A Review of 2018

At the beginning of this year, I set myself just one goal: to continue developing my Swirl-StoNZ. Unfortunately I have not succeeded very well with this. Other creative opportunities have come along to take up my time as well as some important non-creative life plans. Half way through the year I even had to turn down several art opportunities, as I simply did not have enough spare time, but others I really felt I had to take up. My dot mosaics were supposed to take a back seat for this year, while I concentrated on developing my Swirl-StoNZ. Instead they seem to have taken over. 

In summary, I had planned to enter a couple of pieces for the New Zealand National Mosaic Art Exhibition 2018 in September but the Estuary Art Centre also put on another Mosaic Exhibition in May, which I was asked to enter. As this was not in my original plan, I submitted my large ‘Watching the sunrise over Rangitoto’ artwork, which had to be re-mounted on board (as it was originally done on a canvas), re-grouted and framed. I was amazed that it sold on the first day.

I spent a lot of time creating my two pieces for the New Zealand National Mosaic Art Exhibition 2018, as this was the first time I had entered this biennial event, which was held in September at the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa. I was thrilled to receive first prize in the 3D category for my sphere sculpture ‘Aotearoa – land of the long white cloud’. Although I did not sell this piece at this exhibition, I entered it in the Member’s Merit Awards Exhibition held in November at the Lake House Arts Centre, Takapuna. Not only did I sell this sculpture at this exhibition, it won the People’s Choice Award and I was commissioned to do another similar sculpture, which will be my first project of 2019.

My polymer dot mosaics will also be featured in a second book, titled 'Polymer Journeys 2019', which is due to be published early next year. The submission of photos and text for this involved some work, as well as my one entry for the 2018 International Polymer Clay Awards.

So 2018 has turned out to be a successful year for my dot mosaics, which is good, just not quite what I planned. For 2019, I do still want to develop my Swirl-StoNZ but I also feel I should ‘go with the flow’ and continue with the success of my dot mosaics. If only there were more hours in the day J 

Second Award for 'Aotearoa - land of the long white cloud'

Just found out that as well as selling my sculpture, Aotearoa - land of the long white cloud, it has won the 'Peoples Choice Award' at the Lake House Arts Centre's 'Members Merit Awards' exhibition. I am thrilled that it has won two awards but will be sorry to see it go.

You can read more about it in this earlier post https://clairefairweather.blogspot.com/2018/09/aotearoa-land-of-long-white-cloud.html

Opening night of the Member's Merit Awards Exhibition at the Lake House, Takapuna

I only have one entry (Aotearoa - land of the long white cloud) in this exhibition but it attracted a lot of interest at the opening night function. While it did not win an award at the presentations this evening, I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will win the People's Choice Award, from visitor votes through out the exhibition.

Great Art Sale at the Lake House Arts Centre

I went over to the Lake House Arts Centre to take a photograph of my two pieces in the Great Art Sale, which has just opened. To my delight, I found my glow in the dark ‘Out-of-this-World’ sculpture had just been sold, so the photo only shows my other sculptural entry, ‘Lady Aotearoa’.

A festive night at the Lake House Arts Centre

Here is my table at the Lake House Christmas Shopping Night, with quite a wide range of one-off hand crafted items. The event was busy with shoppers and festive with carol singing on the veranda, even though the sun was shining brightly. (I still find it hard to feel Christmassy in the Southern Hemisphere).

Opening night of the 2015 Members Merit Awards Exhibition

Tonight was the opening night of the Members Merit Awards Exhibition at the Lake House Arts Centre.

 

My two entries are 'Green Kiwi' and 'Watching the sunrise over Rangitoto'. I did not get an award at the presentation but can always hope for the People's Choice Award at the end of the exhibition, which I won in 2013.



'Green Kiwi'



'Watching the sunrise over Rangitoto'

Christmas shopping night at the Lake House Arts Centre - Friday 4 December 2015

To help clear my studio for moving house, all items have been reduced. Your chance to buy original polymer clay gifts, all hand-made by myself - some definite bargains to be had.

Members' Merit Awards Exhibition at the Lake House

Unfortunately I did not get my first dot mosaic picture completed to enter in this exhibition (still a long way to go, so it may be just be ready for next years) but I did enter two sculptural pieces, shown below.

Colour Rings
(sculpture with tea light)

Global Reflections
(sculpture with tea light)

I briefly attended the opening of this exhibition before moving on for the Auckland Polymer Clay Guild's last meeting of the year, which just happened to be on the same night.

Christmas Shopping Night at the Lake House

 

North Shore Times - Tuesday 25 November 2014

 

Fingers crossed for Heritage Day craft stall - EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER

The weather forecast is not looking good for this event, next Saturday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will improve but a decision will be made on Friday and it will be cancelled if the weather is too bad.

The Great Art Sale 2014 at the Lake House

Tonight was the opening night of this annual event. I have three pieces in the sale, which runs until the end of August: Rainbow Cauldron, Coffee Time and "Life is like sailing" (clock).

Rainbow Cauldron

I have just about finished this sculpture, which contains over 900 hand rolled balls of polymer clay in the colours of the rainbow, hence the name 'Rainbow Cauldron'. It will be one of my three entries in the Great Art Sale at the Lake house Arts Centre in Takapuna. The sale runs from 31 July to 31 August 2014. Here are some photos taken from different angles:

A Review of 2013

When I look back at the plans I had for 2013, some have been more successful than others.

