CanvasHampshire’s Only Art and Design Magazine

How to...

Get Your Work On Display

Discover: The Art House Café and Gallery

May 2012

Issue 5£3.50

Current

Design Trends:

Knitting

Vintage

Jewellery

Decoupage

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Reviews: Courses

Galleries

Markets

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EDITO

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Editor’s LetterThis month was all about pop art, and we asked you to submit your own art-works for the cover to go with that theme. We only gave you three things to put in it; a tea cup, a paint brush and butterflies, and you all gave it your best.shot.and Selina’s beautifulcomposition made it through, and we’re thrilled to have it as our cover.

We’ve been cavorting all around Hampshire this month to bring you all the latest art and design news, trends and reviews. Thought Knitting was for winter and grannies? Think again, as we interview the owner of Love Yarn in Andover on page 36.

Our reviews on markets, courses and exhibitons on pages 40 to 53 are guaranteed to excite you into a frenzy. We’ve interviewed designers, gone to markets, cafés and walked around plenty of galleries just for you.

We want you to go out and enjoy yourself by delving into the world of art and design. So this May, enjoy the weather and do some exploring of your own.

David and Kyra

Contributors:

Features: Kyra O’Reilly David Warren

Subbing: Kyra O’Reilly David Warren

Image sourcing: Kyra O’Reilly David Waren

Letters

Dear Canvas,I really loved the theme of your March issue! I absolutely adore everything retro and 80s and I thought the way the magazine matched the era was brilliant. I especially loved the cover! I’m really looking forward to see what you have in store for us next time.Alan, 23, Southampton

Dear Canvas,After reading your article on the meetings of the Marwell Art Society I was inspired to create my own art group for me and my creative friends. So far we’ve had one meeting and we all really enjoyed taking some time out of our lives to relax and create some beautiful pieces of art. I think it has brought us all closer together. Joanne, 28, Alton

Dear Canvas,I thought ‘How to… make pressed flower art’ was a really interesting read and it inspired me to make one of my own. I liked it so much that I’ve started a project on it! Alice, 20, Andover

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LETT

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Star Letter

Dear Canvas,Your interview with photographer Chris Martin was great to read as it was and really got me into my photography more. I recently went to Washington on a trip and took some great photographs. Maybe I’m not so much of a sport photographer like Chris, but what do you think of my fountain? (right)Stacey, 25, Basingstoke

Canvas Team:We think your use of contrast is great, Alan. As star letter, you also win £50 worth of Jessops vouchers.

Your Tweets

@janieeeee: @canvasmaghampshire is awesome, I want to start submitting to galleries straight away!

@karllitchfield11: Chris Martin’s photography tips in @canvasmaghampshire are great… I’m going to the skate ramp now to try them out!

Your Facebook Statuses

Clare Lawrence: I never knew there were so many creative clubs around! Thanks Canvas Hampshire, you’ve brightened up my social life :)

Get in touch:Canvashampshire.co.ukEmail: canvas.mail@ (hearst/natmags).co.ukFacebook:facebook.com/canvasmaghampshireTweet: @canvasmaghampshire

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Charity TreasureOne man’s trash is another’s treasure, as the saying goes; and it’s certainly true here. This month, we went to charity shops around Southampton to forage for bargains and found this little lot.

From top left, clockwise: Doll; £2.00, Canvas with poppies; £3.00, Beaded flowers; £5.00, Coaster holder with four coasters, £2.00. From assorted charity shops.

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From top left, clockwise: Framed Renoir print; £3.00, Cupcake decorated tea set with box; £11.50, Vintage style cup and saucer; £2.00, Watercolour painting; £2.00.

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How to...Decoupage is a great way to spruce up an old household item or accessory.

And they don’t just have to be small things – a wooden chair can be

covered partially or entirely to create a colourful bespoke item.

This is an easy, fun and calming crafting activity that anyone can do. Let your creative flair shine through and you’ll end up with a unique item that you have crafted by hand. It is cheap to do, and is perfect for gifts such as photo frames, jewellery, shoes… The beauty of decoupage is that you can decoupage almost anything. Just try not to get too carried away.

You will need:

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The finished product

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1. Good quality paintbrushes in different sizes. The size will depend on your project, but you will need a larger brush for the main gluing and a smaller one for the more fiddly parts, like in edges. You may also need something to dig in the paper, like an old pen.

