secondnature

Revolution preview night at the Electric Picture House

2011-12-14T19:18:00.000Z

This Friday night, 16th December, is the first chance for people to see work in progress at the Electric Picture House Artists Co-operative in Congleton. The woodburning stove is being installed today (care of our sponsors Shuff & Co) and we will be hanging the work for the Revolution exhibition tomorrow including these pieces. I will be showing a series of new figurative monoprints, entitled 'who are you?' and we will have two or three sculptures on show too. The exhibition continues until 23rd December, please call in and take a look.

Electric Picture House Artists Co-operative

2011-11-25T13:11:00.000Z

The Electric Picture House is a new Artists' Cooperative based in Congleton, Cheshire.

We have ten members who have been working hard over the last few months to create studios/workshop and exhibition/gallery spaces, which will also be used for community projects.

As its opening event the Electric Picture House Artists’ Cooperative is presenting 'Revolution' an exhibition exploring the theme both literally and metaphorically.

Preview Night and opportunity to see development work in progress:
Friday 16th December, 7pm - 9pm.

Exhibition continues 17th December to 23rd December 2011. 10 - 5pm.

When is Revolution is justified, what means should be used and at what point do revolutionaries become terrorists, a convenient term used by government to denigrate political struggle. Is it justified to kill civilians in order to eventually save lives and improve humanity’s situation? Can there ever be a peaceful revolution? Does change always work? How much oppression must a society suffer before it will endure no more?

During the exhibition there will be old films on show to celebrate 100 years since the Electric Picture House opened as a cinema and new media to show how we have a reached our goals. This will include a documentary by Sam Astbury and Tom Singleton, and videos by Chris Godber.

We are also very proud to announce that Michael Davis the bassist from the American proto-punk band MC5 will be taking part in the exhibition. As a member of the White Panthers, the far left anti-racist White American political collective, Michael has been supporting a cultural revolution for many years and his input is very much appreciated.

www.electricpicturehouse.com
Cross Street, Congleton CW12 4HS
01260 270908

Cupola Gallery: Artificial Light exhibition

2011-10-10T11:02:00.000+01:00

Light is the inspiration or feature of the work in Cupola Gallery's current exhibition ‘Artificial Light’ which encourages artists to respond to the theme in any way; literally, figuratively or conceptually. Several of our pieces have been selected by owner Karen Sherwood who is this year celebrating Cupola's 20th Anniversary. The exhibition runs from Friday 7th October until Sunday 13th November.

solaris (top left) and three from still here series (above centre)

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens: Art in the Garden

2011-10-02T20:46:00.000+01:00

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens is the stunning setting for 100 sculptures as part of the exhibition of Art in the Garden 2011. The beautiful backdrop of the 180 acre garden provides an inspiring outdoor art gallery. On what seemed like the hottest day of the year we travelled down to Romsey in Hampshire to install 'Above us the Trees' and 'Sprite' for the last month of this exhibition. They will then be transferred to The Hawk Conservancy near Andover for the Flights of Fantasy exhibition for the rest of the year. Both exhibitions are curated by Elizabeth Hodgson of Underground Art & Design.

Cheshire Open Studios

2011-09-19T14:31:00.000+01:00

This weekend (24 & 25th September) Victoria Mill Arts Centre, Congleton will be open from 10 - 5pm as part of Cheshire Artists Network Open Studios. We will have work on display in the exhibition space at the Mill.
For more details about all of the Chesire Open Studios see www.artistsatwork.org.uk.
However we have moved studio space to the new Electric Picture House artists co-operative on Cross Street, Congleton. This is very much work in progress at the moment! It is an interesting old building that was originally a Cinema, known at the time as an Electric Picture Theatre, although none of the interior remains. We are aiming for an official launch in December but visitors can see what we are upto on the 24 & 25th.

we have moved into one of the first floor spaces, a new staircase and the rest of the first floor to be completed soon!

Wirksworth Festival 2011

2011-09-06T12:07:00.001+01:00

Wirksworth Festival is leading rural arts festival where everyone can enjoy great art in a unique and inspiring setting.

