Tuesday 30 December 2014

Planning for 2015



I received an email on 22nd December welcoming me to NYOS 15 and I am very pleased to be accepted for the second year running.  It was a welcome bit of good news in the frantic run up to the festivities.

I am pleased that Jenny Pepper,  http://www.jennypepper.com  a felt maker who has a studio on the same farm out at Stonegrave has also been accepted.  It will be a doubly worth while visit for people on the studio trail in June.

For those wanting to put this popular event in their diaries, Open Studios is held on the weekends of:
June 6th and 7th, and June 13th and 14th







Meanwhile, I have some postcards to produce for the looming deadline for the International Postcard Show at Surface Gallery in Nottingham, I have never yet made it down to see the show, but I like the idea of an international exchange of art works.

I will be in the studio solidly for the next few weeks, working on my ballot box project for the Democracy Rocks upcoming show in March/April, (dates tbc).
I have lots of thoughts and ideas floating around in my head but it is time to get on with working with actual materials, to develop, refine and select the format and processes that will make these ideas real.  I am slightly worried that I need to get something ready for early February for photography purposes, but I seem to thrive when I put myself in a tight deadline position!

I am planning to actually get my aritsts' books underway this year too, as well as making the final two large paintings of the quartet I started for my solo show in 2013.  There will be lots more paintings based on sketches and doodles I made last year as well.

Oh, and I am going to finish the books I started reading last year and do lots of walking, starting with short ones to begin with. . . . 

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, please feel free to leave a comment.



Happy new year!


Friday 5 December 2014

Write To Them

I am not apologising for posting more politics today: please write to your councillors and your MP and maybe even a Lord and your local press to voice your concerns about hydraulic fracturing.  The evidence that it is causing pollution in the air and in our water, as well as serious health issues is mounting, but still our government is doggedly pressing ahead. The link below makes it easy to do.

Ordinary people have no legal say in the matter, which is why we need to lobby those that do.  


https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.writetothem.com%2F&h=eAQGil3x_


Sadly, what we have in this country is not a democracy, because the people with the power are big corporations, not our politicians, who are in the pockets of the business people. These companies' fracking activities have been likened to a ponzy scheme, which is true, I think.




Kleptocracy. noun

1. A form of political and government
corruption where the government
exists to increase the personal wealth
and political power of its officials and 
the ruling class at the expense of the
wider population

This is much closer to what we have in this country now I think.



I am becoming increasingly alarmed at the silence of Ryedale District and North Yorkshire County councils regarding  this issue.  We have asked for open meetings but still nothing has been announced. We have been told that the planning department at the county council is in regular consultation with Third Energy, but they have not, as far as I am aware, sought the opinions of concerned residents, nor the expertise and knowledge of neutral engineers or scientists. I may be wrong on this matter, I hope I am, but the silence from these people, elected to represent us, is deafening.

Third Energy, the company that has applied for permission to frack at their site in Kirkbymisperton, North Yorkshire has held some meetings with local residents, but they have not been widely publicised and some of them have been secret.  I live a mile from the proposed well site and I have never received a brochure nor an invitiation to meet with them.  Yet, the well site will probably be more visible from my house than the houses of the residents of Kirkbymisperton.  We have been kept awake in the past by the lighting and noise from a conventional gas extraction rig on this site, so I can only dread the effects on our lives from a well that is using hydraulic fracture gas extraction.  Yet I have not been included in any of the so called "consultation with local people" that Third Energy so proudly talks about in their interviews and publications.  I should also be clear; even if this hydraulic fracturing well was not near where I live, I would still be fighting it as hard.

Thursday 4 December 2014

Great work being done to fight fracking

There are so many organisations working hard to spread the word about the dangers of fracking and helping to fight our government over this issue.  Green Peace and Friends of the Earth do so much to rally people, raise funds etc.

This link from FOE popped up on my facebook page this morning, it mentions Ryedale, and is well worth a read:
https://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/friends-earths-yorkshire-humber-update-november-2014-74775.pdf

Along with the work being done by these excellent organisations, ordinary people are gathering their strength and doing remarkable things.  Frack Free groups have been formed all over the country; web sites, twitter sites, facebook sites have all been set up to give people somewhere to gather information from, enable them to make contact and join the struggle against the devastation of our countryside.

I received this brilliant poster today, please feel free to copy it and print it off, spread it all over where you live!  



