Mary Gillett

Author Archives: maryg

Ready for take off!!
January 18, 2022 4:24 pm Leave a Comment
- BEFORE!!
- AFTER!!
- Ready for take off!
It was this time last year, almost to the day, that we heard from the architect that our planning application for a loft conversion above my studio had been provisionally accepted. It feels like only yesterday, and yet so much has happened in between it’s hard to imagine it’s just 12 months since my son and I were up in the roof space clearing and sorting through the history of my life (or that’s what it seemed like), in advance of the building work which was to start a month or so later. The space had become a monument to a previous existence, and it felt cathartic to empty it, throw a few things out, and rehome the important bits. It has evolved into a wonderful living area high above the workshop with light always pouring through the new roof windows. It reflects the brilliant collaboration that took place between us all – the talented architect, me and my inventive twin sons, and of course not least, the inspired, skilled, creative (and very patient indeed) builders.
The Studio Loft is coming into its own now, as family, friends, and sometimes artists alike, start to take advantage of it with enormous enthusiasm.

It was this time last year, almost to the day, that we heard from the architect that our planning application for a loft conversion above my studio had been provisionally accepted. It feels like only yesterday, and yet so much has happened in between it’s hard to imagine it’s just 12 months since my son and I were up in the roof space clearing and sorting through the history of my life (or that’s what it seemed like), in advance of the building work which was to start a month or so later. The space had become a monument to a previous existence, and it felt cathartic to empty it, throw a few things out, and rehome the important bits. It has evolved into a wonderful living area high above the workshop with light always pouring through the new roof windows. It reflects the brilliant collaboration that took place between us all – the talented architect, me and my inventive twin sons, and of course not least, the inspired, skilled, creative (and very patient indeed) builders.
The Studio Loft is coming into its own now, as family, friends, and sometimes artists alike, start to take advantage of it with enormous enthusiasm.
For information about my 2022 Spring and Summer workshop dates click here. If you’d like to combine your course with a stay above the studio, then let me know. It has already been snapped up by a couple who have booked the August week. But, if you’d like to come and stay during any of the weekend workshops on offer, there are still plenty of opportunities
Lockdown thoughts
November 19, 2020 4:26 pm Leave a Comment

“Two trees under a chaotic sky”. This etching turned out to be an extraordinarily prescient one in that I made it just before the terrible discovery of my husband’s terminal illness in June 18. It now has further meaning for me in that it feels symbolic of the struggle that everyone is having (not just us artists of course) to stand strong against the chaos that surrounds us all just now.

I’ve just been chatting with some fellow artists (online of course) about coping mechanisms during Covid. We agreed that, even at the best of times, we often suffer from a profound sense of insecurity about what we’re doing and where we’re going in our work, and this has been compounded by our isolation during this crisis.

In the back of my mind is a question I always used to ask my students in the early days of teaching – who are you doing it for in the very first instance? I confess that I often experience a feeling of flatness on my return from my visits to the London galleries and, having been inspired and overwhelmed by the stature of all the great artists that I’ve been looking at, find myself battling with the intrusion of those other questions. Why bother? What makes me so special?

But then I remind myself that I’m following my own path, and that’s what matters, and without the ability to work, I would go bonkers no matter how many ups and downs I encounter on the way. Many of our insecurities revolve around the issues of credibility, the confidence to put ourselves forward, the capacity to deal with rejections, the affirmation that selling brings and, it goes without saying, the need to sell in order to put food on the table for many of us. But, in the first instance I’m doing it for me and then everything else follows. This said, there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s only the viewer who completes the work. And that’s what we’re all missing at present. I think it’s the main issue with me anyway. I’m also missing the camaraderie and support that are such wonderful features of our workshop sessions under normal circumstances.

The isolation that we are enduring now only serves to intensify these aspects of “being an artist”. In my lighter moments I remember to be thankful for having creative outlets to help me through all this, and as I work I try to project to when we can gather together again and move forward after Covid, and share our work with the world once more. Meanwhile, I think of those two trees still standing amid the chaos – backs to the storm – and resolve to keep upright!!

This is a rather curious little poem I wrote a few weeks ago – not quite sure exactly what it means – but, somehow, it feels hopeful.