For three weeks in September the historic Derbyshire market town of Wirksworth throws open its doors and invites you in to see some great art in some fascinating places. Inspirational work from international and national artists is shown alongside the very best local and regional artists. This year your'll be able to explore even more of the town with work planned in churches, woodland, pubs, quarries and amazing houses. Highlights include:

Trails Weekend: 10th - 11th September

Contemporary Visual Art : 10th - 25th September

Community Celebration: 25th September

Performance Programme: 9th - 25th September

Festival Fringe: 9th-25th September

We are pleased to have had both paintings and sculpture selected for the Trails Weekend that runs on 10th & 11th September. Details of all the artists can be found on the festival website www.wirksworthfestival.co.uk

A Different View

2011-08-30T19:31:00.000+01:00

I was pleased to be invited to take part in this exhibition at the Barefoot Gallery in Boston Spa, near Leeds. It features seven landscape artists curated by artist Paul Stone and is the first in a series of exhibitions launching the galleries new approach.
A Different View runs from 1st to 24th September and also shows the work of Paul Denham, Matt Forster, Emerson Mayes, Rob Miller, James Naughton and Mark Thompson.

No.1 Paint at BLANKSPACE

2011-08-27T17:46:00.000+01:00

"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
Edward Hopper

No.1: Paint is the first in an exciting series of medium-specific exhibitions to be held at BLANKSPACE. Celebrating the unique nature of paint, this exhibition will showcase work from 24 varied and distinctive emerging artists from throughout the UK.
Encompassing a wide variety of styles and forms, from impressionistic to abstract, sculpture to installation, the core subject of this diverse collection is: paint.
The selected artists individually push the fundamental boundaries of paint, investigating the numerous angles available within the selected art form.

No.1: Paint is about artists exploring the medium of paint in different and innovative ways, with their ideas and concepts being communicated through purely visual means. The work we have selected encompasses everything from more traditional painting to sculptural pieces and installation work - all coming together to create a unique and exciting show.
Jamie Hyde, Curator.

I'm pleased to have five of my plywood paintings selected for this group show curated by the Blank Media Collective.

8 - 25 September 2011, BLANKSPACE, Hulme St, Manchester.

NO.1: PAINT PUBLIC PREVIEW & LIVE MURAL PAINTING: Thursday 8 September, 6-9pm

EXHIBITION CONTINUES: Friday 9 - Sunday 25 September 2011

OPEN DAY & BBQ: Sunday 18 September (1- 4pm)
Free Entry to all Events

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Bartosz Beda | Dominic Bradnum | Jack Brindley | Cara Campbell | Neill Clements | Lisa Denyer | Jane Evans | Liz Gaunt | Alastair Gordon | Lesley Guy | Caroline Hall | Andrew Hardy | Melissa Henderson | Katarzyna Jablonska | Catherine Knight | Ladoza | Susan Laughton | Scott McCracken | Luci Metcalfe | Emily Musgrave | Georgina Parkins | Maggie Royle | Georgina Vinsun | Rebecca Wild

ASSOCIATED EVENTS:
NO.1: PAINT PUBLIC PREVIEW & LIVE MURAL PAINTING:
Thursday 8 September 2011, 6-9pm

No.1: Paint launches with a public preview to celebrate the works of these 24 talented artists. Sheffield-based artist Ladoza will be creating a site-specific mural on the side of the BLANKSPACE building on the launch and following days.
www.blankmediacollective.org

windows III: susan laughton

Sprite and Sundance at Savill Gardens

2011-08-01T15:23:00.000+01:00

The sculptures are now on display until the end of August on the large brick wall that runs along the new Rose Garden.

The gardens have a contemporary visitors centre that has won several RIBA Awards and was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize in 2007, as well as lots of fantastic plant forms to study, such as sempervivum, tree ferns and echinops.

The Savill Garden Sculpture Exhibition

2011-06-28T15:10:00.000+01:00

We are delighted that two of our sculptures, Sprite and Sundance, have been selected for a new sculpture exhibition in the Savill Gardens. The gardens are part of The Royal Landscape in Windsor Great Park. May be we can now say we are by 'Royal Appointment' !?

