Next week sees Mel and Kerry working together in the studio for the first time.
A new phase comes with September and the Open Studio Days, some artists starting and others finishing and a few still to come we hope. And time to begin to reflect on the work created.

Jo Lumber and her friend Sue a "reconnecting" artist, had a day in the studio recently....
 Sue has left big sketches ... on the wall 'for others to add to or work on top of' plus a couple of little watercolours and a lovely sketch of the range.  I (Jo )did 3 little watercolours and made 3 tiny clay gulls. We have left everything there, on windowsill and mantle piece............ Beautiful space, beautiful time.

.....we had a beautiful, calm day and felt privileged to be there. 

Artists who have had to pause their careers for various reasons such as children, family etc are some of the people we hope to reconnect and offer space and opportunity to and quite a few have come through the residency that we hadn't connected with before, so we are very pleased and it will all inform our evaluation and forward planning.

Drawing by Kerry on Paper 53 on Shallal iPad.
Really looking forward to seeing Kerry and Mel's work together.

Fantastic day today with Anne, who hasn't been to the studio before.
At first she was nervous about drawing from real life, and about painting, as she usually works with crayon and felt pens. But after a while we walked over to St Ives harbour and Anne did some really exciting drawings and took them back to the studio and worked from them to make some excellent paintings. Anne was pleased with her work and wants to come again as much as she can.
Anne decided that she wanted to put work from today on the website for people to see.  She has concentrated really hard today and has taken risks in her art and as a result has made some great work.

Drawings at St Ives harbour

Watercolours by Anne Ford from drawings of St Ives harbour.

Posted by Lou

A couple of weeks ago Zoe said how good it was that at Porthmeor studio we can find out how to do new things in art and how to make our art better, and next week please could we do printmaking with the press (facilitator Mel Young recently brought in a roller press which is now sitting looking very inviting on the table with the steady legs).
So last week Sam, Zoe and I explored how to make an etching by scratching into perspex sheet.
This required hard work and commitment, and Zoe and Sam stuck to it right through to the end including inking up and putting their work through the press by turning the great handle on the side.  The results were great - I love the magic of printmaking; when the paper emerges out of the press and you turn it over you never quite know what you are going to get.  Neither Zoe or Sam had done etching before and both really loved it. Now they know that they could use that skill again if an idea came to mind. (Lou Brett)

 I'm not so keen on networking, I do like Providence and I do like the Open Doors theory which George of Shallal Dance Theatre told me "Always walk through Open Doors" this is more like the warble you would get on the shallal-arts blog ...it's just an intro to some lovely photos and the joy of meeting Anita who as a trained artist and now living in the depths of Wales with her family snatched a few precious hours in the studio last week, and just sent me these photos:

I am being slightly cheeky here as some of our projects overlap and these are photos from Newlyn exploring Doorways done in the Art Session of Shallal Dance Theatre..cross art forms, they are better seen in a slideshow so i am posting them here!

Eddie, Jacqui and Tony's work from 2 days in the studio.

Eddie and Tony in the studio. 
https://www.facebook.com/eddiecallisart

http://eddiecallis.co.uk/

http://www.tonyminnion.co.uk/index.html



I met Anita this week and we had a lovely chat about creativity, family, art, inclusion etc and went to look at Penwith Gallery. She went into the studio for a morning the next day, first time she has 'had time' for many years.

While chatting different ways of describing artists came up, emerging is one i often use she mentioned frozen, blocked etc.
A chance to get into a studio is a way back into a dialogue with their work for many artists, as many artists such as Rose Hilton don't start work again fully till their family can give them time.

Many people remark on what a nice atmosphere the studio has, Elly has also been in this week, along with Sally, Zoe, Laura, and Lou and Sam plans to return after his week there to do more.

A visit to the Tate on the 19th is organised by Laura, it is open to all Shallal Studio artists.

So lovely to get into the studio, we went quite frequently with the younger artists to get ourselves started and now Michael is in full flow.
Zoe and now Sally are in each week on Wednesdays. 
Sam is coming to the end of a week and has worked with different artists. 
Toby has had some days.
Lou and Mel have started work.
Visiting artists are coming in George Finn is in for 3 days inspired to have some time to experiment following a painting course. 
Elle Fairs and Eddie and family are in next week and film maker Agi and her family are visiting St Ives, really look forward to meeting them! 
Please look at this! and pass it on...
http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2015-07-24/award-winning-young-filmmaker-appeals-for-help-tracking-down-irreplaceable-footage-of-her-little-sister/

Thank you to Jane for a very successful fund raising benefit in The Borlase Smart room next door.
From it we plan to fund the rent for our next residency at Back Lane West in November, exploring 3D and cross art forms, will be the focus for that compared to our 2D investigations now at lovely Porthmeor, despite the St Ives parking! - the wonderful light and beauty of the sea, sky and beaches make up for it!