Thanks to everyone who made it down to our market on Saturday! Next stop Middlesbrough Town Hall Crypt on Saturday 30th July!
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Interview with CHARLES TWIST PHOTOGRAPHY
This weeks market will be showcasing a whole new fresh bunch of artists and designers in Newcastle as well as some of our old time favourites. One being Charles Twist Photography, showing off his camera skills and selling his beautiful nature and landscape prints. We catch up with Charles with an insighful and inspiring interview into his world!
For more info on Charles and his work go to: www.citiesandparks.com
Charles is also currently organising a Festival of Victorian Photography: www.citiesandparks.com/Festival
and also helping to promote a new e-commerce site: www.prints-and-cards.com
How would you describe your style?
A balancing act between presentation and representation. I look for fascinating subjects but I also seek to catch the eye with bold colours and forms. It’s not just a question of recreating what exists in the big, wide world. I must add to it to create something new and fascinating in its own right.
A balancing act between the different elements of the picture. I try to make the composition as clear as possible. When looking for a picture, I deliberately look for what attracts me in an almost naïve fashion. Then the technician in me takes over and pares the view down to the essentials, creates links between different parts of the composition.
Do you have a favourite subject?
Favourites come and go. If you look at my printed work, you’ll see a lot of local landscapes in glorious colour. They’re typically more than a year old. The colour and the variety of Nature really turned me on. Although I am still drawn to these scenes, I am less bewitched because I have grown out of that phase of exploration. I’ll no doubt come back to it with fresh ideas, a fresh take. I think it’s important not to be bored or jaded, as that really comes through in a picture.
In the last year, I have worked a lot more in towns and cities, exploring architecture: its forms and colours, its meaning to the residents and visitors. That is my current favourite.
Do you take photographs in pleasure time and how are those shots different to your more commercial work?
There I was thinking I was meant to suffer for my art. ;-) Photographers commonly complain about the lack of time to develop their personal work and I am no different. At best, I manage an outing or two every month. It’s important to be experimental as it provides new insights and/or new methods. At the moment, I am spending a lot of time ‘playing’ with Victorian lenses.
I am not sure that my prints and cards of local scenes are truly ‘commercial’. When I take pictures for a commission, I must pander to my client’s tastes. With my prints however, I take pictures because something about the view has caught my eye. I have a lot of say in the end result. I think the main constraint imposed by commerce is in the choice of subjects, since pictures of icons (Roseberry Topping, Tyne Bridge) sell better. My more personal work is less concerned with how recognisable the location is and more concerned with aesthetics and philosophy, with the vocabulary and grammar of the method and the subject.
If your work could be featured in any magazine or publication which one would it be and why?
I would love for my work to gain broader recognition, to be recognised by my peers. It would be nice to get my work in to one of the more arty magazines. For that though, I would need to spend more time producing the right kind of work. I think I need a patron.
How long have you been running your business for? Has it been hard getting into self employment as a freelance photographer?
My photography business has been running for over two years now. At the outset, I chose to sell prints and cards because I had an extensive collection of pictures from the Teesside/ Cleveland area. So it was actually quite easy to get started. The main difficulty was cash-flow, as this type of business has a high turnover and low margins. There is a lot of investment to get the prints and cards in to the market.
The other aspect of the business is commissioned work. I take pictures of events, of people at work & play, of buildings (interiors and exteriors), of products. This relies heavily on having contacts and building a reputation, which is a slow and at times disheartening process. Once the initial inertia is overcome, it’s personally very rewarding though.
How do you go about getting your name out there for work?
There isn’t a silver bullet. It’s a matter of continuously pushing my work in to the public arena, by finding new galleries and taking part in markets. There is a lot of cold-calling and –stepping. Quality matters obviously, as does reliability. It’s good to be known for a type of work and a style. Press releases and online media help to create a buzz but selling is mainly about meeting people.
What do you like most about your job?
The variety. It is tremendous: this week, I am advertising the upcoming Festival of Victorian Photography which I am organising as part of Saltburn’s 150th birthday celebrations, I am answering interviews (including this one!), today I am shooting the interior of a bed & breakfast and tomorrow some jewellery for a local artist. Oh and I am developing my business contacts for my photography of science and technology.
