Introducing the Amazing– “Devon Art Pop!”

June 4, 2015June 4, 2015 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

Sharing a delightful entry and wonderful artworks today from my writer friend Sylva Fae, which appeared on her blog Sylvanian Ramblings a few weeks ago. Sylva introduced me to an amazing group of talented artists who brought themselves together under the umbrella group name of Devon Art Pop.

There are many groups of artists about, but most frequently assembled by field of study– a watercolor artists group, woodcarvers group, pottery group, etc. What struck and impressed me most about the Devon Art Pop was their mix of talents, crossing discipline lines to include not only artists but a poet, leather worker and wood worker among others. I would love to be in such a marvelous group and to be a “Popper!”

I strongly encourage you to visit the Devon Art Pop page and artists thru the links provided. Residents of the UK can check their appearance schedules and meet them in person! Follow their work and activities on Twitter and Facebook. Here is more information, as presented by Sylva Fae and Chaz E Arnold from Devon Art Pop. Beautiful and amazing creative work all around. Enjoy!

* * * * * *

From Sylva- I was introduced to the Devon Art Pop group by my Twitter friend Alan Prince whose amazing sculptures are featured in an earlier guest blog. I was then introduced to their Paignton Poet, Chaz E Arnold, who very kindly helped gather information from the group. In its time, the diverse talents of 20 different artists have been represented, and this is a showcase of just some of those.

Thank you to both of you for your help.

Sylva Fae x

divider

Devon Art Pop

Devon Art Pop is simply a group of Devon based artists who share conversations via the social media of Twitter and work collaboratively to exhibit our work through pop-up galleries across Devon. The idea is the brainchild of genius watercolourist Jill Griffin. Since Jill’s eureka moment, the concept has grown from strength to strength with new artists joining the happy band all the time.

The aim is to enjoy collaborating and inspire one another and hopefully sell a work of art along the way. The poppers, as the members call themselves are painters, leather workers, sculptures, metal workers, wood turners and a poet. The media used couldn’t be more diverse and include watercolour, acrylic, oil and textile.

Devon Art Pop’s pop up exhibitions are held several times a year in venues as diverse as stately homes and town halls to art galleries and high street shops. Up and coming events and more about the group and its members can be found at their DevonArtPop website.

divider

Jill Griffin

aka PocketPop

A lifelong self taught watercolourist, influenced heavily by Mother Nature in all her guises. I love to paint a big variety of natural things and particularly I am influenced by the changing of the seasons. From bare trees in winter, to sea shells, from pebbles stacked precariously to fish swirling in a mass. I also like to work in a semi abstract and illustrative styles, where I can use my imagination and hide surprises in my work.
My favourite work had to be a Barn Owl portrait I made called Curious Charlie- I loved his character that came through and his deeply curious stare.

I am represented at Mayflower Arts, Gallery on the Hoe and Homeframe Gallery in Plymouth, and I sell work direct via Artfinder as well as popping up with DevonArtPop.

divider

Chaz E. Arnold

aka The Paignton Poet and Poet Pop

Chaz is a poet and author and has written many novels, most notably The Hope Saga, a science fiction adventure series set in the 1950’s. He is perhaps better known for his poetry and is inspired by virtually everything but most enjoys writing poetry to accompany artwork. Chaz’s work can be found on Amazon and his poetry pops up in art galleries across Devon and occasionally further afield. He enjoys tweeting spur of the moment verses on Twitter and Facebook where he has built up an appreciative following.

His scifi and poetry ebooks can be found on Amazon and he can also be found on Twitter @PaigntonPoet and Facebook ‘Chaz E. Arnold’

divider

Alan Prince

aka Made By a Prince and Pair of Pops

I’ve had a passion to create things for as long as can I remember, becoming an approved craftsman and learning many skills along the way, years of wood turning and furniture making followed. Time spent working alongside a model engineer challenged the approach I took to my craft and gave me the insight to see things in a different way. The more difficult the piece the more I was up for the challenge, always striving for that unattainable perfection. Having worked with different medias, I have found my passion in recreating the things that I see around me with “spent items”. My chief sculptures are made from recycled copper and brass, drawing on my experience with wood to make formers to help create these. Being mostly self taught has given a feeling of freedom about my creations and I have now arrived at a point I feel comfortable sharing my efforts.

