Gee How Quaint

Recruiting members for Newcastle Craft Mafia!!!

Doing someting creative, arty, crafty in the Newcastle upon Tyne area?  Why not join the family:

www.newcastlecraftmafia.com

The Late Shows are on this weekend!

 

If you have not experienced the Late Shows in Newcastle and Gateshead, then you are missing out on a spectacular treat.  From 7pm until 11pm the galleries fling open wide their pearly doors, inviting the public to step inside.  It isn't just about milling about a gallery at a time when it is usually closed.  Galleries put on great shows with live entertainment, make events, crafty fairs and also create interactive art events.  It's all such a lot of fun.  Fun for families. Fun for non families.  There is such a lot to do.

On Friday I will be smiling out from behind my Gee How Quaint and art-type stall, listening to Lindy Jazz music at The Art Works Galleries.  Saturday night I shall hop about town to see what there is to see at the other galleries.  I am hoping to end the night with my glowstick at the doors of WHQ.

For more info, go here

The Sage, Gateshead

 

Recently,  I have been commissioned to do an artwork based on the The Sage, Gateshead. It is remarkable to behold from any angle, but finding the right one to represent in an artwork is a bit of a trick.  If my view is straight to the side, I risk making it look like a beheaded and betailed catepillar.  If I catch it on either end, then I lose the easy undulations.

This is a tricky one, to be sure.  I think the reason the other building artworks work is due to the constrast of hard edges and soft textures of the material. I may need to change my focus for this one.  Don't worry.  I'm not defeated...just currently perplexed.

Break on Through

 

After days of fog and cloud and rain, the sun did shine...for 30 seconds.  I captured this incredible event right outside my window.

Maker Faire Newcastle: Robots, Knitted Monsters, Mechanical Horses...OH MY!

 

 

This moves, whinnies and breaths fire.  (This caption is for the above photo, not the below photo.  I do not do any of these things).

 

(Good God, I am terribly un-photogenic.  Do I look this cheesy in real life???)

This last weekend the town of Newcastle was a-buzz and a-twitter with the sounds of technology being played with and spoken of in great awe.  Semaphore typing on a screen.  Want a ride on a motorized skateboard?  What about scanning a textile monster and creating music by doing so.  There was so much to see and do at the Maker Faire that I felt like I was missing out on a lot of the fun. 

But not all of it.  I was lucky enough to have a stand at the fair.  I was slotted in alongside two other crafters.  And although I initially feared that my pretty arty bits and knicker bags might look a bit incongruous with the fire breathing horse I believe that by virtue of showing off my Gocco printer, I too belonged in that Show and Tell of Science activities.  Hopefully next year's event will have more crafty people.

I am so pleased with the turn out.  Thousands came to do and see and play.  It was such a fantastic weekend. 

Mentos and Coke

 

My introduction to the Science Fair and Maker Faire began with a bang.  Mentos and Coke does a big fountain make.  This demo was at the Centre for Life and gosh darn it if my camera ran out of batteries before I could click the big finale.  This is Fritz and ? (Fritz sticking in my brain because the name is just so dandy) from Maine demonstrating the trick of 6 mentos touching fizzy Diet Coke.  It ended with great gusto as 20 bottles exploded the brown bubbly 20 metres into the air.

There is much to see and do in Newcastle in the next seven days.  Follow this link to enlightenment. 

I rode in Yoko Ono's coffin car

 

 

As a birthday present to myself, I booked a friend and I to ride around in Yoko Ono's coffin car.  No.  She isn't dead.  This is just an extension of her artfulness.  And to be honest, I don't 'get' it, however, the experience of being driven around the city in a Daimler hearse was both interesting and informative.  Our driver shared local trivia with us.  Although, I do think Adrienne won in the trivia stakes as she shared with us an interesting fact about how people move in crowds.

A: In a 'V' shape.  Like ducks.  So, if you were to stand at the top of Grey Street and watch a crowd of people, the naturally form a 'V' shape.  Now you too have learned something interesting today.

Want to book your own coffin car journey?  Click on this and make it happen.

Walk about Durham

 

My new year began with a walk around the cathedral city of Durham. The weather was damp and cold but somehow exactly what was needed to clear my head from the previous night's festivities.  The path we took looped around the city centre, through fields and university property then dragged us up onto the hill where the massive cathedral overlooks the comings and goings of the people below it. 

Good times.  Good food.  And now I feel healthy and full of life and excitement about the promising months ahead.

Iconic 'Get Carter' car park...next in line for textile treatment

 

Last Sunday, the above artwork was sold at the Nordic Frost Fair by The Sage in Gateshead.  Another couple bought a version of my Star Spangled Baltic, created using the same blue fabric background.  One couple has asked me to do a textile version of the iconic 'Get Carter' car park.  You know the scene...there's a little restaurant at the top of this massive ugly cement car park.  The thing is like a behemoth, towering over Gateshead.  It's such a terrible eyesore, but somehow you love it.  It can't be helped. 

I have also been commissioned to do textile artworks of three local castles: Bamburgh, Holy Island and Dunstanburgh.  This week, I am very busy. 

Florie swim bag fabric also needs to be printed.  Ah me.  No matter how I try to prepare for December, I always seem to be caught out.

Ouseburn Open Studios

 

The Ouseburn Valley is opening its heart of artness to the discerning public November 29th and 30th.

Today I spent some of my time winding my way through the corridors of The Biscuit Factory, sneaking into artists' studios and having chats with many creative types.  I do like those creative types.  I also assisted my good friend in selling her homemade cupcakes.  Her cupcake creativity is just part of her ongoing efforts to fund raise for a volunteer trip to Madagascar. 

Tomorrow I will be trying my utmost to not suffer a sort of hypothermia, as I will be outside for the Nordic Frost Festival by The Sage.  Whilst bundles up in winter wear, will people be interested in my swimsuit bags and knicker bags?  I think they will pass me by and make a bee line for some hot soup instead. 

For more about the Open Studios this weekend, dance a jig and click on this.