West Sligo Woman's Art Group

the big paper project

2010-06-17T17:13:00.002+01:00

screenprinting on our own handmade paper

2010-06-17T17:10:00.000+01:00

paper making

2010-06-17T17:07:00.002+01:00

Christmas party at Catherines

2009-12-15T22:07:00.008Z

Dinner at Catherines

First helping

Second helping

a table

steady on there bernie

nom's lady

2009-12-15T22:00:00.002Z

at least someone's in control

2009-12-15T21:49:00.003Z

Picking suprises

2009-12-15T21:46:00.001Z

Bula bus

2009-12-15T21:42:00.000Z

Waiting with anticipation with our numbers !

2009-12-15T21:38:00.001Z

Mel will be warm in the big house

2009-12-15T21:31:00.001Z

We had a hell of a night and we went home with our pressies

Christmas Party

2009-12-03T16:23:00.002Z

Catherine in Kileenduff is hosting the christmas party this year on Friday 11th. Next Tuesday we are having a meeting to plan the party of course and the programme for the next six weeks.
Seasons greetings to all.

Strategic policy Committies Sligo County Council

2009-12-02T14:50:00.003Z

West Sligo Women's Art Group is a member of the West Sligo Community Forum and on Thursday 3rd of December there is a meeting in Dromore West Community Centre to nominate community reps to the Strategic Policy Committee. All nominations must be submitted to Sligo County Community Forum by 7th December 2009.

2009-12-02T14:45:00.002Z

Bottles

2009-11-13T14:05:00.002Z

AGM

2009-11-09T22:33:00.003Z

On Tuesday the 3rd November we had our AGM. As you can see our finances are good. We are delighted with the space that has been given to us by Easkey VEC Secondary School. For over 10 years the school has supported us in many projects. This year we are using the science lab, as part of the cost cutting exercise half of the school is heated in the evening.
Over the next month or so we are going to concentrate on drawing. Next Tuesday our subject matter is bottles, so bring your collection of fav bottles.

2009-11-09T22:26:00.003Z

Mono print workshop at the Appleloft as the VEC was closed for half term.
Denise ran the workshop, lots of experimenting and some great prints were created.

Drawing Catherine

2009-10-21T11:45:00.008+01:00

As the school where we meet will be closed for mid term break next week we are going to use Appleloft next Tuesday and have a printing workshop with Denise. Members should brinng along textures to work with on the evening and sheets of plastic if you can access them.

Thank you Catherine W for letting us draw you last night!

And we're back!

2009-10-07T18:43:00.002+01:00

The group had our first meeting since the beginning of summer last night in Easkey tech school – at the meeting it was decided to resume some life drawing as of next week... but not using the "sight size" method!!

A date for the groups AGM was also decided, a month from now on the 3rd of November.

Summer Break

2009-07-16T14:20:00.000+01:00

The group are going to take a break for the summer months and resume our weekly meetings when the seasons madness has settled. Have a great summer everyone!!

2009-04-07T10:43:00.001+01:00

Many thanks to Catherine Whittle who had the group over at her lovely home this evening. The group will be taking a break for Easter next week and will meet at Alana's on Tuesday the 21st April.

2009-03-31T13:56:00.001+01:00

Next week the group have been invited to meet at Catherine W's as the school will be closed for holidays.

Life Drawing iv

2009-03-25T09:18:00.004Z

Thanks to Alana and Naomi who sat for us last night.

Life drawing iii

2009-03-11T10:09:00.003Z

Life Drawing ii

2009-03-07T20:49:00.002Z

Life Drawing

2009-02-24T20:53:00.002Z

Mid term break

2009-02-17T20:55:00.002Z

As the group use a school to meet, it didn't happen this week owing to holidays.

meeting week

2009-02-10T18:31:00.000Z

The group met last night to discuss the forthcoming weeks activities.
Watch this space... :)

Mark making ii

2009-02-04T16:11:00.007Z

We continued last weeks mark making exercise this week accompanied by music.
(thank you Naomi for providing the music!)
Next week the group will be meeting to discuss what to do in the coming weeks.

Mark making

2009-01-28T12:05:00.002Z

This week, under Bernies instruction we explored mark making using unusual/found and collected objects.