My sculptures and jewellery are available to buy direct from the Made by a Prince website. My work can also be found at West Gallery (West Putford) and Mayflower Arts.

You can connect with Alan Prince on Twitter @madebyaprince.

divider

John Fells

aka Woodpop

Working with wood is my passion. I’m predominately a woodturner using UK grown timber and some reclaimed exotics to produce a wide range of products and forms. I can’t help but aim for a fine finish on all my work to reveal the timbers beauty and I enjoy the finer details.

My favorite type of piece is a natural edge form where I start from a log and the bark plays a part in the final shape. (Although spinning tops may overtake soon as playing with physics turns out to be quite a curious activity, both on and off the lathe!)

My main permanent display is in Charlestown, Cornwall where I have a range of work. I also supply 2 galleries in Devon with some pieces; West Gallery (West Putford) and Artisan Homes (Modbury, home of the Devon Moths).
You can also follow my current work on Facebook (John Fells wood) and Twitter (@johnfellswood) and find other details on my website www.johnfells.co.uk.

divider

James Peter Millward

I am a Plymouth based painter. My love of the natural world is my driving artistic force – having grown up in the beautiful unspoilt valleys of the Howgill fells in Cumbria I was surrounded by nature. In many of my paintings I zoom in on the macroscopic scenes in order to try and capture that intimacy and energy of that moment when a person may stop what they are doing to admire “let’s say!” a ladybird descend a grass shoot, or the immaculate design of a flower. I believe all living things have a consciousness which we can connect with if we empty our heads of the meaningless trash of our consumer driven lives and take notice of this miracle around us, and it is that intimate connection between all living things which I dearly hope to capture in my paintings, macroscopic or standard landscapes, riverscapes and seascapes.

My preferred medium is golden open acrylics, slow drying pigment which act much like oils and whilst the process takes longer than normal acrylics the pigment quality and vibrancy is in my opinion unmatched. I paint in thin layers and build the painting slowly up to a crescendo of colour and detail, I love painting detail on top of diffuse dreamy backgrounds because when our eyes give full attention to a particular subject the world around it defocuses into energy and that is the “moment of attention” which I am trying to capture and isolate in my work. Though I seek accuracy in my work, real-feelism is my goal, not photorealism.

A favourite piece of my own is “Henry the darling bug of May”. I was sat in the heathlands of the beautiful National Trust Saltram Estate enjoying the peace and quiet when I was visited by Henry when he landed on a grass shoot in front of me and began to descend it. I was amazed how his little insect legs supported his big shiny ruby red body and carried him seamlessly down the shoot and away on his journey. Ladybirds are supposed to bring luck and we can all do with a bit of that can’t we? Ladybirds are joyful creatures painted with some of nature’s finest pigments and designs and it was a joy for me to paint “The darling bug of May”

My art can be seen primarily in Mayflower Arts 12 Southside Street, Barbican, Plymouth, where I am the artist in residence. My works are also exhibiting in “The gallery on the hoe” here in Plymouth. I also have my own website with all my works, paintings and abstract sculptures here at www.jimsculpture.co.uk.

divider

Emma Higgins

aka Lino Pop

I make lino prints from my little cottage studio. Most of my prints are inspired by the South Devon coast and so have a seaside theme. My style is quite simple and many prints feature blues and greys which are colours I am always drawn to using.

‘Coastline’ is my favourite piece at the moment. It is of Blackpool Sands in the South Hams.

