Next up is Many Hands co-founder Ciara Phelan on revisiting her sewing heritage, and her appreciation for all things collage…

Preserve the Trees’ - Ciara Phelan / Digital Print on Fabric, Hand Sewn

Preserve the Trees cushion. This is my first experience in textiles, designing my own surface patterns and sewing, so it combines lots things I like to do. It’s exciting and new. My mum did textile design and my nan is a seamstress, and she taught me to sew when I was five. I used to draw my own patterns and make t-shirts for my dolls! So it’s nice to be doing it again.

‘Blazin” - Stone & Spear / Silk Crepe De Chine

I really like Stone & Spear’s handkerchiefs. They’re bold and interesting, which is exactly what his work is about. It’s a statement piece, which is exciting to see.

‘Hjartar Tree’ - Kristjana S Williams / Digital Print

Hjartar Tree by Kristjana S Williams (part of Pick Me Up Selects). This piece is really beautiful. I like the way her collage takes an old process but uses a new and fresh approach and uses a vibrant colour palette. It’s also not just a collage, it creates a scene and a message as a whole, which is hard to do. Well done to her!

Next up is Owen Gildersleeve on the joys of creative freedom and Chrissy Macdonald’s latest 3D ventures…

‘Let’s Do Brunch’ - Owen Gildersleeve / Giclee Print

Let’s Do Brunch is the first chance I’ve had to do personal work for ages, so it was nice being able to do something for myself rather than a client for a change. I also had fun exploring all the types of type!

‘Zoo Flask’ - Sister Arrow / Riso Print

I really like Sister Arrow’s Zoo Flask. Her colour palette is really nice and exciting, and I really like her line work and her print work in general. It’s really playful, with a nice overlay of colours and good compositions.

‘Collage Costume Studies’  - Chrissie Macdonald / Wood, Paper, Acrylic, Copper

Chrissie Macdonald’s wooden collage series (part of Peepshow collective). I’ve always been a big fan of Chrissie’s work, and I like how it’s moving in a new direction. Her earlier work was more paper cut, and now she’s using different materials and more abstract imagery. It’s more playful and experimental, with an interesting exploration of characters.

Pick Me Up is in full swing and we’re really happy with the amazing response we’ve had so far, so thanks to everyone who’s visited the Many Hands space!

Starting from today we’ll be talking to a different Many Hands artist every day until the end of the exhibition (Sunday 1 April), asking them to choose three of their favourite pieces from the show: one of their own, one by another Many Hands artist and another from the rest of Pick Me Up. 

Look out for the first of the interviews later today….