Savill Gardens is a contemporary and classically designed garden and the exhibition will feature sculptures inspired by natural forms on show from 1st to 31st August.

Stockport Contemporary Open Art Exhibition

2011-06-20T15:05:00.000+01:00

One of my series of paintings 'Still Here' has been selected for the new Stockport Contemporary. The exhibition runs from 25th June to 14th August at Stockport Art Gallery.

Barnaby Festival Macclesfield

2011-06-14T12:29:00.001+01:00

We've been away in Brittany for a couple of weeks which we really enjoyed. Really sunny most of the time, fabulous coastline and lovely old towns and villages.
Back at home it's the Barnaby Festival this weekend and Susan has work in the Amuse Cafe on Chestergate selected by Fiona Bailey of the white gallery in Bollington. The exhibition will continue after the Festival until 17th July. Also over the Barnaby weekend we will have a piece of sculpture in the Lost & Found exhibition staged by Victoria Mill Artists at the Resources for Business Centre on South Park Road.
This is only the second year of the new Festival but it looks set to be a growing and well supported event.

One House Garden Sculpture Trail 2011

2011-05-03T14:10:00.000+01:00

We are exhibiting in the One House Garden Sculpture Trail near Macclesfield again and hoping this glorious weather will continue (well, with perhaps rain at night to help the plants!) The trail is open daily 10 - 5pm from Saturday 7 May to Saturday 22 May (£3 entry, children free) with tea and homemade cakes available. The trail covers 7 acres of garden, meadow and woodland with a walled Victorian vegetable garden and restored greenhouse. There will be felt making demonstrations on Sunday afternoons. For more information see the trail website.

Northern Lines exhibition

2011-03-29T14:49:00.000+01:00

The Artisan Art Gallery in Bolton, run by painter Rob Miller, has a new exhibition showing nine Northern artists on until the end of June with work by Pete Marsh, Ruth Moilliet, Paula Velarde, Norman Long, Janet Samson, Michael Ashcroft, Rob Miller, Joan Bradley and myself.

Metal Sky I : Susan Laughton
Gallery photos : Rob Miller (see more photos here)

Desktop

2011-03-23T20:12:00.000Z

People keep admiring the well used surface of my studio desk so here is a little bits of it - about six years of built up paint here! I suppose it also gives away the limited colour palette I work with too.

Printmaking Workshop

2011-03-23T10:33:00.001Z

Went to an alternative printing making workshop at the weekend where artist Kate Lynch showed interesting ways of using a home inkjet printer to print onto fabric and different papers. They have to be taped to a standard sheet of paper and it does have the potential jam the printer...but interesting results if brave enough! This was a little postcard painting I did last year scanned in and printed onto cotton with some text added from an old-school style text stamp.

gold and silver

2011-03-04T13:37:00.000Z

These grasses in the garden look quite drab in the winter but shimmer gold and silver as soon as they dry out with a bit of early spring sunshine...

greenroom exhibition: still here

2011-02-07T17:07:00.000Z

The Blank Media Collective is curating an exhibition of Susan's work at the greenroom in Manchester. The greenroom is an alternative performance theatre and bar near the Cornerhouse in the city centre. The exhibition will feature the still here series made last year plus a few other, yet to be decided, pieces.
There will be a public preview on Wednesday 16th February, 6 - 9pm and then the exhibition continues until 16th April.

Celebrating Imbolc

2011-02-04T11:33:00.000Z

On 2nd of February the gallery at Duckett & Jeffreys was illuminated by colour from Maria Silmon's VJ set celebrating the solar festival of Imbolc.

Imbolc is one of the ancient solar festivals and heralds the return of the light. The growing power of the sun brings a 'quickening' of life force in seeds beneath the frozen earth and the sap rising in the trees after their winter dormancy heralds the return of Spring. The images were projected on to our sculptures, shown here: sundance, as part of the Quickening exhibition.
photos: maria silmon and stef mitchell

Landmarks...or maybe not?

