News

Studio 9 Textile Artist Alice Hume has been awarded a Developing your Creative Practice Grant from Arts Council England for her new project From Soil to Cloth, supported by John Hansard Gallery.

The textile industry is the second largest polluter, and yet natural fibres can be grown and are biodegradable. Alice’s new project will develop urban textile gardens in the city of Portsmouth, with a new collection of work and environmental research.

Be part of a new slow textiles movement, volunteer to grow linen and natural dyes or join a free monthly paper cordage workshop with discussions on textiles and environmental topics.

Sign up to Alice’s mailing list to book and to be involved @fromsoiltocloth

Alice is also running two free paper cordage workshops every Open Studios until July. Open Studios runs on the 3rd sunday of each month and sees all 13 studios open their doors, two free activities and a monthly guest artist in the Round Tower from 11am-4pm.

To find out more and to sign up, use the link – www.vanderhume.co.uk/fromsoiltocloth

“The paper cordage workshop in particular was lovely, as much of the time was spent getting to know the other participants while we were quietly creating. The sense of connection that creating something together can allow is so important, and is something that has been largely lost from how we currently live our lives”

– Paper Cordage Workshop Attendee

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Hollie Thornley from Studio 3 will collaborate on an exciting new project with Grace Nicole from wellness hub Livewell Southsea.

The two are collaborating to host a special one-day experience in the historic Round Tower, guiding you to connect with your inner child and to explore ceramics through the lens of curiosity and play.

Grace explains – ‘It’s easy to get pulled into the busyness and stressors of our modern world, so our intention is to create a space for you to slow down and ground back into the things that inspire joy and creativity. By connecting with your inner child you rekindle your natural sense of curiosity and presence, we’re going to be looking beyond the inner critic and practising to see the world through the lens of possibility and play.’

In this one-day experience Hollie and Grace will guide their students through:

Exploring gentle movement and grounding practices, connecting with the inner child through guided meditation, reflecting on what inspires your unique sense of joyful creativity and creating handmade ceramics using mindful techniques.

Hotwalls Studios encourages its residents to take part in collaborations around the city and not just within the walls of Point Battery.

For more information on this beautiful workshop follow : Schedule Appointment with Live Well Southsea (as.me)

19.02.2023

For every Open Studios of 2023, we have invited a Guest Artist to use our Round Tower for the day, as their own studio.

This fantastic opportunity allows us to give upcoming or developed artists the chance to work in a grade 1 listed building, associate themselves with the excellent cultural sector of Portsmouth and surround themselves with Hotwalls Studios finest artists!

The second artist we have invited to the Guest Artist Programme is Frankie Brown.

Inspired by nostalgic storybooks, fairy tales and folklore; illustrator and printmaker Frankie Brown produces whimsical hand printed art and stationery.

Frankie has an Illustration BA (Hons) alumna from the University of Portsmouth and explains : ‘ideas stem from lesser known fairy tales and legends, delving into their origins. The earliest versions of these tales are often darker than we remember from our childhood, and it’s not always ‘Happily Ever After’. Over thousands of years, they have taught us valuable life lessons, the importance of morality, and how to survive during our darkest times. This sparks me to share my visual understanding of them, and continue to keep these stories present amongst us.’

She works mostly with a technique of relief printmaking method called linocut. It involves using sharp tools to cut an image into a piece of linoleum. The surface is then inked up, and the image is transferred onto paper by using a printing press. This is a very simple explanation for what can sometimes be a very long process – but one that Frankie says to find very therapeutic and almost meditative.

Frankie will be working in the Round Tower, exhibiting work and inviting the public to try printing and buy affordable artwork.

The guest artist programme runs alongside our monthly Open Studios, where you will find all of our studios and the Round Tower accessible from 11am – 4pm on the third Sunday of each month.

Find Frankie at : Frankie Brown – Illustrator & Printmaker