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Touchstones Creative Writing Group – an Anniversary

Photography of the entrance to Touchstones, Rochdale

Seven years ago my friend and fellow poet and writer, Norman Warwick, retired to Lanzarote. Norm, part of All Cross the Arts in Rochdale, had facilitated the Touchstones Creative Writing Group every month for some years and the group was going well.

I received an email from the group secretary asking me if i would be able to facilitate their next session in October 2015 as Norm wouldn’t be around. of course I said yes and created a workshop for the group.

Since then TCWG have called in a number of writers to facilitate their sessions and I’ve delivered brand new workshops every few months for the group.

Yesterday I walked through those doors and delivered a workshop about Time and Place in writing.

Seven years and over 20 workshops where I’ve seen members come and go. We used technology during the pandemic, we’ve met in various rooms including the galleries whilst open to the public. I can honestly say that its been a privilege to work with the members and to see how they’ve developed over the years.

So as Norm celebrates 7 years of retirement in Lanzarote, where he is embedded in the local writing and cultural scenes, I celebrate my own 7 years of working with TCWG.

Norm writes about arts and culture, in Lanzarote, Rochdale, and around the world, on his blog ”All Across the Arts, Sidetracks and Detours” at https://aata.dev

All Across the Arts continues to deliver arts and cultural stories, inspiration and events in Rochdale, curated by Steve Cooke with a twice weekly column in the local papers and online at www.allacrossthearts.com

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Summer Holiday Workshops

I’ve had an amazing Summer running workshops as part of the HAF (Health Activity and Food) working with young people from age 5 to 11. Your Trust Rochdale, the borough’s cultural and leisure trust, had asked me to deliver sessions following feedback from sessions I had previously delivered for HAF last Summer and at Easter.

I delivered a total of 13 sessions at schools and libraries in Darnhill, Heywood, Middleton, Smallbridge and Kirkholt in Rochdale, and were attended by between 12 and 22 young people at each.

Each workshop involved storytelling, with a new series of children’s stories I have been developing, learning about a topic, creative writing and drawing and colouring matching the themes of each topic. in some sessions we also shared some poetry and children produced some of their own.

The workshops were titled:

My Ocean Adventure, My Space Adventure, My Minibeast Adventure, My Dinosaur Adventure and Endangered – Creatures at Risk.

Here are just a few examples of the work produced by young people at my HAF workshops

All of the workshops were very well received and when a 7 year old on my final session (one of My Ocean Adventure sessions) said ”That was a really good story” I couldn’t have been happier.

The workshops are all now available for schools, and other groups, and are suitable for anyone from 5 to 11, including children with special needs. Each session can be run over one hour or two hours depending on ages and needs of the group.

I’m always happy to discuss the sessions I offer and availability and can also prepare bespoke sessions as required for all age groups for age 5 upwards.

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Craft Fair – Coffee House at Horse Carrs

Sat 16th July – 10am – 3pm

Shawclough Road, Rochdale

On Saturday I will be selling a range of my Handmade Linocut Prints, Greeting Cards and Giclée Prints alongside other local artists and makers.

This afternoon I’ve been inside, out of the sun, busy mounting a some more of my Handmade Linocut Prints ready for the fair at the weekend.

Picture of prints to be mounted

The coffee shop, which does a very nice range of homemade baking, will be open to provide refreshments for visitors. Having recently had a morning coffee (and scone) at the Coffee House I can recommend it as a lovely venue in one of Rochdale’s forgotten architectural gems.

Horse Carrs was built for Thomas Watson, a silk manufacturer and benefactor of the town of Rochdale. Thomas Watson moved to Rochdale from Garstang and developed a highly successful silk velvet material that was considered even better than the French cloth. The house retains lots of original features and one of the rooms includes artefacts, photos and information about the history of the house and the Watson family. Why not pop in to browse and buy local art, enjoy the house and some refreshment. Come and talk to me about my artwork and prints and the creative workshops I offer.

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Linocut Printing Workshops in Milnrow

There are still places available on my Introductory Linocut Printing workshop on Friday 1st July from 18:00 to 20:30 at Tarn Replenished in Albert Mill, Dale Street, Milnrow.