2. Scissors - to cut up the tissue paper if needed.

3. Tissue paper or very thin paper – white for a

Decoupage

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Glue over the top of the paper to secure it in place

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base and coloured or patterned for the top layer.

4. PVA or specialist decoupage glue, like Mod Podge

5. Sealing varnish

First, you need to select the item you want to decoupage. It can be anything: shoes, lampshades, bangles, light switch covers, notebooks, lighters, key rings, the possibilities are endless. However, wooden objects tend to work best, so it may be good to start with that. Then, depending on the size, choose your brushes.

If your object is already coloured in, for example if it is an old breakfast tray that needs a revamp, it is a good idea to decoupage two or three layers of white tissue paper on it to prepare it. This way, the original colour cannot affect the colours of the paper you want it to be.

To decoupage:

1. First, apply a thin layer of glue with your larger brush directly to your object

2. Apply a piece of tissue paper over the glued area. The piece can be torn or cut, whichever you like.

3. Glue over the tissue paper, again only using a thin layer. The brushes need to be fairly soft and good quality so that you do not rip the paper when you try to smooth it over. You may need to use the smaller brush or another item to push the paper into creases and corners.

4. Repeat these steps until the object is as covered as you would like it to be. This gives you a lot of creative license. You could apply several different patterns or papers to the object for a more dramatic effect. Or if you prefer, you can cut out the shape of the object and apply that sheet to it. This can be more difficult to do than ripping or cutting off pieces, but produces a lovely effect.

5. When dry, apply a coat of sealing varnish to finish and protect the paper.

Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? And there are several more techniques to experiment with. Some people prefer to cut pieces out and fit them specifically to the object, making a mosaic-like effect. If you are applying paper to a bangle, some of you may prefer to cut strips from the tissue papers and alternate them, or put them at a slight angle. Mirrors and cupboards can be partially decorated with cut outs from papers. A plain tin for food storage could be decorated with flowers, fruit or other food items. The designs all depend on how creative your ideas are, but if you’re having difficulties there are several books that will give you some guidance and helpful videos online.

Don’t forget, for colourful items you may need to apply white layers first

Vintage has been in fashion for some time now, and you can find some great items in specific vintage shops. These beauties are from Hepwrights in Southampton, for example. But how do we know what’s vintage and what’s not? Catherine Wright, the owner of Hepwrights, gave us her tips:

Vintage Shop

1. Look for quality. Round buttonholes, full lining

and finished inner seams are dead giveaways as many

modern clothes can be badly stitched and unfinished.

2. Always check the label. Do they have a lot or style

number? Do they have major cities like London or Paris

on them? Many clothes now are made in China. Does

the label look markedly different to the current design?

Does it have interesting or ornate typography? Many

labels have been redesigned over the years. All of these

aspects can point to a vintage item.

3. Labels to look out for: Bill Gibb, Jean Boron, Biba,

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Lilli Ann, Pucci (prints, especially), Ami, Et al, Gigi

Young, Suzy Perette. And of course the classic designers

like Chanel, Dior, Fendi, the list goes on.

And remember, when buying vintage clothes, always

check the measurements, especially if you are buying

online. Sizes have changed over the years so be careful

not to be mislead into buying clothing that is too small

or too large for you.

Each clothing piece is priced individually. From top

to bottom: Dress: Bag: Dress: Jacket: Jumper: Hat:. All

from Hepwrights, Bedford Place Road, Southampton.

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How to... get your work on display

You probably have many drawings, paintings, photographs and videos at home. They’ll be scattered around, your favourites hanging from the walls and your worst hidden away in folders that peep out behind wardrobes, cabinets and lurk in cupboards. Other pieces probably lie finished but untouched in your work room, or even your studio, if you are lucky enough to have one. But what you really want to do is sell them to people, and one of the ways to do that is to display it in a gallery.OnlineAs the internet is slowly taking over our lives, it seems only proper to show your work online. It’s not traditional, and it certainly doesn’t show your craftsmanship, but it does show your work to the masses, which may be many more than you would get at your usual gallery.You have so many places to choose from, too. You could create your own website and show images of your work on there. There are many sites that give you free web space to set up a personal gallery. Wix.com is a good example of one of these, and it gives you lots of templates to choose from, depending on your level of online skill. You can even make it into an online shop as well as a place to showcase your artistic ability. If you specifically want to show your portfolio, there are sites like Flickr that are specifically for photographers wishing to display their work. Blog sites like Tumblr, Wordpress and Blogger are popular, and are good platforms for getting people on to your own site to buy your images or to ask for commissions from you.There are plenty of online art galleries, too. All you have to do is search Google to get hundreds of thousands of results. You will find many that are free to join and only take commissions when you sell your work. So just apply to join and you’ll be on your way.Galleries and ExhibitionsApplication for your work to be featured in an exhibition completely depends on where you want your work to be displayed. The best advice we can

