New post on kinky clay ..

Work in progress http://kinkyclay.blogspot.com

Concentric Dreaming... #GIMP

Added some interesting texture and think it's finished ....... or maybe not!!

Raspberry Pi .....

Go on check it out - not just for nerds :) http://www.raspberrypi.org/

Concentric Dreaming ... #GIMP

I am off out to the studio now but have spent some of my weekend working on another processed image.  This time it is Concentric Dreams, which is about the discrete and the continuous, so it seemed appropriate to put it into a universal context since this is where we often look for answers to huge questions like; 'when does the discrete become continuous and does the continuous become truly discrete?'

A work in progress .......  Concentric Dreaming

Bangor Open Art Exhibition 2012 Mawrth 3 March - Ebrill 14 April Arddangosfa Gelf Agored

Amgueddfa ac Oriel Gwynedd, GWYNEDD MUSEUM & ART GALLERY, BANGOR, GWYNEDD


Blackcutwitch Designs is very pleased to announce that Christina J Phillips' work will be on display at Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery from March 3rd to April 14th.  This annual exhibition is curated by a panel of selectors from submission by artists living and working all over Wales.

The Museum & Gallery building sits in the very heart of Bangor, with the Bible Gardens and beautiful and very historic Cathedral opposite.  This Cathedral is said hold the gravestone of Owain Gwynedd (@12th century), one of the first Princes of Gwynedd, and has infamous Thomson mice - if you can find them, and original 12th century tile work - if you ask nicely they'll show it to you :)  Definitely well worth a visit.

The Cathedral has been renovated many times and some of the very early tile and stone works have been kept in the Museum & Gallery and are on display upstairs.  The Museum & Gallery is a hidden gem of Bangor, although it is right in the centre it is set back off the road by the bus stations in its own tranquil space beside a small park and is easily overlooked.  I found myself attracted by the view through the windows on a winters afternoon of beautiful and interesting art works.  Me and my son are now regular visitors.  The Museum has a marvelous display of history from stone age tools to Victorian ceramics and I still find something new to look at every time I go.  Over the period of the Open Art Exhibition downstairs the museum is going to be running CHANGING SHAPE an exploration of changing shapes in fashion from the museums extensive costume collection.

The pieces by Christina Phillips that will be on display are the glass mosaic mask ...

Concentric Dreams 2011, ceramic sculpture covered in glass mosaic  

A Physics/Math inspired piece about the strange place where the discrete meets the continuous.

and ....

Earth Womb 2011, ceramic sculpture - over-fired for a darker colour and finished with a beeswax  polish

A piece which sees the Earth as a womb for evolution and the intelligence which may yet destroy it!  Thank you to all of you who voted for pieces when I asked for your help.  Tatiana Storm Queen won but her mounting system was not suitable for the gallery so Earth Womb took her place.

In previous years artists have exhibited who are now on display in the Saatchi gallery in London, why don't you see if you can spot the next big artist from Wales?  Work will be on view from a broad range of disciplines and a breadth of styles.

The opening hour are Tues - Fri 12.30 to 4.30, Sat 10.30 to 4.30

For a great day out in the spring Bangor Cathedral, the Museum & Art Gallery and Bangor Pier.

There is a scone and tea shop at the end of the pier, Blue Sky Cafe and 1815 are both very nice bistro/cafes in town, open from 10 am, and you can collect some fresh mussels to go home with from Bangor docks.

Read more about the Cathedral here;  http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Cathedrals_and_Minsters/bangor-cathedral-7655.htm  and here;  http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/bangor/cathedral/

Beautiful images of North Wales...

From a dog walk a couple of days ago.....

First the Carneddau mountain range in the evening sun.....

the sunset framed by an iron gate...

then the Glyderau mountains through a gap in  the stone wall ....

and finally some old burnt Gorse silhouetted against the evening sky. I was particularly pleased with that one :)

Thank you for your visit :)

Studio love...

Finally going to get back out to the studio today.  The sculpture I am doing is going to be positively pornographic so most of the posts will go up at Kinky Clay.  As always I have been taking lots of photographs so here are a couple to keep your stream looking lovely :)

Don't forget the postcard give away running this week.  We've decided to run it for a couple more days to allow facebook fans to have a go as well so get in there while you can :)  Thanks for your visit.

A couple of beautiful photographs to help you love the rain...

This tree is so covered in moss it is a livid green.  Something to thank the rain for.  I have done no post processing here at all - it is really very green :)

This complex fungus grows abundantly on another tree nearby, another thing to thank the rain for :)

and, finally when the skies clear and the sun goes down  .. wow!  What a gorgeous sky.

Now I have to enter my pieces into the Bangor open so more later.  Thanks for your visit.