Do you have any favourite photographers, anyone who continually inspires your work?
Not really. It’s more individual pictures or styles which I find interesting. They challenge me and force me out of my comfort zone. It’s also a way of learning: how did he do that? Having said that, there are photographers who continually produce interesting work, like Jon Brock and Richard Childs in the realm of landscape photography. I don’t think they inform my work so much as feed my passion for photography.
Do you have any words of advice for budding fellow photographers?
Fundamentally, it’s a matter of listening to the client – whether that’s a third party or yourself.
For personal work, never lose your inner voice, your childish fascination with the world. Listening to others is good for hints and tips, but pointless for direction: that has to come from within.
For commercial work, don’t give up. If it isn’t selling, ask yourself why not. It may be you’re not selling the right product to the right public or at the right price. Don’t be afraid to alter one of those and keep on trying until you find a niche.
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For more info on Charles and his work go to: www.citiesandparks.com
Charles is also currently organising a Festival of Victorian Photography: www.citiesandparks.com/Festival
and also helping to promote a new e-commerce site: www.prints-and-cards.com
How would you describe your style?
A balancing act between presentation and representation. I look for fascinating subjects but I also seek to catch the eye with bold colours and forms. It’s not just a question of recreating what exists in the big, wide world. I must add to it to create something new and fascinating in its own right.
A balancing act between the different elements of the picture. I try to make the composition as clear as possible. When looking for a picture, I deliberately look for what attracts me in an almost naïve fashion. Then the technician in me takes over and pares the view down to the essentials, creates links between different parts of the composition.
Do you have a favourite subject?
Favourites come and go. If you look at my printed work, you’ll see a lot of local landscapes in glorious colour. They’re typically more than a year old. The colour and the variety of Nature really turned me on. Although I am still drawn to these scenes, I am less bewitched because I have grown out of that phase of exploration. I’ll no doubt come back to it with fresh ideas, a fresh take. I think it’s important not to be bored or jaded, as that really comes through in a picture.
In the last year, I have worked a lot more in towns and cities, exploring architecture: its forms and colours, its meaning to the residents and visitors. That is my current favourite.
Do you take photographs in pleasure time and how are those shots different to your more commercial work?
There I was thinking I was meant to suffer for my art. ;-) Photographers commonly complain about the lack of time to develop their personal work and I am no different. At best, I manage an outing or two every month. It’s important to be experimental as it provides new insights and/or new methods. At the moment, I am spending a lot of time ‘playing’ with Victorian lenses.
I am not sure that my prints and cards of local scenes are truly ‘commercial’. When I take pictures for a commission, I must pander to my client’s tastes. With my prints however, I take pictures because something about the view has caught my eye. I have a lot of say in the end result. I think the main constraint imposed by commerce is in the choice of subjects, since pictures of icons (Roseberry Topping, Tyne Bridge) sell better. My more personal work is less concerned with how recognisable the location is and more concerned with aesthetics and philosophy, with the vocabulary and grammar of the method and the subject.
If your work could be featured in any magazine or publication which one would it be and why?
I would love for my work to gain broader recognition, to be recognised by my peers. It would be nice to get my work in to one of the more arty magazines. For that though, I would need to spend more time producing the right kind of work. I think I need a patron.
How long have you been running your business for? Has it been hard getting into self employment as a freelance photographer?
My photography business has been running for over two years now. At the outset, I chose to sell prints and cards because I had an extensive collection of pictures from the Teesside/ Cleveland area. So it was actually quite easy to get started. The main difficulty was cash-flow, as this type of business has a high turnover and low margins. There is a lot of investment to get the prints and cards in to the market.
The other aspect of the business is commissioned work. I take pictures of events, of people at work & play, of buildings (interiors and exteriors), of products. This relies heavily on having contacts and building a reputation, which is a slow and at times disheartening process. Once the initial inertia is overcome, it’s personally very rewarding though.
How do you go about getting your name out there for work?
