Victoria Scholes

Olympic Fever: Glass Games steaming ahead

2012-02-23T12:23:00.000Z

And spring is in the air, the birds are singing, the duvets are at the laundrettes. All's well with the world. Feeling good; I've recently got a part time job managing the Contemporary Glass Society's 'Glass Games' project. This is a major festival of exhibitions, workshops, events and all round fabulous happenings over the Olympic period this summer that will show that artists are every bit as talented, hardworking and slight nuts as sportspeople.

Anyway, it's working well for me. At last I can relax about finances a little, and the paid job leaves just about the right amount of time for making some glass stuff. My recent work for the British Glass Biennale - whether or not it gets selected - feels like it has generated a few more budding ideas. My friend and glass artists Milly Frances, who runs Striking Glass, said she woke up in the night thinking about my Biennale work! I think that's a good thing......

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Finally made; a few pics of my latest work

2012-02-15T18:03:00.001Z

Bit of a battle, but I got it done. I've just sent these off to the British Glass Biennale. Let's hope they get selected.

The work - I haven't given it a title yet - explores the balance between constraint and freedom. Objects are selected – here a series of stainless steel buckets - that provide a boundary; something to contain and constrain. Then the object is altered to try and expand or even explode that boundary. To create a sense that there is an eternal depth to the contents. The reflective surface of the stainless steel helps to promote the illusion and blur the boundary between what is held within and what is beyond.

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These boots were made for warming......

2012-02-08T17:27:00.002Z

I'm in love with some footwear! My feet get so cold in the studio, and also if I'm out at craft and art fairs. All that standing around on stone and concrete. Anyway, not any more. My sister in law suggested these Karrimor snow boots and they've been a runaway hit. No longer do I have to wear so many socks that it cuts off my circulation when I put my shoes on. Just one pair of flimsy socks and I can stand around for days. Much better.

Sucess with my piece for the British Glass Biennale today! Well, in that it came out of the kiln in one piece. Pics to follow soon......

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Holed up with a chilly friend making work for the British Glass Biennale 2012

2012-02-06T14:22:00.000Z

Holed up in my studio under a few inches of snow this weekend. It's all very winter wonderland, if a little slushy now. Badger tracks all over the garden and my lovely neighbour built this snowperson to keep us all company. Still working on getting something done to submit for the British Glass Biennale. It's on its way, but a tiny bit of a disaster at the weekend. Many thanks to the brilliant Amanda Simmons for her advice. Hopefully on the right track now....

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Glass workers in Leerdam: a fragile skill

2012-01-16T10:57:00.000Z

Fantastic, poetic footage of glass workers in a factory in Leerdam. Glass-making skills in Europe were once widespread, but now are held for the future by just a few factories, organisations and independent artists. This glimpse into the past is made all the more magical for the silence; the lack of a soundtrack somehow condenses the activities into something very beautiful, not just functional. Great to see women and some of the cold-working and printing processes which are often left out in favour of the more balletic glass-blowing (perhaps not so great to see kids working too).

Thanks to North Lands Creative Glass for this link.

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Homing: Carrie Fertig's installation at Chicester Cathedral

2012-01-05T14:23:00.000Z

A sublime sculpture from artist and flameworker Carrie Fertig:

Jump to Carrie Fertig's website
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Happy Christmas

2011-12-23T14:42:00.000Z

Nearly there! I'm just finishing off a few things and then I'll be firmly signing off until the champagne is drunk and every last chocolate polished off. Wishing you all a wonderful, restful and safe Christmas, and a rambunctious New Year..
Over and out....
Victoria

Image: Christmas decs by my talented friend Jude Stoll

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Local treats: the Silk Merchant Shop in Macclesfield's Heritage Centre

2011-12-19T13:54:00.001Z

Local rocks. Last Sunday's Treacle Market was fantastic; a great buzz, tons of people, a glistening sunny day. In Macclesfield we have lots of things to celebrate about the local at the moment. A vibrant Arts festival, a cultural and foodies revival, great music, enthusiastic people. But not only that, at Macc we are part of a long heritage in our silk and textile history, commemorated and illustrated for us in our wonderful Silk Museums. It is a place to celebrate the local, but the Museums remind us that we are connected to the wider world. And this is reflected in The Silk Merchant, the shop in the Heritage Centre at Roe Street, which has just been given a bit of a makeover by the frighteningly dynamic June Munro and her team.