Where to find my work:
From time to time I exhibit locally but my prints can always be found online at https://folksy.com/shops/BilletDoux

divider

Jackie Gale

aka StitchPop

Jackie is a contemporary textile artist who works from her studio in the South Hams. She produces quirky naive artworks using a wide array of recycled materials including anything from wood veneers to rusty nails, merino felt to window film. Along with strong use of colour she uses texture to capture the essence of a place or theme and tell its story. The fine detail in her work as well as the quirky features make it not only uplifting but truly engaging. Each piece can take up to 2 weeks to produce. She likes to research extensively about a place or theme she is portraying and customise her materials accordingly. Jackie draws inspiration from her beautiful surroundings as well as her passion for naive art. She feels she finds something new to capture in textile every time she steps outside her front door.

Since turning professional in 2012, her work has attracted both national and international interest and she was recently awarded ‘Up & Coming Artist 2015′ by the Fine Art Trade Guild. [Congratulations Jackie! Sylva x]

You can connect with Jackie on Twitter (@jackiegaleart) or at her web site http://jackiegaletextileart.com/.

divider

Theresa Shaw

aka ShawAboutArt, FlowerPop

Inspired by nature, in particular flowers are a constant source of inspiration that help me create bold, contemporary florals and landscapes in acrylic ink for vibrancy and energy. I occasionally use Hammerite and gold and silver leaf for that additional wow and my aim is to achieve multi-layered pieces that are never boring.

Favourite piece at the moment: Crazy Daisy I – I love this piece – the colours, the layers, the little details.

Galleries where you can find my work: GalleryFab, Newton Abbot. Haddon Galleries, Torquay. Mayflower Arts, Plymouth. West Gallery, Holsworthy. The Marle Gallery, Axminster. Art5 Gallery, Brighton. Suki Craft Gallery, Tutbury.
Also online here: shawaboutart.com and artfinder.com/theresa-shaw.

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

May 9, 2015 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

Surely I am not the first,

and hopefully (poetically) not the worst,

to say it now- truer than true-

Wishing a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend to you!

Happy Mother’s Day!– Jim (and Red!)

Guest Blog- “Trees” by Neil Giles with Artwork by Emma Childs

April 16, 2015 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Sharing a delightful nature post combining original poetry and artwork from friends. This enchanting post originally appeared on my friend Sylva Fae’s blog Sylvanian Ramblings. If you love nature and children, I strongly encourage you to visit and follow her captivating blog.

The amazing “Trees” poem is courtesy of Neil Giles, and the accompanying beautiful artwork “Cyclamens at Killerton” created by Emma Childs.

I invite you to meet, connect and follow their creative works. Sylva’s delightful blog is linked above, clicking on the poem tree image will take you to Neil’s Twitter page, and clicking on the artwork will take you to Emma’s site.

Big thank you’s to Sylva, Neil and Emma for allowing me to share their magical creative works with you! I hope you enjoy as much as I did when first seeing their creations.

“The Rubbly Bubbly Bath”

April 13, 2015 / jrmilson / 6 Comments

A hungry little bear sat alone on a hill.

Honey jar in paws, ever careful not to spill.

He spoke not a word while opening the jar,

gazing over the meadows and fields afar.

Sticking in his tongue, slurping and lapping up the sweet honey,

he enjoyed the beauty of the day, so warm bright and sunny.

Honey drizzled down his chin and all over his front,

“Ugh! I’m all sticky! Egads!” he exclaimed with a grunt!

“What will my Mother say,

when she sees me this way?”

“She will want me to bathe and then toss me in the river.”

And with this worrisome thought, his lip started to quiver.

Though his dire hunger was now sated,

new bath concerns went unabated.

The sweet honey nearly gone,

he then leaned back with a yawn.

And remaining honey now out of reach with his tongue,

The bear remembered a tune which his mother had sung.

“Joshua Giraffe was born in a zoo,

he lived there, too.