Printing ii

2009-01-20T12:06:00.001Z

An extension of last weeks printing trials, we made a collaberative piece using a large sheet.

Printing i

2009-01-13T12:07:00.003Z

Tonight was the first time the group met in 2009. Imelda brought along "eta foam" a light and easily cut thick foam for everybody to make shapes with which to print. Photos to follow as soon as I get my hands on them!

Christmas Party!!!!

2008-12-10T18:03:00.009Z

Sincere thanks to Margret for hosting our Christmas Party in her beautiful home, a great evening was had by all!

2008-12-03T21:27:00.007Z

No photos of beautiful art to upload this week I'm afraid as the group met last night to plan the next few weeks.
Next Tuesday we will have our Christmas Party (photograph potential, but no promises!) and then break for the Christmas period.
We will reconvene on Tuesday 13th January.

We hope (at a yet undecided date) to meet over our Christmas break for a drawing session at Lorraine's.

(Members who wern't present last night need to contact the group to get their "Kriss Kringle" name before the party next Tuesday!!)

Umbrellas in Oil Pastel

2008-11-25T17:58:00.003Z

Charcoal

2008-11-18T14:33:00.003Z

Still Life in Watercolour

2008-11-12T15:40:00.007Z

Still Life in Acrylic Paint

2008-11-05T15:27:00.007Z

Collage

2008-10-29T12:34:00.005Z

"A collage (From the French: coller, to glue) is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole."

AGM

2008-10-22T09:38:00.003+01:00

The group held its AGM yesterday evening.
Thank you to Mary P for taking role of the chairperson and Margret F for being secretary (and Naomi for bringing the biscuits!).

Catherine W has volunteered to bring along next weeks subject matter and has chosen the medium will be collage.

pumpkins, photo studies and a beautiful portrait

2008-10-15T16:18:00.000+01:00

Bicycles!

2008-10-08T10:51:00.000+01:00

Last night saw the group resume drawing:

Members,
The agenda for the groups AGM will be circulated next Tuesday when the group meets. If you have any issue you would like to include it in the agenda, please contact the chair.

2008-10-01T12:35:00.000+01:00

DVD cover

The Group met last night and watched a DVD sequence of photographs and text compiled by Lorraine and Naomi documenting our very successful pit firing project. The DVD will be sent to Sligo Arts Service in acknowledgment of their kind funding of the project.

This brings the "Out of the Kiln... into the Fire" project to an end.
The members of the group wish to thank again all those who helped to make the experience so successful and enjoyable, particularly:

Liz Caffery
Rosemary Langan
the Menfolk (you know who you are)
Steve Rogers for use of his space
and Sligo Arts Service

Members reaction to the pit fire experience:

"Planning for claywork for pit firing 2008 inspired by rocks/smoothed/moulded stones at Pollnadivva, and the cursing stones on the alter on Innis Murray off Sligo (5th c. Monastic settlement).
Kneading, moulding, forming – the process fire, smoke, water, cooling, burnishing."

– Bernie Gallagher.

"Pit firing is a great opportunity to surrender the very controlled, conscious mark making of the artist for an entirely random and elemental process.
Using fire, or rather directing fire to produce an unexpected effect is an exciting and liberating experience for the artist, evoking primordial ceramic making.
I found writing on the clay and burnishing some of the objects, then leaving the fire to make its own marks and then finally polishing them with beeswax gave some impression of antiquity and unconscious layers made through time."
– Claire de Berry.

"Everyone brings their own uniqueness to the group. With a wealth of experience to draw upon there can be a great generosity of spirit in sharing skills ans expertise. We are an assemblage that supports each other in many ways with a group dynamic that encourages interaction, networking and dialogue, fostering artistic growth both as artists and as friends. As a relative new newcomer to this area, about to embark on my first year of a Fine Art Degree the time with the group is proving invaluable.
My first attempts at working with clay were experimental and I learned from my initial mistakes. With pit firing, the results are somewhat unpredictable but I am enjoying the process very much," – Sue Cowburn.

"The ideas and thoughts that I started with have developed throughout the project.
Repeditive forms have evolved into constructed layered interiors.
The experience of building these structured forms and then letting complete chance dictate their surface decoration was exhilerating and inspirational."
–Naomi Rogers.

