Really looking forward to a return to market-life this Wednesday at Baxter Stores Christmas market where I’ll be selling Christmas cards, art prints, originals and framed work…. pop in to get ideas for art-gifts as the inevitable season approaches.
Find many of these things in my Etsy shop
This guy might be appearing in an exhibition soon, at 14 Bacon St, with the other Strange Familiars…
If they don’t wander off the market stall on Wednesday that is!
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In reverse of the usual order…illustrating drawings with text… to be combined into a book, and exhibition.
I’m still looking for contributors/collaborators for this project.
There are over 40 artworks to be illustrated and I’ll be publishing them gradually here and on my social media @BlancheEllisArt as the project progresses… so keep an eye out here. I may also be putting up snippets of the writing I’ve received… with permission of the authors.
Changing shape…
Even since I posted about this last week the idea has developed, mostly because of the amazing responses I’ve had already from friends, strangers, other artists, an art-book maker and poets and authors from different backgrounds, and languages. And have found many secret authors in my acquaintances.
I’m so happy to be receiving this fount of creativity!
Words lead words…
It’s even leading me to write myself, in an attempt to track what I am looking for. Other people draw out my words with their own wonderful phrases and I feel the pitch, the roll and magnetism of the word collaboration, a force all of it’s own… changing the shape of my intension as it unfolds. Perhaps a preface…
“Word-turns apt in riddle and rhythm to trip and roll the mind causing backtrack, retrace, and circled in so turning, the sentence sense embraced. The way a picture leads the eye, not forward to finality but, with concentric in-conclusions, as a dance that makes sense-of-a-step does so by leading you both too-and-fro and leaving you, not locked, but poised by punctuation.”
Drink Me –
The Story-World…
The initial idea was that each piece of text be another ‘moment’ from the images story-world, a suggestion or clue that opens up the narrative to further interpretation rather than attempting to complete, or explain the picture itself. Instead of finished stories I’m looking for writing that echoes or extends the sense of mystery and magical-realism, and may do so without obvious reference to the image itself. It could be specific, detailed, atmospheric or impressionistic. All and any ideas appreciated!
As the project opens up I think the writing could be in anthropological, an impossible recipe, a critique of a non-existant novel (think J. L. Borges), a short letter, a completely brazen critique of a character, or of the picture itself .
Ideas abound
Please share any ideas here or by email at blancheellis@gmail.com
See more of the images on Instagram and in the previous post and call out…
Thank you for stopping by!
b
‘Cubs’ – Another from the series – Mythologies.
CALL OUT: I have plans for a book and am looking for a writer.
This series has over 40 pieces and most of them emerge as if from some old myth, folk tale or strange internal narrative. This is why I call them ‘Mythologies’.
But… the tales they tell have never been written.
In the reverse to the usual relationship of text and image I am looking to collaborate with someone (or several people) to write text to accompany each picture, to illustrate the images, if you will. The idea is to combine these into a book. This writing, be it a paragraph of prose or a few lines of poetry, will sit opposite the artwork on each page and make a pair to be ‘read’ together.
The Story-World…
The idea is that each piece of text be another ‘moment’ from the images story-world, a suggestion or clue that opens up the narrative to further interpretation rather than attempting to complete, or explain the picture itself. Instead of finished stories I’m looking for writing that echoes or extends the sense of mystery and magical-realism, and may do so without obvious reference to the image itself. It could be specific, detailed, atmospheric or impressionistic.
I’m very excited to see what emerges from the birth of this project…..
If you are interested….
I’d love to see any snatches of writing inspired by this as starting points and inspiration for the project which is just beginning and is a brand new idea, so do share this with anyone who might be interested, and email blancheellis@gmail.com for more images if you’d like to try writing something, or to discuss ideas for the project.
More images from the work can be seen on my Instagram @BlancheEllisArt
Thanks for stopping by!
