AUSTRALIA - WORKSHOPS

I'm getting very excited now about my trip to Oz in March when I'll be running a series of workshops near Melbourne and Sydney through Grampians Textures and Timeless Textiles. I'm delighted to say the workshops at in the Grampians are now fully booked, but have no fear my Australian friends! There are still places on the Timeless Textiles one which is running from the 7th - 9th March in Newcastle. You can find all the info here. It's $460 AUS, for 3 days exploring 3D fabric sculpture and manipulation techniques to create a bird of your own design. I haven't run anything as long as these workshops before so I'm very excited to have time to share ideas and processes and see what wonderful things you will create.

We're hoping to fill the places quickly so I can get my flights booked and start planning, so come on and join us!!!! :-D

3D Bird Sculpture with Abigail Brown

We will start the workshop looking at a variety of textile manipulation techniques such as: appliqué, reverse appliqué, pleating, tucks, gathering and basic embroidery which will form the creative part of the workshop.

On the second day you will be offered a selection of different bird templates or assisted in creating your own design. We will then go through their assembly from pattern cutting, machine sewing and soldering to stuffing. Once the basic bird form is assembled you will be asked to draw on all your individuality and creative flair to decorate your own bird sculptures using the manipulation techniques we have explored. Outspread wings, flowing tails, ruffled breasts, full of texture, colour and magnificence. The Bird Kingdom is a tremendous source of inspiration for Abigail and she looks forward to sharing her passion with you.

7th, 8th -9th March 2015, 9.30 am - 4.30 pm @ Newcastle Community Art Centre, 246 Parry St Newcastle West. aus$460.

I'm in search of a part time/flexible paid studio assistant to join me at my central London studio, starting 1 day a week, on a freelance basis, from September.

The role involves:

- Sewing assistance

- Pattern cutting

- Admin (including emailing, photo editing, web/shop/blog/FB updating)

You will be assisting me with all aspects of my studio life, from ironing fabrics, pattern cutting, basic machine sewing to responding to email enquiries, editing photos, visiting the post office and buying materials. I need someone who is happy to do all the above as the job will be varied.

Requirements:

- Confident sewing, both with machine and by hand

- Confident in Photoshop and Excel

- Preferably with experience working in a studio, but not essential

It's a pressured time in the run up to Christmas so it is essential you can work with fabric and stitch at speed, confidently and to a skilled degree.

If you would like to apply please send a CV and cover letter to: abigail@abigail-brown.co.uk. It will be helpful to see examples of your sewing skills if you can include images or a link to a website/blog/FB page.

I will confirm receipt of your application, and let you know within 2 weeks if I'd like you to come to the studio for a meeting.

Thank you!! x

Open Studios - Cockpit Arts

This weekend I welcome you into my studio for a peek at my latest creations and am excited to showcase a menagerie of paper maché animals in the internal staircase. My studio is strewn with fabric, thread, paper, paste, paint and strange creatures as I frantically assemble the final pieces before we open on Friday. Really hope to see you!

Cockpit Arts - Holborn

Cokcpit Yard

Northington Street

London

WC1N 2NP

Friday 6pm - 9pm

Sat & Sun 11am - 6pm

Free Entry

Meet The Maker

Very pleased to be featured across 2 pages of June's Country Living UK magazine. It's an interview with me and includes photos of me at work in the studio captured by my very talented photographer step sister Emma Collins.

Lilac Breasted Roller

Paul Smith 2014

I delightedly hurried back to London after Christmas to make an army of paper maché animal sculptures and heads, commissioned for two Paul Smith shops in Paris and Milan.

The paper sculpture is very new work and I was thrilled to get such an amazing first commission with them. I love his shops; the colours, the playfulness and the style and quality of everything. Such a beautiful setting to showcase my work, I couldn't have been more happy to return from holiday!!

So, what did they do with them?? Well…

Milan - Via Manzoni

Paris - Rue Du Faubourg St Honore

Liberty's Cracking Christmas Windows

How exciting!! 3 of my fabric birds found their way into Liberty's wonderful Christmas windows! The windows feature my Flamingo, Sun Parakeet and Peach Faced Lovebird bursting out of sparkly Christmas crackers... they look beautiful, I'm so delighted!

