Blog Archives

Bon turns four...

31/3/2015

Time again for a big thank you to all our customers who have visited, clicked or talked about us over the last four years. The 'high street' is a shaky place nowadays, but at least we are still here to tell the tale, and take a few more rides on the roller coaster for, hopefully, a few more years to come.
More that ever it is a time to shop local, so my usual cry goes out to keep supporting us and all the other small businesses out there; too many have hit the wall in the last year and with Sainsburys and Starbucks still popping up on every corner the challenge doesn't go away.
We are joining 'Love from Indie Street' very soon - check them out at www.lovefromindiestreet.com for more ways to support your local peeps!

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More about me...

28/3/2015

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A spring update on the activities in the 'Ingrid Nilsson' painting studio! Before Christmas I had a bit of a collage phase, which I really enjoyed and found opened up a whole bunch of new ideas for different ways of working and thinking about my figurative pieces.
I was delighted when the first of these flew the nest last week, all the way to Dubai. It is always a little odd going off on a tangent with work, when there is an expectation that you produce a certain kind of work in a certain medium and subject area.

Meanwhile, back on the easel, I am midway through a large and long-winded (but greatly rewarding) commission. I have taken this a lot slower than usual and am having to allow a lot of drying time between layers as I am working in oils but have a lot of pattern and decoration to deal with.
It is quite odd to have to keep leaving it sitting for days on end, when it is often viewed as 'finished' by the casual observer, who of course has no access to what is in my head!
I'll keep posting this one as it progresses...

Peeking out from behind the easel above is the start of another large-scale furniture piece for Evolution Furniture in Corstorphine. I am lucky enough to have pretty much free reign with what I decide to put on these pieces, and this time a Tudor theme arrived in my head. These two will be pictured on the two doors, in a rather different colour palette.

Another sale I was delighted with this week was 'Bernadette', my favourite sheep drawing for Edinburgh Yarn Festival; I was happy with the way I captured her expression and mobile ears....
I have some really lovely quality giclee prints of Bernadette (by Doricmor publishing, who make our mugs and cards) as well as mugs!

Just another wee one from the first months of the year, 'Faith Dimity' is in one of Stuart's papier mache frames, which looks like some kind of beaten tin. I love her as she looks like something from a different era.

Pictured here at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival with Susan Smith; we still have plenty of sheepy mugs in six designs on sale in Bon Papillon, as well as a good selection of sheep art! This despite a great sales period since the sheep arrived... Roll on next year! The dates for next year's event are soon to be announced.

So what next? Well, once the wardrobe doors and both underway and I have some more time to work on 'Beatrice Meander' (the one currently on my easel), I have commissions for a beautiful Bengal cat with pink orchids and Mary Queen of Scots!

My paintings are always on show in the back 'studio gallery' of Bon P where Stuart also works on his framing. You are always welcome to come and see my finished work on the walls, and in the "Petite Galerie" (smallest gallery in Edinburgh, in the bathroom...) as well as have a nosey at my work in progress!

www.ingridnilsson.co.uk

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Flock wallpaper...

16/3/2015

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After a memorable and highly enjoyable weekend at the Corn Exchange for Edinburgh Yarn Festival, our show of sheep art returns for a few weeks to Bon P for those that missed the big room of woolly love!

We had invited plenty of our Bon P customers with no prior interest in wool or knitting, and all were bowled over by the atmosphere and friendliness of all the stallholders and their array of merchandise.
We certainly had a great spot too!

I have nothing but respect for the people who organise the events such as these, and those who work behind the scenes transforming the venue and catering it - I've been on that side of things in the past and know what a slog it is getting from empty venue to successful show... and back again.
I was actually pretty intimidated by my empty 'shell' on Friday night.

The help of artists and Bon P customers (and friends!) Leo du Feu and Susan Smith made the whole experience a truly memorable and enjoyable one.

What can I say.. we really got into the swing of things!

All of this fantastic work - apart from what we sold over the weekend - is now back at Bon Papillon for a few weeks. I have already had emails checking that there is more time to see everything; so yes!

More more information on the show at the Corn Exchange with pictures and information on the stallholders check out www.edinyarnfest.com
For a good look at some sheep art and my very sheepy mugs, come and see us at Bon Papillon! Open 9am - 5pm Weds to Sunday, closed Monday, Tuesday

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Connecting, rebuilding

7/3/2015

When Haiti experienced the worst earthquake in 200 years, on January 12th 2010, Lilian Lee, founder of charity Fourth World Art, felt compelled to offer her architectural skills to help with the rebuilding efforts. What she saw on her first trip to Haiti inspired her to help, and to keep helping, the community through the artists of the island.

Haitian artisans beautifully create hand crafted objects with virtually no resources. Old oil drums are transformed into pieces of sculpture; old jeans and scrap fabrics are rough canvases turned into brilliant oil paintings; and discarded cereal boxes become beads used to create amazing jewellery.

The art is not only helping Haitian's portray a hopeful life, it literally is helping Haiti rebuild. The Haitian art industry constitutes 10% of all Haitian exports amounting to roughly £6million annually to the Haitian economy (IDB 2012).

Lilian (RBS Scottish Asian Woman of the Year 2014) brings the work to the UK and other countries where it can sell in a variety of galleries and venues, sending the cash back to the grassroots of the Haiti economy without middlemen.

Fourth World Art is a social enterprise that sources and creates artisan made products that help to sustain and create jobs; where the profits from the sale of the art, help fund education opportunities.
Bon Papillon is delighted to host the work of the Haitian artists for two weeks in March; we hope you will come and buy a piece of work that directly aids those who need it most.

We are hanging the work in Bon Papillon unframed; we will offer special rates for frames or stretchers to get these wonderful images on your walls!

HAITI STREET ART AT BON PAPILLON WILL BE SHOWING UNTIL 19TH MARCH

Sheep-shape

2/3/2015

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In case you missed it on my last blog, or on the front page of the website, Bon Papillon is closing on Saturday 14th March as we have a 'pop-up' gallery at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival taking place in the Corn Exchange.
We are open as usual on Sunday 15th!
More details on the other stallholders at the Yarn Festival and events taking place can be found at www.edinyarnfest.com

Now, as promised, some more of the artists taking part in our show of sheepish art.....

Barbara Robertson, lino prints

Mary Archibald; textile sculptures also available as cards and prints

Leo du Feu; original paintings

Stanley Bird; original paintings and drawings

Susan Smith; lino prints

Ingrid Nilsson; original paintings and drawings also available as mugs, cards and prints

We are also expecting work from Babs Pease, Jane Binks, Tom Sutton Smith, Vega and Morag Muir.
Hope you can join us over the weekend! The exhibition will, however, be moving back to Bon Papillon after the show at the Corn Exchange, where it will be on show for a further few weeks.

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Bon turns four...

More about me...

Flock wallpaper...

Connecting, rebuilding

Sheep-shape

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