinese stone carving.
Click here

And the 2007-2008 schedule for Stephen Richard. Glass fusion, Cutting with Confidence, Bead making, Glass Jewellery, Casting, Sandblasting, Leaded Glass, making Bowls.
Click here

ART BOOKS ADDED

2007-08-12T08:15:00.000+01:00

For those of you who do not have the time, nor the occasion to join a workshop straight away, our team has compiled a list of books for each medium.

We have linked up with Amazon for this because of their good reputation and reliable and safe payment options.

The books have been selected according to what our members have on their bookshelves or on what others have said about them. We obviously are keen to hear what your suggested books are, so get writing and send us your comments !

We hope that you will like this added feature on our website and will enjoy reading the books while the weather is a bit... welll.. under the weather.

Till next time,

AG

NEW ARTISTS ADDED !

2007-08-07T11:08:00.000+01:00

And yes we are back and fully at it again !

We have just added 2 new members to our website :

Coombe Farm Studios - offering workshops in a wide range of media

"We run a variety of courses throughout the year both residential and non residential. The courses are largely tutored by the renowned resident watercolourist Paul Riley supported by professional teachers and practitioners in the fields of mixed media, ceramics, wood turning and pastels. "

Click here to get more info.

Julia Levander's hand made dolls - Julia's characters - commissions

"In these characters I have combined everything I love to do; sewing, embroidery, knitting and dressmaking. And since I started to make the furniture - even upholstery!
The characters pictured are for sale as seen and I also take commissions for portraits and special pieces such as different trades or hobbies. "

Click here to get more info.

Should you know of any artist you feel we should be listing on our site, please get in touch with us.

A.G.

1st of August and we're back !

2007-08-01T10:15:00.000+01:00

Yes, it seems that 2 weeks have gone by. It certainly did not look or feel like it but they have. So we are back to tackle all your art related inquiries and to offer artists that little extra space to expose their magnificent works to the wide world.

Let us know your latest exhibition dates and interesting other art facts and we will gladly post them on our blog.

For now, back to the grind... be it a pleasant one !

Take care
AG

HAVING A BREAK

2007-07-18T14:09:00.000+01:00

Art Galore is taking some time off to let the tired braincells unwind.

We'll be back on the 1st of August 2007.

We wish you all an enjoyable summer break !

The Art Galore Team

NEWSLETTER 3

2007-07-17T11:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome • New Artists • Artist News • New Media • Fact Sheet • Comments

WELCOME

We hope you have enjoyed the marvelous weather May has brought and hope that you have been greatly inspired by the blossoming flowers and returning migrant birds. (or indeed by anthing else that caught your eye!)

May has been hectic here and we are looking forward to our July break. It will again only be a couple of weeks but enough to give us some breathing space and recharge batteries.

We have 3 new artists on our site of which 2 offer residential courses.

There are also some activities going on - it seems like everything is Scottish this month! If you are in another part of the UK and know of some interesting exhibitions or art related activity you want everyone to share, please let us know and we will add it to our newsletter.

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NEW ARTISTS

Orkney Stained Glass : For stained glass courses with a difference. Accommodation and delicious food provided. Beautifully located on Shapinsay - Orkney. Click here to visit Orkney Stained Glass.

Hilltop Weavers : Workshops in spinning, weaving, dyeing, feltmaking and braiding. Sue and Bill offer one-to-one workshops for all abilities. They also have a wide variety of materials for sale. Click here to visit their page.

Lyn Ball :Lyn organises quilting retreats which include accommodation and workshops in various quilting techniques. Click here to visit Lyn's page.

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ARTISTS NEWS

From Joanne B. Kaar (click on the thumbnail for details)

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NEW MEDIA

The following media have been added to our list:
Quilting: Making the most beautiful quilts using various techniques and original patterns, it is a craft which has been used for centuries and is still ever so popular.

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FACT SHEET

HOW TO FIND A WORKSHOP THAT FITS YOU!

By Rosalind Smith

If, just like me, you are craving to join those local painting classes, or would LOVE to have a try at that glass fusion course but feel that you are not skilled enough and would only embarrass yourself, read further !

