EVENT - York Art Gallery Interpretation

Very excited to have my Michael Gove busts featuring in the York Art Gallery highlights from the Rainbow wall of colour. I'm one of 4 objects selected from the blue colour range by cabinet curator Fiona Green...

  

WORKSHOP - Badge Making at the Rotunda Museum

A lovely and very busy badge making workshop at the Rotunda Museum in Scarborough today, I took in with me my trusty badge it machine (which I use for all of my badgered badges). These drop in sessions will also be running over the next two weeks and will be based around the theme of the Rotunda so will be featuring lots of dinosaurs and ammonites. I'll have my badge it machine with me next week as well as some other goodies...

Drop in badge making sessions at the Rotunda Museum in Scarborough.

Small selection of some of the badges made today.

PRESS - Clare Twomey 'Manifest:10,000 Hours' Book

I seem to have made it into the York Art Gallery's book for Clare Twomey's Manifest: 10,000 hours commission. I was busy with my AA2A+ residency with York College and York Art Gallery at the time and I helped to make well over 100 bowls for this. Still, bit of a surprise finding myself and the lovely Becky Ridsel from York College within the pages :-) 

EVENT - Gove busts in CoCA display at York Art Gallery

I'm very happy to have some work included in the opening of the CoCA galleries at York Art Gallery. Some of my Michael Gove busts from the Goveshy are in the Rainbow wall of pots. There are also two Gove busts in the handling collection for people to pick up and look at, as well as two of my porcelain sandwiches. Thoroughly enjoyed the launch and seeing the wonderful delights that the galleries hold. Will definitely be spending a bit of time in York Art Gallery over the coming year.

  

EVENT - Staithes Studios

Some of my work has wound its way over to Staithes for the opening of the lovely new venture by Ian and Stef Mitchell. Staithes Studio is opening in time for the Summer Solstice. you can find one of my Trilogy of Death's for sale there alongside some of my mugs and cups. http://staithesstudios.com/

WORKSHOP - Sea Monsters at the Rotunda Museum

My first Sea Monster workshop at the Rotunda in Scarborough produced a host of wonderful creations. 61 students, year 6. We primarily used sticky back coloured vinyl sheets and cardboard. Here's a little selection of the days output... another one tomorrow!

          

     

    

EVENT - Launch of Crafts Council Directory

Today is the official launch of the Crafts Council Directory, the advertising today goes a little something like this....

The Crafts Council Facebook Page

The Crafts Council Twitter profile

Brilliant advertising for my Tureen Heads I would say! Thanks Crafts Council... Check out my directory profile using the following link: 

http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/directory/maker/karen-thompson/

WORK IN PROGRESS - Fiona Green Charger

A detail from my latest work, this is from the Fiona Green charger, Fiona is collection facilitator for art at York Museums Trust. The image is a reference to the Thomas Toft tyg that is in the ceramics collections in York, I have also included two other objects from the collections on this charger... I will reveal the finished object at a later date.

THE FAMILY - 7th May... Election Day

Thursday 7th May.... Yes, voting day... Yes, cast your vote for my dad Dave Thompson... Oh that was  1970! 

PRESS - York Press, Toast Exhibition

A piece in today's York Press about the Toast exhibition at the New School House Gallery in York. 

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/exhibitions/12933894.Toast__School_House_Gallery__Peasholme_Inn__York_until_May_9/

EXHIBITION - Toast at the New School House Gallery

I was approached to show some work in a group exhibition at the New School House Gallery in York, the exhibition 'Toast' is curated by five fine art art students studying at York St. John's University. There are five artists in total showing work and the exhibition runs until the 9th May 2015.

 

Karen Thompson's Charmology Head II at Toast, New School House Gallery, York.

EVENT - Cups Available From Scarborough Art Gallery

Some of my mugs and cups are now available to buy from Scarborough Art Gallery... Selling fast! 

Karen Thompson's Cups available from Scarborough art Gallery.

http://www.scarboroughmuseumstrust.com/#!scarborough-art-gallery/c4u3

AA2A 'Plus' - Painting The Fiona Green Charger

In the composition of the Fiona Green Charger I am including three objects from the York Museums ceramics collection, these are a Thomas Toft tyg (YORYM:2001.8239), a Merete Rasmussen sculpture and a curious object which was sitting on a bench one day when I visited the stores of which I have no further information.  All of the images of the teasers shown here are at the pre final firing stage, the images have been painted directly onto the unfired tin white glaze and will be subject to change as the piece is fired.  

Thomas Toft Tyg. 

Merete Rasmussen.

Random

Karen in the studios of York College painting the Fiona Green charger.

Computer tower on the desk of YMT stores.

AA2A 'Plus' - Introducing The Fiona Green Charger

The first charger I'm making in response to York Art Gallery's ceramics collection is to feature Fiona Green, the collection facilitator for art. My charger will take direct reference from a delftware charger decorated with a portrait of Queen Anne. This piece is from the 1700 - 1720 period. 

Queen Anne Charger - York Art Gallery (YORYM:2000.2672).

Fiona Green, York Museums Trust, collection facilitator for art.

AA2A 'Plus' - Earthenware Chargers

I'm producing a few white earthenware chargers in the studios at college. They are pressmoulded over a hump mould (Ah the joys of a slab roller! Yes please Santa) I'm bisque firing them without any decoration as I intend to paint majolica style directly on top of a tin white glaze, the first chargers will be painted with velvet underglazes instead of oxides, this will create a vibrant contemporary style which should compliment my ideas of portraying modern scenes taking direct influence from the historical chargers in the collection of York Museums Trust.  

AA2A 'Plus' - New Materials

I've just come across a new material which I've never used before...Terracotta cast with iron is a modelling material akin to plaster. It sets in an hour or so and resembles a bisque fired terracotta, the iron content giving it a speckled like finish. I cast my 'sculptors digits' in the material as a test, apparently the iron content will go rusty with regular watering... I'm watering one of the digits to see what the results look like... 

Testing, Testing... Terracotta cast with iron.

Karen Thompson - Sculptors Digits.

AA2A Workshops - BA Fashion Students

I ran two workshops with the second year BA fashion students in February at York College, the first workshop was focusing on the initial making whilst the second was looking at glazing. This was the fashion students first introduction to ceramics, as it was a small group I wanted to work with them to help realise their individual thoughts and ideas, this meant that they were all working with different methods and we covered a rather broad base, this ranged from slip casting to working with slabs to modelling. I don't have many photographs of these workshops as I was mainly focused on delivering them... I managed to grab a couple of afterthought shots though...
The work has all now been fired and the fashion students are busy integrating the ceramics with fabrics to create new fashion designs. I'll post some pics of their progress soon.