There isn’t a silver bullet. It’s a matter of continuously pushing my work in to the public arena, by finding new galleries and taking part in markets. There is a lot of cold-calling and –stepping. Quality matters obviously, as does reliability. It’s good to be known for a type of work and a style. Press releases and online media help to create a buzz but selling is mainly about meeting people.
What do you like most about your job?
The variety. It is tremendous: this week, I am advertising the upcoming Festival of Victorian Photography which I am organising as part of Saltburn’s 150th birthday celebrations, I am answering interviews (including this one!), today I am shooting the interior of a bed & breakfast and tomorrow some jewellery for a local artist. Oh and I am developing my business contacts for my photography of science and technology.
Do you have any favourite photographers, anyone who continually inspires your work?
Not really. It’s more individual pictures or styles which I find interesting. They challenge me and force me out of my comfort zone. It’s also a way of learning: how did he do that? Having said that, there are photographers who continually produce interesting work, like Jon Brock and Richard Childs in the realm of landscape photography. I don’t think they inform my work so much as feed my passion for photography.
Do you have any words of advice for budding fellow photographers?
Fundamentally, it’s a matter of listening to the client – whether that’s a third party or yourself.
For personal work, never lose your inner voice, your childish fascination with the world. Listening to others is good for hints and tips, but pointless for direction: that has to come from within.
For commercial work, don’t give up. If it isn’t selling, ask yourself why not. It may be you’re not selling the right product to the right public or at the right price. Don’t be afraid to alter one of those and keep on trying until you find a niche.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
What to expect at this months market!...
Just under two weeks away, Saturday 25th June will be showing off a whole new bunch of artists and designers to our Newcastle dates!
From award winning textile designer Holly Flanaghan to contemporary illustrator with art prints, Laura Cartwright.We also have reclaimed and handmade vintage home and giftware from Molly Home & Gift, and bespoke glassware by Simon Alderson Glass to name but a few!
20 stalls selling you amazing bespoke designer maker products and art minus boutique and gallery price tags!
Products on sale will also include accessories, jewellery, lifestyle products, contemporary textiles, prints and photography.
We all hope to see you there! The Holy Biscuit, Newcastle. 11am - 4pm. £1. See our website for venue location: www.designersmarketplace.org.uk
Don't forget if you are interested in booking a stall at one of our many markets, spaces are filling up fast, right through to Christmas! Remaining markets include July, August, October and December. Check out our website listings for the nearest market to you!
From award winning textile designer Holly Flanaghan to contemporary illustrator with art prints, Laura Cartwright.We also have reclaimed and handmade vintage home and giftware from Molly Home & Gift, and bespoke glassware by Simon Alderson Glass to name but a few!
20 stalls selling you amazing bespoke designer maker products and art minus boutique and gallery price tags!
Products on sale will also include accessories, jewellery, lifestyle products, contemporary textiles, prints and photography.
We all hope to see you there! The Holy Biscuit, Newcastle. 11am - 4pm. £1. See our website for venue location: www.designersmarketplace.org.uk
Don't forget if you are interested in booking a stall at one of our many markets, spaces are filling up fast, right through to Christmas! Remaining markets include July, August, October and December. Check out our website listings for the nearest market to you!
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Featured Artist! Yvette Hawkins - PAPERFAERIE
This weekend see's the third bi-monthly Designers Marketplace in Newcastle and we have a handful of brand spanking new artists and designers selling you their wares! One new recruit, Yvette Hawkins, will be showcasing her fabulously crafted sculptures and ornaments from second hand books. These books exist as large scale installations for galleries and public art projects and also get sold as one off pieces to art lovers on etsy and folksy.
To view her larger installations visit www.yvettehawkins.com
Or to visit her online shop go to: www.paperfaerie.etsy.com or http://www.paperfaerie.com/
We catch up with Yvette to find out more about her work...
How long have you been an artist for? What got you into your craft?
I have always always wanted to be an artist. It was the thing I decided to do when I was about 5 and started to draw. I was completely obssessed with my brother's crayola tower, filled with felt tip pens, crayons and paints. I was never allowed to touch it, then I managed to get hold of my dad's biro's and pretty much drew on everything I could lay my hands on.
