Summer Art & Craft Workshops 2012

The Arlington Arts Cafe in Bournemouth is running an exciting series of art and craft workshops this summer. There will be friendly tuition provided in the beautiful setting of the café terrace, overlooking Bournemouth’s Lower gardens.

Ever fancied learning how to crochet, sculpt or print? Are you a keen amateur painter or a complete beginner looking to improve your skills? Then these are the workshops for you!

The workshops run from late June right through into September. Each session will be for 2 hours in the morning or afternoon and will require no previous experience. Adults and children welcome! (all children must be accompanied by an adult ).

I will be running a number of Relief Printmaking workshops as part of the summer season. From potato prints to wood engraving, relief printing is a great way to create exciting and repeatable printed images. On my workshops you will be taken through the steps to create your own original, handmade prints using simple equipment including
plasticine, card and polystyrene. 

The price for each 2 hour workshop is just £7.50 per person and includes a free drink!

Booking is not essential, but recommended to avoid disappointment. All paper, paints and equipment will be provided, so you are welcome to just turn up on the day.

To book, or find out more leave me a comment or -

Book on one of the workshops on Facebook
or
Phone the Arlington Arts Café on 01202 552879 or contact  Ruth Kelvin on 0758 6431184
or
Email enquiries@arlingtonbournemouth.co.uk or email ruthkelvin37@gmail.com.
or
visit the Arlington Arts Cafe website

This series of Summer Art workshops have been arranged and co-ordinated by Ruth Kelvin of the RK Collection.

For further info and the full schedule see the Arlington Arts Cafe website

Red Hot Press - Fine Art Printmaking Open Studios

I joined the Red Hot Press printmaking studios in July and I've enjoyed a smörgåsbord of fantastic printmaking workshops since then:

• Lino print and Letterpress with Katherine Anteney
• Wood engraving with Jutta  Manser from the Society of Wood Engravers
• Monoprinting & Watercolour with Kevin Dean http://www.kevindean.co.uk/
• Screen printing with Sarah Mander
• Pine Resin Etching & Aquatint with Jo Price

As a member I'm also eligible to exhibit in their Open Studios which are coming up as part of Hampshire Open Studios, yey!

The Red Hot Press Studio will be open with an exhibition of original prints by members for the next two weekends - 20 & 21 and 27 & 28 August. The exhibition will include framed and unframed work and handmade cards - all works will be for sale.

The 20th of August will also be the studio's annual Wayzgoose Fete.

- A wayzgoose was originally an entertainment given by a master printer to his workmen each year on or about St Bartholomew's Day (24 August). It marked the traditional end of summer and the start of the season of working by candlelight. Later, the word came to refer to an annual outing and dinner for the staff of a printing works.

 

At the Red Hot Press the Wayzgoose Fete means a day of printmaking activities, great music and refreshments!

 

The fete is on between 12 and 5pm on Sat 20th and the programme for the day will be:

 

1:00pm Free Printmaking taster, try your hand at drypoint printing.
2:30pm The ‘Slow Arrangers’ Ukulele Band.
3:30pm Free Bookbinding taster session.

I thoroughly recommend the Red Hot Press courses and the exhibition and Wayzgoose look set to be great too :-)

Below are some of the prints I've made during the workshops:

Handmade - Linocut and Letterpress

Wood engraving

Watercolour with Monoprint

Screenprints and etchings to follow!

For more info on the Open Studios or to have a look at their courses see their website - Red Hot Press

The Waterfront, Bournemouth

On 20th January 2010, Bournemouth Council announced that it is buying the Waterfront building on Bournemouth’s seafront – once voted England’s most hated building in a Channel 4 poll. Hurrah! This monstrosity has been ruining the view of Bournemouth's seafront for as long as I've known it. It will be so good to have a view of the beautiful coastline and seafront.

Bournemouth Council are considering a number of options as a replacement. Their main aims are:

1.To improve sea views; and
2.To bring about an all-weather attraction that is commercially viable, successful and can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life, in a building that residents can be proud of

And they're putting six options to the vote:

1.A water park
2.An interactive arts activity centre and museum
3.Tropical gardens
4.A spa
5.Performing arts space and amphitheatre
6.A family play park
7.Boutiques and bistros

Whilst I really like the idea of the arts activity centre and museum it's difficult to tell how it would work and exactly what the activities would involve. I also quite like the sound of tropical gardens - but I think any solution needs to combine a number of things - cafe, gardens, fountain & arts and crafts!

Here are my thoughts (and comments to the council) -

It would be good to have space for a local art & craft gallery or shops. There is a real lack of art & craft venues in Bournemouth so this would fill a much needed gap in the market. Craft supplies shops and boutiques would add to the creative feel e.g a bead shop, art supplies shop, model shop, knitting/embroidery supplies.

If this could be combined with an area for art and craft workshops that would be a real benefit to all ages of the community. Art and crafts are a great way to unite people and get the community talking and sharing experiences at the same time as learning new skills. It's also a great way to get people involved with the environment, Bournemouth's history, different cultures. The possibilites are endless and it's a great opportunity to improve the culture and social environment of Bournemouth.

Having the workshops so close to the inspiring sea front area would make them really attractive - painting the sea, making paper mache fish, beach hut models, sea inspired jewellery - we could really make the most of the beautiful coast and seaside attractions.

Possible workshops include:
Drawing
Watercolours
Knitting
Silver Clay jewellery
Beading
Puppet making
Electronics/robotics
Nature studies

Arts University College Bournemouth run a range of courses that could be adapted to one day or half day workshops.
Bournemouth Creatives are another source of creative people who could run workshops.

Why not have your say?

For more detail on the options and to vote see the council's website here

Some Seaside crafts created with fd's Flickr Toys

1. Sea Breeze by Hollie Lollie
2. Seeegulls by NiftyKnits
3. Fish bar Soap by Blue Marmalade
4. wooden fish by The Bunny Maker
5. Fabric Fish by Apple Cottage Company
6. Shells and Squares silver pendant by Alibali Jewellery
7. Fish Paper by Carole King
8. Under Water bangle by Penny Dog Accessories
9. Funky fused glass fish by Glass Primitif