2011-02-02T17:00:00.000Z

Walking round one of the sand quarries near here we were struck by the brightness this orange bag brought to a very wet and gloomy January day. Waste plastic a strange choice for enhancing the landscape I know! This led to a few more photos of less obvious 'landmarks'...

Sculptures in residence at The Midland Hotel

2011-01-21T20:02:00.000Z

We went to Manchester yesterday to see how our sculptures look displayed in the grand lobby of the Midland Hotel. The four pieces: Spindrift, Sprite, Solaris and Flight are on loan through Visual run by Arts & Business, who aim to create partnerships between commerce and culture. The work will be on show until 14th April.

Quickening: now on at Duckett & Jeffreys

2011-01-14T11:17:00.000Z

Thank you to every body who came to the Private View for Quickening on Wednesday night. It was great to feel the buzz of conversation in the gallery after a busy couple of days setting up.

Quickening: a new exhibition for the New Year.

2011-01-05T17:39:00.000Z

Best wishes for 2011!
We have an exhibition in collaboration with digital artist and VJ Maria Silmon starting next week at Duckett & Jeffreys Gallery in Malton, North Yorkshire. Quickening is inspired by the time of Imbolc solar festival, the moment in the year when the sun, after the stillness and dormancy of winter, begins to noticeably rise higher on the horizon towards it’s zenith at mid-summer. It’s rays stimulate the earth into the new energy of spring, quickening it’s life-force and bringing the first stirrings of action to the seeds beneath the earth. We will be showing sculptures along side Maria's sound and video work and are really excited to be collaborating in this way. The exhibition is on until the 19th February.

Seasons' Greetings everyone

2010-12-24T17:44:00.000Z

An impromptu mini- Goldsworthy in the back garden.

A Christmas Eve walk by the frozen Macclesfield Canal.

Very apt!

Studio Eleven, Hull

2010-11-28T16:51:00.000Z

Studio Eleven is a new gallery and studio space in Kingston upon Hull's refurbished Fruit Market. It was set up in September by artists Rob Moore (also Dean of Hull School of Art) and Adele Howitt to show work by local, national and international artists and to provide affordable work space for printmakers and ceramicists. Susan has two suitably wintery landscapes in the current exhibition which runs until Christmas (open Thursday evenings and weekends 11 - 5pm)
traces of winter I & II

Artisan Art Gallery, Bolton

2010-11-19T12:56:00.000Z

Artisan is a new contemporary art gallery specialising in work by artists from the North West of England. Opened earlier this year by painter Rob Miller there are two floors of exhibition space and Rob's large studio at 330 Chorley Old Road in Bolton. The current exhibition internationalARTscience includes conceptual, contemporary and modern works by Ted Hamlyn, Ruth Moilliet, Norman Long, Roberto Eckhart and more.
Susan will be exhibiting in Pennine: Town & Country next February.

Blank Media Collective: Blank Weekend

2010-11-10T13:04:00.000Z

Blank Media Collective is an artist-led, not-for-profit organisation based in Manchester. From Friday 12th to Thursday 18th November they are staging Blank Market: Open All Hours, an Art Trail displaying works by fifty artists around city centre Manchester. We will have sculptures on display at The Hive on Lever Street and at 1 Piccadilly Place. More information about this and other events can be found at www.blankmediacollective.org.

Itch Gallery, Oakham.

2010-11-04T16:11:00.000Z

Itch Gallery is a great new contemporary art, craft and design gallery in Rutland which opened at the beginning of October. We have been today to deliver "Sprite II', a large patinated copper wall sculpture, some smaller pieces and a selection of Susan's paintings. The gallery also stocks ceramics, print, jewellery and textiles, all selected and beautifully displayed by owner Catherine Walls.

Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair

2010-10-24T16:41:00.000+01:00

We really enjoyed our visit to the GNCCF on Friday - lots of lovely things to admire! Particularly liked Sarah Morpeth's cut paper books, Moira Walton's 'Artefacts', Michelle Keeling's glass and were intrigued by Judith Davies and Elspeth Edmonson joint display of porcelain ceramics and typography/print which had more of the feel of an art exhibition.