I have found that it needs some encouragement from family and friends to actually attend a workshop or a course and with this article I would like to make it easier to get over the initial hurdle so you don't have to rely on supporting relatives.

HOW TO FIND A PROPER COURSE/WORKSHOP

Workshops are usually run for shorter periods such as a week or weekend whereas courses may be spread over a school term, a year or until the material has been fully studied.

If you are not sure about the art or craft you would like to take up, I suggest you attend an "open doors" event near you. Most artists will allow the public to have a go themselves and some will even run taster sessions which will allow you to try your new hobby before purchasing expensive equipment and materials which might end up on E-bay a little later.

Any Art or Craft requires A LOT of practicing and some courses may require home work and studies. Art and/or Crafts should be a pleasurable activity and remain that way throughout your course so make sure you have enough time allocated or choose shorter workshops.

If on the otherhand you are planning on making this your new way of living and are thinking of a career or commercial activity, you can either subscribe to as many workshops as you can, or you can attend a full blown course at a college. It will certainly help to have some certificates in your pocket before approaching funding bodies to help you start up your business.

POINTS TO CONSIDER

* Qualifications of the tutor:

The self-taught artists on our site offer you the same high standard tutoring as the accademically trained artists. The difference is subtile and will depend from artist to artist.

Some self-taught artists will only be able to teach you to make what they have been making for many years and will know have information about a style or technique you are looking for. Others may have learned a wide variety of skills and will gladly help you further although they are not using that particular medium now. eg. someone may have been very good with pastels but may have discovered the joys of oil painting...

You may find it less intimidating to work with an artist who openly claims not to have Art college qualifications but who is more then willing to share his/her skills with you.

The quality of the course provided has nothing to do with the training of the artist rather then with the capability of passing on that information to a student in a professional way.

Art graduates on the other hand will have tackled lots of different techniques and have studied a myriad of art related subjects. This might be a better choice if you are looking for specific training or if you are on an advanced level.

Depending on your confidence, it may feel very daunting to work with some highly qualified tutors but do not fear! The fact that these artists, whether self-taught or academically trained, are running courses, means that they want to share their skills with you. Each artist will normally state which level their courses are meant for. If not sure, contact the artist.

* Choosing a one-to-one or group workshop/course:

If you don't like people watching over your shoulder while you work or you don't feel confident in a group situation then a one-to-one workshop is the option to go for. Also, if you want to learn a particular skill, e.g. turn wooden goblets for a particular project, then a one-to-one is the most viable way.

It means that you most likely will progress at your own pace and that you will learn more specifically what you ask for. Discuss this thoroughly with your tutor to avoid surprises.

A group workshop/course is mostly for a maximum of 10 attendants and allows you to learn from the tutor as well as from the different approaches by the other students. You can exchange ideas with others and share some of your own skills. However, when teaching is done in a group, the course subject will be aimed at fitting all students and a more personal approach might not be possible.

A word of warning here: popular courses are sometimes overbooked and although every self-respecting artist will prevent overcrowded courses, unfortunately there are some who prefer to make money once and who take
on more then they can possibly fit in their studio/workshop. This means that there might not be enough materials available, or not enough workstations resulting in taking turns and even not getting a go at what you really wanted. If possible, ask around and try to get some feedback from other students.

* Making agreements and sticking to them:

It is nice for the artists to be able to count on the number of students that will show up so they can prepare materials, workshops space, snacks and drinks (where offered). To this purpose most artists will require a deposit when you book a course.

When making agreements with the artist, check in advance whether food and/or accommodation is included in the price, if their are extra costs for materials, postage costs for sending works afterwards, etc. Find out which materials you have to bring yourself.

If you have special dietary requirements, discuss with the artist what your options are and make sure that your tutor/host is well informed before you get there. Telling your tutor at the table that you are allergic to wheat when your host has prepared the most delicious plate of pasta is definitely not the right moment.

