Saturday 28 September 2013

An arty sort of day

Hiya, I've enjoyed my Saturday, I hope you have too. Another glorious day, lots of sunshine, aren't we lucky. I found out by chance the other day, that it is the Insight Open Studios this weekend, where artists open their doors and invite the general public to come on in and view them at work in their workshops. There are fifty two taking part, and they are scattered all over North Lincolnshire. Some work from home and some work from galleries. There are plenty of places to visit if you want to make a weekend of it, but I tend to stick to the Ropewallk, a gallery in Barton upon Humber.
I missed it last year because I was busy doing something else, I really ought to put it on my calendar at the beginning of the year. Maybe I will remember for 2014. Here is a link to The Ropewalk web site. And a link to The Insight web site.  
My first port of call was to see Michael Scrimshaw, I first met him two years ago, or was it three, not sure, anyway, he is my kind of artist because he creates his artworks from rubbish. He works mainly with metals, but incorporates any other media which is appropriate to the piece he is creating. He is also a very good artist as in painting, from transforming a large brick wall into a Victorian street scene, to customising the petrol tank of a Harley Davidson.
A fascinating person to talk to, he has plenty of stories to tell about his work. He has been commissioned to make a massive sculpture for the front of the Art Centre Church here in town, depicting two workers from the steel works. The small model which he will be working from looks amazing, it will be a great addition to Church Square.
Anyway, I'll cut the waffle, here is Michael. 
He is talking to some visitors. Don't you just love his amazing dreadlocks.

And a look around his studio, pieces of wire and drawings adorn the walls.



After an hour of so I had to come home. I must go back tomorrow because I didn't have time to visit the other artists, this little fella was waiting to go walkies. This is Bailey, his owner had gone out for the day and asked if I could call in and take him out. He is a lovely little chap, so cute, and very friendly with other dogs. He keeps stopping to look behind him, probably wondering where his mummy is, ha ha. He knows me anyway, and is happy to come with me.
I've dug this picture out of the archives, to show the before and after of the sunflowers. I put three plants in each plastic storage box, probably would have been better with two in each. This is the sunniest spot in the garden, and I don't have anywhere else with the same amount of sun where I could have planted them into the ground. All my borders are full with bushes. I was rather hoping that they would just reach the roof level, to make a nice covering of foliage for the tumbledown garage.  
But they have shot well above that and only the stalks are screening the garage wall.
Every time I look there seems to be more and more flowers. They are attracting a lot of bees, there is one on the big flower on the left, if you can squint to see it. I will be leaving the seeds for the birds, but not sure if they would be able to hang on to the heads to peck them out. Perhaps I should remove them with about a foot of stalk and lay them on the garage roof. I will watch and see what happens. Will have to watch that my cats don't scare them off as well. Easier said than done, they are naughty girls.

Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip

11 comments:

  1. hello Ilona, yes I enjoyed my Saturday as i got the Mr back from America! We have Somerset arts week here and it's the same, you can visit artists at work and ask them questions, see their studios and watch them at work. Oh yes I loved Michaels dreads, he is very Glastonbury :-)
    Tomorrow brings a lovely walk in the woods with our dog and another cooking session, while we catch up on a weeks worth of Archers :-)

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  2. oooh I have dread lock envy (I too have dreads) but what a wonderful idea to open their doors for people to see them at work, I wish they did that near to me - very inspirational

    www.onelifeand3kids.blogspot.co.uk

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  3. Hello Ilona,

    They may be naughty girls, but they are lovely. I have a huge ginger one named Jeffery.
    Hope you have a lovely Sunday too.

    Best wishes
    Angela

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  4. Fabulous dreads and a killer smile too!
    Jane x

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  5. Your sunflowers are beautiful!

    We have a neighbour who is an artist as well making something out of nothing! Very impressive I always think, as I don't have any perspective like that at all :(

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  6. Hi Ilona, in Poland they sell the sunflower heads in the markets for human consumption and very moreish they are too.
    I wonder if Michael made the sheep and cow sculptures on the Water Rail trail out of Lincoln. They were very realistic with the rusted iron and were my favourite of all the art works on that trail. Brenda in the Boro

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  7. My birds start plucking seeds off as soon as the seeds form, so I leave them on the stalk ...the goldfinches especially love them, they are right outside my kitchen window, so I couldn't ask for a better view :) Jan

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  8. Forget the view of Michael from the back, the front view is more amazing!
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  9. Bailey looks adorable! Do you mind if I ask how the other little dog that you looked after is getting on? I'm sorry I can't remember his name but he belonged to a neighbour and featured quite a lot on your blog. Do you still look after him too?

    Micheal looks quite adorable too!!

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    Replies
    1. Hello Anne. Yes I do Anne. He is fine, I take him walks.

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  10. Glad to hear he's fine. Thanks for answering.

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