Nearly Home Exhibition

I’m delighted to share that ‘Time for Tea‘ has been accepted for the ArtCan ‘Nearly Home’ exhibition in Spain by curators Catherine Fenton and Walk Bye founder Catalina Aranguren.

This digital exhibition takes place at the Mostrador de Mirasierra Gallery, Madrid, Spain, October 21 – November 20 2024.

Artists taking part in Nearly Home
Artists taking part in Nearly Home

“Mostrador de Mirasierra is a gallery cafe bar in an affluent area of Madrid. It is set over two floors and has a reputation for excellent art exhibitions in Madrid. In the basement level there is a large screen on which we will introduce ArtCan to Madrid by having the Walk Bye projection running throughout the month. We will also have a list of participating artists and a QR code to the ArtCan website on the wall next to the screen.” ArtCan.

Time for Tea is part of the Nearly Home Exhibition
Time for Tea is part of the Nearly Home Exhibition
Time for Tea
Time for Tea

Nearly Home Exhibition

“Nearly Home asks us to consider how, beyond the obvious structures of shelter, do we personally define the often intangible quality that gives each of us a feeling of belonging? How do some fortunate enough to have had a happy childhood home, consolidate the feeling of nostalgia, with a need to grow new roots? Whether displaced by circumstance or choice, we navigate the world physically and spiritually in search of home, a place where we are in tune with who we are and comfortable to welcome in the people we love.” Catherine and Catalina.

Curators

Catherine Fenton’s work frequently deals with issues surrounding the environment and human rights. Using collaged material relating to the subject, her paintings subtly draw the viewer in with colour and texture with the intention rousing further curiosity. Her paintings have been exhibited with the Just Water campaign in St Paul’s Cathedral London, along with exhibitions and installations for Greenpeace, Toilet Twinning and The Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture.

Joining ArtCan in 2016, Catherine is now the Philanthropic Programme Director and curated an ArtCan exhibition for The International Day of the Girl Child which combined a programme to engage disenfranchised women with the charity Hibiscus London.

Catalina Aranguren’s work is a documentation of the mundane. Her work is a dialogue about the modern world and our place in it. Because her childhood was a constant wavering between languages, cultures, and third and first worlds, on a daily basis, her work focuses on the relationship between the learned and the subconscious. Her work is in private collections across the United States, UK, Australia, Chile, Sweden and Colombia. She has exhibited across the Unites States as well as Turkey, Spain, UK, Canada and Sweden.

Catalina founded Walk Bye as collective outdoor art exhibition that invited creators to exhibit original work to be displayed outside their home or from a window visible to the public from a distance during the pandemic. Walk Bye continues to create exhibition opportunities and promote the work of artists to positively contribute to their careers. Catalina is a new member to ArtCan. She joined after moving to Madrid from New York.

Darning Sampler 2 – Cloth

Darning Sampler 2 is the latest addition to my darning series. A series of work celebrating the patterns and variations of the humble darning stitch.

Darning Sampler 2 - Cloth
Darning Sampler 2 – Cloth

The project started with a vintage glass cloth I discovered in my collection.

This soft, buttery and well worn cloth has a beautiful weave, and an iconic red and white logo runs through the centre. The cloth is easy to handle and provides a perfect blank space for layering and weaving the thread.

An iconic red and white logo running through the centre
An iconic red and white logo running through the centre

I started with a test sample of Madeira Cotona thread to see how it stitched and just carried on stitching.

Madeira Cotona thread and a vintage glass cloth
Madeira Cotona thread and a vintage glass cloth

By the end of the first day I’d completed two designs and was researching more.

Darning Sampler 2. A beautiful and buttery cloth to stitch
A beautiful and buttery cloth to stitch
The act of repairing worn and damaged cloth often involves patching, mending and darning.
The act of repairing worn and damaged cloth often involves patching, mending and darning.
Darning Sampler 2  is inspired by a vintage glass cloth from my collection.
Darning Sampler 2 is inspired by a vintage glass cloth from my collection.

Embroiderers’ Guild Members Project 2024

The 2024 Members’ project from the Embroiderers’ Guild is based around repair. Darning Sampler 2 has been accepted and will be on exhibition at the Knitting and Stitching Shows this autumn.

“Repair, Restore, and Recreate have become buzz words …. We are all aware of the need to extend the life of what we use. But being textile artists, we also embrace the idea of enhancing and decorating textiles as we repair and/or restore them. What we repair and how, may now be far removed from the days of darning socks ….. The traditional patchwork quilts have evolved into memory quilts … Boro has moved beyond simply patching … Darning has gained a new life as a surface decoration. ” Embroiderers’ Guild.

A Letter in Mind 2024

I’m honoured to be taking part in A Letter in Mind 2024. An exhibition where all work is sold anonymously for £85 each to raise funds for the National Brain Appeal.

A letter in Mind 2024 raising funds for The National Brain Appeal
A letter in Mind 2024 raising funds for The National Brain Appeal

The theme of this year’s exhibition is ‘The Wonder of Colour’. 

In this its 11th year, over 800 plus artworks will be on exhibition at Gallery Different, 14 Percy St, London W1T 1DR.

The gallery is open to the public on Tuesday 29 October, 10am-8pm and from Wednesday 30 October – Saturday 2 November 10am-6pm. 

You will be able to preview the artworks online at aletterinmind.org from 11am on 30 October – and artworks will go on sale online on Thursday 31 October from 11am.

All proceeds will fund projects at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology. The National Hospital in Queen Square is one of the world’s leading centres for the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with neurological and neuromuscular conditions. The Institute of Neurology has a world-class reputation for neuroscience. Its mission is to translate neuroscience discovery research into treatments for patients with neurological diseases, including stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), brain cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia among many others.

A Letter in Mind

“The idea is simple: use a plain, white envelope as your starting point to create an artwork based on a theme…. All proceeds from sales help to transform life for the millions of people affected by neurological and neuromuscular conditions in the UK. Last year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of ALIM and saw the total raised exceed £300,000…. We provide much-needed funds to support The National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery and the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology …. One of the world’s leading centres for the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with neurological and neuromuscular conditions. These include stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia.

Each year hundreds of artists put time, effort and creativity into making unique artworks for ALIM. We are so grateful for the commitment of all contributing artists, some of whom have submitted work every year since the event launched in 2013! They come from across the UK and beyond, and include household names and professional artists, people who have been creating art for a lifetime and people who are just starting to dip their toe into drawing or painting.

Well-known contributors this year include: Orlanda Broom, Mark Dion, Polly Dunbar, Kevin Eldon, Mark Entwisle, James Fleet, Leigh Francis, Stephen Graham, Harry Hill, Frank Kiely, Anita Mangan, Ishbel Myerscough, Morag Myerscough, Chris Riddell, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Axel Scheffler, Indira Varma and Hannah Walters.

Set an alert for 11am on 29 October to preview the artworks, with sales launching at 11am on 31 October. We hope you find a piece you love!” A Letter in Mind.

I feel honoured to be part of A Letter in Mind 2024. It’s a charity that’s very close to my heart and one I’ve supported in previous years with my embroidered work.