Hot off the Press!
A new website and the dawn of a new era...
We hope you are enjoying looking at the new website. This is the News page and I hope to use it to keep our followers informed of not only the latest happenings at the Studio, but also what our students are up to.
If you have been here and are involved in the studio in some guise please do feel free to let me know about anything creative you are involved in; I will do my best to give it a mention. So get in touch basically!
Like Marmite, Facebook may or may not be for you!
Unique Handmade Christmas Decorations for Sale!
For those of you who are much more organised than me, I would like to make you aware now that I am now selling handmade Christmas Decorations/Ornaments for the forthcoming festivities.
Handmade Wire Rudeolfs are now available for purchase from James Ort. They will make lovely pieces for your Christmas table or on your mantle piece.
Each deer is unique and carefully made by myself, all for the bargain price of £25 each. I will be producing a variety of styles so you can specify which kind you would like. Postage and package is not included but I will aim to keep this to a minimum or arrange hand delivery where possible.
I have recently had two commissions designing an olive oil bottle label and a band logo. I worked closely with the clients to ensure they were happy with the design.
I would happily consider any other similar conditions, and can offer you a very competitive price! Please do get in touch if you are interested!
Design Commissions Undertaken!
James Ort’s Shameless Self Promotion!:
Date: 02/11/11
It’s ice and cold outside!
The first proper frost at the Studio. It was minus 3 degrees apparently!
Date: 28/11/11
Right, then we shall begin.
We are pleased to announce that two History of Art Study days are coming to The Phoenix Studio early on in the New Year.
With over 11 years of lecturing experience, Naomi Phelan is coming to take us on journeys of enlightenment! Promising to increase our understanding of key art movements and increase your appreciation of art, these- sessions are not to be missed! Starting with 'A Tale of Two Cities (Paris & London 1850 – 1900)' on the 21st January and then moving onto Reading Modern Art (how can a dead cow be art?) on the 25th February.
Both sessions should be really interesting and the second lecture in particular, will challenge your perception of what is art. If you needed any further persuasion, tea, coffee and homemade cakes are also being provided. We hope to see you there.
More information can be found on the website - use this link to go there directly.
Course Update: Are you sitting comfortably?
Glazed expressions at The Phoenix Studio!
Following a very successful term of ceramics, the classes met up to see and collect their glazed pieces of work. The standard of the pieces was great! So much so that nigh on all of the beginner students have signed up for the Intermediate Course in Ceramics starting in January. The Beginners Course in Ceramics also starts in January and promises to captivate and inspire a new set of budding potters. Why not do something different in the New year; book your place now!?
Happy faces and glazed expressions on Monday night!
Eddie has bought some new eathernware glazes that offer a more vibrant, bright colours for students to use.
We are getting more adventurous with the finishing effects of our sculpture here at The Phoenix Studio!
Thanks to the advice of Ostinelli & Priest, we have now bought a large amount of slips and underglazes in a range of colours! These can be used by our students to brighten up their work. Not being glazes means they they are easy to apply and use. You can paint them on the surface of the clay - just like you would any watercolours say.
We’re are really looking forward to seeing how people will adopt these new materials into their work!
Adding a Splash of Colour This Winter!
We are pleased to announce that Lino Printing will soon be making a debut at the Phoenix Studio next spring. Watch this space for more information!
Course Updates: Lino Printing Coming To The Studio
Date: 05/12/11
Date: 5/12/11
Date: 05/12/11
Date: 09/12/11
Course Updates: Why Not Set Yourself A Creative New Years Resolution?
Eddie Kent’s evening ceramic classes are going from strength to strength!
Monday’s Intermediate Class is now fully booked but there are still spaces for Thursday’s Beginners Class starting on January 12th!
If you going to set a New Years resolution then why not set one that you may actually stick too and, most importantly, enjoy!?*
Click here to read more about the course.
*Free biscuits are available throughout the evening so we cannot guarantee you will stick to any of your other resolutions!
Date: 09/12/11
Oh, the weather outside it frightful, but the Raku’s so delightful!
We were very lucky with the weekend’s Raku! The weather on Saturday was fantastic. Sunday was less so but at least it didn’t poor the whole day long.
Some lovely pieces were glazed by the students and then expertly fired with Eddie’s help. As per usual, the results were stunning!
Course Updates: New Term of Mid Week Clay Life Modelling Classes!
