Arts Alive: Creative Opportunities for All Ages

Volunteers needed – Dreamscape Cleaning at Nevill Hall

Sat 21st April 10am to 3pm

Have you ever looked up in Outpatients at Nevill Hall and wondered whether it was a star, or a planet? A moth or a bat? Do you fancy a closer look? Arts Alive Wales and GARTH are having a Spring Clean of the Dreamscape Banners hanging in Main Outpatients at Nevill Hall this Saturday 21st April 10am to 3pm. Come and lend a hand and see the banners up close.

The banners will be brought down from the ceiling and given a good tidy-up, before being re-hung.  Many children and adults from Abergavenny and the surrounding area contributed to the work which was completed in 2008.and we’d love to see some familiar faces again.  No need to book but please bring simple sewing/cleaning items (hand held vacuums would be a great help).

Contact Arts Alive Wales on info@artsalivewales.org.uk or 01873 811579 or ring Sarah Goodey 07976 375781 for details.

Arts Alive Wales offers a fully accessible, light and airy studio space; ideal for workshops, parties and meetings. We’re just a ten minute walk from the historic town centre of Crickhowell and its excellent shops bars and cafes.

The studio is available to hire for £12.00 per hour and has access to a kitchen with tea/coffee making facilities, free Wi-Fi, toilets and parking for up to 8 cars.

We also have a wet room with a sink for messy art activities like painting and pottery.

Additionally we can arrange for an artist to host a creative workshop especially for your event.

For more information and to check availability please contact Rebecca Spooner, Arts Development Manager, by calling 01873 811579 or email info@artsalivewales.org.uk

 

We are looking for a volunteer gardener to help us give the Arts Alive building a seasonal makeover. Whether gardening is your passion or your profession, if you have time to spare we would like to hear from you.

There is a small budget available for materials, and we would welcome creative input and design ideas.

Please call Arts Alive on 01873 811579, or email info@artsalivewales.org.uk if you are interested in helping.

An exhibition and fund-raising sale of Art and Craft at Porthmawr Country House, Crickhowell, NP8 1DE

Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th March 2012
2pm to 5pm

Featuring a retrospective of the work of

CATHARINE MARR-JOHNSON

And the work by contemporary artists including Hannah Firmin, Tom Hallifax, Annika Neumuller, Roy Powell, Kumar Saraff, Sarah Thwaites, Mary Zammitt and others

Entry £3 Adults, accompanied children free

All proceeds from the exhibition and sale to support Arts Alive Wales’ Community Programme

In collaboration with Five-Ways Art – www.five-ways.net

Patrons: Lady Bingham, Susannah Fiennes, Sir Robert & Lady Hayman-Joyce, John and Sally Leighton Williams

For more information please email info@artsalivewales.org.uk or call 01873 811 579

If you would like to attend our private view please contact us

Download the Catalogue and Price List as a PDF

Catalogue and Images

Jane Bennett

Girls Paddling
Oil on canvas
25 x 32cm
£470

Jane Bennett

Grey Sea
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40cm
£490

Jane Bennett

Low Tide
Oil on canvas
18 x 24cm
£270

Jane Bennett

Evening Light
Oil on canvas
18 x 24cm
£270

Seren Bell

Courting Cockerels
Watercolour and ink
30 x 30cm
£325

Seren Bell

Welsh Mules
Watercolour and ink
30 x 30cm
£325

Carl Chapple

Leila 13
Oil on canvas
51 x 67cm
£1,800

Carl Chapple

Leila 16
Oil on canvas
67 x 51cm
£1,500

Carl Chapple

Morwenna
Oil on panel
30 x 23cm
£550

Shan Egerton

Three Brass Pots
Pastel
21 x 26”
£500

Shan Egerton

Oranges in a Red Bowl
Pastel
15 x 16”
£450

Hannah Firmin

The Red Dress
Linocut and paint 9/15
46 x 55cm
£295

Hannah Firmin

The Far Travelled Fiddler
Linocut and paint 6/15
49 x 61cm
£295

Hannah Firmin

The Urn
Linocut and paint
45 x 57cm
£295

Veronica Gibson

Tom Hallifax

Red Tractor
Screenprint
75 x 60cm
£300

Tom Hallifax

Pink Tractor
Screenprint
75 x 60cm
£300

Tom Hallifax

Blue Tractor
Screenprint
75 x 60cm
£300

Lois Hopwood

Jenny Joice

The Eye of the Shire
Carbon pencil original, drawing with
watercolour
16 x 18”
£495

