shropshire

Notoriously bad at keeping up this blog….must try harder (usual end of term report)!

Anyway here is a bit of news about my solo exhibition at Café 86’d in Ironbridge. It opens on August 7th and as I am away then we are holding a meet the artist evening on September 6th so do come if you can.

The café is my fave place to eat in the area…fresh and healthy food. All home cooked and mostly local ingredients. Well worth a visit any day. All the work is available to purchase and depicts peaceful memories of temples and still places in Japan on my travels. I hope the feeling of calm is transmitted through these works which are multilayered, stitched and drawn or painted.

Here are just a few examples:

If you miss this I am open as part of Wolverhampton Open Studios on the weekend of October 12/13 2019 at my studio at Newhampton Arts Centre, Dunkley Street, Wolverhampton UK

For YOU

there are all sorts of opportunities to MAKE ART at the studio

Friday 2nd August – all day 10am – 4pm. Like our Sunday club but longer! More time for chat, working and supping. Bring your own lunch – this session is to be booked in advance here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/clare-wassermanns-sketchbook-and-art-making-day-tickets-64466336548 Currently 9 places left. You can pay me direct instead but place is only held on payment. Cost £10
Thursday 15th August Women’s Wellness Circle: 7 – 8.30pm not art but a lovely way of staying healthy of mind £5 – let me know if you are coming – pay on the night.
Friday 16th August – Nature Inspired Sketchbooks (SOLD OUT)
Sunday 16th August – 2.30 – 5pm – Self Care Sunday – Yoga and Intention Setting – let me know if you want to book via Marie who runs this lovely session. £20
Sunday 8th September – Sketchbook and Art Club 11.30 – 1.30 please let me know if you are coming. £5 Bring your own work as usual.
Thursday 19th September 10.30 – 3.30 Oil Painting with Wayne Attwood – President RBSA – details and booking here £34 Beginners or experienced painters welcome.
Sunday 22nd September – Sketchbook and Art Club 11.30 – 1.30 please let me know if you are coming. £5. Bring your own work as usual.
Saturday 28th September – Travel Journal and Sketchbooks Workshop with Clare 10.30 – 4 £35 details and bookings here
Thursday 10th October – 10.30 – 3.30 Oil Painting with Wayne Attwood – President RBSA – details and booking here. £34 Beginners or experienced painters welcome.
Saturday and Sunday 12th & 13th October – Clare Wassermann Open Studios – Studio Sale. Paintings, Textiles, etc. plus Jeweller Mojo and The Maker sharing my studio – lots of other artists exhibiting at the NAC this weekend – and all round Wolverhampton. Xmas gift ideas?!
Saturday November 9th – Travel Journal and Sketchbooks Workshop with Clare 10.30 – 4pm £35 details and bookings here.
Sunday November 10th – Sketchbook and Art Club 11.30 – 1.30 please let me know if you are coming. £5. Bring your own work as usual.
Looking forward to inviting Helen Hallows to come and run a workshop early next year – look her up!

Lotus Sanctuary

This is a small charity in Wolverhampton providing housing and a route into a better life and work for women in the city who have suffered trauma and homelessness.

Lotus Sanctuary is a community interest company with the pure and simple intention of housing and empowering vulnerable women suffering a range of complex issues; from rough sleepers to domestic violence victims, sexually exploited women and those seeking to get free from drug and alcohol addictions.

I have really enjoyed starting fortnightly art sessions for residents recently and am pleased to be continuing in this rewarding work. Some of their pieces will feature in an exhibition called ‘Recovery’ at The Lighthouse in September. More info another time, but this is how art can heal. You can donate to them here

Creative thinking out of doors

Do you find yourself sitting in front of a screen for hours, hard to tear yourself away because of the endless trails of ‘research’ it can lead you on? Do you worry that that you spend too much time in meeting rooms and offices? Is the only opportunity you have for outdoor time at the weekend and even then there are too many jobs to get through you miss the chance?

Here’s a great idea which I guarantee will benefit your outlook, perspective and health. I experience this way as often as I can and it’s very rewarding.

Here’s an example from this week. A brainstorming session was required and idea generation was the purpose of a meeting with two other artists.

We decided to meet at Attingham Park National Trust instead of an office or studio space. The snowdrops were calling. Here we were, three practising artists with different but complementary practices who are involved at Boundary Way Project an allotment site in Wolverhampton which aims to bring arts and health to the community in a natural setting amongst other exciting activities.

As an experiment with meeting venues we met up in the lovely courtyard cafe at Attingham and obviously needed some analytical warm up discussions regarding the excellent quality of cake and coffee first. Then we got down to business.

It was very quiet at 10am and there was excellent easy to access wifi to help us to share links etc. Not many people around, even on a sunny day until 11.45 when the lunch crowd arrived but even then it’s such a huge group of rooms there’s plenty of room. We still had loads of space around us and there’s no background music thankfully.

The clincher

After the main body of the meeting we took a walk for half an hour together. THIS IS THE CLINCHER IN MY VIEW. This distinguishes the experience from meeting in a coffee shop.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

During the walk many other ideas emerged and were discussed in a more creative way. I’m sure this is to do with fresh air, moving our bodies and feeling the spaciousness and freedom. Also visual stimulation (especially for artists, but I believe for all) can provoke new thoughts of course.

Thank you to Moya Lloyd and Anne Marie Lagram for your huge creative input. We have many exciting plans.

having to investigate a lovely fallen tree

inspiration for drawing

We will definitely meet this way again – maybe at other National Trust properties where there are similar facilities and stimulation – not to mention great sticky ginger cake!

An opportunity for you to get outdoors with me

If you would like to experience an outdoor environment (with good indoor space if the weather is not so good) and try your hand at easy art making, please have a look at this event in June this year CLICK HERE and consider joining me at Boundary Way. No experience needed but you will go away refreshed, artified and with a beautiful book to take home.

For other workshop opportunities with me in my lovely Victorian studio in Wolverhampton:

Please go to the Workshops page of this site

The Crows, The Plot and The Wrekin 12″ x 12″ SOLD

Clare Wassermann Art

work in paint and stitch