Creative Midlands East

Creative Midlands East

My creative space – Sue Bulmer

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:46 AM PDT

Yes, here's the next installment of our creative workspace features (or our having a nose round other people's stuff features, if you will). This week we enter the converted pig sty studio of illustrator Sue Bulmer.

(That sounds terribly rude, doesn't it? I mean, it's a studio that has been converted from a pig sty, I wasn't passing judgement on Sue's working environment…)

Talk us round your studio

When we first moved here we used it as our garden shed and I worked in the house, but I decided I needed more room so a friend converted it for me. It's nice and light and has underfloor heating so keeps warm in winter. There's no phone signal here and my husband got so sick of walking up and down the garden every time someone called me that we now have walkie talkies so he can summon me when he needs to. (Also I use them to ask him to put the kettle on!) I started off with just the desk and the sofa and revelled in the space but now I've got to the stage where I really need more storage. I've got my mood boards up on the wall – just things I find inspiring or use for ideas. I used to work at the other end, where the sofa is but I like to look down the garden so I switched. The map on the wall is from an exercise I did mapping my stockists.

Do you have a daily routine?

I'm here in the studio two days a week – I work part time as a pharmacist – and some evenings or weekends though I try and keep those free for family if I can. I'm up at 7, go for a run, take the dog for a walk and have breakfast before heading up here. I usually make a "to do" list the night before a studio day because otherwise I waste time procrastinating. When you only have two days you need to make the most of the time available. So I just work through the to do list – it's usually answering emails, delivering work to framers and galleries, marketing and so on. When you first start out you think it's going to be a lot of time doing new work but I don't often get much time for that. The days I like best are those when I manage to get some new work done and get my paints out.

How do you go about creating new work?

I have a good look through things I've collected – things I like or find inspiring from pictures or magazines. I have stacks of sketchbooks and I like to have a look through those and find ideas from the past that I haven't had time for yet. I tend to say my work is a bit sentimental – I'm just a big softie – and I find inspiration in home and garden, and in travel. At the moment I'm looking into adding colour into my work. The last series of designs were really intricate and I kept them in black and white to emphasise that but I've really enjoyed getting my paints out recently.

When did you start out?

I loved drawing at school but I had to give it up because I wanted to do pharmacy.  Then I took it up again in my mid-30s – I dabbled in a few short creative courses, mainly to fill a gap, and then I decided to do a foundation course. I finished that in 2007 and spent a few years dabbling and experimenting with different media before going on Nottinghamshire's Creative Business Scheme. This was the boost I needed to start up properly and turn my hobby into a business. I work three days a week as a pharmacist and two days a week here – it's really nice to be able to build up the business slowly. Some people suggest I just dive in and go full time but I like being out and work with some great people. It's still really rewarding to take baby steps in this business and it suits me at the moment.

I joined Design Factory in 2011 which I've found really helpful – I'm on their Creative Mentor scheme with Debbie Bryan as my mentor. It's let me examine the issues I'm facing at the moment and find ways to tackle them – Debbie's passed on a lot of knowledge from her experience and I always come away from a session with her full of ideas.

What are your plans for the future?

I want to concentrate on building up a larger range of stockists and so I want to find stockists in London and the South East. I did my first trade fair – the British Craft Trade Fair – in Harrogate this year, which I was nervous about, as a newcomer, but there were so many friendly small independent makers there that I really enjoyed it. Next year I'm planning on attending two trade fairs which should help to consolidate my position. I'm also doing my first fair direct to the public this year in the run up to Christmas. I'm currently looking into producing a range of whiteware – plates, jugs and so forth – as well as my usual prints, cards and tea towels. Ultimately it would good to shift my work priorities so I did less pharmacy and more of this business. I'm not sure I could do this all the time – I think I might find it a bit isolating.

In the immediate future, I'm doing some collaboration work for the Festival of Words next February, but also at the launch event on Wednesday 12 September at Antenna. I'll be drawing live on the night and the results will be on display in Antenna for a closed auction. Some of my work has been around words, often based on song lyrics, but this is a really different kind of collaboration so I'm looking forward to it.

Many thanks to Sue for her time, tea and biscuits! For more details of Sue's work please check her out at her website or on Twitter. If you would like to feature in our Creative Space series please contact editor@creativenottingham.com or leave us a message below.

