Out of the Pockets

Their Hopes and Dreams

Whilst planning and carrying out the ‘Hidden Messages’ project in response to ‘Amulets’ in the Cuming Museum collection this new work immerged.  Along with these smaller works in progress.

Dreams

Having selected one Amulet on the museum’s collection website I was utterly amazed when on the day of the project the curator of the collection came into the workshop with a trolley full of what I considered to be the most beautiful objects. The workshops were a great success images and details on myworkshopcollaborations blog see link

Living Water Women



Joined up with local women artists to show at Living Water Satisfies a social enterprise that invests its profits to empower women to overcome domestic violence.  http://www.livingwatersatisfies.org.uk/

Market Stall

Since the end of the ‘Nano Women’ showcasing at the Fashion and Textile Museum, I have got into making specifically for the West Norwood Market stall turning my one bedroom flat into a chaotic 24 hour activated recycling art hub. All the work relocated from my Spike Island studio in Bristol, now lives with me in every room as large canvases portfolios and materials bulge from inappropriate spaces, life and artist existence become one.

I am combining textiles ‘my unworn African costumes’ collected over the years with recycled canvases and artworks to make new saleable artefacts. Also taking more and more daily recyclables to add to ideas of items I can reinvent to include on the stall. The Baby Books and Bibs being my main new products are drawing more and more attention but the other developments such as food cans as pen pots, and along with small artworks and everything else. These can all be seen on my blog http://afrobabybooks@blogspot.com

The reworking of existing artworks is leading to the emergence of some very spontaneous works and it is not unusual for me to be moving from the stitching of baby books to the painting and finding the ideas merge, it’s the stories that are the result and this is an exciting direction for me.

Esther at the Helm

New portrait painting fails to wow the judges as a BP National Portrait Awards submission.

'Materialized' at Brick Box

‘Materialized’at Brick Box, BrixtonVillage 15th–20th March

Launch 19th Feb 7-10pm

Mixed-media exhibition installation to Brick Box, encompassing‘Afrocentric textiles, painting and recycled objects. Work inspired by Dutch wax prints, traditional West African textiles and Contemporary African arts.

Getting back into it

The new work is taking some time to evolve since the move.  Having no studio space I have finally created a working area in the bedroom near the back window.  There is here plenty of light and an uninterrupted view of trees.  The trestle table fits neatly within the bay window shape and the existing work is stacked in an alcove next to this.  It’s all very crowded as I have the sewing machine and essential piece of equipment set ready for frequent use once I get going, also the ironing board and all the materials.  My main aim will be not to let the working space ooze out over of the invisible boundary and spill into the bedroom space, could be catastrophic.  I am restricting the use of paint; hope I can stick to this.