The next term of our mid week Clay Life Modelling Classes have been announced. Our Untutored Clay Life Modelling Class begins on Wednesday 1st February and our Tutored Class on Thursday 2nd February. The Wednesday class is currently fully booked but there are places on the Tutored sessions!
The classes offer a fantastic opportunity to study the human form in clay. Run over 10 weeks, students study three different models for three consecutive weeks each, with one additional day ‘finishing off’ should they need it. Studies are generally of the human form or a portrait.
With tuition from Karin Ort, there is no need to have experience in art at all - you will be guided every step of the way! You will be amazed at what you coming out with - the Tutored Class is perfect for the complete novice!
Look at the course pages for more information!
Click on the arrow to read our older news stories.
Date changed to 31st March
Date changed to 25th Feb
Course Updates: New Classes & New Days Announced!
We are pleased to announce a range of new courses that will soon be running here at The Phoenix Studio! I have now finalised the details so please have a look on our Courses page to see if there’s anything of interest to you. New courses include Still Life Painting, Lino Printing and Ciment Fondu! A new course date has been set for the Finishing Day with Ostinelli & Priest.
Date: 05/01/12
A number of Phoenix Studio students and attendees will be exhibiting at this. We recommend a visit!
Date: 05/01/12
Course Update: History of Art Study Days Moved (a bit)
I do apologise, I had to change the dates of the History of Art Study Days. They will now be held on February 25th ('A Tale of Two Cities (Paris & London 1850 – 1900)' ) and on the 31st March (Reading Modern Art (how can a dead cow be art?). We hope to see you there!
....Marianne Vincent!
Serious kudos goes to Marianne who travelled to the Phoenix Studio all the way from Brussels for a weekend of mosaics. I believe this makes her our first international student to date. Below is a lovely account that Marianne wrote about her weekend with us:
"I enjoyed my stay in Towersey at Phoenix Studio so much.
It took me some time to make out why exactly. First of all, I had left Brussels by Eurostar thinking I was setting off for Buckinghamshire, my usual destination and all of a sudden I realized Towersey was in Oxfordshire.
I pulled a suitcase and a board with the drawing for a mosaic across London and in the quite familiar Chilterns train. The landlady of The Barn; the self-contained B&B in which I was accommodated came to fetch me in Haddenham. I was lucky to spend two nights there, sitting in front of a log fire and sleeping in a cottage that used to be a pub called The White Hart. On Saturday morning I was the first to be welcomed at Phoenix Studio- at a stone's throw from my 'barn' - I chose my table in the studio in the middle of the fields. It is a charming place in which any artist can feel happy. You are in the middle of a field, surrounded by pets and wilder animals: red kites, a cat, a dog and horses nearby. There aren't too many students which allowed the tutor Roz Wates to keep an eye on each artist's creative work. I loved the place and noticed that thanks to the location and the outstanding tutor the beginning mosaicists looked very happy."
And the award for furthest travelled goes to...
Marianne, Perrito and her half completed mosaic back at home in Brussels!
Date:08/01/12
Left - a Redwing,
Right - a Fieldfare
The Scandinavian Invasion!
The country has been invaded by Fieldfares and Redwings who overwinter here. You can see lots of these shy birds in the hedgerows surrounding the Studio right now!
Course Updates: Beginners Ceramics Postponed!
We are a few people short on our beginners ceramics course and need more! Its a great course and well worth signing up for. The new start date is February 23rd which is a Thursday. 7pm - 9.30pm.
Hot Off The Press: The Phoenix Times Newsletter!
Roll up, roll up! The Phoenix Times - the new quarterly newsletter for The Phoenix Studio - is now available for download - simply click on the image below! Its a bit longer than I thought it would be but I hope at least some of the content is interesting to you all! I’d welcome any feedback - james@orts.co.uk
Course Updates: Clerical Error! Sorry - wrong Clay Life Modelling dates!
Note to self: Check, re-check and re-re-check course dates before writing newsletter and sending it out to hundreds of people.
Sorry to anyone who was interested in attending February’s Clay Life Modelling Course. The actual date for the weekend is 28th and 29th April NOT the 11th and 12th February. Sorry for the mistake.
Course Updates: Extra Day of Ciment Fondu!
The forthcoming Ciment Fondu course with Kay Singla has proven to be so successful we have had to add another day to meet demand!
The Wednesday class is now FULL, however we have now added an additional day on the Thursday. So the exact dates for the new Thursday slot will be 26th April, 2nd May, 9th May, and 16th May!
Book your place now to avoid disappointment!
