NEOS 2007 at PLATFORM 22
Saturday the 15th of September sees the start of this year’s North East Open Studios (NEOS) event where artists and artisans from across the region open their studio doors to the public. The work on show includes painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, textiles, jewellery, leatherwork, glassware and multimedia creations, and styles range from the traditional to the contemporary; there is truly something for everyone!
Amongst the galleries taking part is Platform 22 in Torphins where owner Emma Pattullo will be exhibiting a range of her own ceramic designs. Emma has enjoyed a busy year as apart from tutoring a range of successful classes at Platform 22 and Woodend Barn her own work has become increasingly sought after, in particular her vases in black clay edged with real gold and her range of platters depicting butterflies, dragonflies and bumblebees! She has also found time to experiment with ideas such as ‘freeform’ mirrors inspired by the work of Gustav Klimt and some more sculptural work featuring a ‘dreaming ballerina’.
Apart from exhibiting her own work Emma and husband David will also be playing host to a range of other artists in the gallery. Amongst those showing at Platform 22 are painters Timmie Penny and Stephanie Vandem, photographer Robert Grey, ceramicists Mina Rusk and Sandra Gorrara, textile artist Annabel Pattullo and wood turner Alan Steele. As well as being able to enjoy a wide range of exhibits visitors to the gallery will also be able to see an artist at work with wood turner Alan Steele giving demonstrations of his skills making ‘fairy goblets’ during Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th. During NEOS week Platform 22 will be open from 10am to 5 pm and the gallery’s café will be operating offering weary culture vultures a chance to enjoy a restorative cuppa!
This year’s NEOS event, the fourth since its inception in 2003, is the biggest yet with nearly 160 individual artists and over 20 galleries involved and runs from the 14th through till Monday the 24th. NEOS has now become a big part of the arts scene in the north east and a many people now take the week off to spend it touring the studios and galleries on the north east searching out the very best in local artistic talent. To this end the NEOS organising committee produce a comprehensive directory and map covering all the venues involved, from Nairn to St Cyrus and Fraserburgh to Tomintoul; these are widely available from galleries and art venues around the area. Further information can also be found online at www.northeastopenstudios.co.uk.
FAIRY GOBLETS at PLATFORM 22
Wood-turner Alan Steele will be hard at work this weekend producing “fairy goblets” for Queen Tatiana’s autumn garden party! Visitors to the Platform 22 Gallery in Torphins will be able to watch Alan demonstrating his intricate woodturning skills and may even catch a glimpse of the reclusive fairies as they wait eagerly for Alan to complete his work. As well as being able to watch Alan at work the gallery is also hosting a major exhibition of his work for the North East Open Studios event with over 30 examples of his work on show.
Although born in Cheshire and raised in Yorkshire Alan is now based in Aberdeen where he has his workshop and from where he founded the “Grampian Wood Turners” group whose aim is to promote the art of woodturning in the northeast. Alan began his career as an artist-craftsman as a young boy carving jet from the beach at Whitby and helping out at a local blacksmith’s making fire irons. As a teenager he became an “indentured apprentice” with an engineering company as a turner/tool-maker. It was a rude introduction to the world of work as his wages didn’t cover the cost of getting to work and feeding himself so he kept on his job with the blacksmith and progressed on to making copper jewellery which he sold to supplement his income!
Having gained a reputation as a skilled craftsman Alan began exhibiting his work at various cultural and folklore festivals at home and abroad. The insight he gained into other cultures and crafts helped him expand the scope of his work and he soon developed his skills in leatherwork and wood turning. Today these two materials, leather and wood, form the basis of nearly all his work and although most of his pieces are made from one or the other he has had considerable success in making items from a combination of the two!
Today Alan draws his inspiration from the natural world and the titles to the pieces reflect his knowledge and love of folklore and mythology. The exhibition at Platform 22 is comprised of a range of turned screw-top boxes in hardwoods and thin-walled “hollow forms” made from unseasoned timbers and coloured with dyes to create the most amazing pieces of art that seem to defy gravity, as well as description!
Alan will be on hand to talk about his work and give demonstrations throughout Saturday 22nd Sept. (10 am – 5 pm) and on Sunday 23rd (12 noon – 5 pm). The gallery/cafe will be open showing Alan’s work alongside a wide selection of ceramics, photography, paintings, textiles and jewellery throughout the NEOS week (15th – 24th September, 10 am –5 pm). For more information telephone: 01339 882039.