Jenny Joice

Badger Face Sheep
Glycee print from watercolour
16 x 20”
£175

Jenny Joice

Abergavenny Morning Queen, Supreme Cob Champion
Glycee print from carbon pencil
original drawing
22 x 17”
£225

Annica Neumuller

The Good Day
Mixed media on canvas
120 x 150cm
£1,240

Annica Neumuller

And So It Is
Mixed media on canvas
50 x 50cm
£395

Annica Neumuller

Hanging Around
Mixed media on canvas
60 x 60cm
£450

Josh Partridge

Castle Combe
Watercolour and gouache
36 x 41cm
£275

Vicky Penn

Pont Esgob
Linocut
9 x 13cm
£40

Vicky Penn

Capel y Ffin
Linocut
£80

Vicky Penn

Windy Day
Linocut
9 x 26cm
£60

Vicky Penn

Hay Bluff
Linocut
£80

Vicky Penn

St Issui Well
Linocut
14 x 8cm
£40

Roy Powell

Helga Prosser

Little Dancer
Bronze
15cm tall
£750

Helga Prosser

Ballerina
Bronze
27cm tall
£1,300

Helga Prosser

Dark Angel
Welded Steel
54cm tall
£950

Helga Prosser

Scoring
Welded Steel
27cm tall
£450

Bettina Reeves

Cushion

Tim Rossiter

Still Life Under the Tree
Oil on panel
31 x 31cm
£310

Tim Rossiter

Hills and Trees and Houses
Oil on panel
31 x 31cm
£310

Kumar Saraff

Snow – March, Mid Wales
Watercolour
£395

Kumar Saraff

Bright and Misty Morning
Watercolour
£485

Kumar Saraff

Three Willows
Acrylic on canvas
£485

Kumar Saraff

April Morning Light, Frost
Watercolour
£495

Kumar Saraff

After Sundown
Watercolour
£495

Kumar Saraff

Failing Light
Watercolour
£485

Sioni Rhys Handweavers

Llanofer Skirrid
Constructed textile
137 x 208cm
£125

Sioni Rhys Handweavers

Celtic Connection III
Constructed textile
137 x 208cm
£125

Sioni Rhys Handweavers

Wedgewood
Constructed textile
137 x 208cm
£125

Annie Spearman

Green Landscape
Oil on canvas
18 x 24cm
£1,200

Annie Spearman

Honeysuckle
Oil on canvas
25 x 31.5cm
£1,400

Annie Spearman

Quince Blossom
Oil on canvas
19.5 x 22cm
£1,200

Annie Spearman

Landscape 4
Oil on canvas
18 x 24cm
£1,200

Antonia Spowers

The Hills
Hardwood and stainless steel
12 x 30 x 30cm
£385

Michael Strang

Sugarloaf
Oil on canvas
10 x 7”
£400

Sarah Thwaites

Penny Timmis

Green with trees

Penny Timmis

Floppy Clouds

Penny Timmis

Wild sea

Tessa Waite

Solar
Mixed media
11 x 12”
£185

Tessa Waite

Honddu
Mixed media
12 x 12”
£185

Tessa Waite

Garden
Collograph (1 of 1)
12.5 x 16”
£185

Brontë Woodruff

Close of Day
Earth pigments, gesso,
van dyck crystals
21 x 21.5”
£300

Brontë Woodruff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Grass
Acrylic, van dyck crystals
21.5 x 21”
£300

Brontë Woodruff

Wild Skies, Marches
Van dyck crystals, watercolour
20 x 24”
£300

Mary Zammit

Lanterns, Wildlife and Wackiness

Following the popular sessions last year we will be having fun making lanterns and exploring local wildlife again this February half term, a licence for imaginative thinking and colourful creation. Followed by a celebration lantern evening at Talgarth Mill on Friday 23rd March.

Thursday 16th, Friday 17th and Saturday 18th February

10.30am – 3.30pm (Please bring a packed lunch)

Talgarth Youth Club and Talgarth Mill (meet at the Youth Club at 10.30am)

To book email info@artsalivewales.org.uk or call 01873 811 579 / 07951 315 821

All ages welcome – spaces are limited. Children aged 7 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Ecology of Place

 

Drawing threads of connection 

A weekend workshop with Pip Woolf and Lin Charlston. Pip and Lin will explore interconnections in the natural world and uncover the relationships of things to one another and to ourselves. Join them for a challenging and thoughtful interlude observing, walking, drawing, stitching and creating art at Cae’r Hendre Studio in the beautiful Brecon Beacons.