I will not be voting for anyone that condones or supports hydraulic fracturing in any way! Where is this subject even mentioned in the manifestos of our political parties?  I want to hear this being discussed as an election issue on the BBC too!  

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Desperate times as we fight the frac


This blog was started to reflect upon my development as an artist but sometimes events conspire to such an extent that I have to depart from this intention and write about other things that are important and could impact on my life and the lives of everyone in the UK.





We are seriously under threat from fracking in Ryedale, a beautiful part of North Yorkshire.  I have joined Frack Free Ryedale in order to try and persuade our so called elected representatives to change their minds about it.  I demonstrated outside Barclays Bank in Malton last Tuesday because they are funding Third Energy, the company that has applied for permission to frack just about a mile from where I live.  




And now I have written a letter and sent it to my county and district councillors, my MP, my parliamentary candidate as my MP is about to be thrown out, a lord, and the local press. Here it is:

Dear,
I am gravely concerned about the lack of information and communication from our councils regarding hydraulic fracturing.  I am a parish councillor and was at the parish council liaison meeting held on 22nd October at Ryedale District Council.  We were given an overview of the process by a senior officer of North Yorkshire Council’s planning department and while that was fine as far as it went, it was quite obvious that they had no real information about how it would actually affect the residents of North Yorkshire.  The officer stated that they were in regular contact with Third Energy, yet was not also consulting with other informed sources of information on hydraulic fracturing.  I do not think this is good enough, I would expect people who represent us to be researching widely and consulting with experts other than those with a vested interest in the process of fracking.
We are under major threat from hydraulic fracturing in Ryedale and across the UK.  This process of extracting gas is not safe; there are many, many examples of how it pollutes water supplies, the land that crops are grown on and causes many types of problems with the health of people living in the vicinity of hydraulic fracturing wells. 
Third Energy, the company that has applied for permission to “frack” at their site in Kirkbymisperton have stated that their brochure explaining the process was distributed to all people living within five miles of their site.  I did not receive one of these and I live about a mile away.  I have however, seen the brochure on line and would call into question many of their claims, as well as the fact that their photographs taken from the air zoom in close so that you cannot actually see how near to housing the wells will be.  Third energy is being very economical with the truth when they make the following claims:

Page 2: Once the oil or gas flow has been stimulated, the operations are no different to other oil and gas production.
Conventional oil or gas production does not involve injecting water, sand and chemicals under very high pressure, nor does it produce large amounts of toxic waste water to be disposed of.  Water is sometimes used to flush out remaining gas from conventional wells but toxic chemicals and sand are not added to the water as they are in the fracking process.

Page 2: The additives (in frack fluid) are commonly used substances that are non-hazardous and are typically found in most homes – many of them in food and toiletries.
From my own research carried out online from reliable sources, I would strongly refute this claim. Carcinogens such as benzene are added to fracking fluids, which also contain heavy metals and radioactive materials such as radium and radon, which become part of the fluid when drawn from the great depths that wells are bored.  Fifty-nine chemicals used in the fracking process have been identified by Concerned Health Professionals of the NY’s recent report (http://concernedhealthny.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CHPNY-Fracking-Compendium.pdf) as being harmful to human health.  It might be worth noting as well, that chemicals found in some of our toiletries would also be hazardous if they made their way into our drinking water.
I would be very interested to know exactly which chemicals Third Energy plan to inject at pressure into our land, as I suspect the list would include very hazardous ones.

Page 2: This water will be transported from Knapton using the existing pipeline and, once fracturing is completed, any flow back water will returned to Knapton via the same pipeline.
With a mini-frac, this might be true because it lasts for only 10-15 hours, but this would surely not be the case with a fully productive well?  Again, it is very likely that fresh water would have to be trucked in and the contaminated waste water trucked out.  I would very much like to know, if full production were to take place, where the fresh water is to come from.