Tate Modern: Ai WeiWei

2010-10-18T19:29:00.000+01:00

Over a billion hand made and painted porcelain sunflower seeds fill the Tate Modern Turbine Hall. This stunning installation by Chinese artist Ai WeiWei is surely one of the best there has been at Tate Modern?

Urban Upholstery Collective

2010-10-03T10:28:00.001+01:00

Andrea and Patrizia at Urban Upholstery in Hackney have put together a group show to celebrate two years of collaborations with other designers and artists. Alongside their bespoke upcycled furniture they will have rugs from Woosa Woosa, wallpaper from Elli Popp and ATA Designs, textiles from Bird in the Hand, chandeliers from Madeleine Boulesteix and our wall sculptures too!
The show runs from 10th October to 31 January with a private view on 28 November at 2.30pm. They will also be taking part in the Hidden Art Open Studio weekends: 27/28 November and 4/5 December.

It's Palace Art Fair next week...

2010-09-29T20:51:00.000+01:00

This time next week we should be all packed up and ready to go to Fulham Palace Art Fair. Here's a mysterious close up of a new piece of sculpture at an early stage of rusting and also part of a recently completed painting. The Fair is on from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th October with a Private View on the Thursday evening.

Cheshire Life feature

2010-09-24T19:40:00.000+01:00

This month's issue of Cheshire Life features the commission we did for the Azura cruise liner.

Andrew Holland: Views from my Window

2010-09-16T18:32:00.000+01:00

When I was at Valley Artists in Rossendale my studio was next to Andrew Holland's. He has a solo exhibition of his work at Whitaker Park Museum in Rawtenstall from 15 September to 17 October. There is a preview this Saturday 18 September 1 - 4.30pm where he tells Dandelion & Burdock will be served for visitors!

Stef Mitchell paintings at Sewerby Hall

2010-09-16T18:20:00.000+01:00

Whilst busy running Duckett & Jeffreys Gallery Stef Mitchell has been making her own work and now has a solo show in the West Wing of Sewerby Hall near Bridlington. Open daily throughout September (10 - 5pm) the show will remain hung until November for private viewings. Further information about Stef's work can be seen on her blog possessedbyprocess.

Measured Space now open...

2010-09-10T21:04:00.000+01:00

Susan's solo exhibition is now on at Duckett & Jeffreys Gallery. Wednesday was the big day for hanging - take a look at Duckett & Jeffreys blog for more images.

New work @ Cupola Gallery

2010-09-05T21:00:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday we made the scenic trip across the Peak District to Cupola Gallery in Sheffield. We had the sculpture on the roof rack so were pleased it was a rare sunny day!

Above us the Trees wall sculpture and
Still Here, one of a new series of paintings.

Measured Space @ Duckett & Jeffreys

2010-08-19T20:12:00.000+01:00

Well after a bit of a summer break from blogging it's now not long to my solo show "Measured Space' at Duckett and Jeffreys in North Yorkshire. There will be a preview evening on Thursday 9 September (7 - 9pm) so if you are in the area please call in.

Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden

2010-07-10T20:28:00.000+01:00

No artist can go to Cornwall without a visit to St.Ives and we headed for The Barbara Hepworth Museum. Her studios containing unfinished works and lots of tools and sketches have been preserved providing an insight into the artists creative processes. The garden is an incredible combination of sculpture and planting creating a space which feels far bigger than it is.

'Finding Trewyn Studio was a sort of magic', wrote Barbara Hepworth; 'here was a studio, a yard and garden where I could work in open air and space'.

The Eden Project

2010-07-10T20:07:00.000+01:00

The Eden Project is full of plants from around the world and offers plenty of inspiration from their forms and colours. The Rainforest Biome is particularly impressive, its sheer size and intense humidity transporting you to exotic countries - we thought a few parrots and monkeys in the trees would complete the experience! It's fascinating to see the plants that provide all the eastern spices we cook with a lot such as turmeric, ginger and cinnamon.

Perfect weather for camping in Cornwall

2010-07-08T21:49:00.000+01:00

We have been on holiday in Cornwall and were lucky to have hot, sunny weather to appreciate this beautiful part of England. We stayed at the friendly and rather eccentric Henry's campsite right down at the end of the Lizard Peninsula.

