Spring Fling 2022- 20 Years of Vibrant Visual Arts in Dumfries & Galloway
Spring Fling is a vibrant visual art and craft open studio event covering the length and breadth of Dumfries and Galloway in South West Scotland, also known as home for my studio and me.
This year Spring Fling celebrates 20 years, and over the past 17 years, I have popped up at this spectacular event, sharing spaces and then finally in my own studio. Spring Fling gives people access to the studios of various incredible artists who live and work in this glorious rural area, taking its beautiful and brutal landscape and weather and turning it into astonishing fuel for creativity.
This year is no different. I will be opening my studio from 2nd-5th June and sharing my space with fellow maker Kaz Robertson.
For this month's journal, I wanted to introduce you all to some of the other artists opening up their studios and putting on exhibitions in our village of Thornhill. With a population of just over 1600, we do very well for incredible artists and makers. Here are some of my top picks to see at this year's Spring fling in Thornhill.
KAZ Robertson- Handmade Contemporary Resin Jewellery
Kaz designs and creates her jewellery from her studio in Edinburgh. Mainly working with resin, she produces pieces by combining a bold colour palette with pattern. Some pieces have magnets incorporated into them. Mismatching is also a strong element within Kaz's designs. This year Kaz is a 'Spring back' participant, which means although she has moved away, she has a D&G connection as she grew up in Sanquhar. She is also celebrating 20years of business.
Briony Anderson- Artist
Briony is exhibiting in Thomas Tosh along with artist Kate Mink and will be showing work she has made over the last 12 months, works in progress, sketchbook material, and the materials she uses within her pieces. The work Briony makes combines painting and printing processes and is constantly engaged with the landscape, suggesting rather than describing any one place. For this year's Spring Fling, much of her work focuses on the horizon line and the meeting of land, estuary, and sea - untraceable edges.
Samuel Sparrow- Potter
Situated in the old village post office, this beautifully crafted pottery studio is a must-see on the Thornhill Spring Fling trail. With makers at its heart, from the locally built shelves to Samuel's personally designed stools, and that's before we get to his pottery.
Samuel's work aims to celebrate simplicity and functionality, highlighting the inherent beauty of objects that are made by hand.
Kate Mink- Artist
Alongside Briony Anderson, Kate will be showing recent work and older pieces on the balcony of Thomas Tosh. As part of her exhibition, she will have a pop-up studio set up to demonstrate 'kitchen table' printmaking using a pasta maker as a press.
Kate will be showing mixed media collages with elements of beeswax, antique photos and wallpaper alongside multilayered screenprints and relief prints.
"After living in America for the last 25 years, I am finally coming home for good, just days before Spring Fling, and I am so looking forward to being a part of the 20th anniversary."
This event will be a wonderful celebration of the past 20 years of Spring Fling over four days in June. The gateway to summer and an opportunity to showcase work from the past two years that may have only been seen online. I cannot wait to show you all the latest treasures in the AM collection and finally see them being tried on and enjoyed as part of Spring Fling. You can find my studio at 114 Drumlanrig Street, Thornhill, Dg3 5LS.
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