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give you is to have a look around for a place that you think will sell your work well, and then call them to make enquiries.Some places, like The Art House in Southampton, have an expression of interest form that is linked into their website. They will want to arrange a meeting to look at the pieces of work you have before making a decision. Other places, such as the Bargate Monument Gallery, Southampton, will ask you to submit a proposal by mail or in person that includes your CV and a selection of your work that you wish to exhibit.Many art groups also have exhibitions, so joining one would be very beneficial. As a member you will have more of a chance of showing and selling your work. They may also show work on their websites. The Yellow Art House, an art group based in Winchester, displays and sells the work of its artists in Winchester art and design market. Here are some more local art groups that may be of interest to you: Marwell International Wildlife Artists, Andover Art Society, Romsey Art Group, Alton Decorative and Fine Arts SocietyUniversities often have their own galleries. You could try the John Hansard Gallery at Southampton University or the Link gallery, in Winchester to see if they will show your work.Helpful Hints• Remember to include an up-to-date CV that has your contact details on it• Have preferred dates to exhibit that are in good time. Be aware that many exhibitions are programmed six months to a year in advance. Sometimes it is even earlier than that.• Ask about joining fees and commissions when you meet, but don’t be too forceful with it.• Some public galleries require the work to be of public benefit. For example, that it is also a learning experience.• Some galleries will not have sufficient facilities for film or digital media• Some galleries may also have limited space, so be aware of this for installations

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TheMagic’s in theMaking

Have you ever wanted to start up your own business from your art or craft

form? So many people have done it, and now it’s easier than ever with the

internet providing social networks and selling sites like Ebay that can boost

your business.

Pauline Weighall has recently started renting out a premises for her steadily expanding business; Black Cat Crafts. She isn’t your usual shop owner by any means; with bright purple hair, 10 tattoos and a trike in the garage, she undoubtedly catches your attention. But it is her love of independence and her ambition that makes her like every other woman who has started a business in recent years. She says that being her own boss is the best thing she ever did. And with the power over which hours you work, the stock you take, and who you get to work with, we certainly think it’s a lucrative scenario.

The shop caters for jewellery makers in the Andover area, and supplies them with all the essential tools they need at affordable prices. Hundreds of beads glitter from boxes spread out across the shop; from lamp work glass to plastic dice and alphabet beads. Pendants and charms dangle from wall fixings, and assorted crafting kits adorn the shelves. It also stocks bags and home-made toiletries. Black Cat Crafts has been running for four years as a website (which is currently being revamped), but Pauline decided to go full time in October 2011. On the first of December, the shop finally opened.

We asked Pauline about her experiences in opening her business as a shop and the difficulties she faced along the way:

How much does it cost you to rent the premises?

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It’s £600 a month including VAT, which is pretty cheap. A shop in town for half this size costs more in rent than this does. There’s only a months commitment for this, so I can give my notice and be gone in a month, whereas in town a five year lease is a minimum with three months deposit. One problem though, is that it’s a little bit out of the way here, so there’s no passing trade.

Do you have to pay business tax?

The shop stocks all sorts of colourful beads

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Black Cat Crafts, Andover Commercial Centre

Pauline

No, because the rateable value is low here, and it’s a start-up. I wouldn’t get away with in town because the rateable value might be higher and so it would cost more for me.

Where does your stock come from?

India, China, America, Czech Republic… It comes directly from the manufacturers. That’s why my prices are much cheaper than those you would find on Ebay. And it will be much cheaper to make your own jewellery using my beads than it would be to buy it, which is the point.