For centuries prints were made by carving designs into wooden blocks with prints from will know artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige from 17th Century Japan being highly prized. Linocut printing is an accessible form of relief printing that was first used in the late 18th Century after the invention of Lino. Being easier to carve linocut became popular with artists including Matisse and Picasso and the technique was also used, especially in the USSR, to produce posters.

The session will introduce the techniques for producing linocut prints including; choosing suitable images to work with, drawing or transferring images to Lino, using the cutting tools safely, how to add ink to the prepared Lino and finally making your own prints by hand.

image of a linocut print of a barn owl

Linocut printing can be carried out using a wide range of equipment, inks and materials including paper, card and textiles. It is great for making greeting cards, decorative art. In these sessions we will use polymer or easy-cut blocks and print in monochrome using water-based inks onto paper and card.

You do not need to be confident at drawing and can use tracing techniques to prepare images for carving and produce attractive prints. Participants can work from their own images or from a selection of images that will be provided. Should you have a particular image you would like to try please advise when booking so that I can make it available.

The session costs £30 per person (payable by cash, card or PayPal) and all equipment and materials are provided. Participants will have both their own prints and carved blocks to take away.

To book please email seamus@onepoetsvision.co.uk or reply to my posts on Facebook or Instagram.

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Linocut printing classes

Image of linocutting tools

I am pleased to announce my new workshops to learn the techniques of linocut printing and to produce some of your own prints.

There are two sessions available:

Weds 29th June from 12:00 to 15:00

Fri 1st July from 18:00 to 20:30

The sessions will cover the kinds of image that can be produced, the reversal of the carved images and basic techniques including; transferring images onto the Lino, safe cutting techniques, line and pattern making, applying ink and finally printing onto paper.

Picture of mounted Linocut prints

All equipment and materials will be provided and participants will be able to take home their own completed prints and carved Lino blocks.

Workshops are limited to small groups (maximum 6 people) and the cost is £30 per person payable by cash or card.
Please email seamus@onepoetsvision.co.uk to reserve your place.

Future sessions will look at more advanced techniques including using more colours with rainbow rolls and jigsaw prints.

Advice about the range and quality of equipment and materials available will be provided and, although I may be able to advise on suppliers, I am not able to supply equipment and do not have any arrangements with suppliers.

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One World One Chance – Dyslexia Friendly

Dyslexia friendly cover

The book produced with Falinge Park Writing Group is now available online in a special dyslexia friendly version as well as a standard version.

The dyslexia friendly version uses a coloured background and a font specially designed to make reading easier for people with dyslexia.

You can download the book, Free of Charge, by clicking here HERE

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One World One Chance – Dyslexia Friendly

This morning I approved the proofs from the printers and I’ll be awaiting the box/boxes of books arriving at my door ahead of our launch at 12.00 on 17th March in Falinge Park (cafe), Rochdale.

Once I’d finished that process I worked on a second version which will be available to download. That version uses a special font and a coloured background to make it easier for those with dyslexia to read. The cover for this version is shown below – it will be made available online after the launch event.

At the launch the writers who have contributed to the book will read some of their work, there will be a chance to chat and meet members of the group and pack up a copy of the book. There will, of course, be light refreshments.

If you haven’t received an invitation but would like to attend please let me know and we’ll be happy to accommodate you.

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Today’s job: Book Editing and Layout

Over the last few days I’ve been compiling and editing the submissions from my Climate Worx project for a soft back book. The book features 10 writers, from the newly formed Falinge Park Writing Group, who took part in the “Climate Worx” project following the exhibition, in Rochdale, of Luke Jerram’s “Gaia” installation.

Today I’ve enjoyed creating the cover design using one of my own photos of the installation and working with a limited colour palette.

Image of the book cover design

The title of the book is “ONE WORLD: ONE CHANCE” and includes writing from 10 writers and will be launched on 17th March, at Falinge Park.

