Chorus has flown again!

We were delighted when the opportunity to install the ever popular community art project Chorus into the members area of the Scottish Parliament building was offered by Jean Urquhart.

After passing all the security checks, Eleanor and Chris from the Macphail centre, were allowed in to install the bird boxes much to the delight of the ministers it would seem.

The feedback is that the display was regarded by some as "The best they'd seen" of course we agree! Wonderful to see the flock out for yet another airing.....

As part of Bridge House Art's 20 year celebrations, the Ceilidh Place are hosting an exhibition of selected works from the portfolio course alumni. The exhibition is being curated by John and Sarah Colles and Les McMinn, all ex-students of the course.

The Ceilidh Place has a special place in the hearts of all Bridge House Art students, not only as a place to meet, relax and enjoy great food, also a venue for always finding a selection of unknowing life models and sometimes as a part-time employer, thereby helping some students afford to embark on this often life-changing course.

Bridge House Art has also had vital relationship with An Talla Solais, Ullapool Visual Arts during the last 10 years. The provision of larger studio spaces has enabled us to offer places to 12 students a year, rather than the 7 places at Bridge House Art studios. During the exhibition all commissions are kindly being donated by the Ceilidh Place to An Talla Solais for their ongoing fundraising efforts.

Last chance to catch this exciting exhibition by our very own Eleanor White and fellow artist Joanna Wright. 

There will be a pop-up cafe on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th - yummy cakes and fantastic coffee to stimulate your viewing pleasure. (all proceeds towards funding a young students gap year community work in Africa)

Here's what Eleanor and Joanna have to say about how the exhibition came about;

The resolution behind this work for me was to make the transition from teaching to my own practice. The subject arose out of the gifts that people would bring when they visited: flowers from allotments, petrol stations, supermarkets and local gardens.  Whichever it was and whenever they arrived I painted them. This gave immediacy to the work as the subject would soon lose vitality and freshness.  Seeing was the key, and the application of expressive paint led the way. Given time I aim to continue with the compulsiveness of working from the gifts that friends bring.  Eleanor White

Last October Eleanor and I made a resolution to make a drawing or painting each week - this exhibition is the result.  I made a series of small pictures of pots and cups on paper, which led to working in the same way on board and with collage, trying to look at the objects as two-dimensional patterns made up of arrangements of shapes.  This led to working with patterned panels, partly inspired by the Islamic idea of repetitive images signifying the boundless presence of God.   Being able to arrange and rearrange the panels to make their own infinite compositions has been part of the pleasure of working in this way.  Joanna Wright

Looking forward to seeing you there!

One of the good thing about this time of year, is that when you are planning what's coming ahead, you tend to reflect on what's gone before. Have a look at one of our tutors, Kittie Jones', latest posts on her blog here.

Flying Herring Gull. Kittie Jones

We are delighted that Kittie is working with us again this year. She will be with us in July for her Creative Responses to the Natural World printmaking course. Follow the link here for more information and booking details.

New 2015 Summer School courses online now!

With only a few days to spare, we have finally managed to get all of out new courses on the website before Christmas! The storms of last week delayed our progress after lightening struck, but we are pleased to report that all is now back to normal at the Bridge House Art office.

New 2015 Evening classes:

DRAW PRINT CREATE ILLUSTRATE
Mondays 5th - 26th January 2015
Tutor: Eleanor White
4 weeks. 7pm - 9pm.
Cost: £65
Come and try your hand at experimental drawing, then take the drawings on a journey into illustration using many mediums, then make a print as a celebration of all your ideas and gatherings.

An exciting 4 week course which will give you many different ways to be creative!  All materials provided. Course structured to be fun, fun, fun, and a deep learning experience!
All welcome, beginners or experienced!
Like to book? Please call Eleanor on 01854 612281 (answer-phone, please leave a message)








INSPIRATION EXPLORATION - Playing with Silver
27th January - 3rd March 2015
Tutor: Merlin Planterose
6 weeks. Tuesdays, 7pm - 9pm
Cost: £150
A new 6 week evening class where you will be taught the process of playing with silver as a material to design and make jewellery or objects that are hand fashioned through the practice of saw piercing, disc cutting, doming and soldering. A demonstration in chain making will also inspire.