New jewelry range - Fluid Shapes

Just started putting a range of jewelry up for sale on my shop now page this slide show is embedded there since I can only put a few pieces up at a time it is easier for you to browse the range in Picasa.  Please let me know if you like any of them or if you have any great ideas :)

Really been going for it with textures in #GIMP

Nature's love expressed in a tree.  At the time I found it I thought of mercilessly exploiting it over the Valentines period, but, I hate the whole over commercialised event!  Basically, I would have felt like a complete hypocrite.

So.... I have decided to bring out a range of cards for lovers that can be sent any time of the year to let the one you love know just how special they are to you.  They could be used for birthdays, special occasions, to say 'thank you' or 'sorry' or simply to say 'I love you'.

I will be putting a small selection up on Red Bubble very soon and will let you know then :)  thanks for your visit.

Nice figure....

A friend sent me this, knowing what a nerd I am and I just had to re-post ....
http://nicefigure.org/

Science of Art ... and postcard give away....

Exciting news;  Tonight on Pythagoras Trousers, Radio Cardiff 8pm (repeated Tues at 11pm) http://www.rhysphillips.co.uk/pythagoras-trousers/ an interview with Christina Phillips of Blackutwitch Designs about how science has influenced her artistic practice and how her art influences her work as a tutor.

Also, this Saturday we hit the magic 10,000 visitors 

as if that wasn't good enough, by Sunday evening we hit 10,100.

  So a huge thank you to all of our visitors, especially to those who visit regularly or have BCW Designs on a feed.


As a celebration of this event here is some old footage ......

Ha ha :)  Just kidding.  

I have decided to blow some of my budget on giving back to you lovely people, so for the next week any one of you who sends me an email (blackcutwitch@gmail.com) saying SEND ME YOUR POSTCARDS will get their names put into a hat and the first few drawn out will receive a FREE set of postcards worth £3.50.  I say the first few as I don't want to miss any country out, and I will pay for the postage.  So, I have a budget and when that is met I shall email the winners to get their addresses and will send out the lucky recipients their FREE POSTCARDS.  Good luck...

This is a montage of the set you will receive if you are one of the lucky winners......

Thank you for your visit :)

Texture and blend ...

been learning how to add textures and blend them together in GIMP to create atmospheric images....

Good night :)

More Lichen love .....

Lichen landscape ......

Thanks for visiting :)

Wahay! I discovered how to gif in #GIMP

CLICK ON IT ........ gooo on ..... you know you want to.  Neat eh?  I am learning a lot of new imaging techniques at the moment so that I can present my work in different formats and start to experiment with different media interpretations.

Thanks for your visit :)

I think we have a consensus.. but..

what about the Merman?     I'm keeping him back for a special project, but I did do this .......

It's called 'Is He There?'  I have it in two colours and haven't finished but I like where it is going.......

Tatiana Storm Queen has tied with Earth Womb so I shall have to decide myself which one goes into the Bangor Open.  Let's hope they choose both of my entries.  Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to give me there opinion, it was lovely to find that every one of the pieces that we tried to choose from was somebody's favourite.

Ta for your visit :)

I need your help, please ....

I am going to be entering the Bangor Open Exhibition this year, held at Bangor Museum and Art Gallery in March.  I have decided I will be entering 'Concentric Dreams' but am finding it very difficult to decide which should be the second piece that I enter.  CAN YOU HELP ME?  If you have five minutes please take a look at the following pieces and tell me which one you think I should enter........

Tatiana Storm Queen 2011

I have always found the best people to ask if I am a bit unsure about something is my fans, friends and followers.  They always have a strong opinion about my stuff and are not afraid to say it, lovely people :)x

Elegantly Punk 2010

Earth Womb 2011

The Lady 2011

Theoretically Speaking I 'Flower Cup' 2010

There is a comments box below or you can contact me on fb, twitter or G+ .
Thank you :)

Stunning evening....

Yesterday afternoon the mist started to clear just as the sun went down and I knew it was time to get out and walk the dog, camera in hand.  So here are just a couple of them to keep your stream looking lovely this Tuesday :)

Tatiana Blue

Been playing around with LightRoom4 on Tatiana Storm....

I think it looks better what do you think?

Brrrrr! A chilly morning...

It's worth getting up early to see sights like this, I hope you agree :)

Light Room

I downloaded Light Room 4 beta yesterday (thank you adobe).  Been having fun with it this morning processing some of the pictures I got over the last week.....

They are not at best quality so that they won't be pinched!  After processing they look and feel more like the original sunset did.  I was very glad that always have my camera on me :)

More later, thanks for reading :)

Lichen love....

I shared this photo on G+ and it has proved very popular so I thought I'd post it here.  Since I am doing teaching experience at the moment and busy in the evenings with stock lists, pricing guides and other paperwork I haven't had time to sculpt.

 I did mange a flower distort in GIMP last night, do let me know what you think if you have an opinion.

I reckon it could do with a frame of some kind but I'm liking the feel and the colours.  Thank you for your visit :)