When attending a group course and if are allergic to certain food groups you may want to consider bringing your own snack and/or meals to be on the safe side. In that case you may discuss a discount with your tutor.
If a course is set to start at a certain time, BE THERE! Or in case you are delayed for some unforeseen circumstances, call the tutor and inform them of your delay.

It is not very considerate to have others waiting for you without knowing for certain that you will be there.

* HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF A WORKSHOP?

If possible, find accommodation within a short distance from the place where the workshop is being held. Having to travel that extra distance after a long training day is not advisable.

Although attending workshops is great fun and very enjoyable, it is also very tiring for the brain - some workshops such as sculpting and engraving being even physically tiring. So it is better not to plan any strenuous or demanding activity after a workshop.

Safety at the workshop does not only apply to the studio equipment and materials but also to you being rested enough to concentrate on what you are learning. Make sure you calculate enough time to travel to and from the workshop place. (all over the UK, a short straight line on a map may mean lots of curves and single lane roads which can double your travelling time. Ask your tutor for information on access routes). It can prevent a lot of unnecessary stress.

If this is the first time you attend a workshop and you feel nervous, don't. There is no need to be nervous or panicky. Your tutor is there to help you feel at ease, to make your creative intentions into a success! Even the best tutors get nervous themselves so you may have to help him/her to break the ice!

Attend the workshop with an open mind. Even if you have read lots of books about your chosen subject, even if you have seen others at work, remember that this artist is good at what he/she does and is willing to share it with you. Some of their ideas and techniques maybe totally different from what you read but that does not mean that they do not work (they may even be better as a result of years of experimenting and testing).

Use your eyes! See what the tutor is using, little tricks and tips that you may not finds in books as they are very specific to the way the tutor works. Be all ears, if you have a short term memory like me, write down as much as you can/want so you can let it digest at a later moment.

Do not expect to create a masterpiece from your first attempt! Most of the tutoring artists have had years of experience and have practiced, practiced and practiced to obtain the results they are showing you now. There are only very few artists born with their specific talent (maybe you are one of them!!) so do not get discouraged at any time!

ENJOY...

Enjoy every minute of the workshop.
Let your creative self take over and go wild (as a matter of speaking).
Let the art bug bite you and open new horizons for you as it did for me!

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NEWSLETTER 2

2007-07-17T09:26:00.000+01:00

Welcome • New Artists • Artist News • New Media • Open Doors • Comments

WELCOME

Another month has flown by and lots of new creative works have been realised.

This newsletter is a bit shorter than the previous one as everyone is preparing for Open Doors and Arts Festivals and live has become a little more hectic.

Due to some gremlin in our computer we lost our fact sheets so we apologise for not having one for you this time around. We will make up for that next month !

NEW ARTISTS

Stephen Richard : Fantastic versatile glass art artists in Glasgow.Stephen runs various courses in a variety of glass techniques. Click here to visit his page.

Geoff Forrest : Creates structures with willow and makes nomadic furniture. Geoff offers various inspiring workshops. Click here to visit his page.

Jane E. Porter : Oil paintings and Mixed Media - Commissions

Richard Harrison : Wood working - Workshops and Commissions

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ARTISTS NEWS

From Resipole studios

SPRING EXHIBITION
From Rock to Linen
April 8th till the end of May

click on thumbnail for detailed information

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From Exemplar Glass

Emma Varga Masterclass 3-7 July 2007

Her work is captivating, mysterious and technically brilliant. International glass artist, Emma Varga, will be teaching a Masterclass in her unique “Aquarelle” method of kiln casting at the Exemplar Glass studio in Leominster from 3-7 July 2007. There will be places for 6 students to participate in this workshop – a rare opportunity to work with Ms Varga whose inspiration comes from the landscapes and oceans of her adopted country, Australia.

After graduating from the University of Applied Arts in Belgrade (Yugoslavia), she developed her skills during 15 years work in a glass factory, enabling her to design and make her own glass works in addition to the production lines needed for the factory. In the early 1990s during the first years of the war in Yugoslavia the colour red began to feature in her work as a symbol of all that was dangerous and threatening in the world. Varga decided to use her art as a force for positive growth, changing the red of fire, destruction and blood to a red of richness and creativity, recalling her memories of the medieval towers of Dubrovnik, a golden noble red, and later, in Australia to the collection of “red sunsets” and eventually as a representation of bush fires, an ever present danger in her new environment.