Page 2: From here (the water) will sent for safe disposal to an authorised contractor.
No one seems to be able to fully answer this question. Who are these authorised contractors?  Dr Jim Marshall of Water UK said this year that there are no facilities for dealing with this.  How will the contaminated waste water be disposed of exactly and where? I do not think it unreasonable to expect a categorical answer to this question.
Page 2: We have calculated that we will need a maximum of 4,000 cubic metres of water for the fracturing fluid – about the same volume as two Olympic swimming pools.
.It is not made clear in the glossy brochure that the amounts of water quoted are the quantities that would be required for a mini frack, not for a fully operational well. Do we really want 4,000 cubic meters, which is 880,000 gallons, of pure water to be used and contaminated for hydraulic fracturing? Water is not an infinite resource as some might think it is.
Page 3: The company has been operating safely for 20 years.
There have been “incidents” at the current site in Kirkbymisperton; I was forced to close all windows and stay indoors by a “mistake” that was made by a worker some years ago.  I, among many others, rang the Ryedale District Council about the appalling smell at the time and was referred to someone in charge who admitted somebody had done something wrong.  Humans make mistake, it is a fact.   On the whole though, I respect that Third Energy have operated safely, but fracking is much more dangerous and risky and it has caused terrible environmental damage elsewhere. Water supplies have been polluted, the air and land around well sites has been polluted and many workers, neighbours and farm animals have become ill.  It does not follow that because Third Energy have operated safely with conventional gas extraction, that their fracking operations will be safe.  UN toxins expert Dr Marianne Lloyd-Smith said that you can regulate fracking to make it safer but you cannot make it safe.
Page 3: We employ over 20 people locally.
Twenty people locally do not make a major contribution to our economy or employment record and is really quite laughable.
Page 4: Since 1975, thirteen wells have been drilled through the aquifer on our licence areas in the Vale of Pickering and there has been no incidence of aquifer pollution. Around 2,000 onshore wells have been drilled in the UK, most of which have also been through aquifers. Again, there has been no incidence of aquifer pollution.
Third Energy are being disingenuous here because they are not comparing like for like. Conventional gas wells, of which they speak, are hugely different from a well created by hydraulic fracturing because they do not use the extreme pressure in the process that fracking does.  It is the pressure that causes well casings to rupture. According to the Schlumberger report into well integrity, 6% of fracking wells fail immediately, 50% fail after 15 years and all wells fail eventually.  It follows then, that just because Third Energy’s conventional wells have not failed, it does not mean that their fracking wells would not fail. It is a ridiculous comparison to make.

Page 4: The UK has one of the most highly regulated oil and gas industries in the world.
Again, Third Energy is being economical with the truth here. I accept that the offshore and conventional oil and gas industry is well regulated, (although this has not prevented some major spills disastrous to wildlife in the past).  But, there are NO regulations in place relating to fracking, this industry is largely self-regulating. And to make matters worse, the Environment Agency has had its budget cut by 40% meaning that is does not have the manpower or expertise to monitor this industry effectively.
Here are just a few of the regulations that don’t exist, but in many people’s opinion, should:
·         There is no legally required independent base-line testing of water, air and soil before, during and after fracking. While fracking companies are supposed to do this testing themselves, there is no obligation to make this information available to the public.
·         There is no legally required independent seismic testing before, during or after fracking.
·         Fracking companies do not legally have to reveal the chemicals that they add to their fracking fluid to the public.
Furthermore, the Government is doing all it can to reduce regulation for fracking companies, in particular in the current Infrastructure Bill that is going through the House of Commons at the moment. This is the Bill that is going to change the Trespass Law, which will allow companies to drill under people’s homes and land without permission. There is also an amendment which will allow fracking companies to deposit ‘any substance’ into underground wells. Yes, ‘any substance’.
You can find out more about the Infrastructure Bill on Frack Free Ryedale’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/432282970247260/?fref=ts