Macclesfield, as you know, is now officially the end of the Silk Road - designated so by the United Nations no less. In the shop there are all kinds of things that reflect this privileged status; Afghan rugs, silk scarves, textiles, glass, jewellery, gifts, cards and much more. The Silk Merchant has stuff that is made in Macclesfield, including Macclesfield silk, but it also has things that have made the long journey from very distant places all along the silk route. Part of an ancient tradition that connects us with the past, with the world and with our roots. Fantastic. If you missed out on Treacle this Sunday and you still have Christmas gifts to buy, The Silk Merchant shop will be a great place to look.

Jump to the Silk Museums website
Jump to the Silk Merchant Shop Facebook page
More about the Silk Merchant shop here
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Interview with Victoria Scholes by glass artist Dominic Fondé

2011-12-08T10:13:00.000Z

An interview with yours truly on Dominic Fondé's glass blog. See the full text here.

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BodyWork; glass jewellery by sculptors at the Bullseye Gallery

2011-12-07T17:06:00.003Z

Swathe III Sculpture, 2010

If you make sculptures and you make jewellery, people are a bit sniffy about the jewellery. Or they like the jewellery and think the sculptures are a bit pie in the sky. Bullseye Glass have been brave enough to acknowledge that many glass artists make jewellery as well, and to stage a show based on it. Click here to see the video. There is something so personal and engaging about jewellery - it gets closer to us than most sculpture. And it goes back such a long way. I find this with my 'Strange Music, Rough Magic Series' of necklaces. I love them. They explore ideas, tell a story, offer something to explore. So does my sculpture, but I often feel that I have to explain how they can be part of the same practice. I think we need to get over ourselves and learn that both sculpture and jewellery can exist side by side.

'Stange Music, Rough Magic' necklaces

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A proposal for Barnaby Art Trail 2012: Midsummer Magic

2011-11-25T16:52:00.002Z

Local festivals are a bit of a thing at the moment, and it's easy to see why when you've been to one. They really get the heart pumping with pride. I was delighted that the Macclesfield festival, Barnaby, has opened up submissions for their art trail this year. The theme is Midsummer, and I nearly fell over myself with delight as I've done several series recently inspired by Shakespeare's plays; why not something that draws on 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'? It's full of magic and nonsense and all set in the woods, which is a favourite theme of mine in Shakespeare. The woods are somewhere beautiful and intimate, but also mysterious and just a little bit spooky. I'm putting forward a proposal to do an installation of 20 glass 'polaroid' pictures offering a mini-midsummer adventure. It will have something of the flavour of my 'Strange Music, Rough Magic' and 'As You Like It' series, but will be a little different too. I've started on a couple of samples to get the technical stuff ironed out. Looking good, I think, but a long way to go.

I'm hoping to work with Andy Williams of G Fine Art gallery in Macclesfield, a fabulous artist in his own right as well as owner and director of the gallery.

Let's hope Barnaby like it.......

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November Treacle Market, Macclesfield

2011-11-21T18:20:00.000Z

Barely time to draw breath! After a totally fabulous weekend at the Pop Up Art and Craft Gallery at printmaker Jane Osmond's studio, it's on to the next Treacle Market in Macclesfield, this Sunday 27th November, 9.30am-3.30pm. Do come down and see Jane Cummins and I, together with many of the artists who were showing at the Pop Up this weekend; Jane Osmond, Emma York and Saffron Taylor all have stalls too, so if you weren't able to get to the Pop Up, you haven't missed your chance to stock up on original prints, handmade children's clothes, sock monkeys and retro soft furnishings. And on our stall, as I'm sure you know, Jane Cummins offers her original wood and felt handbags and accessories, and I show a range of handmade glass jewellery.

Support local independent makers and buy handmade in Macclesfield this Christmas! We'd love to see you...

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Image: The stall looking lovely in October

'Love will tear us apart' neon: The perfect thing for macclesfield

2011-11-15T15:04:00.000Z

More from the '12 Months of Neon Love' people, and this time it hits close to my heart with a snippet from the Joy Division. I so want this for Macclesfield, my home town, and birthplace of Joy Division's Ian Curtis.

You can bid for this on ebay by following the link here. Come on, Maxonians, let's be havin yer..

