Nicky Ward Art

Volunteers needed for really cool Recycled Playground project!

nicky — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:12:26 +0000

Sheffield NOW! (you can read about the organisation in previous posts) has just got funding through for a very exciting project that I’m going to be working on called ‘The Recycled Playground’. We’ll be doing a series of fun, free workshops to explore parks in Sheffield and build structures out of recycled stuff that respond to specific spaces and what young people want to do/feel there. The project starts in April…

If you are interested in volunteering or you know of some good places to get recycled stuff (bottles, bags, fabric, wood etc) get in touch with either lisa (lisaprocter@sheffield-now.com) or me – my Sheffield NOW! email is nickyward@sheffield-now.com.

Exhibition 28th June – 22nd August 2010

nicky — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:44:58 +0000

I will be the featured artist this summer at The Beetroot Tree Gallery in Draycott, Derbyshire. I will exhibit some new collages alongside some pictures that have been exhibited before. Greetings cards with prints of my work (I’ve made some out of recycled magazines) will be for sale there too – I’ll put some pictures on here soon too.

Something a bit different..

nicky — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:05:20 +0000

When I was younger I liked creating little made-up worlds and creatures in coloured pencil – it would keep me quiet for hours! My brother and his housemate are fans of my earlier doodles, and when my brother asked me to spend maximum 2 hours doing a small doodle for his housemates birthday, I forgot just how long I used to spend getting lost in my imagination and after 5 hrs of happily doodling away, it started me thinking about how whilst some artists will capture their thoughts with a single brushstroke of colour, I’ll happily spend ages and ages and ages intricately drawing or cutting or painting or sticking!

With the doodles, it’s the process of going into an imaginary world that I enjoy, and with my collages it’s thinking about special memories of a place or person I don’t want to forget – it’s not always simply turning an idea into a drawing – when I draw/find something to put in a collage, that will generate ideas, and the whole process normally all goes on in one drawing or collage. I rarely, if ever sketch and develop an idea before I start it properly – the development of the idea is all on the same canvas. Collecting all the bits and pieces and working out where they best fit helps me better understand and consolidate my thoughts about people and places, and re-live happy experiences – This probably explains why I don’t like to finish a collage!

This post is a bit long and rambling now, just wanted to write my thoughts down somewhere, and here is as good a place as any!

Panto Fun!

nicky — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:18:43 +0000

My brother made a hilarious White Rabbit in his pantomime performance of ‘Alice in Heartland’ which he performed with the Botley Community Theatre last weekend in Oxford. I designed painted the backdrop with lots of help from the cast and their children!

The Beetroot Tree – Open Art Exhibition 30th Jan – 14th Feb 2010

nicky — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:32:32 +0000

My work is part of the the Erewash Open Art Exhibition and will be on display at The Beetroot Tree, a gorgeous gallery in Draycott, near Derby (DE72 3PP if you want to put it in your sat nav). There’s a shop and a shop with delicious hot chocolate and cake! The exhibition runs for two weeks from the 30th January.

Later on in the year, I will hopefully have my own exhibition here, and will post more details nearer the time!

The online shop

nicky — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:04:25 +0000

The online shop now works for cheque payments – yay! It’s a complete nightmare getting the card payments bit working, and I’m on the verge of throwing my computer out the window… Now I’m starting to think maybe cheques are better than card payments anyway (it’s probably safer not having to give your card details out online)!

I’d be interested to know what people think about the buying online system, and will continue to try and develop a safe and easy to use online shop!

Trouble with the buy online button!

nicky — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:36:18 +0000

Sorry if you have been trying to buy prints online – I’ve realised the system doesn’t always work. I’ve changed it, though it’s still not working completeley – I’ll keep perservering, but if you would like a print before Christmas let me know by phone or email, and we’ll sort it another way – thanks for your patience!

Prints available for Christmas!!

nicky — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:47:25 +0000

These pictures are all available as signed, mounted, limited edition (40) prints, and make fantastic christmas presents! Follow the instructions on the buy prints online page, or send me an email. An A4 mounted print is only £15.

The Giant Caterpillar!

nicky — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:53:03 +0000

It was great fun at the weekend in Longley Four Greens, Sheffield where children helped build a giant caterpillar out of cycle tyres…

Children also used the tyres to print onto fabric, making up caterpillar pictures and stories. These will be sewn together to form tunnels that children can play inside. There will be a waterproof outer structure (an old taupaulin), so the structure should last!

The children enjoyed playing in the caterpillar, and making up different games to play…

Come make a Recycled Playground! Saturday 31st October

nicky — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:13:08 +0000

This Saturday, I will lead artist for a really exciting Sheffield NOW! event at Four Greens, Sheffield (S5 7NN) It will hopefully (depending on funding) be part of a series of events to create a giant play structure out of recycled stuff!

So far, we have aquired loads and loads of old bicycle tyres, and on Saturday will be building with them to make a giant caterpillar structure. We will also be imagining what it would be like to be a caterpillar for the day, and printing, collaging and writing our stories on strips of fabric (old bedsheets!) that will be sewn together to form part of the caterpillars body.

The event is free and everyone is welcome! Wear scruffy clothes though – you might get paint on them!

Here’s a photo of me practicing building with tyres…