becky hunter Rotating Header Image

Musehunting: 3rd September 2010

Autumn is here… I’m looking forward to wearing woolly jumpers (that’s sweaters, for my US readers), drinking more tea, knitting and feeling cosy while, erm, getting distracted online…

Bilbao 36
Creative Commons License photo credit: gatogrunge – something a little dark for the onset of Autumn?

@whitehotmag – the online art resource whose twitter account I manage – is almost at 5,000 followers. Do take a look and join us if you like what you see

We Like Artists has simple and effective advice for artists on matters such as how to promote yourself online, how to work more efficiently and where to find free, online image editing software

I like Zoetica Ebb’s photo piece on the ladyblogger’s trip to Disneyland

Deborah Sokell, whom I interviewed last week, blogs about her handmade teddy bears

Follow @yokoono on Twitter for sweet daily thoughts

Columbia prof of neuroscience and psychiatry Oliver Sacks on writing

@elisabethberle’s organic, animated art videos are fascinating

Applicable to us work-from-home types – ‘This is your brain on computers‘ (and it’s not good) – via @galadarling

Yoko Ono: Walking on Thin Ice

The Original Copy on photography and sculpture is at MoMA

Interesting letter to the Guardian on misunderstanding Warhol

Also at the Guardian, a video on the new Warhol/Hayward show

Frieze on ugliness, beauty and ’super-hybridity’

An insight into the ‘art theft underworld‘ from the New York Times

The Poison Pen blog is still going strong. Lucy gives us a smart piece on Marie Claire’s recent coverage of open relationships

Competition: pick Gala Darling’s birthday outfit and win prizes

Why not unplug for one day this weekend? I might, if I dare…

Handmade in the UK

Since speaking with passionate creative entrepreneur, Deborah Sokell, last week, I’ve been inspired to look into the handmade industry a little deeper. As my area of expertise is modern/contemporary art, the craft side of things is really pretty new to me. Two British-based organisations with a strong online presence – Folksy and UK Handmade – have made a great impression so far…

Bee Bear by Deborah Sokell

'Foxy', a custom ordered bear by Deborah Sokell, mink faux fur, large ribbon around neck

The OED defines ‘folksy’ as ‘Sociable; also, unpretentiously companionable; informal, casual’. Folksy.com – the UK’s answer to Etsy – is undeniably community-oriented, friendly and fun to browse, but there’s real sophistication involved too. This is true for both the database-cum-store’s simply beautiful appearance and excellent search options, as well as the obvious care and attention each seller puts into their ‘objects de craft’ and their individual shop presentation.

Folksy’s fabulous mission, as described on their website, is to ‘marry up designers and crafters with buyers who want individual, quality stuff that’s made with love.’ To further this aim, the Folksy grassroots community of makers recently helped out with a successful social networking campaign to capture the attention of Queen of Shopping, Mary Portas. This campaign was spearheaded and organised by UK Handmade and Handmade & Fabulous!, a popular craft site. Ms Portas’ enthusiastic and constructively critical response will, I hope, propel the handmade movement forward, and demonstrates the dedication and organisational skills already in place within the web-savvy designer-maker community.

Driftwood four-poster bed by Free Range Designs & Corset chair by Couture Upholstery

Driftwood four-poster bed by Free Range Designs & Corset chair by Couture Upholstery

UK Handmade is a ‘design led online magazine committed to showcasing and promoting the best creative talent the UK has to offer’. Playing a pivotal role in developing and sustaining the Portas campaign, links to Mary’s response and the campaigners’ next steps are posted on their site. I spoke with Kirsten Miller of UK Handmade, who had this to say about the movement’s future…

Handmade is coming into its own, and as a result of our successful joint campaign with the Handmade and Fabulous! blog, Mary Portas now has the handmade movement on her radar. It’s up to everyone in the handmade industries to take their business to the next level – it’s not about competing with mass-produced goods, it’s about being seen as a real alternative to them, which gives consumers a much wider choice whilst supporting the UK economy. There is definitely a trend in consumer buying towards the unique and the individual – with a concerted effort by everyone in the handmade industries, we can meet that demand and become a respected and valued part of the economy.