The site has a tropical feel with palms and Gunnera plants and chickens so free range they will move into your tent if you let them. From here we could walk along the coastal path to Kynance Cove, a spectacular setting of turquoise sea, pristine sand and towering granite cliffs.

In the evenings we walked to the most southerly point of England at Lizard Point lighthouse. Here the cliff path requires a good head for heights but its worth it for the sense of unspoilt wildness and unusual plants not seen elsewhere on this island.

Macclesfield Barnaby Festival

2010-06-18T20:21:00.001+01:00

This weekend sees the revival of Macclesfield's Barnaby Fair as a festival of arts, culture and entertainment, with visual arts, music, film, workshops and a parade on Saturday. We have paintings an sculpture on display at Ten Eight Photographic Studios and other Victoria Mill Artists, Di Harding and Bruce Lyons are also exhibiting with the Moving Clay group at Dukes Court Art Studios.

REVEAL: Rossendale Open Studios

2010-06-07T21:02:00.000+01:00

This weekend 12 & 13 June it's REVEAL Rossendale Open Studios. Local studios will be opening their doors including Valley Artists where I had my first space. Also open will be Prospect Studios, Globe Arts, Slipper Studios, Dave Pearson Studio, The Horse and Bamboo Theatre, The Whitaker Museum and the See Gallery. Its a great opportunity to see all the creativity in the Rossendale Valley.

Secondnature @ Urban Upholstery

2010-05-25T21:12:00.006+01:00

Urban Upholstery, run by upholsterer Andrea Simonutti and designer Patrizia Sotile, make beautiful bespoke furniture from found or existing frames and fabrics. In their Hackney shop they also show the work of artists and designers who use reclaimed and recycled materials. From May to 30th September we are delighted that they will be showcasing our reclaimed steel wall sculptures.
Urban Upholstery are at 21 De Beauvoir Road, Hackney, London. Open Monday - Friday 9 - 6pm, Saturday 10.30 - 2.30pm.

Spindrift sculpture catches the light

2010-05-18T22:06:00.000+01:00

Spindrift looks good reflecting light in contrast to the bothy wall at One House Gardens Sculpture Trail near Macclesfield. The trail is open until Sunday 23 May showing a variety of work by local and national artists.

We have been selected for...

2010-05-08T15:23:00.001+01:00

We are pleased to announce we have both been selected for the Palace Art Fair. This is a new event organised by the team who run Brighton Art Fair. It will take place from 7th to 10th October at Fulham Palace in London featuring around 100 contemporary artists. Better get some work done!

Visual @ Salford Business School

2010-05-05T19:14:00.002+01:00

Salford Business School has selected 50 artworks to show on campus from the Arts and Business Visual portfolio including our sculpture Sprite and two of Susan's Faded Glory series of paintings. The work will be on show until 4th June, although Sprite will be staying longer as it was the favourite piece of the selection panel.

The White Gallery

2010-04-28T20:16:00.000+01:00

We met Fiona Bailey owner of the lovely White Gallery in Bollington near Macclesfield today. She will be showing some of Susan's paintings and also secondnature sculptures in the gallery and outside in the amazing hidden courtyard garden. The gallery will also be exhibiting work by fellow North West based artists Christopher Rainham and Di Metcalfe starting this weekend including Bank Holiday Monday.

Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park

2010-04-18T21:24:00.001+01:00

After our trip down south last Sunday on Wednesday we travelled north to deliver four sculptures, including 'Above us the Trees', to the Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park near Ripon, Yorkshire. It is set in an atmospheric valley leading down to a lake with a sheltered secret garden feel. The gardens and sculpture show will be open to the public from 24th April to 13th June, 10 - 4pm, with around 150 pieces of work set in 20 acres.

Azura sculpture sets sail

2010-04-18T20:52:00.004+01:00

On Sunday we travelled to the Port of Southampton to see our sculpture 'Momentum' on board the P&O Azura before it set sail on its inaugural voyage the next day. It is situated by Reception in the glitzy atrium area...