"Hands in clay, like visiting an old friend. Ideas sprouting with abundance, in sync with the arrival of spring. It’s lush growth, strong phalic and vulvovaginal forms, textures, the arousing beauty of nature. Digging and packing the pit, igniting the fires, the ceramic hissing and spitting at us when quenched, finally revealing the secrets of the pit fire process. We celebrate life through art."
–Daniéle Vesque.

"I am now one year with this group and find the whole thing so beneficial and enjoyable. Everyone is so generous with the help and information. We have shared and learned so much in the year.
The pit firings have been two of the golden days of my life. They were wonderful experiences and we were fascinated with the turn-outs which were really good the second time around."
– Alanna O'Regan.

"This was my first experience with three dimensional work. My early attempts were not very successful but I enjoyed the process. Shaping and moulding the clay ignited an energy within me. I have now set myself a goal to produce my first perfect piece,"
– Margret Field.

"The project gave me a reason to work with clay which I havn’t done for many years.
I didn’t have a pre-conceived idea of what to make.
I had a wheel and clay and out of that came my pots.
The pit firing was an extra surprise to see all the beautiful colours, shades and textures from all our pieces."
– Catherine O’Neill.

"This project enabled me to work with a medium, which I had never used before. It was a very addictive experience. The final stage, the firing process, was very dramatic as various colours emerged. The process can be described as enjoyment, pleasure, comfort and contentment – it was all of these and more."
–Mary Patterson.

"The pre-historic technique of pit firing lead to an investigation of ancient clay objects in particular the female form. As the work developed it began to resemble a cache or hoard. Fragments, when assembled became a familiar image."
–Imelda Peppard.

"The work that I produced for me was not bout the end result. There was no intent it was the enjoyment of working with my hands and the clay together remind me of my love for ceramics. It was also the experience of working with the womens group from walking the beach for wood to burn, to digging the pit, placing the pieces of work within. Sitting round in a group in anticipation and freedom to express."
–Catherine Whittle.

"Touching my work and physically moulding the clay was a very new experience for me which I really enjoyed. Playing with form and having the freedom to sculpt and construct a physical three dimensional piece contrasts greatly with the impersonal sterility of design based computer work which I am familiar with."
–Lorraine Judge.

“Working with clay enabled me to develop my work on the sea front in a new direction the whole process from the finish was interesting and great fun, it was good not to have to travel to take part in a professional workshop”
–Denise Clarke.

The group will resume drawing next week.

Members are asked to remember Tuesday, 21st as the date for our AGM. Please keep note of any issues you would like to raise at the meeting and forward them to the Chair before the date.

Second Pit Firing

2008-09-08T11:01:00.000+01:00

A sunny afternoon at Daniéles...

Second Bisque Firing

2008-07-24T18:24:00.000+01:00

reminder...

2008-07-16T23:00:00.000+01:00

Just another little reminder for the members of the group to please have work ready for collection for the second bisque firing next Tuesday (22nd) completely air dried and carefully packed as before. Thanks.

Below are some photos Imelda Peppard has shared from her own experimental firing at home in her range with very successful results. Thanks Mel!

Daniéle Vesque shares her notes taken on the day of our first firing (June 10):

2008-07-09T15:50:00.000+01:00

1. LONG BARREL

Procedure:

1. Paper tapers put in place.
2. Sawdust & wood-chip bed
3. Work layered & packed with more sawdust & wood-chips. Copper sulphate & Copper carbonate added.
4. Wood
5. Tapers lit. Once wood starts to burn down, more is put on top. Building of embers & stoking continues for approx. 2.5 hours.
6. Lid is placed on top, corners weighted down.
7. Leave, once vent is blocked for 2.5 hours.
Results:
Majority of work was blackened & work located in hotter parts of barrel & close to copper sulphates & carbonate produced pinks, browns, whites & freckling.

2. PIT

Procedure:
1. Paper tapers put in place.
2. Sawdust & wood-chip, copper sulphate & Copper carbonate added.
3. Work layered & packed with more sawdust ,wood-chips & paper.
4. Kindling placed on top of layers and topped off with wood.
5. Tapers lit. Building of embers & stoking continues for approx. 3.5 hours. Wood should burn doun 2ft.
6. Lid is placed on & all areas around lid are packed in with sods. Vent is blocked.
7. Pit needs to be checked on to make sure no smoke is escaping.