Page 4: As part of the planning process, we will be undertaking widespread public consultation which we will publicise through the local media.
Well so far, I have not even received a copy of Third Energy’s glossy six page brochure and I am only about a mile away from their proposed new well.  I have heard rumours of a meeting for invited people only but no one seems to know exactly where this is or was due to take place.  I do not trust a company that does not have the courage to hold an open meeting; it smacks of underhandedness and cover up.
Page 5: Although local residents will experience a slightly heavier flow of traffic in the area, the disruption to normal routines should not be significant.
Again, Third Energy is being disingenuous here because the number of truck movements they quote are only about right for a mini frac.  If full scale production went ahead, the number of truck movements would increase dramatically and residents would find their normal routines significantly disrupted.
Page 5: During the actual fracturing process, there will be noise from pumps and other equipment. 
But they do not say exactly how much noise, and it will be considerable. The compressors that create the high pressure required for the fracking process are extremely loud and operate during day and possibly night times.  Third Energy has NOT told us that the drilling phase is also very noisy and according to their brochure, the second stage, hydraulic fracturing to stimulate gas flow, takes about 35 days.  So, for a mini frack, remember, not a full scale production well, the noise residents will have to endure will last for five weeks.  Once full scale production starts, the peace and quiet of an area would be a thing of the past.
Page 6: If Third Energy receives planning permission and before the start of hydraulic fracturing, it would provide the agreed community benefits of £100,000 per hydraulically fractured well site.
This is outrageous in its assumption that ordinary people are willing to be bribed in such a way.  It may sound like a brilliant deal to some communities, until the fact that property prices in the vicinity of a fracking well site fall dramatically. What works out at roughly £200 per resident is not much of a bonus in those circumstances.
Page 6: If the appraisal leads to commercial production, one per cent of gross revenues from production will also be paid into the local community fund. At current gas prices, production revenues from one tcf of gas could yield about £70 million to the local community over 20 years.
Come on Third Energy!  Please do not patronise us, we are not so stupid as to think that we might all become millionaires if we sign up to fracking.  It is likely that the amounts paid will be no-where near the figures you quote.  It is also useful for us all to remember that if fracking goes ahead near Kirkbymisperton, it will not be confined to one well only.  A fracking well typically is unprofitable within a year or so of it being drilled so new wells have to be constantly drilled nearby.  Within 20 years there could be hundreds of wells across Ryedale if Third Energy is allowed to begin fracking.
I would ask; is any money, however much, adequate compensation for not being able to sleep at night because of light pollution from flares and site lighting, polluted drinking water, polluted air and land?  Are we going to stand by and watch this happen, leaving a devastated and polluted countryside to our children for their future?  I hope not.  I am a member of Frack Free Ryedale and if you agree with the points I have raised in this letter, I urge you to join us, to write to your councillors and MP; it is time we stood up to be counted as against this filthy, dangerous technology.  We need to persuade our elected representatives, who should be listening to us, not huge corporations anxious to increase their profits, to concentrate revenue on clean technologies such as solar, which in Germany and other countries, is generating a significant percentage of their electricity requirements already,

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  If you wish to see the brochure produced by Third Energy, it is available on Frack Free Ryedale's web site: www.frackfreeryedale.org

Yours sincerely, 

Sue Gough, Artist and resident of Ryedale, North Yorkshire



Thursday 13 November 2014

It's that time again!



It's been on my calendar for months, the deadline is 5pm next Monday, so rather than leave it to the last minute, I have pressed send on my application for North Yorkshire Open Studios 15.  All I have to do tomorrow is send a paper copy along with my cheque and then I can forget about it for a while.  

NYOS 15 takes place in June next year and after my absolutely disgraceful despondency leading up to last year's event, which I actually enjoyed once it arrived, I am looking forward to next year's with relish.  I have lots of ideas for improvements and plans for some new works in the offing.

Other news: I was contacted by The Brick Lane Gallery inviting me to exhibit with them, but sadly the costs that I would have to bear, (even if the gallery did not charge commission), were far too much; I do not make a lot of money selling work and I cannot justify using the household budget on that scale!  I thanked BLG for their interest, after all; it is lovely to have people say that they think my work is "very strong"!  Emily Speed would have a thing or two to say about this type of offer for artists.

On a more positive note, I have been in email contact with a man from Spain for the past two weeks regarding the purchase of some of my work.  If all goes to plan, he will be the owner of two of my small paintings and I will be richer!


Meanwhile, I shall continue to enjoy the Autumn, my favourite season.



Thursday 16 October 2014

"A quiet presence"

"Your drawings have a quiet presence; I keep having to come back to look at them again; thank you."





Fading, mixed media drawing




Detail, Fading



"I saw some work a bit like this at the Royal Academy this summer, but yours are much better, you should enter."

"Wow - amazing; I'm just going to get my friends to see this, back in a minute!"  
(On turning the corner and confronting my work for the first time).





Heart drawing #1


Just some of the lovely comments about my drawings that I received over last weekend in London at Islington Contemporary Art and Design Fair 2014, Part 2.  I would like to thank everyone who came to see the work.

I did not make any sales, although I came very close with my large drawing Fading and Heart drawing #1; buying pieces of art is a major investment for people and requires time to contemplate and consider - maybe more time than a weekend affords.  I might yet hear from the interested persons. . . .







My hand made business cards went down a storm; people really loved them, selecting their favourite from the stash and very excited when I told them they could take a few.  One lovely lady carefully selected some to put in a frame.