#CrackingLibertyChristmas!

Paper Animal Sculptures

I've worked some long hours the past week getting this bunch of odd animals together to ship off to Germany for the 'Artistic Toys' exhibition at Galerie Handwerk in München. I take part in the show each Christmas and keep wishing I could go but sadly it's my busiest time and I just can't get away... but if you can I recommend it! There's such wonderful work there each year.

 I managed 6 species from my long list of unusual animals: Dik Dik, Tamandua, Jerboa, Numbat, Quoll and Elephant Shrew. I added to the Paper Animal Heads with a Bespectacled Bear and a Bongo.

You'll be able to find all these pieces shortly in my shop, as with all my work I will make them to order, as these first pieces have just left the studio.

Cody Foster - Design Theft

Cody Foster & Co are a big Christmas decoration manufacturing company based in the US who make their money out of the theft of other people's ideas. They take the designs of hard working, honest craftspeople, designers and illustrators and have them mass produced to a ridiculous degree in China, then selling them on as their own designs.

There is no mention of the artist the design has come from, no request to purchase the design, no commissioning of designs for a fee, no royalties offered, just theft, unknown to the makers/creators until someone who is able to access their closed site or be on their registered mailing list to receive a catalogue, recognises the work of the original artist and makes it known to them.

Yesterday I discovered this had happened to me. The design stolen from me was an owl decoration I made in 2010, laser cut from wood to my own illustration. They might have purchased a decoration from me through my Etsy shop or Big Cartel, but never contacted me to ask to buy the design to reproduce it. It is absolutely shameful theft.

My owl to the left, their glittery number to the right, much the same?!?!

This years Cody Foster catalogue also features the work of talented designers/makers: Lisa Congdon, Mimi Kirchner and Cassandra Smith... there may be others (artist's original to the right, Cody Foster to the left):

 Lisa Congdon

Mimi Kirchner 

Cassandra Smith

The kind lady who recognised my work has compiled these Flickr pages, showing the original works of various artists and the rip offs manufactured by Cody Foster over several years, unbeknownst to them:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/105498342@N02/

Cody Foster have a private website so no designs can be seen. Their Twitter page is private so no tweets can be linked to them and seen on their feed, and they are not answering emails.

People such as myself work hard at our craft, we put our life and soul into what we produce and we do it with honesty and integrity. Of course we are all inspired by what is around us and we can arrive at similar conclusions to others, but Cody Foster have undeniably stolen these designs from these people and shouldn't be allowed to continue making money from it.

For now all I can do is to raise awareness of their game and ask for support in sharing the story and possibly emailing them at: info@codyfosterandco.com to voice your own anger at how they operate.

I'll keep you posted on any progress. Thank you x

Cody Foster & Co
PO Box 247
Valentine, NE 69201
402 376 3369 - Tel
402 376 2835 - Fax
info@codyfosterandco.com

Little Gatherer

Lovely blog Little Gatherer wrote to me to ask about featuring my work. They sent some lovely questions and I'm delighted to see the post up there today. Thank you!! It looks beautiful.

DUCKS!

How have I never made a Duck?!?! Well I have now, this is my very first one, the Ringed Teal.

He'll be the first of many I can assure you! Whilst the large size means my patience is really tested, they're beautiful birds and I've got a growing list of ones I want to make so I expect you'll be seeing more pretty soon.

Find him here!

Press

The current issue of Homemaker Magazine features an article on my work...

You'll find a higher res version on my Facebook page

Little Bird Making Workshop

I've been asked for another Little Bird workshop before Christmas and am trying to see if I can make it work. It would be Saturday November 2nd, one full day, 11am - 5pm.

I run them from my studio in central London and here's a little course outline:

Make a Little Bird

From my London studio I will show you how to make your own little bird using a selection of colourful fabrics and Liberty prints.

I'm not wonderfully skilled at talking to great numbers of people so they will each be a limited number of 5-6 people making for a cosy, intimate afternoon amongst the stacks of fabric boxes and nestling creatures that inhabit my studio.

All materials are supplied to make one little bird for you to take away with you.

Tea & biscuits provided (and I like biscuits so expect good ones!!) but bring your own lunch.

£125 per person, 6 people per workshop.

