West End Gallery: October 2011

Friday 28 October 2011

Alison Linnell Feltings

Alison's individually designed Feltings, some of which are represented in the gallery, are made from Merino, Blue faced Leicester and Black Welsh and Icelandic wools. The resulting items and artefacts, are beautiful, soft but incredibly tough.
Dating back thousands of year, this is the most ancient fabric craft.
www.feltings.co.uk

Felt Workshop - vessels

Lunch break

The vessels take shape

Thursday 27 October 2011

Book Now: Christmas Ceramic Workshop with Jennie McCall

Christmas Ceramic Workshop With Jennie McCall at

West End Gallery

Saturday 3rd of December

Session 1. 10.30 -12.30 OR Session 2. 1.30-3.30

£35pp

Venue

The West End Gallery

107 High Cross Street

Leicester

LE1 4PH

Using high quality Porcelain clay, make a stunning hanging decoration. Learn how to Impress, mold and manipulate clay. Make a single hanging with individual pieces or a collection of tree decorations

Suits all levels of experience.
Please bring- apron, rolling pin (individual cookie-cutters, beads and lace,if desired*)
*NOT ESSENTIAL AS A GOOD SELECTION IS PROVIDED

Materials and Light refreshment provided

BOOKINGS
West End Gallery
tel: 0116 2227 886
Email: Customerservice@westend-gallery.co.uk

Work is fired at Jennie's studio and will be ready to collect in 10 days.You can collect work from the gallery or it can be mailed directly at a small cost of £2.00 p&p

About the Artist: Jennie McCall

Jennie McCall

www.jenniemccall.com

History & Background

Born 1957

Jennie grew up in the beautiful Scottish Borders where the local industry was textiles. Many of Jennie’s artistic influences came from all aspects of this industry and from the rich source of folklore and local traditions.

Jennie moved to Leeds where she gained a BA Hons in Graphic design at Leeds Polytechnic. She was awarded the Royal Society of Arts, winner Design Award in illustration and subsequently the Royal Society of Arts, Jacobs Memorial Award.

After graduating Jennie moved to London where she worked in Graphic Design before returning to Scotland for a few years and became involved in the local art community.

Jennie now lives in Loughborough and has successfully combined family life with further academic learning and artistic progression.

She presently works and teaches from her garden studio, focussing on the practice of ceramics .

Jennie has work in private collections and exhibits throughout the UK.

Jennie Mccall

Inspiration and Influences

From childhood I have taken inspiration from nature, tradition and fairy tale . I treasured the few school trips made to the Edinburgh museum of Scotland where I soaked up the vast display of visual delights from the beautiful to the grotesque.

Growing up I read and re-read the beautiful, dark fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. I was mesmerised by the evocative illustrations by Czech artist Jiri Trnka who would influence the development of my illustrating style and practice for many years.

Throughout my artistic development I have continued to research the deeper meaning of fairy tales, myth and legend. I explore these rich concepts and present my ideas through the medium of ceramics and wire.

Mostly my work is figurative, being a carrier of personality and emotion through which each tells his or her own story. Other pieces include large garden platters and installations created uniquely for inspiration and meditation in peaceful surroundings.

My materials are stoneware and porcelain clays enhanced by oxides and hi- firing glazes. Most of my sculpture is displayed best outdoors in natural surroundings where light and weather, leaf and moss settle comfortably on and within the work itself.

WAR HORSE

Based on tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table, this piece has been hand-built in stoneware clay and reduction fired. It is completely frost-proof

War Horse is for sale at West End Gallery.

‘Fruit Pots’- Available at West End Gallery

Jennie’s playful collection of pots are inspired by fruits such as apples, melons and pears. Firstly, Jennie makes plaster moulds from a variety of fruits. Pots are created using press moulding techniques and subtle hand crafting making each one unique. The pots are made from the highest quality Southern Ice porcelain and hi-firing glazes. All pots are dishwasher and food safe.