Have you crafted any jewellery yourself recently? Do you think you should?

Not for sale, but I do make my own at home. Unfortunately I haven’t got the time to make any jewellery to sell along with running the business. I do have a young lady coming in to do workshops, though, and she is very good at jewellery -making.

How do you market yourself?

I’ve got the shop into the local paper, and advertised in a national jewellery magazine. I handed out leaflets dressed in a cat suit once! We’ve done a market stall in Andover on a Saturday twice now, and used that to advertise too. We’re also on Facebook and we have an Ebay site set up.

Outside of shop hours, what do you do to get customers?

We’ve done the market twice. We do the bike shows but we do it with a different range of stock to this. We do fetes and stuff too.

What advice would you have given yourself back in December about starting up a business?

Don’t rush into it. We opened on the first of December and I finished at Lloyds TSB in

November. We actually took the lease in October, but we needed time to fit it and get the stock in. Perhaps I shouldn’t have rushed into it quite so quickly because I paid a month and a half’s rent before we were even open. Perhaps doing more advertising up front before we got here would have been good too. I didn’t bother doing anything until we opened.

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ter EVERY THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH, SOMETHING A BIT SPECIAL HAPPENS...

If you wander down

Winchester High Street on the third

Sunday of the month, you will find what

can only be described as an Aladdin’s

cave of art and design wonders. We

know, it sounds cliché, but it’s true.

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In the sunlight, the hordes of ornate fused glassware and delicate handmade jewellery cast patterns on the pavement. Anyone looking for home wares will also be nicely surprised with what’s on offer at each stall. They include bowls, glass coasters, garden decorations, vintage images on canvas, cushions, candles, furniture; even cutlery was included. Adaliza is the name of a stall that sells anything made from textiles. There are handmade cushions

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“One stall holds a cornucopia of iron

garden ornaments and trellises”

Winchester art and design market - the High Street and some of the stalls

EVERY THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH, SOMETHING A BIT SPECIAL HAPPENS...

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with intricate designs on them, purses, noticeboards, jewellery boards, bags and more. Patchworks quilts and cushions adorn the tent wherever there is enough room. The woman selling them reliably tells me that she designs each one herself.Another stall boasts finely knitted scarves and other accessories, and yet another is absolutely covered with brightly painted, wooden people, who bounce up and down and sway in the breeze. If you look carefully, you may even spot some very interesting looking tea cosies.Nestled among the many stalls is Forage and Find. It has a huge selection of handmade jewellery, mostly made with broken or old trinkets. This jumps right on the bandwagon of upcycling, where people reuse old items for a different

purpose, rather than throwing it away. There are pendants with old stamps and watch parts embedded in them. Watch faces dangle from underneath bronze birds and deer. Compasses, jewellery parts, whistles, thimbles and other small items have been reused to create original, bespoke pieces. The necklaces, brooches and rings on display would make excellent presents for a friend with a quirky style and a sense of humour.The glassware is yet another striking part of the experience. Many clearly talented people have made fused glass pieces by hand to sell at the market. One memorable product is called a mug splat; a coaster shaped like a paint splat. It seems just perfect for the people perusing the stalls, who can be seen carrying cameras and wearing vintage or handmade clothing items. There aren’t just coasters made with glass, either. There are pieces of wall art, ornaments, jewellery, cufflinks and small gift items like plaques with animals or words on them.

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Metalwork sculptures for the garden

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Of course, there are artists at the market. And whilst most of them are selling realistic oil paintings, pop art canvases and their own original art, there are a few imaginative pieces that are bound to catch your eye. One stall holds a cornucopia of iron garden ornaments and trellises, some of which are purposefully rusty and shaped like animals and flowers. To one side springs a tree that is taller than most people, complete with iron leaves. Another stall stands out for its perfectly executed impressionist style landscapes, which are truly beautiful.

