A Creative Lifestyle Blog By Zoe-Lee Skelton

Art from Bedford Solo Exhibition

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Photo’s from my solo show

I’d like to share some coverage of my solo exhibition with you.

I was so pleased with the turn out and would personally like to thank all that attended. I’d also like to thank my superhero carpenter boyfriend who set the whole thing up in around 30 minutes and it looked even more professionally hung than most London exhibitions.

Found sculpture art
“Implant”, 2013, found object sculpture
found object sculpture with mannequin
Aerial view of “Implants” with mannequin

sculpture art made out of trash, refuse, rubbish
“Pieces of eight”, 2011, gold and silver B&H cigarette boxes

“What’s up Doc?”, 2013, knitted eyeballs and rabbit skull

“What’s up Doc?” quilted lettering

“Running for cover”, 2011, charcoal, chalk, ink, pen

Embargo 2 & 3, 2011, etching prints

“Struggling to breathe”, 2011/12, acrylic paint, collage and pen

“Chew the fat”, 2013, acrylic paint, pen and ink.

I’m itching to get my brushes back out!
Thanks for looking!

Filed Under: Art

Doodles on lined paper

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As you may have already guessed, I have an attraction to lined paper. Especially crumpled, dog-eared aged sheets of paper.

I also have a penchant for doodling and this usually happens when I’m trying to order my thoughts into a concise regimen. Funnily enough it does work and often these creations are blog worthy, so here they are:

rabbit-illustration
The Rabbit with the monocle
octopus-illustration
Under the sea, with birds

Solo Exhibition

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I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be having my first, EVER solo exhibition at Bedford College. Expect to see some of my degree show work re-imagined, as well as new pieces in the mediums of painting, sculpture, video photography and drawings.

The Private View opens at 5pm, all are welcome. Need I mention wine?

In Decline, Solo Exhibition by Zoe-Lee Skelton, Bedford College
In Decline, Solo Exhibition by Zoe-Lee Skelton, Bedford College

Fashion Designer Claire Maley

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I recently wrote an article about my fabulous fashion designer friend based in the concreted grid that is Milton Keynes. What sets her aside from other young designers – apart from her marginalized location –  is the unique and economical process of digitally printing her designs onto nylon. It’s quick, cheaper and there’s less mess!

You can read the entire article below, or follow this link to IN:MK’s site:
http:/www.inmk.net/article_details.php?id=19


‘If nobody wants to hire me, I’ll hire myself’  

Nov 20, 2012

‘Claire Maley is the designer and owner behind the explosive brand CM, based in the not so bustling town of Bletchley.’
Miuccia Prada, the harbinger of couture handbags, worked briefly as a mime. Gianna Versace originally trained as an architect, and Ralph Lauren started out as a road salesman before his garments adorned the cast of the Great Gatsby, cementing his name among the fashion glitterati forever. These designers did not merely spin straw into gold. They grafted hard.
Claire Maley is the designer and owner behind the explosive brand CM, based in the not so bustling town of Bletchley. Not wanting to settle for the steady suburban lifestyle, this young entrepreneur appears to be making a big bang in the universe. As I gaze star-struck at her Rainbow Galaxy print tee, I sense that this girl wants to push her brand to regions beyond.
Claire Maley design
Like most graduates, Claire found it hard to bag a job after university; however, this resilient Coventry graduate has taken a D.I.Y approach, and thankfully, the CM brand was born. Nearly a year after this determined young lady technically hired herself, business is booming, and Claire has become somewhat of local celebrity. Fresh from a BBC Three Counties Radio appearance with Nick Coffer, her Facebook page is hurtling towards the 500 likes mark and she is soon to be releasing her second collection. Oh, and did I mention that she painstakingly sews and manages the business single-handedly?
Founded in January 2012, the young designer creates unique, digitally printed apparel, bringing together the worlds of art, fashion and social media. Unique being the operative word, you can genuinely see this fusion of the arts and the digital age within her first collection available on her website. The son of man swim, obviously a number for warmer times, uses a Magritte classic, deliberately cropped for the wearer to allow fashion to do what it has always done: allure, transform and differentiate. This is fearless fashion: you will not find this in size order merchandised by a poster girl.
Claire tells me that she already has an international clientele: Texans and Tasmanians to name a few. But I’m not surprised. After my sneaky peek at the new collection – which mixes uncompromising design with grungier styling, I’m sensing an insurgence of fans from all over. Fear not, Claire has not forgotten her loyal U.K following. Pop the Fashion Store in the quaint town of Olney, just outside of Milton Keynes, is now the stockist of the brand.
Claire Maley design

“Goodnight Irene”

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Painted to the sounds of Leadbelly for the exhibition Error 404 at The A Side B Side Gallery in Hackney.

The content alludes to the sequence in A Clockwork Orange, where Alex relinquishes control over his ability to self censor. This is an interesting binary opposition to me, as I feel that the news, media, and our fellow human being bombards us with tragedy and trauma; often against our better interests.

Filed Under: Art