It’s not all about promotion, however. UK Handmade also produces gift guides for occasions such as weddings; provides networking opportunities for creatives; posts how-tos and recipes; hosts competitions and an opportunities noticeboard; has a forum to swap tips and advice on everything from where to find recycled silver to how to raise your profile; and has a team of enthusiastic editors, writers, teachers and events organisers hard at work in service to the handmade industry. It’s a comprehensive network of sites, discussions, shops and blogs -  a true resource for crafters and emerging businesses all over the UK.

To close, I’ve loved finding out more about the growing handmade movement and I’m sure that contemporary artists and designer-makers have much in common – we’d benefit from working together more closely. Here’s my pick of Folksy shops for your visual (and spending!) pleasure…

Debbie Carlisle Vintage Bouquets

'Jewel Brights Vintage Jewelery Bouquet' by Debbie Carlisle, DC Bouquets

With totally mindblowing design and technique, vintage jewel encrusted, hand-sewn  DC Bouquets sums up in visual and tactile form what the handmade movement is all about

Interviewed on my blog two weeks ago today, A Farmer’s Daughter makes greetings cards and flower presses with a wholesome, rural theme

Quernus crafts, run by Kirsten, is an emporium of handmade, super sweet, tiny, polymer clay animals

Handmadecharlie makes pretty, delicate jewelery inspired by old-time prints and fabrics, temptingly photographed against romantic backgrounds

I was stunned to come across Free Range Designs, a family business making original & gorgeous wooden furniture: quirky beds, sexy chaise longues & geometric tables

If you’re after delicate jewelery with a gently Celtic feel, have a look at Aeris‘ shop

Brilliant, colourful, intricately designed applique broaches and other one-off items are to be found at Janes’ Applique Originals

Tree Gems makes beautiful – and often useful – objects from wood. Examples are a match box, jewelery box, pendant, shawl pin and yarn spinner

Pussy Galore is the place to shop for teddies with a difference – she sells stunningly cute, cuddly cats and kittens made from socks!

Handmade miniature houses from Teapot Cottages – very unusual, in a good way

Thinking of unusual homes, there’s also Sarah Louise Dix’s Couture Upholstery, where the coats, corsets and gowns of high fashion meet lux furniture

Finally… fun handbags by Loulabelle

——————————————————————————————————————

Once again, to find out more about Deborah Sokell’s Bee Bears collectible teddy bear range -and her personal commissions – visit her Folksy shop, or her blog

Latest Axis piece…

Are the Creative Industries just for rich kids? Is working in the arts just for white, upper middle-class people? I argue that this is not the case, but that more needs to be done to encourage a truly diverse creative sector. Click through to Axisweb to join in the debate…

Please, don´t stop the music ♪
Creative Commons License photo credit: @jackeliiine

Massive budget cuts have already sent a chilly shockwave ‘through the arts world’.

Now, an independent survey reveals more difficult truths for aspiring creatives, this time regarding relationships between wealth and career progression.

According to the poll commissioned by national charity Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE), most parents are supportive of their children entering a creative field, and 35% are well-connected enough to assist them in finding internships or in networking with friends and family in the business – perpetuating a white, well-heeled, upper-middle class arts sector.

CCE’s chief executive Paul Collard is committed to tackling the problem: ‘Creative Partnerships… helps to introduce children to a range of creative professionals’, aiming ‘to support interested young people, no matter what their background, to get a foot in the door.’

Given the huge impact of early-life experiences, empowering children to see a creative career as a viable option makes sense.

I come from a working/lower middle class background in the deprived North-East of England, with no family career network.

Encouragement from teachers and visiting artists throughout comprehensive school skyrocketed my creative confidence and – feeling utterly entitled – I entered Chelsea College of Art and Design, a top London art school.

While role model artists of the YBA generation, such as Gillian Wearing, embraced working class roots, at Chelsea I found myself one of a tiny percentage of non-privately educated students.

Unprepared for the necessary social adjustments, my artwork suffered, as did my mental health.

Sob story aside, here is my point: the creative industries are certainly not just for rich kids.

The door must be flung wide open to people from all communities.

Yet, if we don’t prepare deprived young people for the often alien, affluent atmosphere they will encounter in the arts, progress will not be made.