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Woodwork seems to be quite abundant, too. Uniquely shaped wooden bowls and other kitchen utensils are spread under a few tents. Pencil animal portraits, oil landscapes, cupcakes on canvas and lots of exclusively designed cards can be found at Winchester art and design market. Vintage and antique products are to be found on many of the stalls, too.One memorable stall was full with finely carved wooden objects, but the real star was a beautiful barn owl sitting at the back of the tent. For £2, the stallholder would let you hold it for as long as you

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market delivers an interesting and arty shopping experience. There’s just one thing… make sure that you leave enough room in your boot!Here are just a few websites of sellers at the market:Glassware: www.studiozo.co.uk, www.lymeglass.co.ukTextiles: www.adaliza.co.ukFelt work and illustrations: www.barabara-jofelts.moonfruit.comJewellery: www.etsy.com/shop/materialgirlworldTo find out more about Winchester Art and Design Market, please visit the following website:www.artdesignmarket.co.uk

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A selection of pendants made from watch parts, from Forage and Find. Below: You can even get to hold barn owls at the market

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wanted, and see the bird up close.And there’s more. Much more. With about 70 stalls, you’ll be bound to find something you like. It may be a spoon wind chime for your garden, or zipped bags and brooches from Raspberry. If you love shopping for jewellery or you need a unique gift for a friend, then this is the place to go. The Winchester Art and Design

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TheArt House CaféPhotography Experience

The Art House Café is a vegetarian food place with and arty twist. We sent

one of our writers there to test it out...

Information:

Where: The Art House Gallery and Café

178 Above Bar Street, Southampton, SO14

7DW

02380 238582

What: Gallery, Café, Boutique, Arts and

Music Venue. The Art House is a non-profit

community interest company.

The Art House Café is on Above Bar Street, opposite Solent Conference Centre

Let’s Try Photography

This session is one of the many events that are run by The Art House in the interet of the art community of Southampton. Others include Let’s try Beading workshops, Knitter Natter, Writing Buddies, Life Drawing, Book club, Animal Action. There are several themed days, such as Buskers Café and Stammtisch German Café.

Despite its name, which happens to sound like a photography class for young children, this event is actually a camera club. It’s also a very welcoming and friendly group of people. The members range hugely; young, old, amateur and professional – anyone is welcome to drop in.

The group, which takes place every third Thursday of the month, has no set charge and instead asks for a small donation towards the running costs of the

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“The members range

hugely; young, old, amateur

and professional”

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Art House, whose ventures are not for profit.

I went into the group not knowing quite what to expect. As it turned out, it exceeded my expectations, whatever they were. Regular meetings comprise of a good chat about what everyone has been doing recently whilst cradling a beverage of your choice. They give advice to those who ask for it and take the time to share their recent work with each other. In some cases, flyers for upcoming exhibits are given out.

New members get the chance to tell everyone about themselves; which camera they use, their favourite photography form, their family background –anything and everything.

If there is anything that you need help with, the group will try to make sure that help is given. Whether that’s improving your compositions or learning how to do a certain Photoshop technique, there is bound to be help. With 72 members on their Facebook page, from sport enthusiasts and portrait lovers to artistic photographers, the group is full of interesting people who love to share their expertise.

Each month, the group sets itself a photography task to do. This particular month it was to photograph an everyday item in an interesting way. They also help each other to set personal goals to achieve. So if someone usually only photographs flowers, they ask that person to try something entirely different. Some examples would be photographing ‘decay’, like a dead bird, even a mouldy cup. Everything ends up looking interesting and beautiful if you photograph it the right way, and this is what they want others to see.

On some occasions the camera club has been known to take trips outside during their meetings when they feel really inspired. Members often up outside of the sessions to socialise and brush up on their skills with some company.

Overall, the session seemed to be a great success. According to one member, sometimes the room can

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be so full that members have to sit where they can find a space and at other times there are not enough

people to sit around the main table. But this month was a rather pleasant surprise; there were more than enough people to have a good conversation with - a sociable group of non-

threatening camera-lovers.

Let’s Try Photography takes place every third Thursday of the Month at 7.30pm, in the upstairs of The Art House. Just bring your camera/laptop/ iPad and an open mind along. The Art House are very wheelchair friendly, and will try to move the meeting downstairs for you if you ask them. No booking necessary.

More details can be found at: http://www.thearthousesouthampton.co.uk

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Cover art submission by Hannah McIntyre

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Trending:Knitting isn’t just for winter, you know. You can make your own tops, hats,

cardigans… whatever, and wear them in warm weather. And we are here to

tell you that you can make those boho and crochet style tops you’ve seen in

the shops (and that knitting isn’t as old-fashioned as you might think).

