Previous Newsletters

Newsletter - July 2008

Welcome to the July edition of the Newsletter. If you're wondering what happened to June, er... so am I.

What with the chaos of Spring Fling and the forthcoming exhibition in Gatehouse of Fleet, suddenly June turned into July. My apologies for that, but hopefully you will enjoy this month's enough to make up for it

So, coming up in this newsletter:

Spring Fling Open Studio Event
New Mailing system
Exhibition at The Mill on the Fleet
The Inspiration for the Making of "Connection"
Video of the Making of "Connection"
High Resolution Image for you to Download

Spring Fling

After all the build-up and preparation, I feel that the Spring Fling Open Studio event at the end of May was a great success. I had many visitors to my studio and a wonderful amount of very positive feedback.

I so enjoyed talking to all of you who were able to visit and look forward to seeing you again at forthcoming events.

My sincere thanks to all who helped make this an extremely happy experience for me.

New Mailing System

For those who have still not signed up, or confirmed, using the new GetResponse system then please do so on the Newsletter Sign up Page as I will no longer be sending out newsletter updates one at a time. So unless you confirm you wish to remain, you will drop off the mailing list.

As this is still early days with the new system I expect a few teething problems, so if you have any difficulties or questions about it then please contact me directly.

Please be assured that your privacy is still guaranteed. I will never pass on your details to anyone else without your express permission, and of course you can unsubscribe at any time.

Exhibition at Mill on the Fleet

From 27th July to 28th August I have a solo exhibition at The Mill on the Fleet, Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire.

Click here for directions using Multimap

I won't be at the Mill the entire time, but if you are planning on coming along and would like to meet up with me there, do give me a call and we can arrange a suitable time.

The Inspiration for the Making of "Connection"

There were discarded tufts of sheep's wool all over the path leading along to the viaduct above Gatehouse of Fleet. I suppose a more resourceful felt maker would have gathered them up for a " from scratch" project but I resorted to the camera to take some close-up shots using the macro lens.

Close up sheep's wool

Raindrops remained suspended amongst an entwined tangle of wool fibres and mossy plant tendrils.

This was just the kind of inspirational texture that I attempt to create in my artwork to carry forward the narrative I have created; intricate traces and webs of memory and experience entwined, creating tension and flow in our lives.

Working in felt for this piece provided a pleasing connection with the little matted bundle of raw fleece and plant material found lying on the path and the ideas it had evoked in me. Indeed there seemed to be a circular continuity, which always comforts and reassures me.

Final piece - 100cm x 100cm

The edges of the holes created in the piece I constructed, point to a tension in the flow of the connective tissue of wool fibres and echo the original drops of water suspended there. They represent a kind of inner space that can be fluid and changeable while still contained and intact giving a defined shape to the whole. I feel it is the same with our emotional experiences; they can stay hidden yet ever alive within us while flowing with us as we develop and grow.

Video of the Making of "Connection"

Download a free high-resolution image for your own wall or computer desktop

When both the main piece of this newsletter, and the video is about the artwork, Connection, it would be remiss of me not to include a detail of it this month for you to download for your own use.

Right-click on the image and select Save Target As. You can then save the image on your computer and print it off on photographic or watercolour paper at up to A4 size without losing any quality, or use it as a desktop background for your computer.

Be advised that the image is approximately 2.7MB big, so might take a little while to download

If you run into any difficulties then please let me know.

Questions and Comments:

I would very much like to hear from you. Please email me with any questions about my artwork, or with ideas of things you'd like to see and read in future editions of this newsletter.

And finally, if you know of anyone who you think might be interested in receiving this newsletter, please point them to http://www.maggieayres.co.uk/newsletter.htm to sign up.

Wishing you all the best until next time,

Maggie

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