For two years and a half,

he hasn’t had a bath . . .” *

He sang the verse boldly as he wandered back home,

Still hoping not to be drowned in wretched soap foam.

With icky sticky honey all over his fur,

he crept beside Mother, to hide, snuggle and purr.

But a bear is not a cat,

so shouldn’t try to do that.

Bath time was on as he wriggled and squirmed,

dunked in the river, his bath fears confirmed.

But since the bears don’t use soap,

There were no reasons to mope.

With no shampoo in his eyes to cause any tears,

he had no real worries to support all his fears.

Wee bear shouldn’t have tried to conceal his icky sticky self.

Not when there’s a jar of honey noticed missing from the shelf.

Mothers always seem to know when something is amiss.

Besides, all bath times end with a motherly bear kiss.

Note *– Song lyric excerpt from “Joshua Giraffe” lyrics by Raffi Cavoukian

Fireside Questions for Santa

December 24, 2014December 24, 2014 / jrmilson / 4 Comments

With Christmas Day drawing nigh,

I have some questions and wonder– “Why?”

Like, what is it about Santa that makes little kids cry?

And how in the world does he get reindeer to fly?

How high do leaves go when they “mount to the sky”?

How many toys do elves make versus having to buy?

So going to stay up late, or at least I’ll try,

And will hide behind the sofa, on Santa to spy.

I want to face him– eye to eye,

To directly ask the jolly elf guy—

“With no disrespect or meaning to pry–

How is it a fat old man can be so spry?

And get down the chimney without bruising a thigh?”

So busily hanging stockings by the chimney to dry,

While waiting here for Santa with questions to ply,

But for now I’m hungry and will bid “goodbye”,

Here anxiously awaiting the Old Boy to drop by.

Goodness, gracious, me oh my.

I wish that I had some Pumpkin Pie!

Wishing a Merry Blessed Christmas to all– “and to all a Good Night!”

— Jim (and Red!)

Santa Claus Drying Socks By The Fireside

Steampunk Ripples & Bearpunk Pranks!

December 18, 2014 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

The Christmas and Holiday Season is all about giving and sharing. Kindness. Stories of random acts of kindness and their far-reaching effects are in the news every day this time of year. But they are there the rest of the year, too. We just need to look for them. When one does an act of kindness, passes along a smile, compliment, comforting touch or gesture, there is no telling how far the positive effects may reach. It could change someone’s day. It could change a life. It could change the world. It’s all about– ripples.

So I thought it would be appropriate and fun to share a few treasured gifts received from some very good friends this year- the artist Christine Southworth and her daughter, the writer Sylva Fae. And– ripples.

As modern times and the internet would have it, Christine and Sylva are two wonderful, charming people who I have never had the pleasure to actually meet in person yet, but who have nevertheless inspired and influenced my life over the past year in a very positive way thru their shared artworks and writings. Which makes it all even more incredible. It is a perfect example of creating ripples, and watching a single act multiply and impact others one by one in turn.

Mother Teresa Quote– Ripples

Earlier in the year, I wrote a blog post titled “Expand Your Horizons on a Walk Around the Block!” After reading that post, which apparently resonated with her, Christine gifted me back an original drawing, entitled “Milson, the Steampunk Bear.” This drawing has since been the featured image on my blog here, on the right. Needless to say, I was blown away by her talent, kindness and generosity.

“Milson, the Steampunk Bear”- Original Art by Christine Southworth

A few months later, having fun, Christine’s daughter Sylva surprised me with a poem inspired by the drawing “Milson, the Steampunk Bear.” I would like to share that poem with you here. Again, I was amazed with such a wonderful and creative gift, totally out of the blue. Other bears mentioned in the poem were inspired by earlier creations of mine, available for review in the Gallery, linked above.

“MILSON- THE STEAMPUNK BEAR”

“Hello! I’m Milson the steampunk bear. No other bear can compare.