 

29^th and 39^th October 2011, 10am – 4.30pm

£115, lunch and materials included

Details and booking:

Email: gilpip@googlemail.com / lincharlston@btinternet.com

Telephone: 01874 730995 / 01584 878337

Greenfire Talgarth

Arts Alive has been working for the first time in Talgarth, using new collaborations between artists, wildlife educators and craftspeople to bring the different parts of the community together and to build stronger awareness of its unique and precious natural resources.

• Tree Dressing
• Lanterns Procession
• Stone Carving

Talgarth has been highlighted in the local and national nation news this year with the renovation of the Talgarth Mill Project as an innovative model for community enterprise and a springboard for local regeneration.

Arts Alive has been supporting the Mill Project working with families and  Talgarth Youth Club engaging them in traditional crafts, celebratory arts projects and practical ways in which especially the young people can bring their input into this new venture.

Tree Dressing celebration 5th December 2010

A revival of an ancient custom this first event was held in the town hall, with Alexa Farley from the wildlife trust leading tree knowledge games and Lynette Margerison leading natural crafts workshops to make decorations for the fabulous giant oak tree “the lion tree” that stands along the school playing field.

Lantern Making and wildlife workshops:

24th 25th and 26th of Feb

We have been using a new approach to arts workshops by combining wildlife walks, river dipping, drama games and arts activities over a period of three days. We were working in Talgarth youth club making processional lanterns bringing families and younger children into the youth club space over the spring half term to create new connections between the age groups.  News spread quickly and the workshops were crammed full over the last couple of sessions.

Ben’s comment “Thank you for the lantern and wildlife workshops, i just passed my biology exam because i could show them that I had learnt all that extra stuff in the holidays.”

Tamikas comment “please can we go on some more of those walks I love going out and learning about all that stuff!”

Lantern Procession Saturday 19th March

We had a great turn out for the lantern procession and a great evening with a full moon and balmy weather for March. It was a magical event with a trio of musicians leading the way playing upbeat traditional tunes as we processed in the twilight through the town and out towards a lovely spot natural spot by the river lent by one of the families, where we had refreshments and more music by a campfire.

The Trail is an annual celebration of art and craft in and around the Crickhowell area with 22 artists opening their studios and workshops during the spring bank holiday weekend. Details of the event can be found by clicking on the CRiC link or calling 01873 811970.

As part of the Trail, Arts Alive are pleased to present a special Studio Weekend. This is an opportunity to immerse yourself in painting and drawing under the supportive direction of our two established tutors, Michael and Thomasin Toohie. Follow the Studio Weekend link for more info.

The Arts Alive Market Hall decorations are a focal point of the Abergavenny Food Festival and each year the new theme is eagerly awaited. Last year’s sheep decorations have now been put out to pasture and there’s a real buzz in the air.

Bettina Reeves’ vision for this year’s decorations is Honey Bees and ‘A flying carpet of flowers’ (Ted Hughes). Bees and honey also feature in the opening event of the festival – a poetry reading to be given by Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke on Thursday 16 September.

The swarm will be lovingly brought to life by Arts Alive and a team of gifted volunteers.  Would you like to join them?

The workshops will take place at Arts Alive, Old School, Brecon Road, Crickhowell between 9.30am and 5.30pm from Monday 23 to Saturday 28 August and Tuesday 31 August to Wednesday 15 September. There will be no workshops on Thursdays and Sundays. Please bring lunch to share.

Textile and sculptural skills will be used to create a swarm of big beautiful bees and a brilliant rainbow of flowers. Paper sculpture, silk painting, stitching and soft sculpture are some of the techniques that will be employed.

The intense three weeks are always hard work and incredible fun, with the opportunity to meet new people and to learn or refresh skills. If you are over sixteen and can devote some time to the project – anything from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, then do come along and join in

Abergavenny’s Food Festival decorations are eagerly awaited by visitors from near and far. For the makers there is a great sense of acheivement and it is joy to see this unique piece of Public Art adorning the beautiful market hall for the best part of a year. For more information please call Arts Alive on 01873 811579 / 07852 388970.

Arts Alive are pleased to announce that we are supporting Adult Learners Week from 15th – 21st May 2010 and we’d like to invite you to come along and take part in the diverse programme of free taster sessions being offered including Introduction to Art classes in Landscape, Life Drawing, Clay, Stone Carving & Print Making. We are also offering free taster sessions of Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Street Dance, Singing, Music for Parents and Tots & a Recycled FashionWorkshop.

For more information and to book your places call 01873 811579 or email info@artsalivewales.org.uk

Green Fire Uplands is delighted to share with you a poem by Paul Blockley.  The Poem features Maen Du & Pen Y Crug.  We hope that this poem inspires you to visit the site and maybe even write a poem of your own!

