all things paper: Julie Dodd - Paper Eggs

Have a look at this write up about my friend Julie :) all things paper: Julie Dodd - Paper Eggs: I came across the thought-provoking work of Julie Dodd recently via Twitter. She's an installation artist in England who uses discarded pap...

I blogged under my 'All Kitsch and Kidston' pseudonym about some bunting I bought recently for the Butterfly Park caravan.

The van needs so much work doing and yet here I am putting butterfly bunting up hehee, ahh well you see it took me so long to clean the green mould off the van that I felt it needed cheering up so here it is looking pretty.

Caravan Visitor Centre

I had the idea of making an old caravan into a temporary visitor centre for the Butterfly Park.

The idea has been a long time in the planning but is coming together a bit now.

I drew out plans, made a maquette and now have a vintage caravan.

Spent this week cleaning the outside of it as it was very green and algae covered and lo and behold it is indeed white but I think I might re-paint it, unsure about that yet, maybe I'll just have decals made.

The inside will be stripped out, laminate floor laid and fitted with a plan chest (lepidoptera drawers) library shelves and a workshop table with chairs.

I originally wanted a shop in the nearby town as a visitor centre but lack of funds stopped this however there is a possibility that we can have a presence in one of the local shops to draw attention to the park.

We have arranged the open day for Sunday May 8th so there's a lot of work to be done before that.

Butterfly Park

During 2010 I became Artist in residence at New Ferry Butterfly Park, I curated a small art trail of work by myself and 4 other local artists and organised a very successful Open Day.

This year I am again organising an open day on May 8th showing an extended Art Trail along with a New Temporary Visitor Centre that will actually be a converted Caravan (my next big project) and a Mobile Allotment containing edible plants that will attract Butterflies and Bees. I'll be touring the allotment around schools and community groups throughout the summer.

The Trail is open for submissions so I thought I'd add the details on here:

New Ferry Butterfly Park is a 5-acre Urban Nature Reserve in Wirral. In 2010 we appointed local artist Carol Ramsay as our Artist in Residence. As well as producing and exhibiting her own work, during the summer of 2010 Carol curated a small art trail of invited artists that was highly successful.

Some of this artwork is available to see on our website along with some information regarding the site: www.newferrybutterflypark.co.uk or you can join us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Ferry-Butterfly-Park/112509052095055?ref=ts
Or on twitter http://twitter.com/wirralbutterfly

This year we will be adding to the art trail and have decided to change the format and invite artists to put forward a site-specific proposal if they would like to be included.

The Butterfly Park is a charity run entirely by volunteers. Unfortunately there is no actual funding available for this project as yet, so sadly the artists will only have the experience of making public artwork for a beautiful outdoor space. Students can apply. This year we have secured a donation of £100 that will be awarded in September 2011 to the ‘Peoples Choice’ artist for the work with the most public votes. This is to be judged throughout the summer via an onsite ballot vote.

Last date for proposals is Friday 4th March 2011. The artwork (if chosen) will have to be in place at the Butterfly Park by Sunday 1st May 2011. The park opens to the public on Sunday 8th March for the summer season.

If you would be interested in putting forward a proposal please contact Carol Ramsay on cazramsay@hotmail.com for further details

Catch Up

Yegads - is it really a year since I posted on here?

Yes it really is.

I blog regularly on a-n but sort of gave up on this, however I have now downloaded an app for my phone ( my first app-I'm a phone technophobe) so who know's maybe this will become a more regular thing now.

2010 was a very busy year I took part in some amazing exhibitions, worked through a Biennial and had a full year in my residency at New Ferry Butterfly Park (more about that later - that needs a whole post of it's own)

I've met some fantastic people, I viewed some amazing artworks, I've listened to some inspiring music, a good year all round I think.

My work 'Stereo-tastic' as part of With These Walls We Are Shaped exhibition in Wolstenholme Creative Space was my favourite piece of the year I think and I managed to get Artist of the week on the Art in Liverpool website which made my week back then :) http://www.artinliverpool.com/blog/2010/11/artwork-of-the-week-carol-ramsay/

In the same exhibition I also showed Stereotactic, a whole different ballgame for me and a really experimental piece that I enjoyed making but I think it was a one off, bricks are sooo hard to work with.

In the Squaremile exhibition at Bridewell Gallery I made a piece of work entitled 'St Bride's Well' from donated out of date Law Books transformed into a mini Bridewell, a copy of the Everton Tower.

I had a smaller piece of work in the Cooperative Gallery for the Re-Touched exhibition, it was entitled 'After Lee MingWei - from Mending Project to Make Do and Mend'.

I also re-hung my Concerto No.1 Installation within the Lauries Centre in Birkenhead, where it is still living.

Out of Office

Sheffield - Out of Office exhibition at the Electric Works went really well, some great artists and really well curated.

Will post some images soon but for now  see - 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11287&id=100000463140959

Then I hot heeled it down to Southend on Sea to CoExist gallery and set up 'Set of Odd Volumes' the standard of work there was pretty amazing, a really fantastic exhibition.

Amy McKenny was so lovely, she curated the show, took us for drinks and put up my mate Julie in her spare room - beyond the call of duty.

I stayed courtesy of METAL at Chalkwell hall - what a place!!!! 

where does time go?

I have been a busy bee - trying to sort out work for an exhibition in Sheffield. OutofOffice arts are presenting a group exhibition in The Electric Works, Sheffield and I have been asked to join them.

So as I didn't know Sheffield at all I thought my piece could be about finding my way there, what I discover en-route. I've bought/found a few relevant A-Z books and have mapped my route page by page, doodling as I go. Has been quite an experience, you notice all kinds of things that you might ordinarily just drive past.

Then also I have to try and get my Degree show work down to Southend on Sea (in one piece - well 10 actually but...) for another group exhibition of book art. Very exciting.

Today I was asked to take part in another possible exhibition in the summer in Liverpool. It's all go....