In 2004, some years after her emigration to Australia, a new project emerged, the “Something Different Creative Laboratory”, a series of workshops and exhibitions bringing together glass artists in different parts of the world. After its start in Budapest, within a few months the project was spread over three continents, forging closer contacts between glass artists in Australia and Eastern Europe.

Varga works with sheet glass, as many as 100 to 200 hundred layers, with glass mosaic elements and coloured frits precisely arranged on the sheets. The whole assemblage is fused and cast through various stages, then ground and polished to reveal clarity of colour in the patterning of the three-dimensional, wave-like forms.
Details of her work can be seen at

http://www.emmavarga.com.

Details of the Masterclass will be available soon on the Exemplar Glass website. Please register interest by contacting Jane Ballard:
mail@exemplar-glass.co.uk http://www.exemplar-glass.co.uk
01568 620098 - 07968 225205

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From Anne Dye

BATIK EXHIBITION

at the The Visitor Centre

GLASGOW BOTANIC GARDENS

730 Great Weston RoadGlasgow
April 28th till the 10th of May
Open daily 11am - 4pm

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From Jane Porter

Summer Art Week at Lunga House, Ardfern, Scotland
Inspiring Art Tuition by Guyan Porter and Jane Porter

11-16th June 2007

(click on thumbnail for details)

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NEW MEDIA

The following media have been added to our list:

Silk paper: A luxurious looking and feeling "paper" which can be used as a basis for embroidery and other textile techniques or which simply makes an eye-catching book cover or unusual object.

Making willow structures : From structures with willow rods to living growing garden features. Check out the workshops !

Should you know of artists doing any of the above, please let us know. We always prefer worth of mouth to get experienced artists on our site.

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OPEN DOORS AND FESTIVALS

OPEN DOORS - STUDIO ART TRAIL

5-6th & 12-13th May 2007

http://www.opendoorsarttrail.com/

Several open doors events in the Bristol area

http://visitbristol.co.uk/festivals/arts-trails-and-open-studios

A one-day festival of arts based in and around the
scenic Port of Fowey on the south coast of Cornwall.

http://www.dumaurierfestival.co.uk/event.php?eID=504

Various art events in Perth

check out the Art Trail on 26th - 27th of May

http://www.perthfestival.co.uk/

Welcome to the 25th Oxfordshire Visual Arts Festival
("Artweeks") 2007

City 12 May - 20 May

South 19 May - 27 May

North 26 May - 3 June

http://www.artweeks.org/

The 2007 - Appledore Visual Arts Festival

http://www.appledorearts.org/festival2007.htm

Welcome to Spring Fling : 26 - 28 May 2007

South West Scotland's art and craft open studio event

http://artandcraftsouthwestscotland.com/springfling/

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YOUR COMMENTS - SUGGESTIONS REQUIRED

Have you always wanted to paint with your favourite artists but do not have the time or possibility to enroll on a course with him/her ?

Would you like to go on a course but do not like working when someone is looking over your shoulder ?

Would you like to pick up a new hobby but find the courses too expensive just to try out if this is what you would like ?

We have a solution ! Various of our artists are preparing packages and project kits which will allow you to learn new skills, improve old ones or just have a go at something you always wanted to try. The packages will be available
for different levels of ability (beginners - advanced) and you will be able to get feedback from your tutor directly or through our online forum.

Let us know what you think !! Let us know which type of package you would like to see on here. All suggestions are welcome.

Till next time,

The ART GALORE team

NEWSLETTER 1

2007-07-17T08:24:00.000+01:00

Welcome • Changes • Artist News • New Media • Fact Sheet • Useful Trivia

WELCOME

After months of blood, sweat and tears, the changes to our site have been completed and we can proudly present it to you. Art Galore is a living site: people come, people go... new things happen all the time and we would like you to be part of it.