Merlin will teach and demonstrate all the methods of making along, with individual tuition helping you to design your very own unique piece.
Like to Book?  Please call Eleanor on 01854 612281 (answer-phone, please leave a message)

New 2015 Bridge House Art tutor:

This year, we are delighted to welcome Jemma Derbyshire to our teaching line-up. Jemma is originally form the Highlands, but now lives and works form her studio in Edinburgh.
She didn't take much persuading to come and share her enthusiasm and expertise with our students. Layered Landscapes promises to be a fantastic addition to the summer school programme for 2015.

We are also very much looking forward to welcoming Kittie Jones back for yet another inspiring and creative week of printmaking. Last year, Kittie held one of the first summer school weeks in the new printing garage, what a success this new space proved to be,  look at the smiling faces of last year's group!

Well this summer has just got better and better! Our summer school courses have been full to the limits, so this next week we are having the first ever Bridge House Art Open Studio Days. If you are around and about in Ullapool towards the end of next week, why not 'Come and be Curious?'

Please spread the word if you know anyone that might be interested in seeing behind the studio doors, discovering some of the work created during our courses and generally finding out about us.

What a fantastic summer we are having! So far we haven't had a rained off day, so our summer courses have been somewhat al fresco. We are keeping a regular update on our Facebook page but realise that not all of our friends follow us that way so here's a quick resume of the last couple of months -

In June Eleanor was off for a somewhat less stressful trip than her last one to Spain, leading a workshop at Almuna, Adalucia, home of Arbuthnott holidays. A wonderful week of warm weather, inspirational surroundings and incredible hospitality was enjoyed by all, not least Eleanor!



Also in June there was another hugely successful Playing with Silver weekend workshop with Merlin Planterose.

But as the end of June approached, our minds were filling with thoughts of preparing for the oncoming summer school weeks. We were relieved to see Emily Wilkinson arrive, fresh and eager to get on with preparing the studios and stocking up on materials to last through the summer weeks.

Emily is a former portfolio course student that has taken up our offer of spending a summer in Ullapool. This rather contrasts with the winter she experienced living here to attend the full time course last year.




Windows on the World

Our first week of summer school classes. It was wonderful to be able to use the garage space that has now become another of the Bridge House Studio spaces. We have set up the printing presses and will be using it to its full capacity over the next few weeks, but for now Eleanor has set up some amazing still life installations of objects and artefacts left behind from the previous owner.

Object and Memory 
This was our second summer school week and the day spent painting on the beach at Achiltibuie was fantastic; overlooking the Summer Isles and Mainland hills, it doesn't get much better.
Everyone settled back into the studios and produced and incredible amount of stunning pieces of work.

Panoramas

Jacqueline Watt was the first of our visiting tutors and she pushed our students quite hard, but the end results were well worth the effort that everyone put in. 

What with the dazzling colour palette that Jacqueline uses alone with the strong sunshine, anyone would think they were in the Mediterranean, rather than in Ullapool!

Sketchbooks into Print
this was our second week of welcoming a visiting tutor, Kittie Jones. Kittie has been coming up to Ullapool form Edinburgh for quite a few years now, leading week workshops on Tanera Mor. This year she had the joy of using our new print shed / garage/ studio for her group of budding printmakers. Another hugely enjoyable and productive week.

Meanwhile, whilst the Bridge House Studios were full to the limits of their lovely walls, Eleanor was off down to Yorkshire leading a sketchbook course at Jack Beck House.
Everyone there worked away at creating small buy beautifully formed sketchbooks, aided by some great weather and home cooking!

And lastly, Christine and Emily were flying the Bridge House Art flag in the Art Tent at the Ullapool Skiff regatta.
Another amazing weekend of off-shore coastal rowers and their families descended on to the shores of Loch Broom to enjoy a weekend of frantic rowing and general fun in and around Ullapool. Lovely mono prints were made by artists of all ages to help the 'Scape' fundraising project for an Talla Solais!

Watch out for another update and latest news soon!