Fifth day of Ilkley Art Trail 2011

It is beginning to feel like normal life giving out programmes to people on The Grove in Ilkley!

Venues I visited today  were delighted with my suggestion that the weather is to improve from tomorrow as we are all a little sick of relentless rain, so:

This is tomorrow, and the last four days of the Trail are forcast to be like this! Yes, remember the colour yellow? Ilkley Art Trail can inject a little of it too!

Emma Straw at Cakewalk (venue 26), who is running the 'books around town' project was delighted with visitor numbers over the weekend and has had more Trail visitors on Tuesday and today (closed on Monday). Cakewalk is a Christmas original gift idea treasure-trove of things made by local makers:

A nod to our Literature Festival running now:

Scarfe made locally from otherwise thrown away fabric offcuts:

By contrast and with bunting galore...Lucie Burrows (venue 3) Traditional Landscapes and some figurative works by contrast in a sunny Ben Rhydding Garage. Lucie's work is kind of timeless and contained. Achieving 'darkness' and 'light' all in one work. Well worth a good look:

I discovered here that Ilkley Art Trail is not just FREE - you get chocolate money back!

Then on to The Art Loft (venue 19) and Liz Sutcliffe entertaining visitors in her great space.

Liz has her own work here and that of many other artists. Please don't plan to fly in and fly out, allow more than an hour if you can:

Chris Rymer's Inside Out Wood Art is at venue 19 too. Is there anything warmer than wood?

Venue 2 is a quality, bespoke making process for capturing an age. Check it out at Attic, especially if you have wee ones. Jewellery can be made too, using impressions and print processes:

Camera issues prevented me from getting venue 22 and Christine Vandenhaute's landscapes but I will return with resolved camera issue on another day.

So... Day 6 and no umbarella!...

Fourth Day of Ilkley Art Trail 2011

Fourth day and the weather was considerably better thankfully, and is on the up, I understand.

Foot-fall at venues is unknown today as Lorna has visited none, due to having no car today!

Activities continued though with volunteers engaging shoppers on The Grove  and at Ilkley Railway Station:

Lorna Bird and Lucia Smith after some planning last night and this morning, and after the deluges of the last few days have blitzed Ilkley with an integrated signage system that no-one in Ilkley will be able to miss it:

An example of Lucia's dedication - tree-hugging for the Trail!

Looking forward to day five and all still standing!

Third Day of Ilkley Art Trail 2011

Ok - The relentless rain and wind could begin to get to me now. It will clear by Thursday I am assured!

But Kate Johnson's 'Man and Machine' clip have brought me 'round. 'Man and Machine' could not be brought to venue 12 (where Kate now has an example of her sculpture and a collection of her landscapes in oil), for fear of it crashing through two floors of the hosts Jane and John Thorne's house. It's heavy. However you can feast your eyes on the following video, which shows the amazing new possibilities for artists, of the process used to make it.

http://blogs.brad.ac.uk/bsf/2011/09/10/man-and-machine-sculpture-and-engineering/ 

Continuing on my own journey of the Trail:

Vicki Nolan at venue 17 (this was taken on my phone when camera batteries gave up!):

Tamara Lawson - venue 14 as I, personally, have never seen  her: 'Child's -eye View through Grass':

To me, the 'Open Studio' element of the Trail - is the wet, oil, board, rag, tools, 'voyeuristic' experience that you can't have anywhere else. Still at venue 14, can you smell this...

Over from Tamara's studio to the lovely welcoming rooms full of space (venue 21) of Kerry Stoker, welcoming visitors intrigued by her research portfolio:

More of Kerry Stoker's figurative and abstract work at venue 21, total head remedy for a dull and drizzly day:

And on to venue 1 with Joy Godfrey, bronzes, oils, watercolours and limited edition silk screen prints:

Next in venue 1 Ken Jaquiery's ceramic sculpture, totally tactile pieces of gorgeously simple shape:

Ken Jaquiery at work and play:

Jackie Knight's exquisite ceramic sculpture, again at venue 1, ended my out-and-about day after a BCB live radio interview for the Trail

 

Looking forward to day 4...

Second Day of Ilkley Art Trail 2011

The weather has been foul I believe it is fair to say, but numbers were up on the first day... That's the right direction!

N.B.  Re-calling all visitors to venue 12 - We now have an example of Kate Johnson's sculpture. Arrived tonight.

Some examples of the work viewed today:

Vicki Nolan -  Venue 17:

Anne Honeyman  - Venue 9:   Textiles, stitch and mixed media, including broken china:

Anne Honeyman - Venue 9,   Sea Ice - Stitch and Broken China:

Again, some venues busier than others but the trail is really evolving. Word is spreading and we have a week to go, with some 'Art Trailers' wanting to visit and revisit through the week. One venue reports having to stay open later as people kept arriving!

Hat's off to Robert and Julia Gibson who are covering the whole Trail on their bicycles and I can't recommend that enough. What a great idea.

Wouldn't it be great to see an inundation of letters to the Ilkley Gazette this week, whilst the Trail is on to demonstrate the Trail's worth?...

First Day of Ilkley Art Trail 2011

Artist Judith Levin and her moorland landscapes in Ilkley Brewery - ethereal oils in traditional industry environment. Venue 16:

On bags of hops. Venue 16:

Judith Levin checking new additions to collection: 'Portrait of Jane Austen' (Painted from the experience and sensation of reading her novels.) / 'Portrait of  Woman Reading' (Painted for Ilkley Art Trail 2011, coinciding with Ilkley Literature Festival).Venue 16:

IAT Volunteers braving the rain on The Grove to promote the Trail:

John Anderson  filming Ilkley Art Trail 2011 Linda Dewart. Venue 4:

 Jason Howgate's pen and inks. Venue 10:

Lisa Hinds fabric work at her home in Addingham. Venue 8:

Lisa Hinds Beach Ladies. Venue 8:

Christine Vandenhaute's mythological creatures. Venue 12:

Christine Vandenhaute's Persephone Disrobed. Venue 12:

Audience with Kate Johnson. Venue 12:

And more of the same. Venue 12:

Audience with Kerry Stoker. Venue 21:

Strong Start. And so to day 2...

Ilkley Art Trail 2011 Launch

Wow
"A great and inspiring night" / "a great atmosphere" / "A real buzz"  / "Such an exciting opportunity" ... all happened up two flights of fire escape, then stairs... to the offices of Trading Pictures, where Lorna has her 'Trail Desk' This is the start of Ilkley Art Trail.

Thanks go to all plus Gideon Seymour of  FABRIC for a rousing, encouraging speech.

Don't miss it - Programmes all over town now.  Here are some video stills of the night: