| Discover and support Nottinghamshire artists & makers in these ‘virtual studios’ and by exploring the OSNotts website – if physical visits become possible these will be announced here and on our social media channels. |
Jess Kemp passed away suddenly at the end of March 2021. She had planned to be part of this year’s open studios – indeed was one of the organisers and was working alongside us at the time of her death. With the permission of her family we have kept this, her ‘virtual studio’, as part of the year’s online presence, to celebrate and mark her joyous artwork and outlook on life.
Jess was hugely supportive of the open studios – she believed in it as a way of engaging people with the arts. She very generously gave a great deal of time and thought to supporting it right from her first involvement through the Gedling artists in 2013. She also unstintingly gave practical help with the hidden stuff behind supporting artists in putting on their events – she contributed to artists workshops, helped arrange meetings, and from the start of 2017 acted as chair of our organising group – quietly doing a range of the necessary admin behind promoting artists events.
Jess also shared a love of cake – a critical part of every open studios meeting, workshop or AGM – and she was very much behind the idea of our 10 year celebratory cake competition. We are so sorry that she isn’t here to take part, but we know she would want us to keep things going.
We miss her.
SILK PAINTING & MIXED TEXTILES
Exploring personal expression through fabric, colour and movement in costume.
Sneinton Market Avenues NG1 1DU
i: jakinthegreen
f: JakInTheGreen
After a degree in Theatre Design at Trent Polytechnic I worked for a number of years as a designer and maker for Notts County Youth Theatre and Arts Education programmes. Since then I’ve worked in the wider community art sector to creatively enhance local events, festivals and carnivals through celebratory lanterns, costumes, puppets, flags and banners.
I continue to work on participatory arts projects, facilitating groups and individuals to celebrate creatively whilst also developing my own artist’s practice.
JESS KEMP – STUDIO
I share a light and airy studio space with fellow artist Sarah Manton at the Curious Studios in Sneinton Market Avenues, Nottingham. It’s a very creative environment to work in being surrounded by many other exciting creative businesses and the eclectic ephemera we like to furnish our studio with!
JESS KEMP – WORK
I’m inspired by the colourful flamboyance and community spirit of carnival and parades, exploring how we express ourselves through fabric, colour and movement. I love using a multitude of materials and lights to create large scale costumes and puppets or taking a quiet moment to paint patterns from nature onto silk.
-
- Jess Kemp, Big Draw community bunting, silk painting. Photo by Neil Pledger
-
- Jess Kemp, Mayflower 400 lantern for Gainsborough Illuminate 2020, mixed media. Photo by Electric Egg
-
- Jess Kemp, In a lockdown Midsummer Garden, carnival head-dress created with recycled materials. NFS
-
- Jess Kemp, Sensory carnival coat, mixed fabrics, bells and lights. Photo Quince Garcia
-
- Jess Kemp, Helix carnival costume, silk painting and mixed textiles. Co-designed with Laura Hill for Derby Carnival.
-
- Jess Kemp, Pilgrim Woman, Mayflower 400 processional lantern, willow and tissue
ACTIVITIES
This little video shows the various stages involved in painting a silk banner and a few examples of large scale silk painted creations.
