Marvelous Margate!

My Birthday plans were scuppered by my faithful car 'Tankie' having a wobble so too make sure I made the best of it I took myself off to sunny Margate to see the Emin exhibition : )

Tracey talks about the beautiful colours of Margate's horizon

This is the view from the new Turner Contemporary Gallery.  I forgot to take a photo of the gallery, which looks like it has landed from space!  On the train I was faffing around trying to workout how I actually use maps on my Blackberry (there is lingering Luddite in me) because I realized I didn't know where the gallery was!  I laughed out loud when I turned out of the station. There is this typical British slightly worn seaside town with this bling city construction landed on one side. I do wonder what the average Margatian feels about it?? 

Anyway it is a beautiful gallery with a stunning foyer that frames the sea perfectly.

Emin's new work She Lay Down Beneath the Sea is calmer and somehow more resigned. 

 I was (like many) a bit skeptical about her before I went to see Love Is What You Want last year at the Hayward Gallery.  I went twice and read everything and watch every video, I fell in love with her honesty and how fearless she is about exposing her human side.  This exhibition is less raw because she is established, comfortable and rich!  But it was good to see what a mature Emin is concentration on and I felt its was worth a trip. 

You may want to have a nose through her lovely website Tracey Emin.

I then went off for an explore of Margate and found this Tudor House,.

What I was looking for was this, the Shell Grotto. It is an amazing labour of love that was a secret for many years. A chamber and tunnels under ground covered in wall to wall shells. There are photos of it being used for a seance in the early 1800. A real bonus to my visit! 

This does not demonstrate how many people were on the beach, it was packed!

So nice to feel sand beneath my feet, I have got use to Brighton pebbles!  I think it was my birthday two years ago when we visited friends in Dorset when I last walked on sand!!

My 40th year!

It is my birthday dear friends and I am going to share 3 things you

 may not know about me and my reason for doing what I do : ) 

no.1. I am 39 years old

Today I am 39 and proud! Cannot wait for the big one next year : )

 I am planning to go to India and show my boyfriend why I love that crazy 

country so much! 

But for this year there is much to focus on right here in sunny Rotherhithe!

My 1st birthday.
This little girl never liked being told what to do and still doesn't -
 I was born to run my own business : )

People rarely get my age right and I did get ID 'd in Tescos last month! This may sound fantastic to you but I get a bit frustrated by comments like 'so are you a student?' 

 I feel like I ve already lived two lives in one and I am hopefully only half way through!

The secret to looking  younger than your true years...
regular shoulder or head stands and a veggie diet.

no.2. I used to have a skin-head

I knew I would be an artist from as early as I can remember, as soon as I could escape from school I went to art college. The path was not smooth and I deviated several times.

Me,18 years old and carving breeze blocks.

no.3. I used to sell pasties for a living

My 9 year gap and business training.
 While at Uni in Falmouth I accidentally got in to PASTIES!
First as the person who shoveled them in to a bag and took your holiday cash. Then helping to set up and run franchises and eventually owned my own Pasty takeaway and coffee-shop.

                             

I really loved setting up these shops. Starting with viewing the premises, planning the layout, shop fitting, finding a team and training them. All these things having come flooding back to me over the last two weeks with the new new studio. 

But after a few years of running my own shop boredom set in. My artistic side became restless and I started looking around for ceramics classes.  For several years I attended various local classes and built up a body of work. One brave day, I set in motion the application process for Universities.  I was under-qualified but as determined as hell.

My life changed beyond recognition.  I swapped my juicy income and mortgage

 for student digs and a matching loan!

Me and my peers at our Degree show 2003 - 9 years ago!

My Anagama fired degree show pieces.

And now I enjoy sharing with other people the skills I learned.
 It only recently dawned on me that that is why I feel so passionate about accessible
 adult classes because I could 'nt have changed my life without them.

If you feel stuck and want to change your life click here for inspiration!

V22 Communal Ceramics Studio: Stage 1

In case you don't know (almost impossible because this is all I talk about!!)

 I am setting up and amazing communal ceramics studio in  V22, Bermonsey. This is the brain child of Tara Cranswick and the ball was set rolling by James Wright. 

The space has so much potential! Here is the plan:

 We are going to have 4 permanent artists spaces and 2 residential spaces. These can be hired by the day or week. Between us we have 4 kilns, a spray booth, a ball mill, a sand blaster, five wheels and an extruder. 

We will run regular classes and tuition and also be on hand for technical advise. 

The added bonus for me is that I have a much more appropriate space to run my classes previously run at Surrey Docks Farm. Which means I will have more to offer my students and is going to save me the long set up I had previously.

It is possible to work from there already and we want to have it fully functional by the 1st September.  I have LOTS to do so I called in my dream team! (Russell & Son)

Jerry believes in regular breaks and regular sandwiches : )

Yesterday Jerry helped me haul 6 car loads from the farm to V22, he was a hero! It would have taken me 3 days on my own! It s great to have that bit out of the way. But before we moved it we had to put in some structure to store all the materials.

