Join the all-new Black Country Collage Club!

For 2021 we’ll be teaming up with the Dudley People’s Archive using sourced, found and shared materials from people’s own collections and using the borough as our inspiration to start a collage club.

We’re inviting people from across the Black Country to join us via Zoom on Wednesday 20th January at 7.15pm to meet collage artist Mark Murphy and chat through ideas and themes for the forthcoming year.

We’ll be meeting once a month and sending out packs and prompts via mail, What’s App and email for people to use as source material. 

For each event there will be a meet-up (virtual at first then hopefully in person later in the year when times allow), a theme set and an opportunity to chat to other creatives.

We’ll share our work online and via social media to build up a set of images that will be used in an exhibition in Dudley towards the end of the year.

You don’t need any experience as an artist just an interest in joining in and creating something that can be shared and enjoyed with others.

The first meeting will be an opportunity to find out more and you can register here.

If you’d like to join us sign up here. The workshops will be FREE to attend however you may need some basic materials to take part which will be outline in the first get-together.

If you have any questions please email kerry@fusedmagazine.com

Please note that a Zoom link will be sent ahead of the event.

This project is part of PAINT DUDLEY and supported by Creative Black Country and CoLab Dudley in partnership with the Dudley People’s Archive.

Painting Dudley

Part of our more recent projects have been to ‘Paint Dudley’. We’ve been slowly making our way along the High Street and commissioning new works. You can read more about the projects in Dudley here.

Here’s a few of them.

Dudley Yam Bostin Yow Am – by Dan Griffin-Hayes

Bostin by Seven Nine Signs

Community by Seven Nine Signs

A Kinder High Street – live draw by Dan Griffin-Hayes

Jim’s sign writing workshops

Grappling with the idea that letters are made out of a series of shapes was a challenge for our second set of workshops with Jim of Seven 9 Signs.

Using paint and brushes we learnt the (very) basics of holding the brush, how to place the brush on the paper and how ‘not’ to twist it to make letters –  trying to forget everything we thought we new about writing words.

Sign writing workshops with Dan

During the end of June we ran three sign writing workshops with artist Dan Griffin-Hayes. Dan worked with our attendees to produce hand drawn signs on wood using a range of simple techniques which turned in to some great results…

Pop-up exhibition in a day

We had great fun on Dudley Markets, and with our photo walks with Tom of Black Country Type, producing out pop-up exhibition in a day.

We had lots of people stop by and get creative with our pens and paints. Here’s just a couple of people who took part.

Thanks to WM Mayor Andy Street for dropping by to see the work and the Mayor’s Community Weekend who funded the day.

You can still see the work over at Gather Coffee shop, 65 High Street, Dudley.

Free workshops with Seven 9 Signs

We’ve got Jim from Seven 9 Signs to host 4 workshops for Paint Dudley. See details, dates and how to book below:

Join Jim for a 2-hour introduction to sign painting. In the workshops you will use painting techniques and learn the basics as well as helping Jim shape ideas for some new pieces that will be placed on the High Street in July.

All materials will be supplied and no previous experience is required.

This is an all-ages workshop but anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Tuesday 2nd July
Venue: Gather, 65 High Street (workshop space)
From 1.30-3.30pm
Book your FREE ticket here.

Thursday 4th July
Venue: Gather, 65 High Street (workshop space)
From 1.30-3.30pm
Book your FREE ticket here.

Tuesday 9th July
Venue: Red House Glass Cone, High Street, Wordsley, Stourbridge
From 10.30-12.30pm
Book your FREE ticket here.

Thursday 11th July
Venue: Gather, 65 High Street (workshop space)
From 1.30-3.30pm
Book your FREE ticket here.

Free sign writing workshops with Dan Griffin-Hayes

In the workshops you will learn the basics rules of lettering and some techniques on how to transfer them on to a surface. You will get to design and paint your very own message / word on to a piece of wood and take it home!

As part of your time spent with Dan you can also help shape a new piece of work which will be displayed on the High Street.

We’re running the workshops on the 25th, 26th and 27th June from 1-3pm at Gather, 65 High Street, Dudley, Dy1.

Book tickets for the 25th June here, 26th June here and 27th June here.
FREE to attend – all materials supplied. No experience required.

To book email kerry@fusedmagazine.com

Black Country Type photo walks – book your ticket

WALK 1: Black Country Type Photo walk of Dudley Town Centre
Saturday 15th June
Meet 10am at Gather, 65 High Street

Join Tom Hicks of Black Country Type on a photo walk around Dudley town centre for an opportunity to try your hand at urban photography and hear more about Tom’s work.

Black Country Type is an ongoing photographic project. In this series of images he applies his unique aesthetic to the region, focusing on words, typography, handmade lettering and signs. He also photographs ‘types’ of architectural features, objects and the post-industrial landscape of the area.

Smartphones with cameras are preferred but feel free to bring a digital camera.

The best images from the walk will be compiled in to a mini zine which will be launched on the 29th June at Gather as part of our PAINT DUDLEY event. You are invited to join us from 5pm for our ‘Paint Dudley – pop-up exhibition in a day’ launch and see your work exhibited. Tom’s favourite image taken during the day will receive a prize.

Book your ticket here

WALK 2: Black Country Type at the Paint Dudley pop-up in a day exhibition 
Saturday 29th June
Meet 10am at Gather, 65 High Street

Join Tom Hicks of Black Country Type on a photo walk around Dudley town centre for an opportunity to try your hand at urban photography and hear more about Tom’s work.

Black Country Type is an ongoing photographic project. In this series of images he applies his unique aesthetic to the region, focusing on words, typography, handmade lettering and signs. He also photographs ‘types’ of architectural features, objects and the post-industrial landscape of the area.

Smartphones with cameras are preferred but feel free to bring a digital camera.

If you have taken a photo we’ll print it for you (if you can send it via WiFi / Bluetooth) and it will be included in our PAINT DUDLEY pop-up exhibition. You are invited to join us from 5pm for our ‘Paint Dudley – pop-up exhibition in a day’ launch and see your work exhibited.

Book your ticket here

Eye Candy Pop Up pics

The Eye Candy Pop Up store and workshop space has now become a Whisky Shop, but we have our fond memories of the 11 days we were there along with these gorgeous pics from the Appear Here team to remind us of our oasis of illustration in the heart of Birmingham city centre…

 

Eye Candy pops up at the Winter Makers Market 2-4 December

For those that missed our beautiful pop up at Great Western Arcade in Birmingham during October then we are selling more artist items (prints, tees, badges, books, homewares and more) at the Winter Makers Market from the 2-4 December at the stunning Municipal Bank on Broad Street, Birmingham.

Free to attend they’ll be LOADS of ace makers, artists and designers selling their wares – including some of our lovely Eye Candy workshop hosts and illustration & art fair sellers. So we need you to save up your pennies, forget about the boring old High Street and join us, the Birmingham Originals team and Frilly Industries to buy ALL of your xmas gifts. They’ll be plenty of inspiration we promise!

We’ll be selling works from:
Brumhaus
Jenny Haytch
Ben Javens
Alternative Aesthetics
Brennan & Burch
Nick Taylor Illustration
Roberta Fedora
Jeremyville
We Are Dorothy
Miss Led

We’ve heard that there might also be some fun workshops to take part in too. Spread the word!