Overall, the fair was worth doing, it was very well organised and the spaces were well lit and laid out. There was a steady stream of people throughout both days and the PV on Friday evening was well attended.  You never know who may contact you after the event with a view to purchasing something, so fingers crossed!  I am pleased with the response to my work; I have always aimed to have it stop people from just passing by and be drawn in for a closer look and I certainly achieved that.

The other exhibitors were nice: I had some lovely chats with Claire Gill, who had the space next to mine.  Claire's work, with photo montage of mostly beach scenes plays with scale, perspective, shape and pattern to create wonderfully vibrant and interesting pictures. I am sure we will stay in touch with each other.  http://www.cgeditions.co.uk/

Special thanks must go to my daughter Sarah and son Mike for their support and help throughout the weekend.  Sarah was my brilliant PA and technical support for hanging the show and Mike was courier, taking the work from the venue across London to his home when it was all over so I could spend time with his wife and baby boy, now three months old! Thank you also to Candid Arts, for inviting me to submit work for the show and for their helpful responses to my questions before I arrived in Islington. 









All rights reserved

Sunday 5 October 2014

New drawings and another submission


Turner-esque sunset on the river Arno


I am aware that my blogging has been somewhat sparse of late due to all sorts of things going on.  I aim to improve in future!

I had a wonderful week in Florence with Pete and eldest daughter; it was so lovely to show her all our favourite frescoes and walk round the city with her.  





View from the window of the fabulous Uffizi Museum


On two days during the week before last,  I worked with Andrew Dalton and Rob Oldfield in Richmond to take down the paintings belonging to the Green Howards Museum, where we hung them about a year ago in their temporary space while the museum was being upgraded.  We then took the paintings up the hill back to their permanent, newly and beautifully refurbished museum space.  A hot, sweaty and very satisfying couple of days work; the paintings look splendid in their new spaces.





Furniture still stacked up all round the room, but the paintings look great back up on the wall!


I have made my arrangements to get down to London for the Islington Contemporary Art and Design Fair; thanks to my daughter for being a very able assistant and to son for offering to assist with driving across London over the weekend.  It was part 1 this weekend; I saw some pictures of the show on Twitter, there was an exciting breadth of work.  My turn next weekend!  I have one or two queries to ask about and sort out on Monday, then I think I am ready. I have a comprehensive list so I don't forget anything!

Meanwhile I am happy to be able to say that I have been in the studio every day this week, yes, EVERY day.  Not all of them were whole days, but I have four finished drawings to show for it and I am satisfied with progress.  





Two of the new drawings. Above: untitled so far. Below: How Many Hopes. Both mixed media, 38.5 x 38.5 cm on thick water colour paper.



I seem to have spent most of yesterday preparing a new submission.  I  finally pressed the "send" button quite late at night, and experienced a huge sense of relief.  I wrote two short statements, edited, corrected, uploaded them and then selected my three images which caused more anxst and heart searching, uploaded those, accidentally removed them, started all over again and finally got to the review button, edited one of the statements as I found a typo, AND FINALLY PRESSED "MAKE PAYMENT". Job done and now fingers crossed, but I'll just forget about it until I hear whether I have been selected or not, this will be easy to do because I am very busy at the moment.

On Monday I am going to attend a meeting in Ripon at the Workhouse Museum, to plan my part in facilitating a school party making drawings for the Big Draw later this month. I'll be travelling over with Sue Slack, so it will be a nice chance for a catch up.

For the rest of the week I will be making some more home made business cards, each with an original drawing on the back and making cakes for the upcoming meeting at Kirkbymisperton village hall on Thursday evening, where Ian R Crane will be giving people an unbiased overview of the benefits and risks of fracking.  Obviously I will be in London by then but I'm planning to make the meeting in Pickering.

Once back, I'll be dividing my time between studio and home as there are some things that need to be done in the house, post builders.  I'll be erecting my trestle table in the old studio space, now library, to use when the weather is very cold too.  My studio is bitterly cold and damp in the bad weather and this might just be the opportunity to get those prints and artists' books started.





Shop window in Florence full of jolly Pinochio figures: they are one of the symbols of the city but I don't know why!




Images Sue Gough. All rights reserved

Thursday 11 September 2014

ICAD 14





Just over a couple of weeks ago, I received an email from ICAD, saying that they had seen my work on line, The Departed Series, and inviting me to submit to show in this year's exhibition.  I was incredibly flattered and excited by this, as well as a little apprehensive!