And there's more from Richard William Wheater and Victoria Lucas, the artists who put together the project, here.

Image copyright Richard William Wheater and Victoria Lucas.

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Josepha Gash Muche in the Urban Glass Art's Hotsheet blog

2011-11-10T11:54:00.000Z

See this! Wierd, but appealing. See Urban's Glass Art's Hotsheet for more info:

I like the way that it addresses material, function and beauty by being non glassy, non functional and not pretty. Thought it is beautiful in a dark kind of way.

Currently showing at the Heller Gallery, NY.

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Invitation to Chase Charity Auction at the RCA 10th November

2011-11-07T16:06:00.000Z

You are warmly invited to the Chase/Shooting Star charity auction on 10th November at the Royal College of Art. I have contributed some work from my Domestic Gospels Series alongside many fabulous glass artists.

The Exhibition
The Shooting Star CHASE exhibition, which encompasses contemporary painting, sculpture and glass, has been going for ten years and raises, in one evening, up to UKP100,000 for Shooting Star CHASE. The exhibition takes place in the ground floor gallery of the Royal College of Art in London (Kensington Gore, next to the Albert Hall). It is on the evening of Thursday 10th November (starting at 7pm). Tickets are £65 which includes champagne and canapés.

This is a great opportunity to buy art from leading contemporary British artists, both representational and abstract. Prices range from £100 to £5,000+. The artists receive the normal price for their work and Shooting Star CHASE receives the "gallery" commission.

The Charity
CHASE, the children's hospice in Guildford, (now merged with Shooting Star) like all hospices it is entirely privately funded and receives no government support. They have to raise over UKP2m each year and the exhibition is one of their key fund raising events. Their catchment area includes the SW postal districts of London and Surrey, in which many of you live. They do tremendous work in supporting children who are not expected to reach their 19th birthday. For more info go to www.shootingstarchase.org.uk.

Glass Artists showing work
Julie Coakley, Katharine Coleman, Matt Durran, Sally Fawkes, Sara Fell , Gillies Jones, Richard Jackson, Monette Larsen , Charlie Macpherson , James Maskrey, Amanda Notarianni , Ronald Pennell , Mark Raynes Roberts, David Reekie, Colin Reid , Victoria Scholes, Louis Thompson and Sarah Wiberley.

Booking
You can pay for your tickets on line at www.shootingstarchase.org.uk/artexhibition
Or contact Mark Holford, one of the organisers of the exhibition, for an application form for tickets: mark.holford@azurialopera.com

Pop Up Art and Craft Gallery, November 18-20th 2011, Rainow

2011-11-02T17:01:00.005Z

Jane Osmond, original print

Last year I had shed loads of fun putting together a very successful 'Pop Up' Art and Craft gallery at my studio in Macclesfield. This year local artist Jane Osmond will carry forward that tradition with another 'Pop Up' at her lovely printmaking studio at Rainow, near Macclesfield.

There will be lots of unusual and interesting gifts for sale including paintings, original prints, ceramics, wood-turning, felt and contemporary glass. Ideal Christmas presents!

18th, 19th and 20th November, at the Studio / Gallery @ Kerridge End, Rainow SK10 5TF
Open 10-5pm

All major credit cards accepted

Parking in Calrofold lane. Phone 01625 612478 for directions

Artists:
Jane Osmond, original prints

Victoria Scholes, glass jewellery

Jane Cummins, wood turning and felt and wood accessories and handbags

Emma York, children's clothing

Saffron Taylor, Christmas decorations

Theo Olive, original prints. Born in 1914, Theo Olive was a nationally remowned printmaker. Jane has been lucky enough to acquire several Theo Olive prints to sell. A great opportunity!

Ruth Robinson, ceramic water etched pots and lovely buttons, beads and jewellery

Jane Cummins, woodturning and feltmaking

Ruth Robinson, ceramics

Buy handmade at Treacle market this autumn: Jane Cummins and Victoria Scholes

2011-10-21T14:58:00.004+01:00

Well the nights draw in and the leaves aren’t quite sure what to do (at the moment anyway). Autumn is well on its way. Jane Cummins, award winning contemporary woodturner and feltmaker, and myself – glass artist Victoria Scholes - have got a heap of goodies for you on our stall at Treacle market, Macclesfield. Whether you need a little cheering up, or you are already planning for Christmas, we’d love to encourage you to support local independent makers and come down to Treacle to see what we can offer.

