Leaving Blogger

I have moved my blog to julieheaton.wordpress.com

I am sorry that I decided to do this after my post cards had been printed, but I do hope you will find me at https://julieheaton.wordpress.com

With many thanks,

Julie

New Worke at Newark Park

Brunel Broderers' exhibition New Worke starts on Wednesday 8th June, tomorrow we set up. Today I am hoping to collect my print from Photogrphique in Bristol and providing we have got the background correct, and by this I mean that my photoshop effort has been improved by the staff, and I will then have a white background around the image ready to go into the frame that is being made by 'Edge to Edge' in Staple Hill. 

I have decided on the title 'Young Years, part 1' for the Stuart Box and 'Young Years, Part 2' for the cinemagraph.

'Young Years I'
Julie Heaton, 2016

The cinemagraph will start playing next week as there is a delay in getting a screen. It has been quite a puzzle working out how to play a 'gif'. We tried mp4 and DVD but neither would work. On further research we realised that the image would have to run on a computer so a DP to HDMI cable was ordered to connect my old macbook to the screen. It was quite a timely issue but I did learn a lot about digital display.

'Young Years II'
Julie Heaton, 2016

Our exhibition runs until until 11th July.

Please visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/newark-park/features/exhibitions-at-newark

Park Street, Bristol

Here are some pictures of my card designs being made for 'Art in Action' 2016. 

My tendency for the unusual in embroidery themes is happening again: damaged parts of shops and cafes that are alive and bustling on Park Street in Bristol. I think my son was slightly unsure when I started kneeling on the ground to take photographs of damaged wood and brickwork and then suggested that the images would be stitched and used for cards designs.

Card series - 'Park Street' 2016, Julie Heaton

Valor Drinking Chocolate

I have finally finished this drawing - it has taken quite a long time due to illness. The drawing is made with the same technique, obsessive stitching with marathon embroidery threads on vilene solufleece (a dissolvable fabric) which is removed in the final stage. 

Valor Drinking Chocolate, Julie Heaton 2016

I have mixed views about this piece; whilst it was fun to make and it perfectly reflects lovely memories of the boys sitting at home with large mugs of luscious hot chocolate, topped with marshmallows and cream, I can't help but crave my usual grittier subjects.

This week I discovered  Michelle Hamer in 'Embroidery Magazine'. Hamer's documentary photographs are recreated with wool on plastic grids in a painterly way. The images have an architectural sense and are not typical for the medium. Hamer states that she enjoys capturing messages from 'the in-between spaces'.

Michelle Hamer, 'What Makes You Happy' 2009

Michelle Hamer, 'Changed Priorities Ahead (detail) , 2015

Yesterday I was on walking down Park Street in Bristol. My aim was to collect images from one street location and use them for inspiration for some small embroidered drawings for cards to sell at 'Art in Action'. I prefer urban decay and damage, not evident to passer-byes; the interesting patterns and the unexpected material that can be used for embroidery.

Artist statement for Newark Park

Our exhibition at Newark Park is now quickly approaching and it is time to think about how my work will be presented and what my artist statement will say about it.

The free machine embroidered 'Stuart Casket' is now complete and ready to be mounted on to a perspex box the same size as the original piece on display in the Tudor Room.

Drawn Stuart Casket, 2016

I have calculated that the front piece of this project has taken approximately 315 hours to complete. Throughout this process I have questioned the skill and determination of young people - those of the past who have left us these wonderful antiquities, my youth, where I too enjoyed the excitement of a new craft kit and todays youth, where many hours are spent online. 

I plan to display kits from my past, representations of projects that I have spent many hours working on, a time where I developed my passion for making.

French Knitting Doll

Matchstick Kit

String Drawing

And for todays generation, a cinemagraph will be shown in the gallery of Newark Park examining their play - and once again, with many hours are occupied.

Cinemagraph, 'Young hands'', 2016

Work for Art in Action

This is always a busy time of year, but this time it is for new reasons. For five years I had deadlines for uni, but this spring I am working towards exhibitions as a freelance artist and this includes Art in Action where I have taught in the practical classes for seven consecutive years.

This year here will not be a 'Best of the Best' and have thereforI decided to concentrate on making some new drawings for the teachers exhibition tent. As always, I like to use a subject that is personal, an emotion that has to be shown and discussed rather than being hidden and allowed to become a problem. Next year, my eldest son will leave home and go to university; already I am anxious about this - since Carl's death 6 years ago we have become a very tight unit and now, having that broken will be another challenge. So my project to help ease this transition will explore our memories of fun times spent at home and as a family of foodies, the kitchen has been a key part of this.

I have decided to make drawings of some special food items that have become kitchen staples;  foods that help to evoke  happy memories of the family life that we have worked hard on building since being widowed. 

Embroidered drawing in progress

'Valor' is a Spanish chocolate that is melted with milk to make a very thick drinking chocolate that can then be dunked with churos. My boys have enjoyed this in Spain many times with their Grandad and, at home. 

Close up of letters being stitched

Work in progress, 'Valor' (Julie Heaton, 2016)

I am really enjoying this work and hope to get this piece finished, some prints made and then a drawing of a can of Spanish Olive Oil; my favourite kitchen food item and one that I am always trying to get the boys to taste.

Sorry for delay in posts

Sorry for the delay in new posts - everyone in my family has been under the weather for a little while, but hopefully all will be over before Easter.

I have got some embroidered drawings in progress for this year's Art in Action and will hope to post these over the weekend but meanwhile I thought I would  add a few photographs that I took yesterday on the last week of  our photography course at Bath College (Mikey and myself).

Bath, England (Julie Heaton, 2016)

Putney Bridge, Bath, (Julie Heaton, 2016)

The tutor - Chris Arun - was very good at getting across the basics of how our digital SLR's worked and within no time had us all shooting in manual. Chris showed us many creative ways to use our lenses and even showed us how to make the most boring and mundane , i.e. Avon Street Car Park in Bath, into eye catching and intriguing photography. We were very lucky to see some of his multi faceted work and hear some hilarious stories about the life of a photographer. And whilst I love to use my sewing machine to make art. I have always loved photography since heading off to the Isle of White as a child with my mums very basic cubed camera where I discovered how easy it was to take one image on top of the other. And this time, it was even better because i shared the experience with my son.