I figured that this is too good an opportunity to pass up so, after receiving helpful answers to some of my questions, I duly submitted and am delighted to say, I have been accepted.  As the above flyer shows, I am exhibiting in Part 2.  Please feel included in the invitation to visit the exhibition and me - it will be great to see you there!

I think it is interesting that they found me via Ryedale Artworks' web site - it shows that it is working for the artists on there and is a further reason for us to improve the site, which is what we aim to work on this year.

I am really looking forward to this show!  

Excited!

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Momentous baby news!


First meeting: proud Grandad! James is a week old.


I have been so incredibly busy with exhibitions and garden landscaping over the past month, that I completely forgot to announce that I have become a grandmother to the most beautiful (I would say that wouldn't I?) baby boy called James.  Proud parents and baby are doing well; James is now one month old. They live in London, which seems such a long way a way when we are so busy, but they are coming for a brief visit later this month.

Both Pete and I are very proud!  I have surprised myself at how incredibly strong the emotional attachment to this little child already is; an artist friend who has grandchildren described it as almost "feral", and I know what she means!  We are looking forward to being part of this little one's life, watching him grow and develop.

Meanwhile, my drawing, "How Many Wondrous Days?"  is making its way to the new owners in London after the show at The White Room Gallery came down last week.  It was a pleasure to work with Issy Doney and I look forward to showing there again.  

I currently have a one of my large paintings and two smaller ones at Inspired By. . . Gallery at Danby visitors centre, North York Moors National Park, which will need to be collected again on 18th.  This means I have to hire a van and drive it myself; it's a long time since I did my Midas mini bus training and I am feeling a little aprehensive, but nothing ventured nothing gained!

We are off to see Robert Plant at Glastonbury Abbey this weekend, I can't wait!  George Ezra is supporting so it should be a good night.

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Frack Free Ryedale



I am SO angry with this government.

Last night I attended a meeting in Hovingham village hall, which was incredibly well run and organised.  I did not realise that it was in fact the second meeting, so Pete and I were not up to speed with names or agenda.  However, we should receive the minutes of last night's meeting shortly so we will know who everyone is.

An intense hour and a half of listening, discussing, group forming and decision making took place.  We have all been given certain jobs to perform; research, petitioning, letter writing, canvassing and much more, divided between the four task groups.  I have been careful to not to over-commit but we have to do something to stop this vile practice.


Here's a quote from Greenpeace, which sums it up clearly:


What we do know is that fracking is being used to justify 40 new gas power stations and that extracting new fossil fuel deposits is likely to make climate change worse.

It will also require tens of thousands of new wells in Lancashire alone, scarring the natural landscape wherever shale gas is exploited.

According to international experts, we need to keep two-thirds of known fossil fuels in the ground to avoid runaway climate change - the point in which global warming becomes irreversible.

Rather than scraping the bottom of the fossil fuels barrel and building up costly infrastructure that will lock us into a high-carbon future for decades to come, we need strong government investment in clean, renewable energy.


I feel SO strongly about this and completely agree with the above statement.  There is lots to do but if West Sussex can vote NO, then we need to persuade our councils to do the same.


Here's a link to a simple but really informative video:



facebook page with lots of valuable information and where interested people can join and keep up to date with what's happening: 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/432282970247260/?fref=ts




 web site: http://frackfreeryedale.org/ 

If you are interested, please visit, add your comments/support and maybe make a donation!




Tuesday 22 July 2014

RAW at Danby




Members of Ryedale ArtWorks are holding an exhibition of work at the North York Moors National Park visitors centre, Danby.

I've spent a good part of today labelling, stringing and wrapping work to go to Danby.  It has been really hot today, so I was glad of an excuse to be indoors; our house is surprisingly cool, which is great.

My dining room now looks like a gallery store.  Not all the work is mine; there is work belonging to three other artists there too.  They dropped their work off to me as they are unable to deliver for various reasons and I'm happy to help.  Liz Bailey, one of RAW's members has so very kindly offered to pick up my big painting in her van, which is lovely of her and saves me having to hire one.  I'll put the smaller pieces in my car and head off to help with the selection process, once my large painting has been safely strapped into Liz's van.

The exhibition opens on 25th and runs until 17th August and there is a meet the artists on Saturday 26th July from 12 noon until 3 pm.





I'll post some pics of the selection and placing of works when I've taken some, tomorrow.

