terrible times

What terrible times we are going through at the moment, I hope everyone is staying safe. On the bright side I am busy working on catching up with myself, not least of which is to bring this site back to life… now I am confined to barracks I am hoping to get my new body of work finished ready for when the exhibitions are back up and running, I am writing a book to accompany it, and hopefully that will soon be finished, I am on the homeward straight at the moment .. and I have plans for the next one!

Although this is such a dreadful time, and I am missing seeing my little grandchildren as well as my big kids, this is an opportunity to re-evaluate … I do actually relish days at home, whether I will fee that way after several months, we will see

I am keeping to my daily practise of writing and drawing into sketchbooks, I am now working on my ‘isolation’ book , as well as my ‘lost faces’ and my ‘roots’. So plenty to do … I know many creative people are struggling to concentrate on creative pieces, and i feel the same way, but having a daily practice with no responsibility to produce masterpieces is my way forward..

I am planning to chart my progress through these next months and to stay in touch. Take care everyone, and keep safe xx

happy new year

Happy new year 2020 … I have great plans for this year… I am currently re jigging my sites so please bear with me …. my teaching at the Granary Studio is forging ahead with thirteen of us teaching there this year ..  and I have an exhibition at the fabulous quilt festival in Groningen, northern Holland from 12-14 June.. I am busy making a whole new body of work and also writing a book to complement the work… exciting times…

I plan to give you an insight into my progress this year, a little bit about me and what floats my boat! watch this space….

exhibition

I am part of a textile group called Room6 and tomorrow we are setting up an exhibition at the Ashcroft Centre in Fareham, Hampshire

We are there from 16 April until 26 May, so plenty of time to pop in and see our work.

We are currently working towards our next exhibition ‘Missing Elements’ which will be shown at this autumn’s Knitting and Stitching shows at Alexandra Palacew in October followed by Dublin and Harrogate in November

Hope to see you all at one of these venues, do pop in and say hello

 

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, mine was different this year, I went to my daughter’s house, she has a new baby and my son in law was cooking so we all converged in Uttoxeter … wonderful to hand over the cooking …

and so, now my mind turns to the new year … what will 2018 bring ….

I have just posted some new classes on my granary website .. do visit .. hopefully there wil be some classes that interest you    www.granarystudio.com

I am running a drawing course at Eastleigh college which finishes at the end of this term and working a little with theyoung students too, but I am cuting back on hours there … don’t forget the HNC Contemporary Art Practice, I will teach on that if it runs.. we still have the names from last year so hopefully it will … if not, then my time at Eastleigh College may draw to a close after 15 years!

the Granary Studio goes from strength to strength so I will not be at a loose end…

I hope to see you there or at the shows, I will be at ICHF shows in Glasgow and Birmingham, back to back in March.. and at Festival of Quilts in Birmingham in August, Hampshire Open Studios in Granary Studios in August too, then finally the  Autumn Knitting and Stitching shows, probably at all three .

A very Happy and Healthy New year to you all

Susan x

Dublin Knit and Stitch Show

Just back from the wonderful city of Dublin where I was part of an exhibition called ‘The Sewing Machine Project’ by the group Studio21.. if you would like to know more about our group then please visit our website – www.studio21textileart.co.uk

meanwhile here is a flavour of our exhibition

 

the show will now travel to the knit and stitch show in Harrogate on the weekend  23-26 november, just a week and a half away!

Busy August

Wow! … Festival of Quilts was amazing this year, it seems to have been totally refreshed somehow … we were so busy on our two stands, Susan Chapman Stitched Textiles and Granary Studio Students, that I didnt get a chance to take any photos … sorry … suffice to say, I handed out over 600 leaflets and signed up a further hundred people to our mailing lists for information about the classes I teach and organise at the Granary Studio… so now I am busy typing them into the system!