Fiona is the owner of Love Yarn, a shop in Andover that sells knitting patterns and yarns of any colour and size imaginable. The place holds a plethora of interesting- looking yarns; you can make a blanket that consists entirely of pom-poms or a sparkly scarf that is so easy to knit, a five-year old could do it. Fiona will always greet you warmly and if you’re just starting out, she’ll show you exactly how to knit with the wool you choose. She will even make you a cup of tea if you plan on staying a while, and has a table and chairs set out exactly for that purpose.

The shop started over a year and a half ago. Fiona had already begun to research the shop, looking at suppliers of yarn as well as the patterns she wanted to sell. But it wasn’t until the death of a friend that she decided to take the plunge and rent out a unit at the Commercial Centre, in Picket Piece. It has since expanded and been taken to a larger premises on the same site. “We were bursting at the seams,” said Fiona. “I wouldn’t have necessarily moved at that point. It’s just that this unit came up and it was the best position on the site for my business. So I thought let’s go for it and see what happens.”

Now, Fiona has a very varied client base, with her customers ranging from people in their 20s to their 80s or 90s. Her usual clients are younger than expected, with their age mostly being from 35 to 50. She even has a few males to brag about, one of which is a soldier who uses knitting as a release from the stress of war.

If you’re a beginner to all of this knitting malarkey,

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Fiona recommends either books or classes. She said: “I think that for a total beginner, a kids book is a good way to go because it’s very graphic. I sent one to my niece, who’s 24 and she started with that. If you’ve got a little bit of experience and maybe you’re a bit scared to start something, then go to a shop where you’ve got someone there who knows what they’re talking about, and there’s back up there for you to keep popping in. Some people are very visual, so they should find a place where they do ‘learn to

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Fiona chatting to friends in the shop

Knit your summer wardrobe

knit’ classes. We run lots of technique-based classes here, for example.”

Fiona said that you need to learn by trial and error. Practice will, eventually, make perfect, as the old saying goes. “I would start with something really simple like a scarf, and then go on to a cushion,” said Fiona. “Both of these items will help to get your tension nice, so when you go on to the garment, your basics are sorted. You can then gradually increase in difficulty and start reading

more difficult patterns. Most people have knitted when they were younger, and it’s amazing how it will come through.”

Trends

“For summer, the key is knitting with cotton rather than wool,” said Fiona. “At the moment I’m knitting a silk and cotton shrug to maybe go over a maxi dress, but you can knit cotton jumpers or cardigans too.” This year, lace work and tape cottons are trending. Floral crochet is being used a lot of high street brands, but if you want to make it yourself, Rowan are a good company to buy patterns from for this. Companies that you may want to look at for similar patterns include Debbie Bliss and Louisa Harding, both of which Fiona stocks.

If you want a transitional garment for summer and autumn, you may want to work with wool. Fiona said: “You’d go for something like a three or four ply; a double knit, so it’s a lighter weight. These are yarns that you can use that are wool-based, but they’re much lighter

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“Once you understand the

basic principles you’ll be

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Love Yarn is in the Commercial Centre, Andover

than what you’d use for winter. Lace weight is a key one this year, because it’s only two ply, which is really, really fine.”

Once you understand the basic principles and know how to read the patterns, you’ll be well on your way. You may even want to start knitting people gifts. “This year’s project for me is knitting everyone socks because they’re a personal thing; they’re quirky, because you can get so many patterns and different yarns. But also there’s more complexity to it so I don’t get bored. You can knit them at any level too, it just depends on the pattern you’ve got for it. I did some for my husband for his birthday, and my brother saw them and said ‘I want some of those’ so they are a good gift. They take time, but they’re lovely and warm on your feet.”

Other ideas for gifts include: blankets, tea cosies, corsages, jumpers or cardigans, scarf, hat and gloves sets for winter and toys or teddies for children.

Final words

Fiona said: “I think knitting is good because it’s such a relaxation. I think life is so busy that you can sit down and knit and you don’t feel guilty because you get something out of it at the end. You’re doing something while you’re sitting. I think crafting is getting more mainstream because you can sit down and not feel guilty about it.”

You can find Love Yarn at The Commercial Centre, Picket Piece, Andover, open Monday to Saturday from 10am till 4.30pm

Forage and Find is a pop-up stall that specialises in unusual and interesting jewellery.