Monday 21 July 2014

Malware problems

I have been extremely frustrated by the intrusion of advertising icons appearing within the written content of this blog of late; I followed the advised procedures for removing them several times but after each attempt the awful advertising icons and highlighting of certain words within my text would reappear.  

Added to this, my computer was beginning to be swamped by advertising pop ups to such an extent that at times I could not actually see my screen to write!  After consulting a few clever people within my family and searching on line for information about my symptoms, I realised I had fallen prey to the dreaded Malware bug or bugs.

So, to any people reading this, who have given up trying to read previous entries because of this problem, (it really does interrupt the flow of the text when trying to read to have ads popping up all over the place), I apologize.  

I am very happy to report that, with the installation of anti-malware software on my machine, the problem is now solved.  There were over 600 malware items removed and another 300+ other unwanted items, all of which were preventing the machine running properly.  

The content of my blogs are now advertising free once again and it is possible to read without unwanted interruption.  It may be that in the future, I might want to include advertising on this site, but I'd like to be able to choose which ones, and where it is placed.  

The malware bug is really quite intrusive and if left, so I am informed, can actually cause damage to any machine it has corrupted, so if any one else has these ads popping up within the body of their blog writing, it would be very sensible to do something about it immediately.  I am extremely relieved to have this problem sorted.

Happy reading!

Wednesday 16 July 2014

One&Other magazine




Our show, "Drawings", has been featured in One&Other magazine!  I am very pleased that it is generating interest more widely than we had expected.

Once again, thank you to Issy Doney and Rob Oldfield for their support for this exhibition.  The White Room Gallery is a really nice space in which to show contemporary art in York.

http://www.oneandother.com/news/544-drawings-new-exhibition-launches-at-priestley-s


Wednesday 9 July 2014

A Sale!



How many wondrous days? 
(Sorry about the pink tinge to the paper, I need to sort this out).


I spent today clearing what used to be my studio at home.  I have managed to do half of it.  It got used as a storage area for extra building and decorating materials as well as lots of boxes of household things that needed to be put out of the way while the building work went on.

What with a visit to the dentist to sort out a painful tooth, which was not as bad as I thought it would be although it still cost me an arm and a leg, plus other errands to run, I did not return home until gone five o'clock this afternoon.

Imagine my surprise and pleasure when I discovered on checking emails, that I have sold my drawing, "How many wondrous days?"  I felt elated and, if I'm honest, rather bereft, because it is one of my favourites.  You can tell from this, that selling work is, for me, quite rare!  I have always said that sales are the icing on the cake, not the reason I make the work and it is very nice to have made a sale from this show in York.  (The White Room gallery, Priestley's No.36, Bootham, York, see previous blogs).

This means that I have recovered more than half the framing costs, which is a relief.

I have set aside a lot of my time this summer for a general clear up and organisation of the house, post builders, but I am already rather anxious to get back into the studio; there's nothing like a bit of success to spur me on!



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Friday 4 July 2014

Drawings: Exhibition at The White Room Gallery, York





Drawings

The White Room Gallery at Priestleys at NÂș 36, Bootham, York

Artists: Sue Gough, Sally Taylor, Lyn Wait

Opens 2nd July through to 30th July. 
Meet the Artists Saturday 12th July 2pm – 5pm

This exhibition features three artists for whom drawing is an integral part of their practice. Sue Gough explores ideas about the human condition with references to asemic text and textile construction, which communicate meaning in ways that are non-verbal. The tally motifs and lists provide structure and reflect on the repetition of daily living. www.suegough.blogspot.co.uk

Sally Taylor’s work explores the imminence of the hand-drawn mark with urgency and energy. Her Heads investigate facets of human communication. Sally’s contribution to contemporary drawing practice has been acknowledged through selection of work for the Jerwood Drawing Prize 2011, 2009, 2004. She was included in the 54th Venice Bienale, WW Gallery, London and Drawing Paper #6.www.sallytaylor.net

Lyn Wait’s is interested in how, through physical presence, she might affect perceptions and perceived notions of landscapes and heritage. Lyn has used film, photography, singing, costume and participation to act out scenarios around specific rural sites. The drawings are from the series “Imaginary Interventions in the Countryside”. www.lynwait.net

All three artists are members of Ryedale ArtWorks, an artist led community dedicated to raising the profile of artists, makers and galleries from Ryedale and the region. www.ryedaleartworks.co