Open Studios@Victoria Mill

2010-04-15T20:24:00.000+01:00

This Sunday 18th April will be our first open studios at Victoria Mill. Its on from 11 - 4pm so please pop in and see us. We'll be showing recent and just completed paintings and sculptures. There will also be an exhibition and craft fair on the floor above with jewellery, ceramics and textiles.

Victoria Mill
Foundry Bank
Congleton

Work in progress at last

2010-04-01T20:40:00.000+01:00

I have been really busy stretching canvas, priming and sanding, refurbishing some frames, oh and also painting!

One House Garden Sculpture Trail 2010

2010-03-20T18:13:00.001Z

Today we went to meet Louise Baylis at the One House Gardens in Rainow near Macclesfield. We have been invited to exhibit in this years Sculpture Trail so we met Louise to choose a location for one of our wall sculptures. Its a fascinating place with a 'secret garden' feel. The trail will cover 7 acres including woodland, meadows and orchards with rare breed Kune Kune pigs. After a guided tour we chose a great spot in the Walled Garden. The gardens will be open from Saturday 8th to Sunday 23rd May including the National Gardens Scheme open day on Sunday 9th.

Urban Roof Gardens visit

2010-03-20T17:49:00.001Z

We had a great trip to London this week to meet the team at Urban Roof Gardens in Ealing, led by Pierre Wilter. They are a multi disciplinary practice of architects, designers, engineers and horticulturalists who have worked worldwide. They invited us down to present our work, which they loved and we are looking forward to collaborating with them in the future, watch this space...
photo: urban roof gardens

Copper Mine Lane

2010-03-09T20:37:00.002Z

Along the Sandstone Trail on Sunday; cold and bright. Starting on Copper Mine Lane, where they did indeed once mine copper, then north towards the Peckforton Hills, and we suddenly seem high above the Cheshire Plain. Cut west from the Trail at the lodge house. Further on views of snow on the mountains of Wales in the far distance and Beeston Castle glimpsed over the next hill. Inspiring horizons and little details: lichen and moss, the sky so blue I took a photograph of it...!

Down this steep lane with remains of old mine rail tracks and then through Bulkeley Hill woods below rocky outcrops we had earlier looked out from.

photos: susan laughton 2010

De Young Museum

2010-02-27T20:09:00.001Z

We were watching Artland the other night and they visited this amazing museum and gallery in San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge Park. It is clad in perforated copper sheets that the architects Herzog de Meuron based on digital photographs of light through tree branches. The copper is untreated so its surface patination will change over time eventually turning green.
Herzog de Meuron also designed the Birds Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing which we also love.
photo: thomas mayer

The Butterfly Effect

2010-02-24T21:36:00.001Z

Thought this was a leaf but on closer inspection it was a strange leaf impersonating butterfly...
photo: susan laughton 2009

Featured Artist: Suzanne Worrall

2010-02-22T18:04:00.008Z

We did an 'artists swap' of work when I left Valley Artists and so I'm pleased to have two of Suzanne's dry point etchings of found and constructed bundles of grass and straw exploring structure and space. They are not representative of her main body of work but have strong visual connections to our sculptural explorations. More of her work can be seen at Valley Artists.

Duckett and Jeffreys Gallery

2010-02-18T11:08:00.000Z

The main reason I need to get painting again is that I have a solo exhibition coming up at the exciting new Duckett and Jeffreys Gallery in Malton, North Yorkshire. The exhibition will run from 7th September to 17th October 2010. The show is untitled as yet, I need to have a few more paintings completed first as they will help me find the title...
As Secondnature we will also be having an exhibition there in 2011 (11th January to 20th February) with video artist Maria Silmon, inspired by the tree in the land and skyscape.

