Milan, Made by Hand and Christmas excitement!

I’ve been busy making work for the various exhibitions that I’ve been chosen to exhibit in the next few months. I’m looking forward to travelling around the UK and to Milan with the UK Young Artist group for the Biennale des jeunes créateurs de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée, Milan with UK Young Artist. 

Here's a small article about the work that's going to Milan through my old university news page: 

http://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/news/Pages/Cardiff-Metropolitan-University-graduate-selected-to-represent-UK-at-international-art-festival-in-2015.aspx

And here's some of the pieces that I've been making for the Festival in Milan:

A friend of mine recently made this beautiful picture of the above photo as a birthday present. It's a programmed machine that can replicate shapes and facets, then it's possible to create layers in the image by using various colours of pen. What an amazing invention! In the photo below, every mark is made in a small circular motion, I can't believe how realistic it can draw.

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I’ve found out that I will be showing at Y Galeri, Caernarfon for the Art Open 2015 between the 30th of October and the 11th of November 2015. I will be showing with some of my original moulds from my degree show, although the pieces are new this year. I hope to use the same floating shelves too in order to re-create the impact of my previous display, inspired by the Victoria & Albert’s Ceramic Collection. 

http://www.galericaernarfon.com/

I will also be exhibiting at the Christmas Show at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff with some new work that I have been working on in the past few weeks. These pieces will be a series of 3, and will be introduced in the joint exhibition that I will be showing my work at in Machynlleth, MOMA Wales. Here is the link for the exhibition information for our joint exhibition: 

http://www.momawales.org.uk/?page_id=433 

I hope to also create some new 3 dimensional pieces to complement the existing pieces in the Minimus Maximus body of work. Here's a step by step of a new wall piece I've been working on.

Above is the master copy piece that I have made a mould of in order to slip-cast once the mould is finished. I wanted to create a piece of work that can be wall-mounted, as I had only attempted a wall piece once before. Unfortunately due to the complexity of this piece, I struggled to get the piece out as a whole. The handles around the edges in the below photo were so fragile before firing, and would break off so easily. I wanted to find a way to continue the idea that I had previously touched upon, but wanted to find a way that the form is slightly simpler, and smaller in order for the fragility of the handles to only be a problem on two sides of the piece, instead of all the way around. I do understand that this piece might say something different to the other, and that the simpler form is not as pleasing to the eye, but unfortunately due to the issues that I had encountered I couldn’t risk having to use the mould as a press mould instead of a slip-casting mould which evidently I struggled with, and lost a lot of texture from the surface decoration and intricate details in the work.  

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I have also been shortlisted for the Arts and Crafts Design Award, check my work out on the below URL:  

http://www.acd-award.com/ 

There are some amazing artists that have previously been shortlisted, and are shortlisted this year so I’m so happy to have been shortlisted and now have to wait a few months to find out the result. 

I will also be demonstrating in Made by Hand, Cardiff Hall which I'm so excited about. The fair runs from the 30th of October to the 1st of November. Here is the link to my demonstators page: 

http://www.madebyhand-wales.co.uk/Eluned-Glyn/Exhibitor/

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I had previously shown images of the Milk Jug that I have also been working on recently. Here are images of the pieces once fired, glazed and ready to sell. I feel that the texture of various facets are successful in this piece, and is one of my strongest so far. I have also been thinking about a less expensive range of work that can be sold, that are slightly more craft led. This is the first piece that I have created and is really popular, selling out in the first day in the Contemporary Craft Fair in Bovey Tracey!  

Here's another piece I've been working on recently, that's more of a retail item than the Minimus Maximus Collection. 

These are small espresso cups, I wanted to create a collection that had a simpler form, but would still echo my work.

   

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I treated myself to a visit to the National Museum last week, as I really wanted to see the Fragile? exhibition before it ended in October. What a fantastic collection of ceramics, it was so inspirational to see ceramics from different eras and countries in one big room. My favourite part was this room where they were showing the makers creating their particular ceramics. It's great to see how other artists make their work, and the final pieces that they created in the video was there in the flesh. Here's Adam Buick's moon jar:

 And Walter Keeler's Work.

I can't wait to visit Milan, and see my work among other artists' work from the UK. There will be roughly ten of us representing different disciplines from photography, fine art to sculpture and installation based work. My work will represent the Applied Arts discipline. I've got a busy few months ahead of me, and I will try to post more often from various fairs and events that I've taken part in, but for now that's all. 

Successes and an update and all things Ceramic based!

I've had a very eventful few months with Awards, Exhibitions and Stockists and have had some great news this past few months. I have won the Scholarship for Art, Design and Technology in the National Urdd Eisteddfod and had exhibited in the Art, Design and Technology tent. Here are some photos from Caerphilly:

It was an amazing opportunity to publicize my work, and it was so lovely that my family came down to support me. Exhibiting at the National Eisteddfod was incredible, as I'd been competing in the Arts and Crafts as a child, and it was nice to feel that the collection so far was worthy of a National Prize. 

