Tooting Art Trail

The Tooting Art Trail is launched this weekend, part of Wandsworth Artists Open House. Meet local artists in Tooting Furzedown and Balham, see how they create their work and have a go yourself!  Artists’ homes and studios will be open 11am – 6pm on weekends of 5th to 6th and 12th to 13th October.

Download your copy of the Tooting, Furzedown and Balham Art Trail.

For a preview of the Tooting Art Trail, catch a selection of work at our new exhibition at Graveney & Meadow.

We love Tooting…

I have recently come across wonderful Tooting inspired art, including work by Paul Clements and local artists Em Oliver , Paul McBride and Lucy Loves This.  Let us know if you know if any more…

Here is Paul Clement’s painting of Tooting library on display in St Georges Hospital.

Em Oliver is a very creative local artist who loves Tooting!  Look out for the exciting events she has planned over the summer.

And you can buy these South London inspired prints from Paul McBride…

And this one from Lucy Loves This…

Common Knowledge

 

Jacques Nimki – Common Knowledge

14 March 2012 – 2 September 2013

Common Knowledge is based on Tooting Common, a 221 acre site within Wandsworth. It will use as its foundation the ecological significance of the site, both in terms of wildlife habitats and plant species, together with the cultural history to tell its story to the local community and visitors alike. The project seeks to unlock the heritage secrets of the site and draw on a heritage that stretches back before the 1870s when it was changed from primarily agricultural use to that of recreation.

Common Knowledge seeks to restore the hidden heritage of this unique public space in London, and give it a voice in the community.  A team of volunteers drawn from local residents will become  “Guardians of the Common Knowledge”  (GOCKs) who will work with artist Jacques Nimki  to create a programme of workshops, events, tours, alternative signage, maps and apps that will unfold across the Common during the next 18 months.

“When we look at place in relation to people, we can see clearly that a place should not be seen as independent as bounded and as separate from other places.  A plot of land may indeed be a line drawn on a map, separated by roads and defined by colour, a place is defined by the people who use it and how they use it and why Places should be seen as open; that is, as receptive to ideas, people and power relations, extending way beyond them.” (D Massey, ‘Spatial Divisions of Labour’ 1995)

“In all parks or common areas, such as Tooting common, returning users form habitual behavior, arrive at a particular time, park in the same place and walk in a certain direction, usually accessing what is officially made available – the café, the duck-pond, the path, the pool, the play area etc. Others, more casual users tend to interact with the common in a different way, To escape, walk and think, to make love and drink, to celebrate cultural or family events, and to play games and roam, the choices numerous, arbitrary and in many cases one off.  In addition, the common is also more than the people who use it or how it is thought of as a place situated in time. It is also home to thousands of species of flora and fauna that exist in a hidden history of their own making, living and growing in spaces that are usually unexplored and in most cases generally ignored. “(Jacques Nimki)

Jacques Nimki works from and within the urban landscape, using mainly weeds and flowers as a way of exploring how we preceive others and ourselves within particular environments. He works in a variety of media including painting, drawing, installation and education and research projects.

Exhibitions and commissions include ‘Charter of the Forest: the Collection’, Lincoln 2011, Tatton Park Biennial 2009, ‘Offsite’, Ikon Gallery 2007, Camden Arts Centre 2004 and a recent project at Compton Verney ‘s ‘Summer Space’.

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and developed in partnership with London Borough of Wandsworth.

Andi Bunbury – Original Watercolours for Children – Tooting Trail 62

During the open house weekend, Andi Bunbury will be opening her doors to show her range of original watercolours for children and her line of quirky quotes prints. She has always loved painting and drawing and although she didn’t have any formal training, was taught art at school by a well known West Country artist.

Andi painted as a hobby and on commission for a time several years ago, but didn’t pick up a paintbrush for many years whilst she pursued her career in the city as a lawyer. However, she decided to return to her passion of painting watercolours a couple of years ago after having her third child. Her motivation was the lack of original artwork for children’s rooms that was bright, cheerful and most of all fun. Since that time, Andi has expanded into designing greetings cards and notelets, some of which are stocked in local shops, along with some fine art prints and her range of word art “Quirky Quotes”. You can see all of this on display at her house over both weekends of the Artists’ Open House so please feel free to come and have a look!

Emily Oliver and Chrissy Silver – Sprout Gallery

The art of plants from Tooting and Streatham 

(exhibition, opportunity to create a picture of Tooting Common (all welcome) & work from just £25)

Bring the outdoors inside with an exhibition by local artists Chrissy Silver and Emily Oliver, presenting  exquisite ceramics and pictures made with plants from Tooting and Streatham.

Alongside the exhibition adults and kids alike are invited to help create a huge picture of Tooting Common throughout the weekend of 6-7 October. You can even bring your favourite cut plants and flowers to include.

Come along to enjoy Tooting’s very own community art gallery: the Sprout Gallery. With postcards and pieces starting from just £25 there’s something for everyone’s pocket.

Julie Higgins – Enamel Work and Painting – Tooting Trail Venue 75

Julie Higgins has been enamelling for more years than she likes to admit she has been alive.  For the past 10 years she has been painting – mostly in acrylic, sometimes in oil – and for the past 4 years etching and printing has become a passion.  Not particularly interested in replicating nature or people exactly (a camera can do it so much better!), she enjoys finding out how to use materials to create new and exciting images.  She is a member of Wandsworth Art Cooperative and has been showing her work (all the above, plus enamel jewellery, pictures and dishes, and jewellery in bright and glowing plastic) in various venues for more over twenty years.

Website address:  www.jharts.talktalk.net

Julie is showing her work alongside Liz Spiro

Tooting,Furzedown and Balham Art Trail

2012 Wandsworth Artists Open House

Wandsworth Artists Open House takes place this year on the 6th and 7th October and 13th and 14th October.

Visit the Wandsworth Arts website for details of events all over the borough and look out for the Tooting Art Trail, arriving through your letter box very soon!

Image source: Wandsworth Arts

 

Crafty Pint autumn workshops