1.    Re-establish a monthly market spot – maybe the Devonport Craft Market or back to Coatesville Market. I started with the Devonport Craft Market for a couple of months, as this was specifically a 'craft' market and only a ferry ride from the city centre for tourists. I hoped it would be better for me than the farmers markets that mainly focus on food, but it did not attract large numbers of visitors. Then I discovered that a new monthly craft market had started in Browns Bay, so I tried that, hoping it would work out for me. It was so handy right on my doorstep and nice to be able to support a local market but after a couple of tries this actually turned out to be the worst market for me in terms of sales. At this point I decided that making lots of small, low cost items to sell at markets was not what I really wanted to do but that I would do the twice yearly Mission Bay markets to sell off old stock. However, the Labour Day Art & Craft Market at Mission Bay was poor  for sales this year and I reluctantly said to my husband that I would not even do that any more, as it was not returning enough to warrant his time as well as my own for the whole day. Although I will miss the customer interaction that I enjoy at markets (hopefully the teaching workshops and the Auckland Polymer Clay Guild will compensate for this), I feel it is now time to aim higher and focus on selling my work through galleries, gallery stores and selected shops.

2.    Exhibit at the Dunkleys Craft Show (North Shore) in October 2013. I had been looking forward to doing this all year but was very disappointed at the number of visitors to the show for all the time, cost and effort. Also the small number of people taking part in the daily workshops and the sign-ups that followed was disappointing. So sadly, I would not do this show again.

3.    Promote polymer clay through slide shows and demonstrations to encourage people to sign up for my workshops. I have not had the chance to pro-actively do as much of this as I would like, mainly due to my time being taken up preparing for teaching workshops and the Dunkleys show - hopefully I can do more of this next year. However, I did set up the Auckland Polymer Clay Guild in August this year (not in my plans!) and I am currently the President of this group.

4.    Expand my range of workshops to include some half day technique focussed sessions e.g. extruding with polymer clay and making canes. I have prepared a number of other workshops and now have five: Introduction to Polymer Clay, Retro Canes, Simple Canes, Polymer Clay Mosaics and Painting with Polymer Clay and am now looking to offer these at other venues, in addition to the Lake House Arts Centre, rather than running them from home. This means I do not have to spend so much time promoting and sorting the administration, which is quite time consuming when I have a limited amount of time.

5.    Complete my “50 clips for 50 years” project to promote CLIPT. This project has not happened as I had intended, in fact it has not happened at all. My original plan was to make one clip a week, illustrating a different technique. Unfortunately work, life, and exhibition, show and teaching deadlines have all taken priority. I would like to think that I will have photographs of the clips that will be featured in this book before my next birthday - but that may be a struggle with everything else that I need to do in the first few months of the new year.

Christmas shopping evening at the Lake House - Thursday 5 December 2013

I will have a table at this evening event selling my Fashion Clips, jewellery and other small items, all made from polymer clay, that would make unique gifts for Christmas. Note: the heart-shaped pendant on the poster is one of mine.

Members Merit Awards Exhibition 2013

This exhibition runs from Tuesday 26 November 2013 - Sunday 15 December 2013 at the Lake House Arts Centre in Takapuna. The photo used on the advertising poster (shown left) has my 'Spring Trio' in the foreground, which won the Peoples Choice Award last year. This year I have entered two pieces: my 'Golden Wave' sculpture and the Mosaic Strip Mirror, which attracted a lot of comment at the Dunkleys Craft Show.

 

I attended the opening and prize-giving this evening and was disappointed that there was no award this year for sculptural work. All the awards were for various painting and pastel work (2D); whether this was because of the companies sponsoring the event I do not know but it was a shame that the whole area of 3D work was not judged.

A mention in the North Shore Times

It was quite a surprise to me, when reading the North Shore Times, to come across my own name in print! I received a mention as one of the artists/tutors taking part in the Christmas shopping evening that is taking place on Thursday 5 December at the Lake House Arts Centre.

Kaleidoscope Cane Jewellery Workshop

Random Kaleidoscope canes made by the students

Jewellery made from the Kaleidoscope canes

Retro Cane Polymer Clay Jewellery Workshop

 

Fantastic work from my students on the workshop today. Most of them had never used polymer clay before. I think there will now be a mass purchase of Makin's extruders!

The Great Art Sale 2013

I will be putting a couple of pieces in this sale, at the Lake House Arts Centre, but it is difficult deciding which, as I want to keep a lot of my work for the Dunkleys Craft Show in October.

Post Script @ Friday 12 July 2013: At the end of the first hand in day (Friday), the Art Sale is full, so the two pieces I was planning to take on Saturday will not now be in it. So here are photos, the first piece "With all my love" has not been seen before, as it was made specifically for this event.

"With all my love"

"Coffee Time"

 

Polymer clay workshops at the Lake House Arts Centre

Here is a photo from my Introduction to Polymer Clay workshop, held last weekend at the Lake House Arts Centre.

I had six lovely students, who I believe left at the end of the day with a greater knowledge of this wonderful creative medium and plenty of inspiration. Due to the limited space in my two table top ovens, we concentrated on cutting flat shapes from colour blended, marbled and textured clay. Here is the students work, which I think is great, as four of them had never used polymer clay before.

 

 

Two new workshops are planned for next term - details will be published soon.