There is something so warming about the touch and feel of felt and wood, and Autumn seems just the right season to set Jane Cummins’s work off at its best. Jane is developing her handbag range and the gorgeous little felt purses that have been so popular this summer. There will be plenty of the old favourites such as buttons, bangles and the posh pincushions. Jane recently had some of her work featured in the book ‘500 Felt Objects’ by Lark Crafts (an Imprint of Sterling Publishing Co. Inc. New York), one of the 500 Series series of books. You might have seen these ‘500 beads’ ‘500 ceramic objects’ kind of thing. Great news for Jane and just goes to show that she’s one to watch.

As the colours outside fade a little, the glass on our stall will be glowing (Ok, Ok, getting carried away with the autumn references, I know). My Tartan doughnuts will be holding court, as will my flame-worked bead necklaces. I’ve developed a new range of jewellery,‘happy circles’, and created some wooden blocks to hold the Chinese Fish bottle-stoppers after feedback from a few of you lovely people. I’ve also decided to show some of my ‘As You Like It’ series that was shown recently at the Royal Exchange Manchester to coincide with the run of the play (see above pic). This work, along with my Strange Music, Rough magic series has been very popular, showing all over the country and beyond, but it’s true to say that the labour involved means they’re a bit pricey.

So, I’ve been working on a more affordable set of necklaces that draws on the same ideas to go with these, which might please you. I am having a go at some multiple buy discounts (Buy one, get a second half price on Tartan Doughnuts, Happy Circles and bead necklaces) and loyalty bonuses (10% off purchases at another Treacle up to the New Year if you spend more than £20 on glass), so bear that in mind if you have a few purchases to make before the season is out.

Treacle market, Macclesfield.

October 30th

November 27th

December 18th

9.30-3.30pm

See you there!

Jump to Treacle Market

Jump to Victoria Scholes’ website

Jump to Jane Cummins website

More pics below........

Developing my 'As You Like It' necklaces for Treacle market

2011-10-20T12:54:00.001+01:00

People love my 'As You Like It' and 'Strange Music, Rough Magic' series of necklaces. But the labour involved in making them means that they are pricey. I've been working on some more affordable versions with Christmas in mind. They've got to be simpler, but have some of the optical and theatrical characteristics of the original pieces. These are all going to be on display at the October, November and December Treacle Markets. Watch this space, more to follow soon.....

In the meantime here are a couple of images to show you what I mean.

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Swathe Sculptures

2011-10-19T10:53:00.001+01:00

A fabulous weekend at the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) Conference. The best yet. I was chatting to my ex-tutor and bewailing the fact that my latest sculptures haven't been seen that much. So here they are. My Swathe series is an exploration of illusion, constraint and escape. At least I think it is. Artist Richard Meitner, our keynote speaker at the CGS conference, said that rather than have a concept ready made that he then realises in art, he makes work, and then asks it what it's trying to tell him. This is very much the way with the Swathe pieces - they are much more instinctive than my Domestic Gospels series, and all the better for it.

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Domestic Gospels artwork for Shooting Star/Chase Charity Auction

2011-10-12T17:00:00.000+01:00

I'm delighted to be part of the SHOOTING STAR - CHASE charity auction at the Royal College of Art this year. The good people who organise it have asked me to submit some work from my Domestic Gospels Series for this year's event.

The auction will take place in the ground floor gallery of the Royal College of Art in London (Kensington Gore, next to the Albert Hall) at 7pm on Thursday 10th November. Tickets are £65 which includes champagne and canapés.

This is what Mark Holford, leading glass collector and one of the organisers of the event says:

'CHASE, the children's hospice in Guildford, (now merged with Shooting Star) like all hospices, is entirely privately funded and receives no government support. They have to raise over £2 million each year and the exhibition is one of their key fund raising events. Their catchment area includes the SW postal districts of London and Surrey, in which many of you live. They do tremendous work in supporting children who are not expected to reach their 19th birthday. For more info go to their website www.shootingstarchase.org.uk.

This is a great opportunity to buy art from leading contemporary British artists, both representational and abstract. Prices range from £100 to £5,000 plus. The artists receive the normal price for their work and Shooting Star CHASE receives the "gallery" commission.'

