Current Exhibition

Sort Out 2013

We’ve a small selection of 2013 week-to-view diaries with machine-embroidered, motivational covers.

Photos: Learning to Do Free-Machine Quilting

This week’s quilting workshop was all about learning to do free-machine stitching on a quilt sandwich. (That’s not something delicious from The Isle of Skye Baking Company downstairs, a quilt sandwich is the top, wadding, and back pinned together.)

It’s like drawing with thread, doodling in a continuous line. As the feed dogs are dropped, you’ve complete control over which direction you move the fabric. All these were done by people with a little sewing experience but who’d never tried this technique before. If you’ve always been too intimidated to try it, let these photos inspire you!

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This quilting workshop runs for another two weeks. If you’d like to join the next one, email us at  skyeworksgallery@gmail.com.

Photos from Skyeworks’ First Contemporary Quilting Workshop

Our first contemporary quilting workshop started yesterday, involving creative fun with some gorgeous fabrics (from the range for sale at Skyeworks), calico, iron-on fusing, a rotary cutter and a circular cutter. Stir in some imagination and possibilities abound!

If you’d like to join this workshop, it’s not too late providing you’ve at least a learner’s license for driving a sewing-machine (i.e. it’s not the very first time you’ve used one). Sign up by visiting the gallery or giving us a call on 01478-612669.

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Making More Patchwork Scottie Dog Kits

Our new patchwork Scottie kit contains pieces of the gorgeous fabrics we’ve for sale. Great fun was had deciding which we’d use… nothing like a good excuse business reason to play work with fabric to boost the creative batteries!

• Buy Kit Online

Woof, Grrr… New Skyeworks Craft Kits!

Fresh from our creative studio… two new craft kits, one knitting and one sewing!

Cuddly teddy is perfect for those new to wielding knitting needles and for those looking for something enjoyable but easy. Kit comes with felt and button options for eyes, and a choice of wool colour.

Have some fun with a small patchwork project! Fabrics in the kits all vary from the made-up sample as they come from the bolts on sale; that simply means they’re even more gorgeous!

Photos from Exploring Art Mediums Workshop

Drawing with an eraser and charcoal, using various brands of pastel, trying watercolour pencils and sticks as well as ink-based sticks and wax resist… it was a fun session all about trying different mediums and exploring the possibilities.

We’ll be running this again as a full-day workshop, as well as an introduction to acrylic paints and colour mixing workshop. If you’re interested, email us at skyeworks@gmail.com and we’ll let you know as soon as the dates are confirmed.

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Photos from Drawing Class: Combining Line & Tone

Having looked at both line and tone in previous sessions, the next step is to combine the two! Working with Conté (hard pastel) rather than pencil, the initial focus was on reducing the mannequin to basic shapes (rectangles, circles, squares) using line and tone. Then using line to reinforce the tonal shapes and create emphasis (hard/soft edges). Followed by another exercise in looking, continuous line drawing, where you’re not supposed to lift the pastel from the paper until you’re done.

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Last Week of Our Moods of the Minch Exhibition

This is the final week for our opening exhibition featuring Marion Boddy-Evans’ Moods of the Minch paintings. If you were thinking of coming to have another look, or haven’t been yet, you’ve got until Saturday! We’ve a also still got a few signed copies of the exhibition catalogue.

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Anyone who last came on our opening weekend at Easter will see quite a few changes and additions to the gallery. Thank you to everyone for your support, enthusiasm, and for spreading the word that there’s a new arts venue on Skye.

Marion will have some new work in our group Summer Exhibition which opens Monday week (including a couple of large paintings in her sheep series).

Photos from Our First Beginner’s Drawing Class

The first of our Wednesday morning drawing classes saw participants learning about that most fundamental element of drawing — line — and techniques for mastering it. Application of these techniques was done in first drawing a feather from memory and then from life.

Working from memory, it can be surprising to discover how much you’ve not retained about what something looks like. Making lines lighter or darker conveys colour in a pencil drawing, similar to the way we ‘read’ a black-and-white photograph.

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Each week’s class will focus on one particular aspect of drawing, essential skills and techniques (list here).

Drawing for Beginners Wednesdays 10:30 to 12:30. 8 places only, so booking is advisable. £15 including paper and use of pencils. Drop-in Drawing: Wednesday afternoons £5 if booked with morning session.

If you’re interested in learning to draw or paint but Wednesdays doesn’t suit you, do let us know what day/time would (skyeworksgallery@gmail.com).