Romantic Roses

This is the latest addition to my etsy shop here. I made this scarf from silk devore velvet It is lined with silk satin and has a 3in fringe.

It is also available from the Corner Gallery's Christmas exhibition, ( see previous post)

Art for Gifts at Christmas at the Corner Gallery

OFFICIAL CARSHALTON BEECHES CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Switched on by Time and Leisure magazine editor CHRIS WOODS.

SAM FRANCES – city in lights installation.Thursday 1st December @ 7pm

Free gifts, reduced price gift tokens on the night. Mince pies, mulled wine and hot chestnuts. Christmas brass carol band.

Art for gifts at Christmas continues at the corner Gallery until 24th December

to find out more click here

I have a collection of paintings, silk scarves and pendants on show there.

The calendar in the photo below features paintings by John Stillman

Work in Progress and Christmas Open Studio

Yesterday it was warm enough to work in the garden. I was working on this velvet scarf. It is double thickness and has beading. I needed to do the beading by hand so took it outside to do. I am glad I did as today is cold damp and grey.

It's finished and will be at the Open Studio. I am also making a matching bag and corsage.

The scarf is featured on Etsy Lush

CHRISTMAS OPEN STUDIO

with Tessa's silks, Helen's lampwork and jewellery, Jo's stained glass

5pm – 8pm FRIDAY 18TH NOVEMBER

10am – 5pm SATURDAY 19TH NOVEMBER

DROP BY AND CATCH UP OVER CHRISTMASSY REFRESHMENTS AND SEE GLASS ITEMS CREATED. SOLVE YOUR GIFT PROBLEMS OR TREAT YOURSELF: BEAUTIFUL GLASS, HANDMADE JEWELLERY, PAINTED SILK, LOTS OF CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS AND CARDS.

at 64 FENGATES ROAD, REDHILL, RH1 6AH

colours-textures.blogspot.com  tiarahelen.blogspot.com  leadedline.com

Exhibition News

The Dorking Group of Artists' annual exhibition at Denbies Wine Estate was held from Oct 6-9th. For some photos of the wine estate click here

The photo below shows part of the gallery area just above the main entrance. This part is a stunning taster that leads to the rest of the exhibition in the spacious Denbies suite.

Below, the Denbies Suite

Below is the screen with 5 of my lavender themed paintings.

The two silk paintings on the left sold at the Private View. I wrote a post about them here

florum 2011

Easter Lilies Lilium longiflorum painted on silk (c) Tessa Spanton

Strelitzia reginae painted on silk (c) Tessa Spanton

It's nearly time for the next florum exhibition (admission free)

It is held at the visitor centre at the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve Details here

Several different artists are taking part, many of them professional artists or tutors and over recent years nearly £12000 for the work of the Wildlife centre has been raised from sales at the exhibitions.

I will have 7 silk paintings in this exhibition as well as giclees and cards.

Right next to the centre there is an enormous bee hotel, a wildlife garden, a bird hide with information about the birds and a lake as well as more extensive walks to other lakes and hides. Ideal for a family visit or for artists wanting to work en plein air!

It is a fitting place to exhibit flower paintings. The bee hotel a reminder of the interdependence of living things as so many plants depend on bees for pollination.

The visitor centre where the exhibition is shown has displays illustrating the prehistory and history of the site, the creation of the nature reserve, its habitats and the wildlife which they support.Visitors can handle all sorts of 'treasures' such as nests, feathers and thirty-thousand year old mammoth teeth.

10 - 17th September 2011 Open daily 10 - 5
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks TN13 3DH

The Reserve is off the main A25 and is well signposted. Follow the track past the Riding Stables and bear left when it divides. Continue as far as the Wildlife Centre where there is ample free parking.

There will be works in different media including watercolours, oils, mixed media, etchings, machine embroidery on painted silk, silk paintings, coloured pencils, jewellery etc. and different styles and subjects including botanical, floral and landscapes.

Rose pink and sky blue silk scarf

It's a lovely sunny afternoon today for photographing some silk scarves.
I made this one by a sort of shibori method that involved rolling and gathering the silk then painting on the dyes. I like the patterning that happened, never too sure what it will be like till it has been steamed to fix the dyes then unwrapped. A bit like a butterfly emerging from it's chrysalis.

Antique Rose and Peach Silk Necklace and Scarf

This necklace combines pure silk with wooden beads. It is made of a lightweight pure silk (Pongee5) and has been dyed using steam fix dyes. The colours I have used and the patterning achieved remind me of the patterning of butterfly wings.

I have used the Arashi technique to get the subtle patterning. Arashi is a type of Shibori that invloves twisting the silk then winding it tightly round a tube or pole before painting on the dyes. The colours are then steamed into the silk and the silk washed and ironed.. The colours are antique rose and a pale creamy peach.
The silk is ruched around compressed cotton beads and the necklace is light to wear.It is fastened by tying so is adjustable.
Length when tied is between 16-18in
silk beads 15mm

This necklace was made from the same piece of silk as this scarf below.

Both are available in my etsy shop