Jump to Victoria Scholes' website
Jump to Shooting Star-Chase website

Sculpture by Gaea Todd

2011-09-29T16:37:00.000+01:00

Weird but wonderful stuff from sculptor Gaea Todd. What I like about it is that is has that 'what happens to inanimate things when we aren't looking' thing going on. It echoes the poet Anne Carson in 'Every Exit is an Entrance' (A Praise of Sleep)'. In the poem (it's not clear if it's fiction or fantasy) she dreams that as a child she 'awoke and came downstairs and stood in the living room, although it was hushed and empty. The usual dark green sofa and chairs stood along the usual pale green walls. It was the same old living room as ever, I knew it well, nothing was out of place. And yet it was utterly, certainly different. Inside its usual appearance the living room was as changed as if it had gone mad.' Gaea's work has got that slightly scary, exciting, stillness. Love it.

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Image of installation 'In Vino Veritas'.

All that trash - artist's statements

2011-09-27T15:25:00.000+01:00

Just been reading Rant 66: Words Fail by Rosemary Hogarth on Axisweb which is bemoaning the rubbish that artists write about their work. I kept a guilty silence, because actually I love writing about my work, and I often feel that I think it through, and even shape it, by writing down what I think it's about. Also, when I see other people's artwork, I quite like to know what the artist thinks about it - and their statment is one way to find out. I'm not one of those who feels that art is about what the viewer thinks its about, though that is important. I like my views about an artist's work to mingle with theirs. But I have to admit there is an awful lot of utter rubbish written in the name of the artist's statement. I've been feeling for a long time that the bit in mine about Alice in Wonderland is tired. It seemed like a good idea six years ago, but now you come across old Alice and her wonderland every other artists' statement it seems. I'm not brave enough to say thing where I should say it - on the Rant itself - but I did feel that I had to put something down here!

Anyway, see this great video by Charlotte Young about the artist's statement

Jump to Victoria Scholes' website to see fine examples of how not to do it.

Li Lu in the Summer House

2011-09-23T15:35:00.001+01:00

Sagar and Campbell's beautiful summer house was host to the magical, deep-soul sound of the cello this summer. Renowned musician Li Lu spent some time filling the summer house and court with her music.

The Summer House Project - an installation for St. Mary's maternity hospital in Manchester - seems to balance the beautiful with the conceptual in a particularly pleasing way. Sagar and Campbell have filled the summer house with various things since the project's beginning; balloons, little glass discs on a table - all very different, and all a little mysterious and soulful.

From their publicity:

"Li Lu will be performing in our studio during Rogue OPEN Studios weekend as part of our new Arts collaboration, a Dynamic Sculptural installation with live music.
Rogue Open studios Saturday 8th and 9th October 2011.
The preview party is on Friday 7th October."

Image by Garth Hulbert-Williams

You can see more on their blog

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Call for help with 2012 Barnaby Festival, Macclesfield

2011-09-09T11:02:00.000+01:00

I love local festivals. They give me a warm glow inside. OK, that could be the beer, but nonetheless, they are a real treat. This year we had the second of our newly renovated Barnaby Art Festivals in Macclesfield, and the glow was even warmer because it was OUR festival. Just brilliant, with Arts, Crafts, theatre, comedy, music, food, parades; something for everyone. Well, the time has come to start planning for the next one, and the Barnaby team are calling for people to help be part of the creation of this exciting event in 2012. There's a meeting for all who are interested to attend at the Snowgoose bar on Wed 14 Sept, anytime between 7.30-9.30pm. For more info and to get involved contact them via the Barnaby website or my emailing mail@barnabyfestival.org.uk.

Visit the Barnaby website

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Sixth Neon for '12 Months of Neon Love' by Richard William Wheater and Victoria Lucas

2011-08-15T10:39:00.000+01:00

Great to see the 6th neon in the Richard William Wheater and Victoria Lucas' '12 Months of Neon Love' Project. The Beatles provide this month's lyrics: "Baby you can drive my car, and maybe I'll love you.."

A brilliant idea, expertly and creatively executed. Happily the project survived an inexplicable attempt by Wakefield council to withdraw permission to display it. As with the other pieces, you have a chance to buy this lovely piece of art; it's up for auction on ebay here.

Jump to the '12 Months of Neon Love" Blog to see all the series
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