The bird turns

I see cobwebs
and tiny moths
aureate against
the crazed glass

I see raindrops
and the universe

then the bird turns
towards me
hawk-like with
a glinting eye
its wings illuminated
for take off.
Back to normal in the print room and more journeys ahead
September 9, 2019 4:05 pm Leave a Comment
At the beginning of my career I was told that to be really professional a distinct line should be maintained between my working and my personal life, and “never the twain shall meet”. But I think, that in fairness, explanations are needed for my long silence.

During the last few years my working life has ticked over very slowly. This was partly due to my mother’s increasing ill health, but last year things took an even worse turn when we discovered, just a few days after Mum’s death, that my husband was terminally ill with a brain tumour. He passed away nearly 6 months ago in March, aged 61. We are gradually piecing our lives back and I am starting to get everything into place again, my own work and my teaching schedule included.

My studio was built and fitted out by my husband and, as I have a tendency to repeat, it has proved to be a wonderful resource for artists in our area and beyond. His memory will live on in this vibrant, creative and productive place, which is set in our lovely moorland garden, surrounded by the ever-dramatic and changing landscape of Dartmoor.

We couldn’t have survived this tragic time without the extraordinary dedication of family and friends, including those artists who made sure we had enough help and support to get through. Without exaggeration or even a hint of hyperbole, I am forever in their debt.

As the saying goes, life does carry on and, while I’ve been out of action, it has certainly been doing so in a positive way with all kinds of rumblings in the background. We have had plenty of successes over the last couple of years, with Tamar Print Workshop members’ work being shown at various galleries in the West Country and further afield and at the RWA Open, the RA Summer Show and the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers at the Bankside Gallery, London. Our own annual show, Fresh off the Press, highlights our previous year’s work and is hosted every February by the Limekiln Gallery in Calstock. It is always eagerly awaited and continues to surprise and delight our followers.

The 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage falls in 2020 and we are thrilled to be joining up with the Cape Cod Printmakers in a series of exhibitions, two of which are to run during the commemoration events taking place in the Plymouth area. Twenty of our members’ prints will be shown together with 20 prints from the Cape Cod Printmakers. The first show will be at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, after which all the prints will be donated to the Museum. Then more work from both print workshops will be shown at Torre Abbey, Torquay, and The Theatre Royal, Plymouth. (Click here for dates.) It’s an exciting project and we’re hoping that a few printmakers from each side of the Atlantic will visit each other to share experiences and printmaking tips. This project is testimony to the dedication, enthusiasm, and sometimes perseverance, of Tamar Print Workshop members. And what’s new about that you’ll be asking – if you know anything about them at all?!!

You will find the dates for the next 9 months or so here. As usual, I’m afraid the weekly classes are full but places come available on a regular basis so please don’t hesitate to let me know if you’d like to be added to the waiting list.

My bespoke approach means you can come and work with the technique of your choice whether you’re a beginner or a pro. I offer traditional etching, drypoint, lino cutting, collagraph and carborundum, monoprint and monotype.

Hope to see you soon.
A long absence
August 30, 2019 12:12 pm Leave a Comment
Please bear with me while I get up to speed after a long period of ill health in the family. I will be posting the new workshop dates for the coming 9 months or so in the next few weeks. So – come back soon to get the news!
Mary Gillett – Printmaking courses taking place in the next twelve months. Please click on link below.
September 10, 2017 4:53 pm Leave a Comment
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MORE PRINTMAKING COURSES IN THE TWELVE MONTHS TO SEPTEMBER 2017
August 23, 2016 2:10 pm Leave a Comment

Here is a list of the courses and workshops that will take place at Tamar Print Workshop between now and next August. You’ll see that I’m running a collagraph and carborundum weekend in March and a monoprint workshop in April. There will also be another five day colour course in June and the annual summer workshop in August. Where there is no medium stipulated on my list you can work with the technique of your choice. I’m following a similar date pattern to the last year because it is working very well. Student numbers are burgeoning making for a rich and vibrant atmosphere. We have lots of laughs, sometimes almost tears, and then laughs again (all the louder) when things go right – which they always do!

So come along, discover your potential and develop your skills whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate, or very advanced. No matter your level or experience you will feel at home here. Feel free to get in touch and ask anything you need to know. Click here for some brief descriptions of the range of techniques that I offer.

2016
22nd and 23rd October
choose your medium or continue with personal project

2017
21st and 22nd January
choose your medium or continue with personal project

18th and 19th March
collagraph and carborundum

22nd and 23rd April
monoprint and monotype

13th and 14th May
choose your medium or continue with personal project

17th and 18th June
choose your medium or continue with personal project

15th to 19th July
colour workshop

7th – 11th August
annual summer workshop

Click here for more details

You will find information about my weekly classes here. I’m afraid there is a waiting list for these sessions but it is definitely worth getting in touch because often spaces crop up unexpectedly.