————————————————————————

Axisweb is a great online resource for artists, curators and people who want to hire them

Musehunting: 27th August 2010

Wow man, August is nearly over. I’m all about cleaning and packing today as I’m moving into my lover’s place for 3 weeks before leaving the US (I’ll be back though!). Please do post links and drawings in the comments or send them via email and I’ll add them into this post.

Also – quick promo – I’m going to be speaking tomorrow at the Philadelphia Pecha Kucha on my passion for Agnes Martin. Come along and support me, and hear lots of other fascinating and funny stories from the other speakers!

Martin Creed nails
Creative Commons License photo credit: aliceson (a work by Martin Creed)

From the BBC: Creative minds ‘mimic schizophrenia’ - interesting and only slightly disconcerting

Also from the BBC: an article from 2007 written for World Mental Health day on a photographer Stuart Baker-Brown’s experiences with schizophrenia (also, the comments are eye opening)

In the past, schizophrenia has broken my life and taken away many of life’s opportunities, such as work and the ability to interact with society and family or even myself… In my experience, schizophrenia is potentially a very creative tool which, as yet, has not been understood or recognised and is mistreated and so its powerful symptoms manifest as confusion and destruction. If this potential creativity was nurtured and encouraged, I believe we could find something quite unique, rather than the devastation we recognise.

Jeffrey Bussman blogs very nicely on art & culture in Philadelphia and takes all of his own pictures on the scene

The New Yorker on the role of record labels now

I find bit.ly really useful for tracking clicks on links

Dandelion Network is a great new postgraduate art history group/site, with a journal, run by members of Birkbeck College, London. Here’s my profile.

Germaine Greer on Australia’s art of silence

Artist residencies in Mexico with SOMA

Oh storm chasers, one day I’ll have the money and the guts to follow you:

a-n Magazine is collecting info on graduate art exhibitions: if you’d like yours included in their listings tweet the details, using the hashtag #artgraduate, to @an_magazine pronto!

Sky Kim is awesome and I’ll be publishing an interview with her v soon

I’m also a fan of Tyler Dobson’s work. I’m a sucker for reworked failure

Shoreditch Sisters WI looks like fun if you’re in East-ish London

Mira’s List is a wonderful source for artist, writer and scholar residency and grant info. Very approachable writing style too

Google videos have published Basic Yoga for Dummies free online. It’s really well produced, easy to follow and super relaxing

AOL gives cash to creatives – log onto AOL artists to submit an application by 20th September

Sketchbook: 26th August 2010

Not amazing images but wanted to share how my progress has been coming along since 30 Days of Drawing. Let’s keep the drawing conversation going… I kinda miss it…

Grid after Agnes Martin

Grid after Agnes Martin

Grid after Agnes Martin

These drawings are still working with my interest (nay, love) for Agnes Martin’s grid paintings – the subject of my MA dissertation. I’m going to be speaking on my passion for Martin at the Philadelphia Pecha Kucha this Saturday. Do come along if you’re in the area…

Musehunter Podcast #2: Interview with Deborah Sokell / Bee Honey Designs

Deborah Sokell is a North East UK based designer/maker, who left her office job behind to pursue a more creative path. She currently runs two Folksy shops, the original Bee Honey Designs, selling one of a kind scarves, bags, textile flowers (and yes, Christmas decorations), and the newly-launched Bee Bears, offering gorgeous and unique, handmade teddy bears…

The Bee Bears Family

Some of the 'Bee Bears' family by Deborah Sokell, made with calico, hand-embroidery and stamped ink.

Listen online or download:

Musehunter Podcast #2: Bee Honey Designs, an interview with Deborah Sokell

In the podcast, we Skype-chat for around 20 minutes about what led her to set up her own creative business, her inspirations and ambitions, and the UK Handmade movement. Stay tuned for next week’s post – inspired by Deborah – dedicated to Folksy and the UK Handmade movement.

Kathy, Bee Bear

Kathy, one of Deborah's Bee Bears.

Bee Honey Bag Kanzashi

Bee Honey Designs, Detail: blue/white stripe bag with red Kanzashi-style flowers.

————————————————————————————

For more on Bee Honey Designs and Bee Bears take a look at Deborah’s Flickr and blog, as well as her portfolio website.

Deborah also recommends Craft Blog UK if you’d like to explore the handmade realm even further…