This is the monument to Wales' first black head teacher, Betty Campbell. It is also the first named statue of a woman in Wales. On 29th September, in Cardiff's Central Square, a large crowd gathered to celebrate this momentous occasion, made possible by the dedicated women behind the organisation Monumental Welsh Women. Since 2016, they … Continue reading Monumental Woman: A Beacon of Hope
Sculpture
New Work: In the Studio
From a mixed media series, 'What Remains', incorporating found objects and organic materials into a concrete/sand/plaster base. This series of work emerged as a way to explore feelings about The Anthropocene -a geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on the Earth’s ecosystems and geology. Using found and organic materials that present … Continue reading New Work: In the Studio
Cynefin: In the Gallery
Work from the Cynefin project is being exhibited in Llandough hospital until the end of August. The gallery co-ordinator, Molly Lewis and I arranged the paintings and photographs onto four boards and hung them in the corridor of the hospital where they can be seen by staff, patients and visitors as they pass through. It's … Continue reading Cynefin: In the Gallery
Murals and Sculptures: Cynefin – Week Four
A lovely day for a walk to Penllwyn Manor in Blackwood accompanied by three of the children's fathers. Unfortunately, my attempts to gain access to the house proved unfruitful, though Douglas, the kind man at the council did his best to persuade the present owners of the building to let us have a look around. We … Continue reading Murals and Sculptures: Cynefin – Week Four
In the Studio
In the current circumstances, I am more grateful than ever to have a space to go to to be creative. I thought I would share with you some beach finds I picked up on Rhossili beach, before the lockdown. Some of them are enough in themselves - perfect examples of wabi-sabi art, like this block … Continue reading In the Studio
Structure for a Poem
One participant of the Friday Creative Wellbeing group is a wonderful surrealist poet in the style of Gisèle Prassinos. From one of her poems, 'Reasoning Remains a Wealth', everyone has chosen a line that resonates with them, and created their own print or artwork, taking inspiration from the words of the poem. We are always discovering … Continue reading Structure for a Poem
Creative Sessions at the YMCA
Recently, I have been asked to run a couple of taster sessions for YMCA Cardiff Design For Life. The learners were keen to work with clay, as this is something they hadn't tried before. Clay is so tactile, soothing and grounding. Several learners commented that they had come reluctantly to the session, thinking it would … Continue reading Creative Sessions at the YMCA
Awkward Objects: The Work of Alina Szapocznikow
This weekend, I travelled to Wakefield to see Human Landscapes, the first UK retrospective of the work of the much-overlooked Polish artist Alina Szapocznikow (1926–1973). Powerful, innovative, disturbing, these pieces have dark undertones, which isn't surprising when you discover that Szapocznikow survived several of the Nazi camps as a teenager, and bouts of severe illness. … Continue reading Awkward Objects: The Work of Alina Szapocznikow
Sarah J Featherstone 