Multi Talented Artist, Benthe Hoyer Hansen

I first had the pleasure of meeting Benthe a couple of years ago when I was invited to look around her beautiful period apartment.

She was at this time getting ready to finish her ‘kunst akademi' degree in Sculpture. What struck me was how creative she is, as everywhere I looked there was evidence of Artistic endeavours, from ceramics to paintings, mixed media sculptures and handmade paper lamps. The pale backdrop and period details of her amazing apartment show off the work to its best advantage and made me feel very inspired.

During a recent meeting I was delighted to discover that Benthe has also turned her hand to knitting and I’m now pleased to show you her gorgeous knitwear collection from her own designs. She only uses the best quality wool and silk and has many styles and colours to choose from. Items can be bought from her site www.artdress.dk

She also takes orders if your size is unavailable in the style or colours that you like. Prices start at an incredible 700 Danish kroner, which is approx. £80 English money and $140 American dollars, less for a child’s dress.

All her items are completely knitted by hand and are a beautiful quality. She will ship over seas; mail her on benthe@mail.dk for postal charges.

Benthe has now opened a gallery in her Atelier where she shows her own artwork alongside that of her husband Jens, also an accomplished painter, and also guest Artists.

She continues to develop her art and design in many disciplines, not allowing her self to be restricted to any one medium.

She says: “Creativity is a big part of my life and it has always been so, but it is only in these later years that I’ve been able to pursue my art full time and finish my academy education.”

“I’ve never been capable of choosing a discipline or material so I multi task in all forms of expression including painting, knitting, sculpture and ceramics, working with, plastics, clay, fabric, yarn, paint and paper. Of late I’ve begun working also with video and sound.”

“For me, the world is full of possibilities but I don’t know the ‘art’ of limiting myself, luckily”.

Benthe’s Ateleir is at: www.galleri13b.dk for exhibition dates and forth coming events.

Large Luscious Woolly Pom-poms

Calling all crafters and skilled creative people everywhere, please be part of my flickr friend Elvis Robertson’s pom-pom project.

For those of you who haven’t seen it on-line, this is a wonderful collaborative project which aims to bring together the International craft community and show what they can do by creating ‘blossom’ in the Autumn. Elvis will hang the pom-poms in the trees in Lower Gardens park area in Bournemouth, once the leaves have fell from the trees.

Having been part of various collaborative ‘art happenings’ or events myself, when I lived in the UK, it feels great to once again be part of a wonderfully worth while project.

It gives you a great feeling to be involved with the community and contribute towards something as visual and fun as this, and the pom-poms are not difficult to make. Here are some pictures from people already part of the group.

Elvis has set up a pom pom blog and flickr site specially for this purpose where you can see more images and find out more about the project, including a short tutorial on how to make the pom-poms. They are easy to make and very satisfying to ‘play with’ once finished as they are so soft and woolly! Even if you can only find the time to make one, that’s fine.

For me, an added bonus of this project is that you can recycle your left over wool or wool found in charity shops, boot sales etc…

Elvis herself, is an active and enthusiastic recycler. As an establishes Textile Artist, she only uses vintage materials in her work and has exhibited at liberty London, and Browns. Pom-poms are very much part of her own work where she uses them to finish and embellish her beautiful memory quilts. See below

She has a great personal blog which features not only her work and her memories but also the art and design of other great Artists.

Her flickr site shows more great pictures including some of her stunning home. Elvis’s work has a wonderful nostalgia about it and her choice of colours and fabrics are so well put together. She works under her label ‘Lovely’ and in addition to her memory quilts; she makes beautiful wall and window pieces, to commission.

Her work is concerned with memory, gaps in memory, intimacy, community and humility. Lets all work together to make Elvis’s Pom-pom event as spectacular as possible.

Before I end this post, I just wanted to say apologies for the wait, I am 3-4 weeks behind with my blog my website and my artwork, due to a severe eye infection!!!

I am now up and running again and will endeavour to finish my two new lamps so I can document them on here next week.
I would also like to thank and welcome any newcomers for joining my blog, and those that continue to support it :-)