Vidya Wolton » Quay Arts

All fired up!-

Vidya — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:12:51 +0000

I have had the opportunity to attend several Summer Schools in conjunction with Quay Arts including pottery and had the delight today of seeing my pieces in their glazed state from the kiln. This is a truely fascinating process of transformation. I was a bit at sixes and sevens with the various glazes and oxides, not knowing what they would do but am now the proud owner of a plethora of pots and vases. Here is the kiln in readiness for the firing that took place last weekend, representing a variety of student work and all under the careful guidance of potter Sue Paraskeva whose work in porcelain is nationally and internationally recognised. Sue’s latest venture is the hitting of pots with sticks to distort and partially break the original piece in what is quite a radical action on what would otherwise be perfectly formed pots.

This is Outrageous!

Vidya — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:18:53 +0000

That was my latest entry in the Comments book at Quay Arts earlier in the week. Atleast I have evoked a reaction albeit less than favourable. I’m aware that the exhibition won’t be to everyone’s taste although on the whole feedback has been good and there have been some really well thought out comments which point to an enriching experience. I continue to ponder the whole question of audience and what my role is as an artist.

Profound Learning! Profound difficulty!

Vidya — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:48:10 +0000

My exhibition continues in the Rope Store at Quay Arts and today I witnessed a sudden influx of visitors, much to my delight. Firstly, youngsters with behavioural and medical problems were having a session with one of the gallery educators. They were then joined by a group of adults with learning difficulties who were guiding one another around the gallery. I looked on in wonder and await further feedback from those who were there. It would be gratifying to find that some profound learning was taking place for these most marginalised of groups. Bar the Private View, for which quite a lot of planning took place and was well attended, this has to be the next best thing – a public viewing en masse!

Going Wild at the Abbey

Vidya — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:09:14 +0000

Yesterday’s visit to Quarr Abbey was rewarded by a couple of prime photo opportunities. Firstly, there is the demonstrative and persistent cat which causes great concern as it follows visitors along the path. It turns out not to be missing (as indicated by helpful poster). The other great feature at the nearby cafe has to be the birdlife, including a limping Pheasant and the cheeky Robins coming as close as they dare. I was able to do a few quick sketches of the Robin and am very much centering on bird images at the moment back at the studio. It seems to be a time for consolidating on past work in the run-up to my exhibition at Quay Arts at the end of April.

Vid’s Christmas Message

Vidya — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:13:48 +0000

Hello, from the roof tops of Cowes for some festive cheer. This winter wonderland looked quite magical from the Co-op car park. It just goes to show what a transformation takes place at this time of year.

News from the studio is that I seem to be having a bit of a breakthrough on the painting front. After the constraints of making my many small art boxes over the past year painting on a grander scale has taken second place. It was something of a revelation to be painting on canvas again and extending my palette back to conventional acrylic to supplement pots of household paint, with which I had become rather too cosy. Colour has become more of a challenge, as has the subject matter, which is ever changing, so let me not bore you with something that seems impossible to pin down at the present time. I hope there is a freshness to my painting which will become evident in my next Solo show at Quay Arts at the end of April. More about that closer to the time. However, for now, let me leave you with Cowes at Christmas on a chilly evening in December and offer my festive best wishes. For any out there wanting to offer a festive toast, my tipple of preference for the Season is Baileys on the rocks. Plenty of ice please!

And finally. . . . . . are we heading for a white Christmas? The bookies are looking to have a big pay out. Keep warm out there in cyberspace. More ramblings in 2010.

Feltmaking at the Quay

Vidya — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:38:49 +0000

First attempt!

Today I was part of a group embarking on some experimental feltmaking with tutor Jeanette Appleton, who is currently showing a major body of work at Quay Arts. Jeanette is truely international in her themes, drawing on impressions of the landscape in Spain where she lives and driving home a message on environmental issues through the most subtle and delicate of means. This is an exhibition not to be missed as it pushes the boundaries of feltmaking beyond the purely decorative to challenge the viewer concerning the meaning behind the work. The works are beautiful, well-crafted, yet potent as a means of comment on environment and tourism issues with their associated politics.

What was I thinking of!

Vidya — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:30:36 +0000

It was with some foreboding that I set off to the Jubilee Stores (in conjunction with Quay Arts) this morning, having enrolled for a whole week of jewellery making and most definitely moving outside my comfort zone. The relatively minute scale we are working on is such that I can’t quite see what I am doing at times (having developed long-sightedness with age). We were, however in the capable hands of Sophie Honeybourne, an experienced jewellery maker who very patiently helped me in spite of failing eyesight (must remember glasses tomorrow!). I actually think that working in a different medium, with different tools and as a class activity will be quite good for me and may actually inject my own practice with something new. I already have a little seagull motif which has emerged unexpectedly and takes me back to my numerous trips along East Cowes seafront with the many squawking Black-headed Gulls. Lets see where this all leads. Setting stones tomorrow. Watch this space for the breaking news. By the way, the course is entitled ‘Working with Amber’.

Along similar lines

Vidya — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:29:53 +0000

I’m continuing to follow themes from the landscape but working in the studio and moving up in scale. Enjoying hardboard as a surface – I think a smooth finish suits a spontaneous approach and records brushmarks well. Painting in earnest for the Quay Arts Open as before and look forward to submitting. Will maybe look at pursuing some other Open Gallery Submissions in the region in the months ahead.

Going with the Flow

Vidya — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:28:55 +0000

The past month has been a fruitful time for pursuing the landscape themes as mentioned previously. There is definitely something that has stayed with me which I can pursue through landscape but which is an amalgam of a number of experiences. I’m painting in earnest with a view to submitting for the Quay Arts Open in about a month’s time. It’s good to have a short-term focus as so often exhibitions are one or two years ahead and can be difficult to work towards without other goals along the way.