more details below:

South London Women Artists (SLWA) are pleased to present snap!

snap! South London women Artists at Bankside

Bankside Gallery, Hopton Street, London SE1.

Curated by Althea Greenan, Dr Lara Perry and Sarah Sparkes.

This second major exhibition of members’ work will also display archived Women Artists’ Diaries lent by The Women’s Art Library collection at Goldsmiths University of London, includes the 1999 edition featuring SLWA member Jackie Brown.

Our exhibition catalogue is a SLWA diary for the academic year 2012/13 (£10)

and this will join the collection in The Women’s Art Library after the show.

Other events:

Thursday 3 May 1:45- 3pm: Giant Bankside snap! School Event

Saturday 5 May 3pm: Gallery talk by Dr Susan Wood

Sunday 6 May 3pm: Performative event by SLWA members

Free Admission. Wheelchair accessible venue.

Further information visit our website www.southlondonwomenartists.co.uk

Medusa Neckwrap by Vicky Forrester

I have been developing new pieces for the Medusa collection in the last months, and to celebrate the launch I asked Rowan Papier to take some style shots….

I’m delighted with these results! What do you think?

Reclaiming the power of the Snake Goddess, the Medusa collection combines leather and sterling silver into alluring coils that reflect the movement of the snake. Sharp points, hooks, rattling bone-like beads all combine to create edgy, powerful and seductive jewellery that can be worn in numerous ways on the body.  These snaking coils can be twisted and manipulated to create unlimited sculptural and  wearable forms that wrap around the hand, arm, neck, waist…all waiting to play with you.

We decided that in common we share a perspective in life that facilitates a true sense of freedom -  Conforming to no other rules or expectations than our own,  our output is a 3 dimensional manifestation of our ever evolving life experience; our hopes, desires – perhaps a glimpse of our deepest secrets!

Here is a link to a fantabulous and engaging film about precisely this spirit of freedom.

Those stylish New York Ladies!

I love you, ladies.

Maggie, Alex, Claire and myself are destined to join you in our own good time!

If you have yet to find this delightful site, please go now, take a peek at this virtual pinboard site. Here you will find millions of visually stimulating imagery based on innumerable search terms; join up and start making your own!

For me one of the most delightful pleasures is to look through my collected stimulus after a time of gathering but not viewing – to see themes, influences and undercurrents through the things I find visually interesting, and how subconsciously these themes direct my own art practice…

Hence a preoccupation with suggested / intangible ball forms going back to my college days

Spikey Vessel by V Forrester, 1989

and then my 2000+ collections containing preciously made jewellery of similar forms

Peace - Vicky Forrester 2009

show resonance with more recent works by other artists :

Here’s one from the  2011 Vanguard Court winter open studios that I will miss

Look out for the lovely lady of the Midlands who wears it now – a loving gift from her man.

Gold Totem Cuff, with Totem Necklace, by Vicky Forrester

Thanks to Flux Studios for another fantastic event!

Jewellery / Ceramics / Wood / Painting / Textiles / Furniture /Silver / Jewellery

(Did I mention Jewellery? Only the best in town)

Join us for mulled wine and seasonal cheer

Private View: Thu 1 Dec 6 – 8.30pm

Sale continues Friday 2 – Sunday 4 December , 11am – 6pm daily

Flux Winter Open Studios 2-6 Dec 2011

Also Showing:

Barbara Yarde / Ilona Guest / Kyle Hopkins / Maggie Laing / Bev Holden

Natascha Kotsoupoulou / Claire Hart / Imogen Belfield / Vicky Forrester

Yuki Sasakura / Alex Yule / Becky Dockree / Dickie Wilkinson

Relativity - from the Incident Series, Vicky Forrester 2011

There is something delightfully absorbing and unwinding about stone carving; after my first experience I was hooked – and last month I returned once more to Charlotte De Syllas’ stone carving course at The London Met.

I have an ongoing personal project around found objects… but you will have to wait a while for me to explain more – there’s a whole exhibition in it, I hope, one day… suffice to say that I decided to dedicate my course time to replicating my found object in as precise detail as possible, in stone.

The process is slow but immensely satisfying; over 4 days I worked a piece of blue lace agate from rock  -

blue lace agate

using these tools

Stone-cutting saw

Grinding wheels

and then these

useful tools for grinding stone

and these

3 nice files

to make this

Water (back detail)

I’m delighted with my result. I’m not sure yet whether it will be an object to wear – I like the idea of it being a conundrum, a curiosity, a museum piece – a future relic. I’m still thinking about it’s deeper symbolic associations with water/life/preciousness…..the way we live now…

Back to the course -

There were 6 of us on the course, and over the 4 days our stories unfolded -  new threads of connectivity span the country, ideas spread, life changes. Another wonderful element of being a student is in this serendipitous meeting of others with similar drives, diverse approaches. And how delightfully different our finished pieces were – sorry, no photos to show, but I did particularly love the smokey quartz cicada wing

We were all inspired by our tutor; Charlotte’s work is beautiful. I love her fluid forms, and as she described the pieces in her folio we were drawn to look more closely at her work;  it was evident that each piece presented technical challenges that only a master could achieve with such ingenuity and (?) simplicity. I was also inspired by her approach to jewellery  with colour as the foundation for her pieces – precisely the opposite place from my own usual starting point!

Charlotte is deeply knowledgeable about stone and carving it, and she is a very generous teacher (and a great entertainer – so sorry I had to miss the end of course drinks) and if you think your hands can take the punishment (wet/dry/wet/dry/wet/dry) sign up for the next course now – I thoroughly recommend it!

Please come to the show, Private View Friday 24 June, 6-9pm

Flux Studios, 2F Vanguard Court, London SE5 8QT

Jewellery by V Forrester, Image by Stanza

Image by Stanza

I came across this delightful living artwork today

- plants arranged in the style of Van Gogh..

Here, at least, the endless rain is appreciated