Fortunately James had collected lots of tables and shelves so it didn't take a lot to
 organize a space for all my stock and materials.

I stubbled over V22 a couple of moths ago when I was searching for a space of my own to do my own work. Mindful of the original desire I've opted to build myself a private space inside the huge studio. Somewhere I can get away from it all : )

The frame for my beach hut studio.

The right hand side of the space before I tided it!

The left hand side.

The skin going on my studio.

Can't do all this work without a cuppa 

Nearly done : )

It s changing every week so I ll keep you posted! : ) 

Paint Machines at Danson Festival in Bexley

Artwork made on Bill Hudson Painting Machines

At the weekend I worked with William Micheal Hudson at Danson Festival this made a great change from all the things I am juggling and it made a nice change not being in charge! Ironically I was mostly assisting on the 'spinning machine' lol!

Artwork made on Bill Hudson Painting Machines

The Paint Machines are a fabulous invention, they help people make art

 without the pressure to be 'artistic'.  They take away a lot of the control that in my 

opinion often ruins the experience of making art. 

They are a lot of fun and the results are amazing.

Artwork made on Bill Hudson Painting Machines

Weird though... I just cant get away from those squares!??

Head-Space by Leyla Folwell

'Head Space' at Nolia's Gallery

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

Private View:Tuesday, 10 July 2012: 5pm - 9pm.

Dates: 10th - 31st July.

Opening hours: 12 - 6, Wed - Fri, Sat 12 - 4

Gallery: Nolias - Core @ Nolias Gallery, http://coreatnolias.wordpress.com/

Address: 60 Gt Suffolk, London SE1 OBL

Nearest tube: Southwark on Jubilee line (near Tate Modern),

 between Waterloo and London Bridge 

'Head Space' - Leyla Folwell, Paper Sculpture

A big part of the new studio move is to give me the space I need to expand my work. 

It s fairly limiting working from a narrow-boat living room! Time to stretch my wings : )

Although, I really have enjoyed working on a tiny scale, all my recent drawings have been 15 x 15cm and now I am making origami sculptures from 15cm squares.  I really have fallen in love with the square recently.

The last exhibition I took part in was Monochrome Set at Core Gallery

Much has passed and Core has moved to Nolia's in Southwark and it is going to fantastic working with my old friends from my 'Cor Blimey' studio days.

Section from  'Head-Space' Leyla Folwell

My game is the pursuit of happiness.

These cubes started as three dimensional collages.

They symbolize my search to feel complete.

Made mostly from my waste paper, sketches, printed photographs and my morning writing practice; they were an exercise in bringing order to what often feels like chaos.

The making process became a mediation as it often does when I use craft to express myself. The interior space has become representational of the 'head space' I require to be creative.

Section from  'Head-Space' Leyla Folwell

Please join me for the private view and show your support for

 my awakening from hibernation! : ) x

Hectic and Healthy Helpful hints!?

Life is doing it s roller coaster bit at the moment!  Classes are busy and I have been working on plans for the new space.  I am also doing an amazing business course for creative people - lots of homework!  I had another session with the young farmers on Saturday and we had a great time making textured pieces to go on our Sod-Sculpture.

Young farmers second sod-sculpture session at Surrey Docks Farm

Don't think I am after your sympathy here, life is good I ve always loved juggling a 

few things... it keeps life interesting. I rarely have two days the same! : )

But this self employed business can be hard when you need to work on your business when you are busy running your business. Yesterday we were so lucky to have Raphael come and film the class for the new website (another thing I am busy with!!) 

Raphael the Film- Maker catches class on camera!

In the last few weeks I have experienced a little bit of 'mental melt-down'! This includes losing things, getting sick, waking up super early, and worst of all having that brain block where you just can't recall anything for the fear of forgetting it!!!

Recently I have chatted to a few people who have reached saturation point too and I was thinking about how we deal with it and how it can be prevented.

We ve all got our 'good' things we do. Exercise, diet, even pottery class : ) ... those things that keep us well and happy. The kind of things that we put on our New Years resolution list every year.  When I was at my weekly yoga class today I dawned on me (mid downward-dog) that two week previously I didn't go because 'I just had so much to do' ?!
My first mistake! So the next week I was sick... I had a virus/lurgy thing and struggled to do the basics all week. Did neglecting to give myself that well deserved and much needed relaxation and exercise open the path for the illness?.. who knows, I am not a Doctor.  But it made me reflect on honouring my down time. As the lovely Jaala (baking genius!) said in class one evening it is about having that much needed me time to 'clean out your hand bag' and get base camp sorted.