We make bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings out of vintage or upcycled watch parts, bronze charms, whistles, stamps, gaming pieces and keys. If you would like a bespoke, hand made piece of jewellery at an affordable price, come to us and we will make sure you go home with something truly special.

Find us: We can be found on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month at Winchester Art & Design Market and Winchester Vintage Market.As of May 2012, we will be trying out Judy’s Vintage Fair in Spitalfields, so please look out for us there.

Contact Us: You can find out all our latest news and events by following us on Facebook, and you can contact us there too.

The Art House Gallery Café offers great vegetarian food and a display of excellent local art-works. We offer groups for every artistic type and always have events on for you to enjoy. We are a non-profit organisation, so eating here ensures we stay open and continue to encourage the community in their art.

Open: Tue, Thur and Fri:11am - 5pm, Wed: 11am - 8pm, Sat and Sun:12pm - 5pm

Find Us: The Art House Gallery and Café 178 Above Bar Street, SouthamptonHampshire, SO14 7DW

Contact Us: 02380 238582

Black Cat Crafts sells all sorts of beads and material for you to make your own jewellery. We sell, glass, plastic, metal, stone, alphabet... any type of beads you want, we have. We also offer bags, crafting kits and soaps in the shop. Our prices are unbeaten for the Hampshire area, so why don’t you come down and see what we might have for you?

Open: 10am - 4pm Tue to Fri, 11am - 2pm Sat. Free Parking

Find us: Unit 107, The Commercial Centre, Picket Piece, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 6RU

Contact Us: 01264 324818

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Hepwrights Vintage has a huge range of vintage-wear from all decades for you to rummage through. Our prices are very reasonable and most of our garments are both for hire and for sale.

Open: 10am - 5pm Tue to Sat

Find Us: 34 Bedford Place, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 2DG

Contact Us: 07733 766746

Love Yarn deals in everything you need to make your own woollen garments, blankets, toys.. anything. Our range of yarns is huge and if we don’t have it, we’ll order it in for you. We also have a decoupage section.

Open: Tue to Sat 10am - 4:30pm.Free Parking

Find Us: Love Yarn,Unit 133, The Commercial Centre,Picket Piece, Andover, Hampshire,SP11 6RU

Contact Us: 01264 357333

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Art andDesign Courses

For you, reviewed by youStuck on courses? Here’s our monthly guide on which art and design

courses you should, or shouldn’t choose, straight from the people who

have already experienced them. This month, we look at courses from

Basingstoke Colleges and Southampton Solent University.

Basingstoke College Courses

Name: Helena Taylor

Name of the course: Fine Art, A Level

Where: Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke

Teaching: Laid back style meant that we had a lot of freedom. Lots of art styles and material uses were taught to us in the first year, giving us good background knowledge.

Content: First year gives three projects to work on: still life is one example of this. In the second year, you have a set project title, one that you set yourself and your final project, which is set but you have choice of what you choose. The final project also ends in a 15 hour exam in which you create your final piece.

Workload: Not difficult to handle in the first year, but in the second most students come in at lunch times to work on top of their usual hours and at home too.

Value in industry and for money: Good value and

will give you an excellent portfolio for industry. Money paid was only for art supplies, which were extremely varied and good quality. Overall a good value.

Like most: Allowed the students some space for creativity

Like least: Very time consuming

Name: Selina Quach

Name of the course: Art and Design, Foundation

Where: Basingstoke College of Technology

Teaching: The tutors were very critical, but gave constructive criticism.

Content: Explored all aspects of art and design and was great for people who were unsure which aspect they wanted to pursue because it gave them a chance to try everything.

Workload: The workload was heavy but was great at preparing us for university courses.

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Design Courses

Value for money? Good Equipment? The students tell you how it is.

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SESValue for money and in industry: The course is free for 18 year-olds and under, which is great, but it was not worth paying for as we had to provide everything for ourselves in terms of materials. In industry, it is good as a base that would lead on to other courses, but not to go straight into work with.

Like most: The freedom that the course gave us because we could create anything we wanted and had total artistic freedom.

Like least: The ratio of students to tutors, as we didn’t get very much one on one time with the tutors.