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Climate Worx – Final Workshop – 17th Feb

A photo of the Gaia installation in Rochdale

The last of six workshops for the Climate Worx project I been running since November is taking place tomorrow morning from 10:00am to noon. This is the last chance to be involved in writing for the project but there will be plenty of opportunity to see the work produced after the launch of our collected writing in March.

A total of 15 people have taken part in the creative writing sessions that were inspired by the Gaia Installation, in Rochdale in November and December, and thinking about our environment and climate. The project, with Falinge Park Writing Group, was funded by the Rochdale Borough Creative Network and hosted by the Vintage Worx Community Development Trust in Falinge Park.

Lots of new writing has been created and I am currently compiling it into a book which will be a lasting legacy for the project. There will be a wide range of styles of writing in the book including poetry, short stories and non-fiction. All participants in the workshops are able to have at least one piece included in the publication which we expect to launch on 17th March (an auspicious date for a book edited by someone with my background).

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New Greeting Cards and Giclée prints for sale

Last week I collected professionally printed greeting cards and Giclée prints from a small printshop in West Yorkshire.

Picture of giclee print go a heron in a frame for illustration

The images on both the cards and prints are reproduced from my own pen and ink drawings of birds including a Grey Heron, a Mute Swan, a Flamingo, a Stork and a Pelican.

Prints are a Limited Edition of 50 from each image and each is numbered and signed. They are high quality Giclée prints on 300gsm acid free paper with Epson archival inks.

Greeting cards are A5 in size and supplied with enveloped in cellophane sleeves. Both cards and prints are now available for sale in my folksy shop at https://folksy.com/shops/onepoetsvision

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OnePoetsVision artwork on sale at Touchstones in Rochdale

My artwork displayed in Touchstones

I was very pleased to be approached, in December, by Touchstones, Rochdale’s Art Gallery and Museum, asking if I’d agree to be a featured artist in the Gallery shop. After a successful Christmas Market I took a portfolio of images along and agreed the range that would be on sale, and the pricing.

As of today, 13th January, some my work is for sale in the gallery shop for the first time. The Touchstones gallery and museum is well worth a visit and is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 10.00am to 5.00pm and on Sundays from 10.00am to 4.00pm and admission of free of change.

There are handmade linocut prints in two sizes, greeting cards, photographic prints, Rochdale postcards and copies of my poetry book, Thinking TooMuch.

Over the next few weeks I will be adding some recently completed greeting card designs and a number of giclee prints.

Wide shot of the Touchstones shop
Three linocut prints on display
10×8 Handmade Linocut Prints on Japanese Agwami paper with archival oil based ink and mounts
Photos and postcards of Rochdale
A selection of professionally printed 10×8 photographic prints and postcards of Rochdale landmarks
Mounted photos of Hollingworth lake and waterfowl
10×8 professionally printed photographs of Hollingworth Lake at sunrise, a duckling and a gull at sunrise
Three small linocut prints
Small 8×6 handmade linocut prints of a vintage Kodak Brownie camera, Whitby Pier and Whitby Abbey
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Onepoetsvision Folksy shop opens its virtual doors

A screenshot showing my new Folksy shop

Just in time for your Christmas lists my new shop opens today on Folksy with some greeting cards made from my original linocut prints.

https://folksy.com/shops/onepoetsvision

Over the next few days I’ll be adding more items including handmade prints, photographic prints and postcards.

Folksy is the online shopping home of British Craft where you can find thousands of pieces created by artists, designers and makers working in studios and at kitchen tables across the UK.

So if you’re looking for that perfect original gift or you want to shop small, shop independent and give handmade, we suggest sitting down with a cuppa and having a look through the amazing creations on Folksy – all made by clever hands crafting away across the British Isles.

Folksy has original art and prints for your wall, hand-knitted scarves and gloves to keep you snug, beautiful designer jewellery, studio pottery and handmade ceramics for your table and your shelves, as well as hand-printed cushions, crochet blankets and original textiles and decor for your home and so much more. What will you discover on Folksy today?

And of course, from today, Folksy has original works from OnePoetsVision too.

https://folksy.com/shops/onepoetsvision