Here is one of my evening class students examining his aquatinted plate with a magnifying lens. This might lead you to believe that etching is an exact science. Why don’t you come and find out if this is so or not?!
Great article by Kari McGowan about me and two other Dartmoor printmakers in the Summer issue of the Dartmoor Magazine
June 14, 2016 12:04 pm Leave a Comment

I love that Kari makes clear for the uninitiated the difference between a reproduction print and the unique and magical qualities of an original print and then goes on to describe a variety of printmaking processes.

Don’t forget to look at my workshops page for information about my next courses coming up soon in July and August. www.marygillett.co.uk/workshops.

Click on this link to read the article…….

Dartmoor Magazine Summer 16
NEW SUMMER COURSES UPDATE WITH MUSINGS ON THE DEMISE OF THELMA
April 21, 2016 4:18 pm Leave a Comment

It’s hard to keep track of time isn’t it? Last week we lost our ancient cat and the demise of a pet always triggers reflections on the past. I’m thinking back to when I first started running courses from the little calf shed on my parents farm in the Tamar Valley all those years ago when my twin sons were only 6 years old. Since then we’ve lost two bull terriers, one white tortoiseshell cat, one British blue, one ginger cat and now, Thelma the tortoiseshell tabby. I to-ed and fro-ed from home to workshop for 19 years or more, 6 miles there and 6 miles back through the Devon lanes, starting with one evening class a week, then two, and then almost every other weekend as well.

The pets are a measure of time and memory, each representing a span of both family and working life. My sons left for university and gap years around the time that I moved back to work at home. The last two cats, of course, suddenly assumed more importance after this and became legendary at the new workshop here which has been going now for nearly six years. The ginger cat always joined us for lunch in the summer, skulking under the picnic table looking for scraps and arching her back for attention while we ate. The self-perpetuating Thelma only appeared during the Thursday night class to curl into an inky workshop cushion and purr squeakily all evening beside her favourite student.

So now, I’m working at home in this superb space built single-handedly by my husband, and equipped with wonderful facilities. It’s a rare privilege to be able to share such a resource with so many other printmakers from all walks of life. I run three weekly classes and I open the workshop twice a week for untutored access; the longer courses run alongside throughout the year. The workshop will likely see the arrival of a new kitten soon which will signpost another episode in the history of Tamar Print Workshop, and be the measure of all the creative pursuit that goes on here – new beginnings, wonderment, surprise, playfulness, exploration, fearlessness, relaxation, serendipity, warmth, excitement, humour, stealth (even), and, if the kitten turns out to be anything like Thelma with her demands on our attention – perseverance!

Some of you will be used to my rather wacky analogies by now and I know that not everyone loves cats – but I’m sure you get my drift. Under most circumstances the old cat was expelled from the workshop during classes, as will be the new one! So don’t let any reservations about cat analogies prevent you from reading on……

INFORMATION ABOUT COURSES

Weekly classes

My weekly classes take place on Thursday mornings and evenings, and Friday mornings. There is a waiting list for both mornings but there are still one or two spaces left on the Thursday evenings during the Summer term.

LONGER COURSES

May, June and August Courses

Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May,
Friday 18th to Sunday 20th June,
Monday 8th to Friday 12th August

These courses and workshops provide opportunities for beginners to learn anew and the more experienced to refresh skills. Those of you who’d like to follow through your ongoing projects and works in progress are also very welcome as always. I work with each of you within the context of your own needs and in the medium of your choice. Absolutely everyone is welcome regardless of experience.

July Course, 16th – 20th July

WORKING WITH COLOUR

This session starts on Saturday and finishes on Wednesday. You can book for five days or you can come on the days of your choice depending on your circumstances. I planned the longer session because there is so much to do that we always run out of time, so I hope you can take advantage of this.

We’ll cover any or all of the following approaches to making colour prints:-
- The multiple plate print (particularly in etching)
- Viscosity printing (in etching, collagraph and monotype)
- The “dolly” method
- Chine collé
- Masks and stencils
- Other hints and tips about inking up collagraph plates
- Colour reduction lino cut, or multiple block lino.
Some of the areas we’ll discuss are subject matter, preparatory work and image transfer, registration (the bane of the colour printmaker’s life but a crucial skill), papers, ink application, press pressures and blankets, and how to produce a clean print. If you’re a beginner, I’ll give you instruction on how to manage the potentially messy business of colour printmaking and lead you every step of the way!