Saturday the 15th of September sees the start of this year’s North East Open Studios (NEOS) event where artists and artisans from across the region open their studio doors to the public. The work on show includes painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, textiles, jewellery, leatherwork, glassware and multimedia creations, and styles range from the traditional to the contemporary; there is truly something for everyone!
Amongst the galleries taking part is Platform 22 in Torphins where owner Emma Pattullo will be exhibiting a range of her own ceramic designs. Emma has enjoyed a busy year as apart from tutoring a range of successful classes at Platform 22 and Woodend Barn her own work has become increasingly sought after, in particular her vases in black clay edged with real gold and her range of platters depicting butterflies, dragonflies and bumblebees! She has also found time to experiment with ideas such as ‘freeform’ mirrors inspired by the work of Gustav Klimt and some more sculptural work featuring a ‘dreaming ballerina’.
Apart from exhibiting her own work Emma and husband David will also be playing host to a range of other artists in the gallery. Amongst those showing at Platform 22 are painters Timmie Penny and Stephanie Vandem, photographer Robert Grey, ceramicists Mina Rusk and Sandra Gorrara, textile artist Annabel Pattullo and wood turner Alan Steele. As well as being able to enjoy a wide range of exhibits visitors to the gallery will also be able to see an artist at work with wood turner Alan Steele giving demonstrations of his skills making ‘fairy goblets’ during Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th. During NEOS week Platform 22 will be open from 10am to 5 pm and the gallery’s café will be operating offering weary culture vultures a chance to enjoy a restorative cuppa!
This year’s NEOS event, the fourth since its inception in 2003, is the biggest yet with nearly 160 individual artists and over 20 galleries involved and runs from the 14th through till Monday the 24th. NEOS has now become a big part of the arts scene in the north east and a many people now take the week off to spend it touring the studios and galleries on the north east searching out the very best in local artistic talent. To this end the NEOS organising committee produce a comprehensive directory and map covering all the venues involved, from Nairn to St Cyrus and Fraserburgh to Tomintoul; these are widely available from galleries and art venues around the area. Further information can also be found online at www.northeastopenstudios.co.uk.
FAIRY GOBLETS at PLATFORM 22
Wood-turner Alan Steele will be hard at work this weekend producing “fairy goblets” for Queen Tatiana’s autumn garden party! Visitors to the Platform 22 Gallery in Torphins will be able to watch Alan demonstrating his intricate woodturning skills and may even catch a glimpse of the reclusive fairies as they wait eagerly for Alan to complete his work. As well as being able to watch Alan at work the gallery is also hosting a major exhibition of his work for the North East Open Studios event with over 30 examples of his work on show.
Although born in Cheshire and raised in Yorkshire Alan is now based in Aberdeen where he has his workshop and from where he founded the “Grampian Wood Turners” group whose aim is to promote the art of woodturning in the northeast. Alan began his career as an artist-craftsman as a young boy carving jet from the beach at Whitby and helping out at a local blacksmith’s making fire irons. As a teenager he became an “indentured apprentice” with an engineering company as a turner/tool-maker. It was a rude introduction to the world of work as his wages didn’t cover the cost of getting to work and feeding himself so he kept on his job with the blacksmith and progressed on to making copper jewellery which he sold to supplement his income!
Having gained a reputation as a skilled craftsman Alan began exhibiting his work at various cultural and folklore festivals at home and abroad. The insight he gained into other cultures and crafts helped him expand the scope of his work and he soon developed his skills in leatherwork and wood turning. Today these two materials, leather and wood, form the basis of nearly all his work and although most of his pieces are made from one or the other he has had considerable success in making items from a combination of the two!
Today Alan draws his inspiration from the natural world and the titles to the pieces reflect his knowledge and love of folklore and mythology. The exhibition at Platform 22 is comprised of a range of turned screw-top boxes in hardwoods and thin-walled “hollow forms” made from unseasoned timbers and coloured with dyes to create the most amazing pieces of art that seem to defy gravity, as well as description!
Alan will be on hand to talk about his work and give demonstrations throughout Saturday 22nd Sept. (10 am – 5 pm) and on Sunday 23rd (12 noon – 5 pm). The gallery/cafe will be open showing Alan’s work alongside a wide selection of ceramics, photography, paintings, textiles and jewellery throughout the NEOS week (15th – 24th September, 10 am –5 pm). For more information telephone: 01339 882039.