Why have you made the choice to work with paper and books?
The thing i love about paper, is the idea that something so fragile and one dimensional can become structured and sturdy just by folding it. I actually started folding books because I wanted to manipulate the way printed words can be seen, so although i have always loved to work with paper, it was mark making and print that drew me to books.
Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from?
I'm not sure. I guess they come from a variety of sources. I like to use minimal colour palettes with my installation and I am drawn to structures and forms in architecture, grids, maps and molecules and also the geometric forms found in nature, like cobwebs. I'm also inspired by repetition and the sort of work I tend to really appreciate have an awe sort of quality where I think 'how did they do that' or find a way to completely immerse the audience. Conrad Shawcross's sculptures in particular come to mind, where I really appeciate the scale and engineering aspects of creating work.
Is there something special about the books you use in your work? Do you ever come across a book you feel you shouldn't be folding and keeping for good?!
The books I use are forgotten or lost, often charity shop finds or ones Libraries can't sell off. They are also donated by people all over the country or come from second hand book shops. I like to think I am perhaps reinvigorating their lives. I would feel guilty about dismantling a treasured book (I have a bookcase full of 'not for folding' books). But the books I use don't have a special relationship with me, so I think that is okay. I stop thinking of them as books, but as objects or as my material, like clay might be to a sculptor.
Do you have any upcoming shows or projects?
I'm taking part in Craft Month at The Biscuit Factory in May. The show is called from Wood to Paper and opens on 5th May. I'm very excited about it. I'll also be making some modular origami sculptures that anyone can drop in on and make with me on 21st May 12-2pm
Any new products for your Etsy shop in the works?
I'm focusing on developing book sculptures with other languages as well as map books and graphic novels. I'm also hoping to offer my larger installations to interior design companies or as a service for people to buy for their homes. I'm also refining my book binding skills so that I can make limited edition artist books, oh and some paper cuts too. I have so many things I want to do and develop, it's hard to find the time to do everything.
To view her larger installations visit www.yvettehawkins.com
Or to visit her online shop go to: www.paperfaerie.etsy.com or http://www.paperfaerie.com/
We catch up with Yvette to find out more about her work...
How long have you been an artist for? What got you into your craft?
I have always always wanted to be an artist. It was the thing I decided to do when I was about 5 and started to draw. I was completely obssessed with my brother's crayola tower, filled with felt tip pens, crayons and paints. I was never allowed to touch it, then I managed to get hold of my dad's biro's and pretty much drew on everything I could lay my hands on.
Why have you made the choice to work with paper and books?
The thing i love about paper, is the idea that something so fragile and one dimensional can become structured and sturdy just by folding it. I actually started folding books because I wanted to manipulate the way printed words can be seen, so although i have always loved to work with paper, it was mark making and print that drew me to books.
Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from?
I'm not sure. I guess they come from a variety of sources. I like to use minimal colour palettes with my installation and I am drawn to structures and forms in architecture, grids, maps and molecules and also the geometric forms found in nature, like cobwebs. I'm also inspired by repetition and the sort of work I tend to really appreciate have an awe sort of quality where I think 'how did they do that' or find a way to completely immerse the audience. Conrad Shawcross's sculptures in particular come to mind, where I really appeciate the scale and engineering aspects of creating work.
Is there something special about the books you use in your work? Do you ever come across a book you feel you shouldn't be folding and keeping for good?!
The books I use are forgotten or lost, often charity shop finds or ones Libraries can't sell off. They are also donated by people all over the country or come from second hand book shops. I like to think I am perhaps reinvigorating their lives. I would feel guilty about dismantling a treasured book (I have a bookcase full of 'not for folding' books). But the books I use don't have a special relationship with me, so I think that is okay. I stop thinking of them as books, but as objects or as my material, like clay might be to a sculptor.
Do you have any upcoming shows or projects?