FURTHER INFORMATION INCLUDING FEES CAN BE FOUND ON MY WORKSHOPS PAGE www.marygillett.co.uk/workshops

You can also find brief descriptions of the different processes, e.g. etching, drypoint, lino cut, monoprint, collagraph and more. If you need any further information about the techniques please get in touch by e.mail (mary@gulwork.wanadoo.co.uk) or feel free to give me a call (07817165856).

You can download a booking form from the website but please get in touch before payment to make sure there is space for you.
www.marygillett.co.uk
Meditations on a poetry writing retreat on the island of Iona in the western isles of Scotland
May 11, 2015 11:05 am Leave a Comment
It was this time last year that I returned from our inspiring artists’ retreat at Prussia Cove in west Cornwall. I remember eulogising about the dramatic storms that took place and the effects they had on our work.

A few days ago I returned from a retreat of a different kind – a writing retreat on the holy island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland. Iona, as I’m sure you know has the most intriguing and engaging history and the place eventually caught me in its magic.

I’d heard much about the “thin air” and the “other worldliness” associated with the place and soon found myself caught up in its mystical associations. On approach across the sea from Mull, Iona doesn’t look like much, a thin strip of land only 3 miles long and a mile and a half wide, with a few lumpy rock outcrops and a scattering of tiny houses along its shore; even the solemn lines of the famous Benedictine abbey pale against the overpowering effect of the Atlantic sky. But the minute you step foot on the island things change.

There was much talk of pilgrimage. It was certainly a kind of pilgrimage to get there because I was keen to travel by rail to get the feel of distance, and from down here in the west country, distance it was! The penultimate leg, the bit of the journey I was most looking forward to, was a stunning train trip through the beautiful West Highlands between Glasgow and Oban. And the final stretch was an hour and a half’s bus ride across the strange moonscape of Mull to the little port of Fionnphort where I caught the ferry to Iona.

Once arrived I fell under Iona’s spell and, old fashioned artist that I am, spent the whole 5 days indulging in my observations about the ever changing colours, forms and moods of the sea and sky and looking across the water to the atmospheric drama of Mull and the inner Hebrides. It’s addictive; you’re constantly on watch for that perfect moment of light, or that sudden change of colour in the sea, or movement in the clouds! Yes, I’m really quite an old fashioned artist. I just love the meditation of observation and the opportunity to walk in the landscape unfettered, or sit there and simply “be” in the manner of the good old Romantics!! And yes, I know I was supposed to be writing but, interestingly, the two creative forms almost became one and the same. Someone said I was painting with words and one day I might have the courage to post one of these “word paintings” here. But not now.

As I think I said this time last year, a trip like this refreshes me in every way, not the least my teaching. It injects a new lease of life into my approach and generates fresh enthusiasm which I hope to pass on. I might state that I’m an old fashioned artist myself but, and I don’t care how many times I repeat this, it’s certainly not reflected in the extraordinary scope of work that pours out of my studio every week and at the end of every course. Everyone works with such individuality and inventiveness, and has their own unique voice and message. I find it really inspiring to be part of people’s successes, not only on each personal level in terms of the small but joyful achievements on a day to day basis, but also out in the big wide art world.

Last year all those from my workshop who submitted work to the prestigious Royal West of England Academy Annual show in Bristol were successful, and there were also some successes at the National Original Print show at the Bankside Gallery, in London. To top it all, on Thursday, one of my students picked up the recent Call For Entries leaflet for this year’s Original Print show, flipped it over and to her joy found her own image on the back page, one of only three that had been chosen for the leaflet from the previous year’s entries!

So, I guess you could say we’re all on a pilgrimage here too, or if you prefer, a mission. And if you walk in on any of the courses and workshops that take place here you’ll be spell bound, not only by the atmosphere of enthusiasm, creativity and determination to achieve our goals, but also by the generosity and kindness of the people that work here.
PRINTMAKING COURSES AND WORKSHOPS 2014 TO 2015
September 8, 2014 3:46 pm Leave a Comment
PRINTMAKING_WITH_MARY_GILLETT_2014_TO_2015__NEW_PROGRAMME(1)