Artist & Facilitator

I am a freelance artist based in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria in the North West of England. I have worked within the performing and fine arts for 20 years. Initally I worked within the theatre as a performer and on production. Then moving on to a street circus group that performed around the UK. I did my degree BA(hons) Fine Art at Uclan. For fifteen years I have collaborated with local arts organisations, worked on youth community projects and in schools running a variety of creative projects. I am currently a member of North Lonsdale Embroiderers Guild, Blue Tarn, a rural womens artists collective and Trident Textiles, based in Furness. I am always working on a variety of small scale projects including photography, textile and mixed media. Although my favourite thing is meeting and talking to interesting people!


Wednesday, 18 November 2009

HMS Astute and finding the Embroiderers' Guild

I made this cute stuffed submarine (with googly eye periscope!) as a tribute for my husband Nic.  He works for BAE Systems and this weekend the HMS Astute left Devonshire Dock, Barrow-in-Furness for Faslane in Scotland with its new crew.  So it was exciting for the team to witness this new chapter in the project.  Nic managed to get some photos and video of the sub leaving dock.  There was a big spread in the local newpaper too.  Go to this link and scroll down to see video and interviews. http://www.nwemail.co.uk/ All the rest of the lads in the office now want their own stuffed submarine with googly eye periscope!!











I am having real problems finding a local branch of the Embroiderers' Guild.  The nearest was the South Lakeland and Furness now has folded and the next nearest I can find is Keswick.  The national competition for the Embroiderers' Guild deadline is in Feb 2010 and I would like to take part but via a local branch.  In this search I find that many local craft guilds have folded.  For example the Cumbria Craft Guild used to be a fantastic group and would exhibit every year at Grizedale, they too are no more!  Living in a rural area is fantastic but it can end up isolating those who need to network.

So I guess I will just have to do it through national membership for now.  The competition theme this year is 'Shelter'.  I am also a member of a local quilters' guild but again I am considering entering the national exhibition next year, 'Festival of Quilts' at the NEC in Birmingham.  These fairs are good because it gives the artist a chance to exhibit but also to network. On a last good note for me, Nic and I are off to Glasgow for the weekend.  Leaving Alex with his grandparents.  So looking forward to visiting the galleries and a few watering holes!!

2 comments:

Ann Christy said...

Hi Rachel - I was really interested when reading this post to hear that you were looking for an Embroiderers' Guild Branch in your area. I am the secretary for the North West Region (EG) - I am not sure exactly where you are but did you know that there is a branch at Cark in Cartmel (North Lonsdale Branch) As you say sadly the Branch nearest to you closed. You can join as an individual member and tay part in the competition. If you would like more information please email me annchristy2@gmail.com

Julie said...

Hi Rachel, thank you for joining on my blog followers :) I'm a bit of a butterfly so I hope you enjoy the ride. I see that you are thinking of entering the FOQ next year for the first time, just like me! I'll be interested to follow your journey. I haven't got started yet altho ideas keep spinning around in my brain. I belong to a closed blog of people who are planning to enter a quilt and we're hopefully going to give each other some support but I will probably be putting my thoughts and progress on my own blog too. I'm a member of the QG and EG too and have to travel 50 miles round trip to the EG meetings. Should have gone today but got put off by the prospect of fog. Typical that it cleared mid morning. Grrr!