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I exhibited at the Contemporary Craft Fair in Bovey Tracey from the 5th - 7th of June with my Minimus Maximus Collection. My pieces were really popular, and so many people wanted to understand how they were made, and why they were shaped in the way they were. It was a successful show, and the quality of work there was amazing. There were so many makers that had innovative, creative ideas and I felt as if I was in very good company there! I had been working on some new pieces, which was a Toby Milk Jug and a small espresso cup. The espresso cups all sold, which was amazing! I've been making loads ever since! 

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I was short-listed for the International Ceramics Festival Emerging Maker Award for 2015. I exhibited at the Festival and presented my work in front of the Festival audience on the last day. It was great to be a part of the Festival again, as I was a student helper in the last two Festivals (2013 and 2011,) it's such a great event and I love to listen to the artists and how they create their individual work. The kiln firings were incredible this year, and I especially loved Rita Gudino's firing. It was so spectacular to watch!

Rita Gudino's LUAL kiln

A piece from one of West Wales School of the Art Students

My work displayed with other makers in the Emerging Maker Space by the Ceramic Collection in the Arts Centre. 

One of Phillip Eglin's pieces in his exhibition in the Ceramics Collection

Sergi Pahissa - Müll collective Found objects kiln.

Jonathan Keep's 3D Printed Objects. These were so inspiring, as I would love to work with a 3D printer. The technology would help my work develop as at the moment I collect pieces from charity shops, but by using a 3D printer I would hopefully be able to make copies of the Ceramic Collections in museums, and then re-work these pieces. 

'With an emphasis on form rather than surface and on the premise that the technique used to create form influences the form itself I have made extensive use of computer 3D modelling programs to evolve ideas'

Tip Toland after a Master Class finishing off one of her incredible works. 

The Ceramics Festival weekend is always so inspiring, and I was so happy to be a part of the event. Although I didn't win, it was an incredible opportunity and I would like to thank the Festival for allowing me to take part. It was great to feel accepted in the Festival, as I felt that my work was perhaps less traditional than other methods there. I wondered whether my work was good enough to be a part of such a prestigious event, but after speaking to lots of makers, buyers and artists I felt that the Festival has boosted my confidence, and I can't wait to get back into the studio to make bigger pieces yet! 

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I've been working on more textured pieces for a while now, and feel that these portray the various inspirations better, by emphasising the contrast between the different facets. For example, below, the new milk jug that I've been working on recently that has a Toby Jug face, with some Victorian elements and a 1920's style handle. I like the idea that all the various components come together to make a piece, and how the relationship between these various facets create intrigue.

Here is the piece before plaster moulding and casting:

And here is the piece once cast, ready to biscuit fire. 

All my new pieces all have a stamp instead of the decal  transfer. I felt as if I needed a more streamline, design led logo, and created this logo myself. It portrays my influences too which I think is important. There is a hint of Modernism here, and of a design led inspiration. 

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I've gained some new Stockists in the past six months, which is great news. They are Erwood Station Gallery, in Wales, Watch this Space Boutique in Leicester and Bermondsey Fair in London. I was able to pop into Erwood Station one afternoon and it is such a wonderful little gallery. It's an old locomotive station, and the gallery is actually on the platform, through and into the carriages of the train. Take a look at some of the photos below. They have a cafe, and lots of art works, definitely worth a look! 

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After taking part in the UK Young Artist Festival in Leicester last year I so happy to announce that my work has been chosen to represent the UK in the BJCEM Young Artist Biennale in Milan! I will be exhibiting over the course of a month, and will be travelling there for the opening in October.

It will be such an amazing showcase for my work, and I'm so happy to be showing outside of the UK too. I feel that my work could fit in well with design led taste of Europe and am looking forward to visiting Italy. I'm hoping in the next few months to make some new work that can really stand out. I'd like to push my concept further than before, by making bigger pieces. My problem so far has been that my pieces were too big to carry, due to the weight of the moulds, but I think I might have found a way around this issue. 

Some other exciting news for the next 6 months:

• I will be exhibiting at Made by Hand, City Hall in Cardiff again this year at the end of October. It was such a great Fair last year, and I'm so glad to be exhibiting on my home turf again!

• In January I will be exhibiting at MADE: Redefining Handmade, with a group of Design Factory makers. This will be my third Fair in London, and am looking forward to taking part in this particular event as I haven't as of yet. Design Factory is a great opportunity to meet new people, and afford the bigger stands in major Craft and Trade Fairs.

• My father and I will be sharing a joint exhibition at MOMA Wales, Machynlleth this November for a month. My father has always had an interest in Art and was teaching for around 30 years. He's now retired, and has allowed me to take a look through his incredible portfolio of portraits and life drawings, that will be shown alongside my ceramic pieces. My aim is to find an interesting contrast between both our works and I'd like to think that I can work towards a Collection of finished pieces that could possibly conclude this body of work.