Blanche
after years of techno-phobia, I have got around to opening my Etsy shop with prints and original artwork from the last few years, as well as freshly created work that I will soon be adding. Although I prefer face-to-face sales, not everyone is that close by so it’s nice to open up shop to a wider range of people…
All the frames in the shop are hand-made by me to suit the artwork.
Something that I take great joy in getting just-right.
Listings will be going up over the coming weeks so keep an eye out for new work.
Find the shop at BlancheEllisArt
Lots of work from my Instagram account will be going up
so if you see anything you like there… let me know.
Thanks for stopping by !
Blanche
Last Friday night I took a suitcase of hats and picture frames to the
LIVE FRIDAY: FRAMED at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford…
The event was themed around Andy Warhol and having equipped myself with appropriate colours, and dressed up for the museums historical element…
I settled down beneath some 15th Century Dutch paintings (including a rather scary portrait of Rembrandt’s mother), put out my hats for public perusal and invited the evenings visitors to sit for their portrait wearing the headdress of their choice…
Photo credit to Ian Wallman / IWPhotographic & The Ashmolean
All together they create a multi-coloured portrait patchwork..
I was even lucky enough to have my own portrait done at the end of the evening by the wonderful Dot and Maya….
It was a really great night so thanks to the Ashmolean, the Live Friday team and to all the excellent models that passed my way on Friday! Especially 10 year old Max who stood in as both model and critic…
If you would like the original of your portrait from the event please email me at blancheelllis@gmail.com
Photo credit to Jessica Harvey
I really enjoyed this interview with Nastasia of The LondonY. Effectively someone else asking many of the questions I should ask of myself and causing me to have a good look at what’s going on in my art, life and music.
What I do, and why,
and how.
Don’t know about ‘upcoming’, but wherever I’m at, I’m happy here for now : )
Blanche Ellis talks art, folk and how to portray people on the train without getting noticed.
Read the full interview on the LONDONY website here
Happily a friend just found my artwork featured on the front page of ArtRabbit,
My self portrait etching is front-centre below.
Nice to see my artwork getting around. I do always feel like it’s got a life of it’s own, especially when I release the image into the world, material or virtual.
Find out about the exhibition this Friday 18th December through the ArtRabbit article,
or the FB Event,
and come down – it’s going to be lovely
I am excited to say some of my etchings – including the series of musicians, will be in the Drawing Intensive exhibition at Mercer and Chance gallery in Hoxton (details below) this weekend 18th-20th December.
The opening of the show is from 6-9pm on Friday 18th. There will be wine, art and wonderful people. Everyone is welcome!
Sing Yourself – Etching.
Details:
Drawing Intensive: Exhibition
Mercer and Chance gallery
253 HOXTON ST, LONDON
OPEN SAT, SUN, MON – 11am-6pm & BY APPOINTMENT
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FB EVENT:
https://www.facebook.com/events/451568941710173/
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I haven’t posted much here lately as I have become a firm convert to Instagram for posting my new work/work in progress. If you’d like to see some of those things then look for @blancheellisart
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b
The exhibition at Primrose Hill Community centre is coming up on Sunday 31st of May.
There will be lots of drawings by locals of locals and an auction of the works for which donations will go to keeping the local library open.
Do come down and have a look – it’s been a great experience meeting all sorts of local people and getting to know them while drawing them. Running over to people’s houses and workplaces in my lunch hour to make sketches and sitting over tea and pencil shavings in pubs and cafes.
Here’s a few of the drawings that will be in the auction in Sunday……
Sadly I can’t make the exhibition but i’m looking forward to the book which may be published of all the drawings in many artists different styles…..
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I’ve just become part of a lovely little project in Primrose Hill where people in the community are drawing and photographing each other. There will be an exhibition at the community centre and a book of images and interviews published and called…
‘Faces on The Hill’.
It’s such a lovely idea and I’ve just finished my first portrait which is of the lovely Rachel Poulton who took my photograph.
The exhibition is on May 31st I have on my list to draw, a local lawyer, an art curator and a retired ballet dancer amongst others so I think this is going to be a really fun project !
more to come……
Blanche Ellis 