Snaresbrook Arts Project......

I've been working for Snaresbrook Arts Project, which is an employment project for adults with learning difficulties. We make various craft items such as jewellery, paintings, bags and cards which we then sell at local community events and local businesses. The Snaresbrook Arts Project have just set up a web site which is under construction at the moment but will be coming really soon.

I've had such a lovely time there and wanted to share some of the bags that we created. We have also been printing onto bags and embellishing them.

If you ever come across us please come and say hello and have a look at the wonderful creations they've made.

Experimenting....

You know every once in while when you get really bored with what you have and want a complete change? Well we've been going through that recently and decided to take Dean Smith's art class. It's a great little Saturday morning venture out towards the country side to the little craft village that is Barleylands. Dean has his own little shop there where he holds classes in the back. Art surrounds the walls and you are never short of inspiration, especially from Dean's constant encouragement and knowledge.

This is one of Dean's amazing creations to be found in his shop (and yes that is the original LP on the canvas!):


So getting me out of my little box i've recently discovered the roller whilst painting and I can't get enough of it. I wish I had discovered this years ago, in a matter of minutes you can create your very own Jasper Johns art work. So after my new discovery i'm trying to work on a few new works. Here was where I started and I'll show you more progress soon. Kirsten

Thanks to all who came to the E17 Designers Market

Better late than never but we just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone who turned up to see us at the E17 Spring Designers Market. Despite the rain it was a packed evening with great music and with the addition of Chloe to our stall it gave us the chance to catch up with past students and returning customers. We're still finding our ground but feel we are going from strength to strength on each one we do. So keep coming for new and different goodies.

We also want to say a big thanks to Carolyn Abbott for all her hard work in making the markets a great success.

Highlights from the night were new body scrubs which I couldnt help but treat myself to after the lovely smell wafting over to my stall. The children on the stage had some great little bits with better knitting skills than me! And of course Gails wonderful dancing shoes.....

Hope to see you all at the next one. Keep your eyes peeled at E17 Designer Markets

e17 designers latest spring market

Join us this Friday at the Asian Centre, Walthamstow Village with the e17 designers latest craft market. We'll see you there for lots of new summer craftiness.

Sssshhhhh!!! Silent Auction at the Queens Theatre

One of the most exciting fundraising initiatives that the Theatre has planned is an exhibition of art work by local artists (including ourselves) running from 11-24 May 2009, displayed in the Queen's Theatre Cafebar.

There will also be a silent auction which will run throughout the course of the exhibition, and by the time the exhibition closes on 24 May, whoever has made the highest bid will win the artwork!

All money raised from the silent auction will go to the Queen's Theatre Development Fund helping to fund projects as workshops for local school children through to producing high quality entertainment for the whole community.

As you probably are aware, regular funding is gratefully received from the London Borough of Havering, Arts Council England (London) and London Councils, but this is barely sufficient to maintain current operations, so the Theatre must continually diversify its funding streams in order to plan for the future.

For more information about the theatre go to Queens Theatre

Trying something new....

This is my latest project of trying to do something a little bit different from what I usually produce. After my life drawing session I'm trying to step out of the box a bit more. I used it as my friends birthday card recently and she loved it - so maybe I'll do another!

Life drawing at the Tate...

As a mothers day treat my sister and I took my mum to the Tate Gallery to do a life drawing session. Not knowing what to expect we turned up and were led to the entrance of the Rodchenko & Popova 'Defining Constructivism' exhibition. To be honest I was a bit worried at first, being a traditional artist who doesnt get out of their comfort zone very much, but the other two took it on board to become star pupils.

I would thoroughly recommend it as a great night out if you're on your own or in a group, like us. The tutors were brilliant, offering lots of advice and inspiration. I have also been to their sessions at the Candid Arts Centre so go check them out if you can (http://www.annesite.co.uk).

Here's the results from our short sessions. Obviously you can tell which one of us got asked to move to Russia to sell their work, not me!