Spotlight!

  

  Lesley Stothers

Our Spotlight is artist Lesley Stothers. Her solo show which opens tomorrow, 31st March 2014, in The Pigs Back Restaurant, Cork. The official launch takes place at 6.30pm on Thursday 3rd April  2014

Originally from Scotland, she studied at Edinburgh College of Art where she gained her degree with first class honours and post graduate diploma in tapestry design. After graduation she worked in retail management full time with City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries while teaching arts and crafts night classes for fifteen years until she moved to Ireland in 2003.

Following her move to Cork City she pursued further study in stitched textiles at Colaiste Stiofan Naofa, Cork and was awarded the City and Guilds ‘Gold Medal for Excellence’ in creative craft, 2005. At this time she started to develop her own creative practice. She regularly exhibits work in galleries in Cork, Scotland and at Stroud International Textiles Festival. She is an active member of The Cork Textiles Network, curating and organising several exhibitions and events. In addition to her creative practice she teach, facilitate workshops and work to commission.

Lesley creates one off textile wall pieces, with a contemporary twist. She knits and crochets with wire in combination with hand and machine stitch, appliqué and embroidery.

Inspired by mealtimes and family celebrations she constructs a surprising view of everything from formal dining to a casual cuppa. The best crockery, polished cutlery, folded linen napkins and carefully laid out place settings feature in her artwork.

ARTIST STATMENT: 
"I am interested in the day to day, the ordinary objects that have a bearing on my life. Working with textile techniques such as hand and machine stitching, knitting, crochet, weaving, I delight in the making process. Alongside traditional materials and techniques, I experiment with wrapping and binding materials such as wire, foil, plastic and paper to explore low - relief and 3D surface patterning. I am currently interested in ideas relating to the home, domesticity and particularly family ties".

Lesley's show opens at 6.30pm on Thursday 3rd April  2014 at The Pigs Back Restaurant, Douglas, Cork.

To see more of her work visit 
http://lesleystothers.wordpress.com/
or
http://www.corktextiles.com/ctn-members/lesley-stothers.html

Spotlight! Making Tomorrow

Our first Spotlight! feature is on Making Tomorrow, an upcoming 3 day festival of Textiles. Cork is definitely the place to be on the weekend of 7th-9th of March, with exhibitions, symposiums, talks and workshops taking place in a variety of venues throughout the city.

Making Tomorrow, the annual Cork Texiles Network conference, has gone from strength to strength, and is now a well respected event in the International textile circuit. A morning of talks from world renounced Textile Artists, is followed with a choice of workshops from Sketching and Screen-printing with Rachel Howard, Extreme Stitching with Cas Holmes, to Basketmaking with Katleen McCormick to Craft based Social Media with Orla Breslin. There are just a few places left at the Making Tomorrow conference.. Download full brochure PDF and booking form:
http://www.corktextiles.com/Events/ctn-conference-2014.html

As well as this fantastic line-up of talks and workshops, CIT Crawford College of Art and Design will host "Make", a symposium and exhibition opening on Friday 7th March, looking at our relationship to objects, to making; our awareness through touch of our world of matter. A full list of speakers can be seen on their Facebook page. Booking essential.

On Friday, 7th March, at 6pm, the official opening of Things/Daiktai by Prof. Lesley Millar, MBE, International Curator, Author, Educator. This exhibition of contemporary textile artworks was made through an exchange project between 35 textiles students from CIT Crawford College of Art and Design and Kaunas Art Institute of Vilnius Academy of the Arts, Lithuania at CIT Wandesford Quay Gallery. This exhibition runs 8th March - 12th April, 2014. A number of talks and workshops will take place throughout the run of the exhibition.

After Saturdays conference, head over to the CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, where another opening takes place. Fabric Friends, work by Rachael Howard and CIT Crawford College Textiles students will officially open at 6pm.


A jam packed weekend of events, that places the Cork Textile Network, and indeed Cork as the cutting edge of Textile Art in Ireland. a weekend not to be missed!


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There are just a few places left at the Making Tomorrow conference
Download full brochure PDF and booking form:
http://www.corktextiles.com/Events/ctn-conference-2014.html
 
Friday 7 – Sunday 9 March 2014
Including Lectures, Seminars, Workshops & Exhibitions at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa College of Further Education, CIT Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork City, Ireland

Making Tomorrow Workshops with 

Rachel Howard, Cas Holmes (FULL), Liz Spinnane, Lynn Kenny,
Kathleen McCormick, Orla Breslin, Arlene Shawcross,
Christina Jasmin Roser

Conference Options 

Saturday Only   CTN members €80  Non members  €90 
Sunday Only     CTN members €80   Non members  €90 
Full Weekend   CTN members €140   Non members  €160

For more information visit  www.corktextiles.com or on Facebook


Making Tomorrow on Facebook
Cork Textile Network on Facebook
Make Symposium on Facebook

Spotlight!

 

I've been trying to find a background image that will suit the blog and have failed miserably. Nothing seems to suit it, so I've decided to use this opportunity to do something I had intended on doing ages ago. This blog was set up to unite and promote the textile folk of Ireland, to get Textile and Fibre Artists out there, to share the love...

So, instead of having a permanent background, I'm going to use it to promote our wonderful artists and groups. Each month (or thereabouts!), I'm going to turn the spotlight on a craftsperson, exhibition or event, run a profile, add pictures, and use one image as the background of the blog. (Images for the blog background must be of good quality)

If you are interested in being 'in the spotlight' or would like to tell us about your work, or if you would like to write a preview/review of their work, event, exhibition, etc, anything with a textile nature, please get in touch! Simply email woollywayATgmail.com.