All four Staffordshire groups have completed pieces for their Journeys installations and eagerly await the unveiling at Wolverhampton Art Gallery in October.
Participants from each venue are planning group outings to see the full exhibition, and plans are underway for an exciting new arts development in the Spring.
Still Lively sessions continue to take place in Choices Housing settings; Maywood and Chasewood. Here are some images from the most recent sessions with artists Jim Morris and Kim Fuller.
A tenant at Maywood creates her ‘landscape-story’ picture using aerial photographs and museum artefacts as prompts:
Photographer Ming de Nasty takes the portrait of a Maywood tenant, along with her favourite work from the Still Lively sessions:
A tenant at Chasewood creates her ‘landscape-story’ picture using museum artefacts as prompts:
A tenant at Chasewood creates his ‘landscape-story’ picture using aerial photographs and museum artefacts as prompts:
We are delighted to say that people are taking up the invitation to come along and draw at WAG on Wednesdays during our summer break.
We officially reconvene on Wednesdays September 5th with a writing workshop led by Jacqui Rowe.
Work continues behind the scenes to prepare for our exhibition which will open to the Public on October the 20th. We are putting the finishing touches to the programme of activities which will happen on Wednesdays during the Journeys Exhibition.
The Drawing Club will continue on Wednesdays 10.30-1pm and 2-4pm led by Sam Hale:
• Each session will focus on self – directed drawing with support and encouragement.
• Each block will include one or more workshops which is artist led. The aim of these workshops is to provide participants with a sense of direction/inspiration and/or to profile art works from the collection/exhibitions.
• Workshops to take place in education spaces and galleries.
• Easels, drawing boards, clip boards and chairs available.
• Simple refreshments and materials provided.
• Booking and payment of £3 per session at Gallery Box Office. Please book to ensure your place.
• On Wednesdays during the exhibition there will be a programme of activities linked to the exhibition to include a creative writing workshop with Dave Reeves and inspiration/ in the spotlight workshops with Jim Morris and Tom Jones.
Block 1
September 5th – Writing Workshop with Jacqui Rowe + drawing with Sam
September 12th – Drawing
September 19th – Drawing
September 26th – Drawing
October 3rd – Drawing
October 10th – Drawing
October 17th – Drawing
(October 20th Still Lively Exhibition Opens)
October 24th – Drawing/exhibition
Block 2
November 7th – Drawing /exhibition
November 14th – Drawing /exhibition
November 21st – Drawing /exhibition
November 28th – Drawing /exhibition
December 5th – Drawing /exhibition
December 12th – Drawing /exhibition
(December 15th Exhibition Closes)
The tenants responded enthusiastically to the invitation to create ‘Reflected Landscape’ images from their imagination/memory.
Starting their drawings using pencil, the tenants added colour using a mixture of ‘Ferby’ pencil crayon, watercolour pencil and felt pens.
One tenant had taken her artwork from the previous session – ‘a View from the Train Window’ – on holiday with her to complete:
We have had some more lovely stories from participants taking part in the Still Lively sessions at Wolverhampton Art Gallery:
“My husband has always been imaginative and creative but something has happened to him during this project , it’s as if the bars have come down. He’s still working on the same subjects but he’s faster and so much freer in his his work. His drawings on holiday are fantastic. Whatever happened is carrying on.”
” When I first came to the Gallery i found it all a bit dry and didn’t feel very inspired by the work on display. Now it’s really interesting, vibrant and exciting- I could spend weeks working from these pieces( In the Contemporary ). At first i thought it was the gallery that had changed but I’ve come to the realisation that it’s me- I’ve changed.”
Still Lively members at Beechwood in Staffordshire enjoyed a ‘dramatic’ visit from their neighbouring theatre, The New Vic. New Vic hosts a company called Ages and Stages, a drama group especially for people aged 55 plus. The company led Beechwood tenants in a drama workshop, exploring improvisation techniques and storytelling. Several participants enjoyed it so much they’ve decided to head for the stage too…!
The Gallery Invite you to come along and draw on Wednesdays. An education room will be open and there will be easels, drawing boards, clip boards and paper available. Sorry but there won’t be tea and coffee although the café is open. The only week to avoid is Wednesday 29th August 2018.
The very popular sessions at Wolverhampton continue to go from strength to strength with diverse and really very interesting work being produced by both the morning and afternoon groups. The concertina journals reveal the creative journeys in all kinds of ways.
The main focus of the sessions is independent drawing in the gallery spaces with support and encouragement from Sam and Tom. We’re also busy with the very difficult task of selecting work for the Still Lively Exhibition which is due to open in October. Ming D’Nasty is joining us at the gallery this week to photograph work that participants have chosen for the exhibition showreel, she’s also taken portraits of some of the group alongside items from the collections which have informed their drawings.
Although we’re not formally meeting during July and August over 55’s are most welcome to come along to the gallery on Wednesdays and draw.
Still Lively sessions at Maywood and Chasewood have started up again after a gap of a number of weeks. During the break some tenants continued meeting every week! The tenants created Landscape images inspired by the work of artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Tenants created work by drawing a simple landscape, drawing concentric lines around the features until the paper is filled with concentric lines like ‘ripples’, and then add colour to your design! You can find more information about the idea on artist, Jim Morris’s blog: www.jimartgames.wordpress.com