Here are my 5 top things to do when stressed:
(I would love to hear yours - please add to the bottom of the blog)

Super easy -  super healthy lunch for stressed out artist!

1. Eat well. We have started investing in a veggie box from Riverford. Yep it is more expensive than Lidl. But it is full of organic goodness and arrives on the doorstep no planning required, we just have it on rolling order. Nearly everyday now I make a smoothie in the morning and I know I have nailed my 5 a day before I leave home! Oh and Berocca the vitamin rocket fuel for a belt and braces approach

2. Tell your friend. Get it off your chest and let that be it. If you spend all your time telling everyone that your busy/stressed/tired you are just reinforcing it - like a kind of negative mantra. Thank you Melissa for letting me have a whinge yesterday!

3. Choose to keep up good practice. Like my yoga session I mentioned we often abandon the good stuff we do when we need it most!  It clears your head, gives you perspective ... a change is as good as a rest : )

4. Forget about perfectionism. Yes, it s great to do things really well when there is time but sometimes you ve just gotta get stuff done!  People love to see that you are human and you need to accept that that is what you are too.

5. Work out what is Urgent and what is Important ? I love the idea of this! Marianne Cantwell of Free Range Humans says there is always going to be urgent 'jobs' but things that are important are health, family, your happiness. So, is it your yoga session or your bulging inbox...? 


The way I look at it is that you ll serve everyone better if you are fit and healthy and not a stressed out wreck. Please share your stress survival tips below...? : ) x

V22 My New Studio!!!

Ann & Alex at the farm with their latest creations

There is so much to say! I don't know where to start!

In 2010 I started my pottery classes at Surrey Docks Farm.

 My intention was to give people the experience of pottery without the pressure and stiffness of other courses.  I have taught in adult education institutions and it is often more about numbers and results and less about experience and people.  It was important to me that I could get to know people locally and feel part of Rotherhithe as I was spending half my week commuting to Brighton.



Recent pieces - surface inspired by my drawings



Farm classes have grown and grown and I was able to give up my job at Brighton Uni. in September. While I was doing both I didn't find much time for my own work and I have had a break and a good think about what I want to be making and achieving as an artist. I have recently tried screen printing, origami and woodcarving, but I do always come back to clay, it will always be my favourite material.

Because the classes have expanded beyond my expectation it has becoming increasingly difficult to manage the firing system. This involves packing everything in to the car and hauling to my Burgess Park studio and then back again (and then all over again for the glaze firing!!) I am filling the kiln all week long and feel we've been incredibly lucky with almost no breakages in transit. 

 All these things have led me to believe it s time to scale up my operation. Because the tower at the farm won't be ready for sometime I started looking around at my options locally.

Once again, my fairy Godmother came up with a real clinker!

The Biscuit Factory in Bermonsey

I checked out several studio spaces, deciding that the Biscuit Factory looked the most convenient for my current students to get to. All the local buses stop at the top of the road, and it is a 5 minutes walk to the tube station!

The Vibe Gallery run by the lovely Mark Bean and Nadia
 - they've just been licenced as a cafe/bar

http://www.vibeplace.com/vibe/
They are really worth checkin out, they are running painting classes with
Enver Gursev this summer.

V22 Studios Bermonsey

V22 Studios at the Biscuit Factory

When I got in touch with V22 to see how they felt about me running a class from there I was put through to James Wright who was setting up a 1400sqft communal Ceramics Space...?!

Honestly, I can really be the luckiest person sometimes... like when I decided to move to London as my residency was nearly up in Worcester. Within a month my friend said
 'oh by the way I know someone who needs to rent out a boat in London....'
shortly after 'Potterycrafts in Battersea need staff'
It s actually scary how things can fall in to place, but I take it as a sign that I am on the right path in life : )


So the short version is that I am now in charge (?!) of setting this up and running this gigantic space dedicated to Ceramics which has kilns, a spray booth, ball mill, sand blaster, electric banks ready for my wheels, a huge table area and lots of room for shelving and storage.

The idea is that there will be several permanent artists in there and bookable tables for other people to come and work for a period of their choice.

For me it is perfect because I can have a permanent studio space to spread out into... been taking over our little boat recently with my origami!!

For the classes it will be revolutionary because we will have proper shelving so work can be stored safely and kept damp to be worked on later. Also all tools and glazes will be easily accessible without a huge set up. We will also be able to start exploring other clays and temperatures. We currently only use Earthenware because we don't have facilities to deal with more. When you come you will be able to see some very prestigious ceramic artists at work like Emmanuel Boos and Sam Bakewell.

My plan is to consolidate. I have felt very spread out and have been juggling too many things recently. I love being busy but when I can feel my standard slipping I stop enjoying life so much. I am really looking forward to having one base to head to everyday and more than anything a place to really get stuck into making work again!

So it s going to be a busy summer setting up this dream space, I cannot wait to bring you more news : )

to be continued....