To book email: abigail@abigail-brown.co.uk

100% deposit required at registration. Refunds on cancellations can only be offered if enough warning has been given and a replacement found.

GIVEAWAY!

After a very nice break in the sunshine of southern France I felt like sharing, so here's a little giveaway for you to win a walnut and gold leaf bird brooch, I designed and made.

To enter please go to my Facebook page and leave a message with your favourite bird by Friday 23rd August, winner drawn at random after 4pm.

Birds Arrive at Liberty - London

Delighted to say my birds can now be found in the Gift Room at Liberty. The collection comprises of: Blue Tit, Robin, Goldfinch, Ponsenby Owl, Flamingo, Sun Parakeet and Peach faced Love Bird. It's such an honour to have them in such a beautiful store, I'm so pleased with how they look under the domes.

Birds & Butterflies - Brooch Making Workshop

The very last workshop of the season will take place on Saturday July 6th. This one is a half day workshop making Fabric Butterfly Brooches and tiny Matchbox Tweeters (miniature birds in matchboxes).

Birds & Butterflies - Brooch Making Workshop

Saturday July 6th

A 4 hour/half-day workshop in my London studio creating your own beautiful fabric butterfly brooches and matchbox birds, using a selection of pretty pastel fabrics and liberty prints. Make a Butterfly to wear or a little group to frame, or a little tiny bird brooch hidden away in his matchbox home. You are welcome to make as many as your hands can manage!

All materials provided, although you are encouraged to bring your own scraps if you'd like to make it in your own colour theme.

£50 per person, 6 maximum per workshop.

11am - 3pm

To book email: abigail@abigail-brown.co.uk, thank you!

Open Studios Weekend - come see me!

It's all action at the Holborn studios today as we clear out the rubbish and lay out our wares. I'm finishing up a whole new line of paper maché heads and having a great time doing it!! I've got a tapir, a sloth, a lion, a fennec fox and some strange monkeys as well as the previous range: bear, wolf, fox, hare and deer. Hoping to find time for few new little fabric things too but it's flying by a bit too fast. I'll post up photos of all the new work after the weekend... best get back to it!

Our open runs from Friday 6-9pm, then Saturday through till Sunday, 11am - 6pm. Delicious food, competitions, ceramics workshops and beautiful treats to buy from over 100 makers here at Cockpit Arts.

Really hope we will see you!

WIN A BLUE TIT

I'm holding an auction of one of my little Blue Tits. He's my top seller and I'm hoping he will raise an excellent amount of money to donate to Afruca in support of their work against child abuse, specifically that of witchcraft branding. 

http://www.justgiving.com/abigail-brown2

Last night I watched a harrowing documentary on BBC three, Branded A Witch. I was so shocked and devastated by the religious practices in the DRC that I felt compelled to do something.

Please watch the documentary if you can: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01swd7g/Branded_a_Witch/ 

Children as young as 3 are suspected of witchcraft for displaying the normal behaviour of children: bed wetting, nightmares, tantrums and general bad behaviour. They are blamed for the misfortunes of their family (lack of money, things breaking, family members becoming ill) and are taken to churches who are paid to exorcise their evil spirits.

The churches make money from abusing these innocent children: setting them on fire, cutting them, whipping and beating them, forcing them to drink hot palm oil, giving them palm oil enemas, starving them and in some cases sexually assaulting them. If the children aren't taken to the church for these procedures they may be cast out onto the streets to fend for themselves. Either way it's horrific and it shouldn't be allowed to continue.

My childhood was full of happiness and innocence and my work as an artist is a result of that. I am auctioning my best seller, the beloved Blue Tit, to raise money for the charity Afruca who work to promote the rights and welfare of children in Africa and UK, upholding the belief that religion and culture should never be an excuse to abuse children. Please help me support their good work.

I ask a minimum donation of £2 to enter the auction to have a chance to win the Blue Tit and to help my chosen cause, but please consider donating more. A Blue Tit retails at £195 so you're getting a wonderful deal if you win!

I will draw a winner at random on Monday 10th June 11am UK time, announcing on my blog: http://abigailbrownscreatures.blogspot.co.uk/

...and facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Abigail-Brown-Textile-Artist-wwwabigail-browncouk/198152930229402

Many thanks,

Abbie x