 

Karl Toth - Master Copy (BBC Introducing in Lincolnshire Live Session)

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 12:31 PM PDT
Karl Toth records a live session for BBC Introducing in Lincolnshire - broadcast 09-09-12. He performed a song he'd only written the day before! Filmed and edited by Ed Neely. Sessions can be found in the weekly programme, 8pm on 94.9FM in Lincolnshire or online. They're available for download in the weekly podcast: www.bbc.co.uk Find us Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter: www.twitter.com
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Time: 07:31 More in Music

Are you joining NTU this month as an international student? If you'll be in the...

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 09:01 AM PDT

Are you joining NTU this month as an international student? If you'll be in the UK on Thursday 20 September, then make sure you check out this welcome event organised by the NTU International Student Network!

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-ash4/187845_194867733892664_355617815_q.jpg

NTU International Student Network
International Welcome Event for Early Arrivals - Thursday 20 September! This event will include an official welcome from NTU staff, useful information about starting at NTU and most importantly, the opportunity to meet and make friends with other international students. Student ambassadors and staff members will be here to answer any questions you have, and we'll finish the event with a traditional British afternoon tea! If you'd like to book a place on this event, please use the following link: http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/internationalforms/ui/pages/early_arrivals.aspx

Are you studying Art and Design at NTU? If so you can join our student portfolio...

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:57 AM PDT

Are you studying Art and Design at NTU? If so you can join our student portfolio blog site, just go to http://blogs.ntu.ac.uk/workinprogress/login/ and use your NTU email address to start posting your work!


Work in progress - Nottingham Trent University
blogs.ntu.ac.uk
If you're looking for inspiration, want so see how a student develops their idea from sketchbook to final piece or just want to see some great examples of creativity, Work in progress is the site to see it all.

Thinking about studying Art and Design at NTU? Have a look at some of the studen...

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:55 AM PDT

Thinking about studying Art and Design at NTU? Have a look at some of the student work from our undergraduate courses for a taste of what's possible!


Student work - Art & Design - Nottingham Trent University
ntu.ac.uk
Student work - Facilities and galleries - School of Art and Design - Nottingham Trent University

Vitrine brings art and design to the heart of Lincoln

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 07:27 AM PDT


An opportunity to have an exhibition of postgraduate work in the heart of the city of Lincoln was one not to be missed.  With the kind support of the Lincolnshire Co-operative, the proposed MA Degree Show exhibition moved from its usual home at Greestone, to two empty retail outlets in Sincil Street, Lincoln, which is in the very heart of Lincoln's downhill shopping area.

Dr Catherine Burge, Programme Leader for MA Fine Art, writes in the exhibition catalogue "It can be argued that for research and creative practice to be relevant it must be able to withstand the scrutiny of both the general public as well as that of peers, professional, researchers and academics".  This is what makes this year's exhibition more interesting; its interaction with the other street occupants, as well as the general public at large, even our canine friends!


Vitrine is part of a concerted move to bring the School's activities out of the School and into a much bigger public domain.  Works from students of MA Design and MA Conservation of Historic Objects can be seen at no 38 Sincil Street, whilst work from MA Fine Art is on show on both floors of no 47.


The shows open to the public on Tuesday 11 September until Saturday 15 September, and again from Tuesday 18 until Saturday 22 September, 10 am - 4 pm.  Entrance is free, and comments are most welcome in the guest book provided.


MA Fine Art graduate Becky Barmby, who has just secured a position working in the art sector as a PR consultant, was highly instrumental in coordinating this year's show.  "It's been a really sharp learning curve as we have had to create an exhibition from scratch.  It's been much more of a real life experience as this is what artists have to do in the outside world".


Steve Dutton, Professor in Contemporary Art Practice at the School commented that "Lincoln is currently buzzing with a rapidly growing number of artists and designers who are electing to stay in the city and the end of their studies.  These artists are proceeding to set up a huge range of projects, events, gallery spaces and studios and are making a real contribution to the cultural life of Lincoln and the region".





Emma Sneddon, spokesperson for Lincolnshire Co-Operative added: "We are delighted to be able to support the efforts of these postgraduate students. We've been involved with the University for a number of years and providing exhibition space is jut one of many ways we work together".
Posted by Creative Midlands at 9/11/2012 12:07:00 pm

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