The Colour & Chemistry project brought together artists, scientists, educationalists and historians in a complete programme of events, including exhibitions, artist bursaries, workshops and seminars, all exploring the theme of colour and its impact on our lives.

Artists Opportunities
Click here for more information.

The Bursaries

Three Colour Lab artists were each awarded a £2,000 bursary to research and develop new work for the Colour + Chemistry Project. They were Daro Montag, a photographer who lives and works in Falmouth, Stig Evans, a painter from Brighton, and Balint Bolygo, a kinetic artist, based in Maidenhead.

Working with scientist-mentors from universities and industry, they each created a new installation for the 'Future Palette' exhibition in October 2006..

Click here for more information on the Bursary Artists.

The White Room Conversations.

Schools Workshop
Seven workshops were organised in schools and colleges in Somerset and Dorset as part of the Colour + Chemistry Project. All will explore different aspects of the project theme and should inspire teachers and pupils to explore the subject in different ways.

The sessions were "facilitated" by artists who attended the Colour Lab Symposium and the work developed in schools will be displayed at Sherborne House during the Vibrant Two exhibition (22-25June).

View images from the workshops

Workshops Report

Symposium
The Colour Lab
3 November 2005
A symposium run by scientists for artists and teachers designed to introduce new ideas and materials and to explore their creative and educational applications. Three artists attending will be offered bursaries and help from a science mentor for the creation of new work to be exhibited in Future Palette.

Colour Lab Workshop Reports

Artists Comments

Useful Colour Lab Web Contacts

Exhibition
Josef Albers - Screenprints
Arts Council National Touring Exhibition.
26 November - 18 December 2005
Collection of screenprints by Josef Albers including his famous experiments with colour in the 'Homages to the Square' series.

View Details

Exhibition
Colour and Perception
4 March - 2 April 2006
Work by artists experimenting with the psychological impact of colour.

View images on the Exhibition Archive page.

Adult Workshops ONE: Pennie Elfick
Red and Blue don't always make Purple
Sherborne House
Thursday 9 March 2006
10am - 4pm
A workshop about colour mixing with Pennie Elfick.

One of four artist-led workshops that are being organised for the Colour + Chemistry Project by ARTSLINK. The workshops will explore the relationship between colour and chemistry, and this first workshop will explore colour mixing for artists and designers, mainly using oil paints. This will be a very hands-on day when each student will mix colours and lay them out on paper with written colour notes. Colour-related issues such as contrast and harmony will also be part of the practical work. Swatches will be given to each student so that they can make a colour that they really want and not just "happen" upon!

Pennie Elfick's abstract oil paintings reflect the still and the silent in art and create an aura of calm, a place for contemplation. The paint surface has very subtle colour variations creating a feeling of depth and movement.

Exhibition
Vibrant 1
11 May - 14 May 2006
Work from schools and colleges - the results of workshops with artists exploring the colour theme.

Exhibition
Artists and Alchemists
20 May - 18 June 2006
An exhibition focussing on innovative practice within contemporary art and craft. Works by both emerging and established artists revealing contemporary investigations into the materiality of colour through light, pigment and chemical reactions.

View the Artist and Alchemists gallery images.

Family Workshops
Adventures in Colour
29 May - 2 June 2006
Half term activities for children. Three days of artist-led colour based workshops with morning and afternoon sessions.

Seminar 1
Colour and Culture
From antiquity to abstraction
3 June 2006
Exploring Colour and its meaning through history.

With Andrew Hanson, Dr John Gage, Katherine Barker, Roy Osborne and Patrick Collister.
Tickets now available.

View details.

Exhibition
Vibrant 2
22 June - 25 June 2006
Work from schools and colleges - the results of workshops with artists exploring the colour theme.

Click here for more information

View images of the workshops

Workshops Report

Adult Workshops TWO: Daisy Bewes
Dynamic Dyes: Exploring the Colouring Power of Plants
Sherborne House
Thursday July 20th 2006
10am - 4pm

The second workshop for adults that is being presented by ARTSLINK for the Colour + Chemistry Project. The ever-popular textiles artist Daisy Bewes is holding a workshop in creative textiles dyeing using indigo, onion skins and madder. The day will involve lots of colour mixing and playing to explore the effects of colour dyes on wool, yarn and silk fabrics. All materials will be provided so all you need to do is "dress for mess" and bring rubber gloves.

Exhibition
Full Spectrum
22 July - 20 August 2006
Open exhibition of work in all media on the Colour and Chemistry theme. The exhibition is open to submissions from artists based in the South West and working in any media. There will be two prizes - the offer of a solo show at Sherborne House and a cash prize of £750. Click here for entry details.
Click here for more information.

View the Full Spectrum gallery images.

Adult Workshop THREE: EDDIE DAUGHTON
Colour, Clay and Fire
Saturday 23rd September + Saturday 7th October 2006.
10am-4pm
A two-day raku workshop with Somerset potter Eddie Daughton. The third adult workshop for the project organised in partnership with Artslink. Day one will be a pot-making day and during day two students will play with colour and fire! Students can experiment with decoration using oxides and three "magic" glazes which change colour when combined, before consigning their pots to the flames of the raku kiln.

Exhibition
Future Palette
21 October - 19 November 2006
Exhibition of work inspired by the ideas presented during The Colour Lab Symposium, which will include new work from the bursary winners and other artists working with smart materials.

View Press Release

The White Room Conversations.

Seminar 2
Pigments Past
Saturday 28 October 2006
Powell Theatre, Abbey Road, Sherborne.
An exploration of the pigments and techniques used by artists, potters and interior decorators over the last 350 years.
Click here for more information.

Adult Workshop FOUR: STIG EVANS
Paint and Pigments on Plaster
Saturday 11th November 2006
10am-4pm

A one-day workshop for artists and enthusiasts with painter, restorer and Colour + Chemistry Bursary Winner Stig Evans. The fourth and final adult workshop organised with Artslink. Taking the Sherborne House Thornhill wall painting as a starting point, students will create their own small wall painting using both traditional and contemporary pigments. Students will also be able to take their individual creations away with them and will have a chance to talk to Stig about his restoration work and his bursary work for the C+C Project.

Symposium developed in association with 4Science
Workshops developed in association with ArtsLink
Seminars developed in association with The Friends of Sherborne House

The Colour & Chemistry project is funded by Arts Council England SW, The Sherborne House Trust, Dorset County Council, West Dorset District Council, The Friends of Sherborne House, Porter Dodson.

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