I am thrilled that I got a judges choice award for my quilt ‘The Building of New York’

Details of the latest programme of classes to be held here at the Granary Studio can be found on the website at www.granarystudio.com

Now back from the NEC, we are headlong into Hampshire Open Studios… Room 6 are presenting the Seven Deadly Sins and much more at the Granary, we have had loads of visitors already, again I have had no time to take many photos .. just the one of the seven deadly sins

We are having a couple of days off today and tomorrow but will re-open on Thursday right through until Monday afternoon.. tea and coffee will be drunk and lovely homemade cake will be consumed.. hope to see you all at the Granary sometime over the weekend, there will be members of Room 6 here to greet you and show you what we do …

Festival of Quilts

Festival of Quilts is next week at the NEC in Birmingham, it runs from Thursday 10th until Sunday 13th August.. I will be there with a stand QIA24 which is next to the Granary tudio Student stand, so please do pop by and say hello …

I am also part of a European Exhibition called ‘Perception’ it is the first venue for this travelling show, presented by ArtQuiltFusion. you will find us in TG1 right at the front beyond the winning quilts … do have a look, we represent eight different European countries and our styles are very different from each other … really interesting!

Hope to see you all somewhere next week! enjoy!

 

HNC Final Exhibition

hope to see some of you here tomorrow evening Wednesday 5th July

see the students graduating show, see the brand new art building, and see what we are up to for next year…

if you are interested in either the part time HNC Contemporary Art Practice, or our part time level 3  courses in drawing, photography or printmaking, then do come along and talk to us … we are holding interviews for the HNC  tomorrow Wednesday 5 July  all day and again in early September … we have the information here in the department or phone Kathy Messenger in IAG department (Information, Advice and Guidance) of Eastleigh College 02380 911000 to book an interview

time for applying to HNC

We are accepting applications for the HNC Contemporary Art Practice at Eastleigh College. we have a date for interviews which is wed 5th July .. that is in one weeks time ….just phone the college 02380 911000 and ask for Cathy Messenger in IAG.. she is our support for higher education courses… she is booking the interview slots …

The HNC final exhibition for the current students opens on that evening, 6-8 and will be open thursday 6th and frid 7th july from 10-4 so if you are interested, then come along to see their work, and catch one of us to find out more

Another Great Couple of Shows

phew.. just back from two ICHF shows, only two weeks apart firstly ‘The Scottish Quilting Show’at the SECC in Glasgow and then the ‘Fashion and Embroidery Show’ at the NEC in Birmingham … I was so busy on the aproach to these shows I didnt get to post any information about them but do put the dates in your diaries for next year …..

The Scottish Quilting Show … at SECC in Glasgow will run …           8-11 March 2018

Fashion and Embroidery Show … at NEC Birmingham will run …  15-18 March 2018

They are actually back to back next year so that will be a test of packing and re-packing! I will be at both shows next year too

But, this year ….

I had a large solo exhibition in Glasgow and I also taught some lovely ladies and gentlemen every day of the show …I taught my workshop ‘Explorng Simple Print’ using funky foam and polystyrene, and I think everyone had great fun, including me. The washing up was a bit of a challenge though with automatic taps in the loos until the lovely Jane Bolsover found me a catering sink .. she really is an amazing mover and shaker…

and all sorts of fun at the NEC two weeks later

this is my demonstrator stand and behind that the  ByDesign exhibition titled ‘Smoke and Mirrors’, here are a couple of views

Finally the third stand I was involved in was the Eastleigh College stand … this showed the work from last summers HNC end of first year interim show, four students who are textile based, from this course came with their work … and here are a couple of views

they are Shelly Canning, Me, Irene Belcher and Frances Davison, a great time was had by all … and , finally, all my family came on the sunday and helped take down … those who know us well know that it is quite rare for all of us to get together

that is me, Oli Son, Evelyn Daughter with Granddaughter on board who I ill hopefully meet at the end of June! and last but certainly not least Ben son-in-law

thats it, my whole dynasty so far….

speak soon