Results:
Work near vent was heated too much and colour detail was erradicated.

3. SAWDUST FIRE

Procedure:
1. Paper tapers put in place.
2. Sawdust & wood shavings at bottom.
3. Layer of wood chips, then kindling.
4. Work placed on top & layer again if required.
5. Repeat layering (2&3) until full.
6. Wait until 2" on top is smouldering before putting lid on.
7. Leave to burn down.
8. Plug up holes with tapers if burning to rapidly in spots.
9. If possible, leave overnight to allow a complete burn.

Thank you Daniéle for sharing your notes!
We were also joined this evening by two visiting participants; Katie and Blathín Rogers.

Margret Field on being a member of the group...

2008-07-02T04:12:00.000+01:00

Since becoming a member of the West Sligo Woman’s Art Group, my world has been opened up to new possibilities for my art. The women are all very different, with a variety of skills to offer. We assist each other in different aspects of our craft. We have several workshops, given by members of the group. The camaraderie, friendship, great sense of humor and fun play a huge part in breaking the isolation of artists living and working in a rural community, and I look forward to our weekly meetings with gusto!

– Margret Field

some of Margrets work:

Margret's exhibition "Symphony of Colour" currenty runs in
Caffreys Art Gallery, Ballina, Co. Mayo.

Polishing our Pieces

2008-06-18T12:06:00.000+01:00

Yesterday evening saw the group meet to polish our fired pieces with some fantastic results. We used a beeswax polish (thanks to Catherine W for picking it up for all of us).
Seeing everyone’s pieces together and discussing last weeks project was very beneficial and will inform our decision making as we begin producing some work for our second firing.

Members of the group are reminded please to have work ready for collection for the second bisque firing on the 22nd July, completely air dried and carefully packed as before.

The first firing

2008-06-11T15:06:00.000+01:00

Yesterday saw our first firing at the Workhouse in Dromore West (many thanks to Cillian, Imelda, Naomi and Aidan for letting us invade their home for the day!) The day began bright and early at 9am and wrapped up in the evening. All together, we had four kilns: a half barrel, the pit we dug last week and two half barrels we left to burn overnight. Conditions were perfect with a bright sunny day and enough wind to feed the fire.

Digging the pit

2008-06-05T17:24:00.000+01:00

We got a beautiful evening to begin digging the pit with just enough wind to keep the midges away!!

Its a serious business you know...

Fine arse ...em, I mean Art!

2008-06-03T21:51:00.000+01:00

The first bisque firing is finished and everyones pieces are ready for the pit!
Above are photos of everyones work together.
We began digging the pit this evening and it will be ready for the firing next week.

in to the kiln!

2008-05-27T21:33:00.000+01:00

Thank you to the ladies who took care of everyones work and brought it to the pottery studio for firing.

2008-05-20T21:12:00.000+01:00

A lot of pieces have begun by rolling out a slab of clay and moulding it into a shape by using various objects as supports and moulds. Above, Denise is using a baloon to make a spherical piece.

Visit from Liz Caffery

2008-05-13T21:05:00.000+01:00

The participants of the pit firing project with Liz

Liz Caffery visited the group this evening giving a hugely insightful explanation into the pit firing process. She kindly brought along samples of her own pit-fired work, showed us her tool kit and answered all our questions. As most the group members are new to the pit firing process we found it hugely beneficial for understanding the capacities of what is best suited for a pit fire.

making progress

2008-05-06T20:44:00.000+01:00

Imelda has kindly taken on the task of ordering clay for the project, cheers Mel!

Colaberative Drawing – Tiger (rarr!)

2008-04-15T13:38:00.000+01:00

Colaberative Drawing – Foliage

2008-04-01T13:27:00.000+01:00

OUT OF THE KILN, INTO THE FIRE!

2008-03-25T19:12:00.000Z

With kind funding from the Sligo Arts Service we have begun our pit-firing project!
The project is sculptural and ceramic based. We will explore a type of reduction firing known as "pit firing". This is a very ancient process, which is still being explored by contemporary ceramic artists today. Ceramic artist and lecturer, Liz Caffery, is facilitating the process.

Colaberative mark making.

2008-03-04T19:00:00.000Z