I’m quirky, fluffy but beware, I have a secret– “Shhh, don’t share!”

When all the grown-ups go to sleep, down the stairs, I do creep.

Through the catflap, quietly sneak, across the step with one big leap.

In sun or rain or snowy weather, I wear my hat with jaunty feather.

Goggles and specs I wear together, with studded boots of shiny leather.

I grab my bike from garden glade, for my nightly escapade.

A steampunk biker renegade, ready for the bear parade.

Meeting at the dead of night, Old Glory bears reunite.

It really is quite a sight, Hats on, pegs up. Hold on tight!

There’s Butterscotch Spike on his brass heart bike.

Horace revs a vintage trike, and Sidecar Elsie’s quite a tyke.

Grumpy Gus on a golden chopper, Old Boone loves his ride in copper.

Gaarrth’s a steamcycle whopper, and Tuffie’s trike is good ‘n’ proper.

All the rest in leather and lace, come and join the bearpunk race.

Engines roar as bears give chase, and Grumpy Gus takes first place.

Taking off at lightning speed, a steampunk cycle is my steed.

I know I can, I will succeed. Head down, ears back, I take the lead.

Engine off, put on the brake. The trophy is mine to take.

We feast on mead and fruity cake, then home before the grown-ups wake.”

—by Sylva Fae

Earlier this week for my birthday, Christine gifted me with another piece of artwork—“Milson the Steampunk Bear Finishes the ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ Chair.” That’s him, the little bear with the wrench in his hand on the bottom right. I was honored to receive such a gift- again. We have had an ongoing discussion thru the week as to whether “housework” might be included in the “Do Anything” operating manual.

“Milson, the Steampunk Bear Finishes the ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ Chair”- original artwork by Christine Southworth

Already inspired and moved to action from the original drawing and poem, this latest piece served to reinforce the message. It has been received, loud and clear, and it seemed time for “Milson the Steampunk Bear” to take form.

This little guy is the first of some new Bearpunk patterns and of what will be a whole new line of work and creations, as “Steampunk Bearpunk Bears and Accessories” will make their way into my store after the first of the year. While a departure from the Traditional, Vintage and Country Primitive stylings I have been making, they will be a fun new complement and addition. And if this first fellow- “Milson, the Steampunk Bear” is any indication, it’s going to be a blast working on them!

Milson, the Steampunk Bear– German Mohair, Glass Eyes, by James Milson, 2014

And it all started from a Blog post, which moved an artist an ocean away to create a drawing, which inspired a daughter to create a poem, which in turn led to the creation of another artwork, which led me out of my own comfort zone and to the creation of new teddy bear designs and store line. Which hopefully leads to more enjoyment and fun for who knows how many more folks in the coming years. A single ripple reaching distant shores and flowing back. And back. And back. If ever undecided about doing an act of kindness for someone—do it. You never know whose world you may be changing.

Here is a link to visit Sylva’s delightful blog → “Sylvanian Ramblings Blog”

Christine is a frequent contributor of original watercolor paintings and other artworks on Sylva’s blog, just look thru earlier posts for beautiful artwork and delightful posts by Sylva there. You can learn more about Christine in a recent Guest Post on Sylva’s blog here → “Christine Southworth Guest Blog Post”

In other news, Red and I are also hard at work finishing his first short story collection for release in the New Year—“The Adventures of Little Red Bear.” Hopefully more ripples. Busy times here. Making waves!

It’s the Holiday Season. Kindness. Sharing. Join in, have fun and go make some ripples of your own! It just takes one act or moment of kindness to get the whole progression started. And sometimes, as in a simple blog post, you don’t really know what ripples you may be setting in motion and what may come back to you in the process.

Sending Ripples Into The World

Thanks as always for reading and following along. Very best wishes from Little Red Bear and I, and the whole gang of critters and story folk here for a very Happy, Healthy and Joyous Holiday Season! — Jim (and Red!)