World Illustration Awards 2016 at Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk

Kate Jenkins - Kate's Plaice The Stitchmongers - Self Initiated (Professional)

On a trip to Ormskirk recently I called in at Chapel Gallery (a favourite haunt) and took a tour round their current exhibition - The Association of Illustrators - World Illustration Awards 2016.

Nicholas Stevenson - Diary of a Time Traveller - Children's Books (Professional)

The awards, which cover 8 categories, brought in over 2300 entries from 64 countries.  This exhibiton includes the winners and a selection of shortlisted work.  The categories cover Advertising, Books, Children's Books, Design, Editorial, Public Realm, Self Initiated and Research & Knowledge Communication.

Josh Patterson - Bramwell Brown Weather Clock - Design (New Talent)

Whether serious or light hearted the work showcases the best illustration work out there.  I've just selected a few of my favourites.  And of course my very favourite was Kate Jenkins' work - but that's not surprising really.  Kate's textile art is witty and wonderful!
 

Andy Tuohy - Great Modern Artists A To Z - Books (Professional)

Levente Szabo - BAFTA Film Awards Brochures 2016 - Design (Professional)

Better hurry if you want to catch this exhibition - it closes on 6 May 2017.

Get Creative at Olive's Nest with Brilliant Birds

Making Brilliant Birds at Olive's Nest

Friday was the start of the Get Creative Weekend. So Deborah New & I got creative at Olive's Nest, a super gift shop on Scarcroft Road, York. 

Olive's Nest, Scarcroft Road, York

We held our preview Brilliant Bird workshops in preparation for the Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park later this year. It was lovely to meet everyone who came along. Here are some of the makes...

#BrilliantBirds & Giant Leaves

...and quite a number went home to be finished off so we're looking forward to those birds flying in too!  We met up with some old friends but also had new people come and join us which was just perfect!  In fact we were chatting so much in the afternoon I forgot to take any photos.  I'll try not to let that happen again!

The Get Creative campaign is run by a group of cultural organisations to celebrate and support creativity. We certainly enjoyed getting creative!

#BrilliantBirds take to the bushes

Thanks so much to Gaynor at Olive's Nest for letting us roost there for our #BrilliantBirds Workshops and for keeping us fuelled with tea, coffee and biscuits!  We had a lovely day.

Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm - The Details

What are we doing?
In May it's Craft & Design Month which celebrates crafts across the UK, and with your help, Deborah New & I plan to make a giant Brilliant Birds installation for Rowntree Park, York in time for the Rowntree Park Birthday Party on Sunday 16 July 2017.

 

Workshops

Two of our workshops are during the Voluntary Arts Festival 2017 (5-14 May).  This is an annual celebration of cultural creativity across the UK & Republic of Ireland. 

We are also embracing

The Get Creative campaign is run by a group of cultural organisations to celebrate and support creativity.  So at our Brilliant Bird workshops, you can unleash your creativity with knitting, stitching, pompom making, finger knitting, knitting with very large needles and hopefully even some hula hoop weaving. 
 

Workshop Dates

Friday 5 May 2017 – Rowntree Park Café 

Rowntree Park, Richardson Street, York, YO23 1JU 
10:00 – 12:00

Saturday 13 May 2017 – The Golden Ball Pub 
2 Cromwell Road, York, YO1 6DU

12:00 – 14:00

Monday 15 May 2017 – The Winning Post Pub 
127-129 Bishopthorpe Road, York, YO23 1NZ 
19:00 – 21:00 

Drop in – all materials provided and leave your makes behind for display in the park.

Want to join in but can't make a workshop?
If you can't get to any of the workshops but still want to be involved you'll find some Brilliant Bird Patterns here.  In all there are five different knitting and stitching patterns, including a cheeky knittted blackbird and a colourful knitted hummingbird by Sue Stratford.  Why not give them all a try?  

Completed birds can be left at Rowntree Park Cafe, Rowntree Park, Richardson Street, York, YO23 1JU or dropped off at any of the workshops (see above).  If you use twitter or instagram why not post a picture and use #BrilliantBirds in your post. 

And you don't have to use these patterns - we'd be happy to have a knitted, stitched, felted or crocheted bird of your preferred design.

All birds to fly in by Saturday 10 June 2017 please.

When will the installation be up?
The Brilliant Birds installation goes up in Rowntree Park on Tuesday 27 June (by the tennis courts, near the café and beyond), weather permitting, and will be on display until after the Rowntree Park Birthday Party on Sunday 16 July 2017.

And afterwards? 

The charity we are pleased to be supporting this year is St Leonard's Hospice.  St Leonard’s Hospice is an independent charity, providing specialist palliative care and support for local people with life limiting illnesses. Whilst their care is free of charge to patients and their families it is not free to provide.  So, after the birds come down they will be sold in St Leonard's Hospice shops and at their events to raise funds for their services.

Want to see what we've done before?

Yarnstorming Event in Rowntree Park - 2013

  

Knit a Bike Yarnstormed Installation - 2014

Poppies in the Park - 2015

Fantasy Fish - 2016
  

The Brilliant Birds project is sponsored by the Friends of Rowntree Park & Boyes.