Spring Fling Blog Moves to Website

www.spring-fling.co.uk

From now on the Spring Fling news and information will all be held on the Spring Fling website making just one place for you to visit to get all your Spring Fling related news. Pop in there and see us soon. Updated news story titles will appear in the "news" box on the left hand side of the home page with a link to the full article.
Thank you for your support and best wishes.

Deirdre Nelson Residency

The Spring Fling residency at Wigtown Book Festival is drawing to it's close this weekend. If you want to catch up on how Deirdre is getting on visit her blog or read her Tweets just follow the links.

Bea Last: Marking Time

Study from sketch book. 25 x 56cm. Pencil and wash on cartridge paper.

Gracefield Arts Centre is opening on Friday September 24th from 7 till 9pm.
The new works by Bea are inspired by the space she inhabits and journeys through and she will be showing finished work along with sketch books which show her creative process.
Bea will be "In Conversation" with Colin Tennant about her work on Thursday 7th October from 7 - 8 pm. Place for this are free but you would be highly advised to book to save disappointment. To book your place contact Gracefield Arts Centre on 01387 262084.
The exhibition is open until November 6th.

Kate Anderson Exhibition Opening

The fourth weekend in September is a busy one for Spring Fling members as at least three are having exhibition openings over the weekend. For art and craft lovers that means there is no shortage of venues to visit and fine art and craft to enjoy.

Kate Anderson, mosaic artists has been a strong member of the Spring Fling Open Studios committee for the past few years and will be much missed on her retirement this AGM.

With her background in both sculpture and painting Kate now works with both traditional and experimental techniques to interpret and realise her ideas. Do visit her exhibition at the Mill on the Fleet between September 26th when there is an exhibition opening at 2pm and the end of the exhibition on October 31st.

Pots and Paintings by Andy Priestman

The Wigtown Book Festival this year is a very busy time. If you are in the area for the festival then do make the trip out to Minniwick at Glentrool to visit the workshop and studio of Spring Fling member Andy Priestman.

This is a real gem of a place to visit and well worth the effort. Andy is a potter and abstract painter and both these strands of his work will be on display. You will also be able to see the stunning three chambered wood fired kiln that he recently rebuilt in which his pots are fired. The exhibition is on from September 25th to October 3rd.

Pots stacked in the wood fired kiln before the firing.

Deirdre Nelson in Residence at Wigtown Book Festival

Deirdre Nelson will be in residence during the Wigtown Book Festival as another collaboration between the Book Festival and Spring Fling. The festival this year runs from 24 September to 3 October 2010 http://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/ and will be showing the results of the residency in Wigtown during Spring Fling 2011 (28 to 30 May).
Selected for the Jerwood Contemporary Makers prize in 2008 Deirdre has completed residencies at Cove Park, IASKA International Artists Residency in Western Australia and St Sirius Arts Centre in Cork, Ireland.

Deirdre says that "Hand work and craftsmanship provide both direction and context in her work which is often inspired by social history, texts and place. Her textile work employs a variety of techniques and materials fusing traditional textile skills and contemporary reinterpretation through photography and digital manipulation."

The studio will be at Glaisnock Guest House, North Main Street, Wigtown and a Meet The Artist event happens at 7pm on September 25th. Hope to see you there.

Spring Fling News

Firstly watch out for the newly redesigned and revamped website for the Spring Fling, this should be live within the next week, more about that when it arrives with us.

Secondly applications for Spring Fling 2011, May 28th, 29th and 30th, will be opening shortly, this will be on the website and we are encouraging on-line applications wherever possible to help conserve funds and cut down on administration work.

Finally the residency with Wigtown Book Town and Spring Fling will this year has been awarded to textile artist Deirdre Nelson. Deirdre will be in residence during the festival in Wigtown which runs from September 24th to October 3rd. Call in and see what she is working on when you visit the Book Festival this year.