Hot Glass at Flowerfield

Over the next few weeks there will be quite a bit of hot glass activity happening at Flowerfield Arts Centre.

Renowned american glass blower Scott Benefield will be bringing his portable furnace to the Arts Centre in order to offer workshops to University of Ulster students and also for 5th and 6th form students of local schools to view glass blowing demos. This will take place from Wednesday 17th -Friday 19th April.

On Saturday 20th April from 11am-3pm there will be public glass blowing demos by Scott and Catherine Keenan. This is a rare opportunity to see the process of manipulating and blowing molten glass.

Scott glassblowing at Flowerfield last year

For the first time resident artist Catherine Keenan will be teaching a night class in lampworking. This is due to start on Tuesday 16th April and run for five weeks, from 6.30-9.30pm every night.  This course will allow her to help students get a firm grip on making beads and also learn and experiment with form and pattern application. Fee: £82, £77 concession

She will also be teaching a one day class on Saturday 4th May from 10am-4pm.  Students will learn how to make a basic bead and also a variety of colour and pattern techniques. Fee: £55

For more information or to enrol on either lampworking class contact Flowerfield: 028 70831400

Lampworking class

'Beside the Seaside' Embroidery Exhibition

The Northern Ireland Embroidery Guild are currently exhibiting a collection of members response's to the title 'Beside the Seaside' in Flowerfield's Gallery.  There are a total of 63 works by over 30 different artists, so the breadth of techniques and styles on show is fascinating. It is particularly interesting to see the variety of approaches to the seaside theme.

The exhibition will run until Saturday 30th March.

The Embroidery Guild invite interested parties to attend their monthly meeting, held on the 3rd Saturday of the month at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra from 10.30am-noon.
Contact them on: info@nieg.org.uk

'Holidays', Judy Cinnamond
Batik on cotton, hand and machine embroidery

'Seaview', Eleanor Hutchinson
Machine pieced and embroidery

'Puffin', Rosemary Frayne
Stem stitched with stranded cotton on linen

'Blowing in to Duck Rock', Joanne MacMahon
Manipulated felt with attached oyster catchers

'Deserted Beach', Patsy Browne
Machine embroidery

'Liberty 1', Patsy Browne,
Machine embroidery on silk and linen

'Tied to the Ocean', Anne French
Hand embroidery on dyed cotton 

'If all the World were Quilters', Irene MacWilliam
Free machine work

'If all the world were Quilters', detail

Two & Two Exhibition

Flowerfield's Gallery is currently displaying the work of four locally based artists that enjoy in an international profile.  The exhibition is a wide variety of techniques, prints, paintings, bronze sculptures and collage/mixed media pieces.  What ties all the work together is the level of excellence, conceptually and in execution.

The exhibition opened on 8th December 2012, and will run until 26th January 2013.

Martha Ullman, a graduate of Liverpool John Moores and Middlesex University.  She currently teaches Art and History of Art at Coleraine High School.  Having lived in Africa, the influence of this culture and also that of Ireland can be seen in her paintings, prints and collage work.

'African Garden',Ullman, print

'Charollais Bull', Ullman, Print

'Garden in Morning Light, Ullman, print

Gavin Hutchinson achieved a BA Honours degree from John Moores University and also a PGCE from Middlesex University.  He is a teacher at Coleraine High School in Art and History of Art.  He has lived and worked in Africa and much of his recent painting work is based on old family Polaroid photographs as well as urban and rural scenes.

'Nevin Taggart', Hutchinson, oil painting

'Green House', Hutchinson, oil painting

Brian Connolly is a multi-media artist who's works are often site-specific.  He is an Associate Lecturer in Fine & Applied Art at the University of Ulster.  He has worked across Europe, in Canada, Mexico and China.  He has been involved with artist run organisations throughout Ireland and has created more than ten public artworks/commissions in a range of media.

'Pattern of History' Connolly, print

'Family Tree', Connolly, print

Annette Hennessy is from Cork now living in North Antrim.  She is a sculptor who works in a range of media, including bronze, mixed media, paper and felt.  Much of her work is figurative but also includes mythic and historically based objects containing personal and domestic references.  Her artworks are in collections throughout Ireland.

'Balancing Figure',  Hennessy, bronze

'Figure with Tree' and 'Figure with Tree Head', Hennessy, bronze

Open Studio/Craft Sale

Date: Saturday 1st December

Time: 11am-5pm

If you are looking for some interesting Christmas present bargains, look no further than Flowerfield Arts Centre on Saturday December 1st. On that day resident craft artists Adam Frew (ceramics) and Catherine Keenan (glass) will be selling some of their beautiful pieces directly from their studios. Also taking part will be a number of Adam and Catherine’s friends, specially invited craft artists – so there will be many opportunities to pick up a perfect Christmas gift or something unusual for your own home. There will also be glass lampworking demonstrations on the day, and all are welcome to attend – the event will only run on Saturday December 1st, from 11am to 5pm. 

Drawing by Adam Frew!

Gail Mahon Exhibition Film

This is a film of Gail Mahon's solo exhibition at Flowerfield Arts Centre Gallery.  'Elemental Twitch: The Middle Mass Findings' was an exhibition of mainly ceramics, along with mixed media that spanned the two large gallery spaces.

Film by Adam Frew

Jewellery Workshops, perfect for Christmas gifts!

Flowerfield Arts Centre will host three jewellery making saturday workshops as part of their Christmas Craft programme.  Whether in sterling silver or glass, this is the perfect opportunity to make your own unique Christmas presents!!

Call: 028 7083 1400 to book a place

Glass Beadmaking for Jewellery

Tutor: Catherine Keenan
Date: Saturday 24th November
Time: 10am-4pm
Fee: £45 includes materials
Max: 6 students

Participants will each work on a flame torch to experience manipulating molten glass to create beads.  They will learn various techniques in lampworking, such as making round, cylindrical, flat and bi-cone shapes and also adding pattern, eg. dots and stripes.

Silver Jewellery Making

Tutor: Diane Lyness

Date: Saturday 1st December

Time: 10am-4pm

Fee: £45 includes materials

Max: 10 students

Each participant will be taught some traditional jewellery making techniques such as piercing, soldering, rolling, annealing and filing, enabling them to design and make a beautiful piece of jewellery to take home. 

Glass Beadmaking: Earrings

Tutor: Catherine Keenan

Date: Saturday 15th December

Time: 10am-4pm

Fee: £45 includes materials

Max: 6 students

Participants will learn the basics of lamp working, experiment with form and pattern application.  They will also focus on techniques of creating matching beads to make their own earrings.

Gail Mahon Exhibition

A conceptual ceramics exhibition of epic proportions opened at Flowefield Arts Centre last Saturday.  Renowned cerebral ceramicist Gail Mahon launched her elegant, site specific exhibition of pieces and installations, entitled 'Elemental Twitch: The Middle Mass Findings', that are the culmination of a lengthy investigation of the material and ideas.

She says of her work:
"I love to play with the possibilities in interaction and immediacy through multiple part arrangements; using configurations, fragmented ideas and surreal elements in order to assemble objects, which reference themes of the subconscious, memory, incompleteness, structure and movement."

The exhibition will run until 3rd November at Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart.

'Tube Loop Choke Hold'

'White Tunnel Run'

'Black Tunnel Diamond'

'The Landing'

Detail of 'The Landing', crushed crockery and slip-cast bee!