The biggest change is that Art Galore is no longer the middle man/woman and that you can contact the artists directly should you wish to do so. We will obviously still be here for any art related questions and remain available for advice and suggestions.

We hope you like the new look and the added features and are eager to receive your feedback.

CHANGES

Well, hmm, what is new?

By popular demand, Art Galore has expanded and is now offering courses all over the UK. We are sure that this will please the many people who wanted to join a workshop over the weekend but who had no travelling time to spare. At this point in time, the artists available on our site are just the tip of the iceberg and we intend to offer you the whole of the Arctic!

We have a new section called GALLERIES which includes information about live galleries which you can visit when in the area. This space is organised per country and will include information about new galleries, interesting exhibitions, and famous collections being brought to the UK. The space is still under development so please be patient with us. This information can also be found in the newsletter!

Another new section is the COMMISSIONS page where we highlight one artist per month and where you will find a myriad of artists offering commissions in a wide variety of media. Why not contact them for that original gift for your loved ones?

The GALLERY SHOP is our window shopping space... You can either stroll along the beautiful works on display and bookmark them for special occasions, or you can contact the artist and discuss availability and prices and have a wonderful piece of art in your possession in no time.

ARTISTS NEWS

**Anne Dye is having her hugely popular batik workshops again.**
Click here for details!

**Joanne B. Kaar is running workshops at the Casle Heritage Events**
For details and other news by Joanne, click here.

Some of our popular artists have moved away from the area and have temporarily suspended their services. We wish them all the best in future ventures and hope to hear from them again when they have settled in their new places.

We will be adding new artists all the time which will be included in our newsletter each month.

If you know about any artist whom you feel should be on our site, contact us with their contact details and we will do the rest.

NEW MEDIA

The following media have been added to our list:

Felt Making: an old skill used all over the world to make clothes, accessories and more.
Book Binding: innovative ways of making books.
Glass Blowing: an ancient skill seeing an interesting revival.
Seal Stone Carving: a not so well known art form in the Western world, popular in the East.

And these are the ones being worked on at this very moment:

Quilting, Print making, Making silk paper, Glass art, Mosaics, Soap stone carving, Making Willow Structures.

Should you know of artists doing any of the above, please let us know. We always prefer worth of mouth to get experienced artists on our site.

FACT SHEET

Each month we will be including a fact sheet which contains anything interesting and educational related to an item on our site. From how an artists goes about his/her art, how a gallery is run, what is needed to become a professional artist, to details about certain techniques, etc...

This month we have Sandra Braznell, our artist of the month, explaining how she paints her acrylic paintings.

How I paint in acrylic by Sandra Braznell

Firstly I hate working on the white canvas. The Old Masters prepared their canvases with colour, and I like to do the same. As I paint in very bright hues I like to give strength to those colours by under painting in complementary colours to the ones I envisage as a final result. This is sometimes frightening and often startling for people who see my work in the early stages.

When I do commissions I consider it a collaboration between artist and client, and I like to offer the latter the opportunity to see work in progress. This might be alarming, but I am careful to warn people of my approach!

Here are some illustrations of my work in progress. This is Glencoe:

.

At the penultimate stage I disliked the sky, as I found it in conflict with the golden scenery, and decided to use the colour as another under painted surface onto which to complete the picture.

Sandra Braznell
- http://www.braznell-art.com

See more of Sandra’s work at www.artgalore.co.uk/COMMISSIONS.php

USEFUL TRIVIA

This space is yours! You can send us any anecdote from when you were on a course, any useful tips you can give fellow budding artists (places to stay, things to see), warn us about any scams you have heard about, pictures of the works you made at a workshop, etc.

Or you can just tell us how our advice has helped you to become the latest Picasso!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Fiona Blakey for designing our colourful new logo, and Dave Pellow for his computer skills in designing the Gallery picture.

For now, we can only thank you for patiently reading our very first newsletter and we look forward to your feedback. Now is your chance to tell us what you would like to see changed. Once we are set in our ways, there is no turning back! (Yes, we know... a stubborn streak).

Till next time,

The ART GALORE team