I'm taking part in Craft Month at The Biscuit Factory in May. The show is called from Wood to Paper and opens on 5th May. I'm very excited about it. I'll also be making some modular origami sculptures that anyone can drop in on and make with me on 21st May 12-2pm
Any new products for your Etsy shop in the works?
I'm focusing on developing book sculptures with other languages as well as map books and graphic novels. I'm also hoping to offer my larger installations to interior design companies or as a service for people to buy for their homes. I'm also refining my book binding skills so that I can make limited edition artist books, oh and some paper cuts too. I have so many things I want to do and develop, it's hard to find the time to do everything.
Monday, 11 April 2011
Featured designer - Lucy Farfort aka Lucy’s Happy Place!
This months market is fast approaching and we will be offering yet another amazing variation of artists and designers selling you their carefully crafted and bespoke wares! You can find us atThe Holy Biscuit in Newcastle on Saturday 30th April from 11am - 4pm, £1 Entry. 20 Stalls!
This week we have a quick catch up with first time vendor of DM, freelance illustrator Lucy Farfort, to give us a brief rundown on what we can expect to fnd her selling at this months market.
"I’m based in Newcastle Upon Tyne and work as a freelance lllustrator offering my services for logo design, web graphics, poster design and more. I’ve had a variety of clients from the Wellcome Trust to Monster Ceilidh Band. I also sell prints of my illustrations and offer a range of handmade goods.
My illustrative style is bold, colourful and quirky and my images begin as free hand pencil drawings which are then scanned into a Mac where colour, texture and pattern are added. I love fabrics especially vintage fabrics which feature heavily in my art. In terms of the handmade pieces I create, these are mainly textile products such as cases and pouches which are embellished with my illustrations adapted as applique designs.
You can view all my illustrations and my latest ventures on my website www.lucyshappyplace.com and i have an online shop based on Folksy: http://www.folksy.com/shops/lucyfarfort
Aside from my online shop I also sell my work from a few shops in the North East including ‘The Arts Centre’ and Made In Newcastle a collectively run empty shop project based in the city centre of Newcastle.
This will be my first appearance as a stall holder at the Designers Marketplace and i’m really looking forward to it."
This week we have a quick catch up with first time vendor of DM, freelance illustrator Lucy Farfort, to give us a brief rundown on what we can expect to fnd her selling at this months market.
"I’m based in Newcastle Upon Tyne and work as a freelance lllustrator offering my services for logo design, web graphics, poster design and more. I’ve had a variety of clients from the Wellcome Trust to Monster Ceilidh Band. I also sell prints of my illustrations and offer a range of handmade goods.
My illustrative style is bold, colourful and quirky and my images begin as free hand pencil drawings which are then scanned into a Mac where colour, texture and pattern are added. I love fabrics especially vintage fabrics which feature heavily in my art. In terms of the handmade pieces I create, these are mainly textile products such as cases and pouches which are embellished with my illustrations adapted as applique designs.
You can view all my illustrations and my latest ventures on my website www.lucyshappyplace.com and i have an online shop based on Folksy: http://www.folksy.com/shops/lucyfarfort
Aside from my online shop I also sell my work from a few shops in the North East including ‘The Arts Centre’ and Made In Newcastle a collectively run empty shop project based in the city centre of Newcastle.
This will be my first appearance as a stall holder at the Designers Marketplace and i’m really looking forward to it."
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Call out!
The new Designers Marketplace website is nearly built!! We are looking for testimonials from anyone who has ever been involved with or even visited our events. Any positive comments would be super!... from how the market has been beneficial to your business, perhaps given confidence in your work or even just a fun visiting experiance. We will give a link to your website as a thank you! Email: info@designersmarketplace.org.uk
THANKS IN ADVANCE! <3
THANKS IN ADVANCE! <3
Monday, 28 March 2011
CONFIRMED 2011 DATES!
ALL OF THIS YEARS DATES HAVE NOW BEEN CONFIRMED!
New bi-monthlys in Newcastle at The Holy Biscuit, and continuing with our half-yearly markets at Middlesbrough Town Hall and Crypt! Find us on Facebook and Twitter for more up to date news on whats going on!
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/designersmplace
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