Southampton Solent University Courses

Name: Joanne Stevenson

Name of the course: BA (Hons) Fashion with Photography

Where: Southampton Solent University

Teaching: The teaching is great and the tutors have a lot of experience in industry but they are very unorganised and quite poor at communication.

Content: It is exactly what I expected and it gives us a chance to explore different aspects of the fashion industry from styling to photography and the other roles.

Workload: A large amount, but manageable.

Value in industry and for money: We are taught how to do things to industry standard, which will be helpful when we leave university. Valuable as a background in what we want to do, as well as building up a good portfolio of work to show to possible employers.

Like most: Having the freedom to do what we want within a brief and having tutors who have experience in the industry to comment on my work and tell me how I can improve.

Like least: How unorganised the course is as I feel that it is not made clear to us when we need to be in university for example when starting a new semester.

Name: Hannah McIntyre

Name of the Course: BA (Hons) Illustration

Where: Southampton Solent University

Teaching: The lecturers are really helpful. They have a good experience and we have learnt a lot about technique and developing our own style.

Content: We look at a variationof illustration techniques, and have been taught to illustrate on comuters and on graphics tablets.

Workload: A nice amount, and the work is fun.

Value in industry and for money: It is good value for portfolio development., but I would not pay more for it.

Like most: The style of learning and the fact that we draw all the time.

Like least: It takes a lot of time and effort to do all the work.

Dear Canvas,

I’ve just bought a house but now I’m struggling for ideas! I need to redecorate the entire thing, because the whole décor is still in the 70s. Do you have any modern ideas to help spruce it up?

Edmund Hill

HELP!

I do, Edmund; I have so many I may not be able to fit them all on this page. But first things first, you need to think about a theme. No house is perfectly decorated unless there is some kind of theme running through it. Your house should be one big, nicely flowing space designed to keep you happy and comfortable. You shouldn’t walk from the kitchen to the dining room and feel jarred by the vast difference in the two spaces. The theme can be anything, from vintage to bright colours to nouveau. I see that here you’re looking for a modern vibe, so lets go with that.Secondly, you need to think about each room separately, according to your needs, and choose colours and textures that will suit it. Your living room, for example, needs to be a space where you can relax and shake off all your troubles, so you need a colour that evokes this. You may want two or three colours in that room, but if you do, remember that they need to be similar shades. I know, it’s simple colour theory, and yet even the best artists and interior designers can get this wrong. My best advice to you is that if you want a clean, modern-looking home, choose one vibrant colour for each room and only use it on a feature wall. Have all the other walls a plain colour, like white or cream. Say, for example, that your bedroom has a part that juts out slightly, which is just perfect to put a double bed against. Wouldn’t that wall look great painted a deep plum colour? Then, add accents to the room in similar shades; maybe a chair, a throw on the end of the bed, a rug and a lampshade to finish it off. Oh, and that patterned carpet and bathroom lino? Throw it away. They belong right in the 70s and 80s. Go for a one-colour carpet or tile that will go with anything instead. Being reserved

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with your colour choices here means you can go all out with your walls instead.Your furniture is an important part of your house. Where you can change the colour of the walls whenever you like, your furniture is a little more permanent. Most modern-looking homes have metal or plastic furniture as opposed to old-fashioned wood. Just be careful about the shape, if you’re not going for futuristic or retro, I would step away from the egg-chairs that hang from the ceiling. However, wood isn’t all bad. Light coloured wood for flooring and cupboards will make your room look larger and more welcoming than its darker counterpart. In the living room, a leather sofa will look more polished than material ones and in the bathroom, a bright white rounded suite will be sure never to look outdated. Here, it’s the taps you need to worry about. I would choose mixer taps in a similarly rounded fashion to go with the suite.Finally, I think the style of a room is completely dependant on the little things. You have the basics, but now you need the personal touches. Each room will tell your guests and visitors about you as a person. You will be showing what you value the most. My advice to you is to put your favourite artists in the rooms you spend the most time in. Maybe you want a copy of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in your kitchen, or maybe Warhol’s Tomato Soup Can will stand there proudly instead. Maybe your own projects will adorn the walls. Whatever art you put up, it will be injecting a piece of you into your home. Your ornaments, paintings and plants will create a much more homely environment; just try not to overcrowd your beautiful, currently clutter-free home.

Kyra

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