The Path by Maen Du Well

Upon the hill by Maen Du well

There is a path which I can tell,

Leads on up to the Celtic fort

Where one can be alone with thought,

Where from the ring of ramparts green

The whole of Brecon can be seen,

St. John’s cathedral down below,

Passing by the Usk’s waters flow,

These sleeping slopes remember when

This hill was climbed by ancient men,

And dug with earth and sweat and stone

Before men came from mighty Rome,

Before the town itself was there

St Mary’s church and Bethel Square,

Before the castle’s towers stood

And Norman lords arrived in flood.

At this years Maendu Well Spring Festival, a selection of children from all the schools in the area entered the ‘Green Fire Uplands’ Welsh Words Quiz.  We had entries from Brecon High School, Cradoc, Llanfaes, Mount Street Juniors and Infants, Priory, St Josephs and Ysgol y Bannau.  We are pleased to announce 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

1st place was awarded to Emily Davies age 10 of Priory Primary School.  Emily translated all her welsh words and submitted a beautiful drawing of the Well.  Congratulations Emily!

2nd place is awarded to Lauren Porter age 7 of St Josephs Primary School.  Lauren highlighted her concerns of littering at the Well Site by submitting  her picture of a sign for ‘no litter’.  Well Done Lauren!

3rd place is awarded to Lucy Morgan age 5 of Ysgol y Bannau.  Lucy translated all the well related welsh words and submitted a beautiful picture of a magical fairy that visits the Well site!  Well Done Lucy!

A big Thank You to all of you who entered the quiz.  We were very impressed with your translations, beautiful pictures and stories about the well.

Uplands ‘Springs’ into life at the Maendu Well

The Maendu Well Spring Festival took place on Sunday 21st March. The event was organised by Maendu Well Conservation Group in collaboration with Arts Alive and Take pART. The festival was a huge success with over 200 people turning out and enjoying the arts and crafts on offer. Arts Alive created stunning wishing well banners, Cobbles Café were on hand for some beautiful face painting, Take pART offered a printing workshop and Pilgrims supplied the yummy food!

Katie Hall – Arts Alive Project Manager said: ‘It has been a fantastic day and we are pleased with the response to the festival. Arts Alive is delighted to be working with Maendu Well Conservation Group and we are excited about the future of the site. With the success of today we look forward to launching Arts Alive’s new arts project for the area ‘Green Fire Uplands’ which will include a variety of events at this site including a Summer Festival.’

Maendu Well Conservation Group only formed earlier this year. In such as short space of time the group are making great headway with the site. Their aim is to create awareness and to develop the area as a community space for everyone to enjoy.

The Spring Festival was a great opportunity for the conservation team to gather local responses to the site, all of which was extremely positive. Over 100 ideas were put forward in the form of a ‘wish slip’. The conservation group later enjoyed surveying the ideas.

For more information about Maendu Well Conservation Group please contact us at maenduwell@yahoo.co.uk

For more information about Green Fire Uplands please contact Katie Hall on 07725 982 171 or at katie@artsalivewales.org.uk

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Arts Alive celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a Fine Art Auction at The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny on Friday, 6 March 2009. The Auction saw the works of some of Britain’s finest artists go under the hammer raising £13,000 for Arts Alive

Held in collaboration with The Art Shop in Abergavenny, the Arts Alive team invited both contemporary artists living in Wales as well as artists with recognised Welsh collections, to contribute works from their precious collections. The result was a sumptuous mix of paintings, sculptures, drawings and jewellery from prestigious artists including John Macfarlane, Michael Strang, Clive Hicks-Jenkins, Sarah Thwaites, Kumar Saraff, Tessa Waite, Niel Bally, Lorraine Bewsey, Glenys Cour, Shan Egerton, Robert Macdonald, Catharine Marr-Johnson and Tim Rossiter amongst others.

Over 150 guests at the auction enjoyed a lively evening in the beautiful Angel Ballroom with music, wine and tapas. Former Arts Alive tutor and professional artist Harry Iles, who now heads the Wales Charity Commission, spoke with passion and enthusiasm about Arts Alive’s work over the past 20 years and asked guests to dig deep to support our work. The response was encouraging: Auctioneer Jeremy Rye ran the auction at a lively pace and sold 44 works for nearly £18,000 in a little over an hour.

Commenting on the auction, Arts Alive’s director Justine Wheatley said: The evening was a huge success and we are delighted to have raised so much money for Arts Alive in this, our 20th anniversary year to help us continue our work and create access to arts for all.