Duckett and Jeffreys open on 11th March with the exhibition 'Mouths with Triangles' by Jerwood Drawing Prize shortlisted artist Sally Taylor.

aaa drawing sally taylor 2008

Starting painting

2010-02-18T10:10:00.003Z

winter journey III susan laughton 2009
After quite a break whilst moving studios I really need to get painting again! An exciting but also scary prospect...This is a detail from one of the last series of little paintings I made with gesso and pencil, which are currently on display at the lovely Cupola Gallery in Sheffield and on my website. I need to get back to my sketchbooks first to pick up my train of thought(s) and will probably start with some small works on paper - a less daunting prospect than stretching canvases. Cupola have several of my paintings on show as well as Secondnature work. They currently have a solo show 'Like a Fool' by John Brokenshire.

News: A new studio space for 2010

2010-02-14T19:16:00.002Z

After six very happy years at Valley Artists in Waterfoot, Rossendale we have moved to a new studio at Victoria Mill in Congleton, Cheshire. This will be a working space for painting and sculpture but also give us somewhere, by appointment, to exhibit our work.

Layers: time, memory and change.

2010-02-07T09:52:00.001Z

Old warehouse doors, Honfleur, northen France.
Pam's work has introduced thoughts about layers: of time, memory and change. History held and expressed by objects.
photos: ian turnock/susan laughton 2009

Featured Artist: Pam Hunter

2010-02-01T13:40:00.001Z

Forget me Not
gelatine monoprint pam hunter 2009

Pam is an artist and writer based at Valley Artists in Rossendale who has been working with gelatine as a medium for monoprint, she says:
The work explores the process using everyday objects from the home and garden and show traces of my preoccupation with time and memory.
These prints were created for the exhibition 'A Postcard from Home' held as part of Reveal:Rossendale Open Studios in 2009.
More of Pam's work can be seen on Valley Artists website.

Onions
gelatine monoprint with collage pam hunter 2009

Discovering Patterns II

2010-02-01T12:35:00.001Z

This beautiful shadow is actually of something quite mundane (a raffia basket) but it expresses well our interest in how light, focus and an abstract viewpoint can be transformative.

photo: ian turnock 2010

Discovering Patterns I

2010-01-31T21:24:00.004Z

After days of bitter cold and heavy grey cloud, Saturday was bright and sunny, blue sky again at last. Out for a walk: the sun was catching the top of the silver birch trees. In the stream below we found shards of old pottery washed up amongst the pebbles. The crazed surface of the glaze mirrors the branches against the sky.

photos: susan laughton/ian turnock 2010

Vancouver: Creating a Sense of Place

2010-01-27T20:19:00.001Z

We love the graphic identity for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. It creates a really strong sense of place layering dynamic landscape forms, urban structures and quirky details. This approach to creating an identity rather than a just a logo was one that Ian had taken when designing the new look for Congleton last year. The digital composition for Vancouver was based on hand painted artwork by designer Ben Hulse. With the resurgence of decorative hand drawn fonts, this also got us thinking about the whole traditional/digital drawing thing that is part of the way we work on secondnature and is a more artistic approach we'd like to experiment with on graphics projects as well.

Structure and Shadow

2010-01-21T11:35:00.003Z

A dried Holly leaf we found in the garden. Only the basic structure remains: strong yet delicate. A strange spiky shadow emerges...
photo: ian turnock 2009

Organic Architecture

2010-01-20T21:08:00.001Z

The Tote Building, Mumbai.
We love this new building by Serie Architects for its amazing organic use of steelwork. The roof design is based on the branch structure of surrounding Rain Trees. It is an elegant, contemporary take on Victorian cast iron structures.

Winter Wonderland

2010-01-18T20:44:00.013Z

I know that a lot of people are glad the snow has gone, but I'm missing how beautiful it was! This panorama we took from the top of The Cloud (the hill that overlooks Congleton) shows a frozen landscape below an intense blue sky, the snow brings drama and simplicity. When out walking we are always looking for inspiration for paintings and sculpture, from distant horizons to the smallest detail.

Ice crystals blown by the wind cling to dried reeds creating delicate ice flowers.

Low winter sunlight backlights frosted tree branches.

Welcome to our new art and design blog! Our online sketchbook where we can share things that catch our eye or influence our work - a tiny shard of pottery discovered in a freshly ploughed field, the silhouette of branches against the sky, favourite artists, makers and galleries, exciting new architecture and design...
photos: susan laughton 2010