Alx Creations

28/09/2022

NEW sculptural pieces created for The Millennium Gallery in Sheffield.

22/09/2022

New forest work in progress for Sheffield Millennium Gallery.

21/09/2022

Another great weekend exhibiting at .

21/09/2022

Excited to share the latest addition to my shop: Handmade glass coasters family and pets collection https://etsy.me/3R0rnYc

17/09/2022

All set up at Art at the House Shepley. Come along and have a go at making your own fused glass artwork.

16/09/2022

Come along to Art at the House this weekend at Cliffe House, Shepley for a fantastic weekend of art. Check out all the amazing stalls and have a go at a wide range of arts activities.

I will be running a range of taster workshops including:
Fused glass coasters
Tile painting
Glass painting

Suitable for all ages. Why not come down and give it a go.

16/09/2022

It's been a busy few weeks working on my latest public art piece for Gargrave. The metalwork is now completed and ready to install.

01/09/2022

I am looking forward to exhibiting and running workshops at this year's Art at the House event on the 17th & 18th September.

04/08/2022

It has been a busy few months working with artists at Art Works South Yorkshire developing new artworks and designing eco clothing for our upcoming eco catwalk event next year.

04/08/2022

It has been great working with Ignite Imaginations creating personal flags with children as part of the Sheffield HAF program.

24/06/2022

It's been a great few weeks working with members of Art Works South Yorkshire on two major project. As part of the Queen's Jubilee Artworks ran an event in Stocksbridge for which we made a collection of lifesize vintage props. I very much enjoyed working with all of the members to produce this vintage Triumph bike. We also ran a project for Clifton Park Museum focused on the senses. I looked at the sense of touch with artists at Artworks and we produced an accessible exhibition inspired by 4 of the museum's key pieces. The exhibition is on show at Clifton Park until September.

23/06/2022

I am sad to say goodbye to my Balance Ambassadors groups. After 10 weeks of sessions it concluded in two wonderful sessions making the children's designs for healthy lifestyle products a reality. It has been great working for on this project. Over 10 weeks the children at Pipworth Primary School have learnt about mental well-being, healthy eating, exercise, equality and kindness, hygiene, routine and sleep routines as part of a healthy Lifestyle programme. We have made recipe books, created bedtime routine coasters, painted worry jars, made healthy habits Zines, designed posters and even grown our own vegetables. In the final weeks the children had the opportunity to take part in an enterprise session where they collaborated to design their own products to share what they learnt. They then did a dragons den style pitch and a final idea was selected for each class. In the last week we made their ideas a reality. One of the designs was for a new wellbeing game for the school playground. Didn't they do a fantastic job? Well done everyone!!

09/06/2022

It has been wonderful to work with Deeplish community centre at their new arrivals open days over the past few months running arts workshops for Cartwheel Arts. I have worked with arrivals from all over the world to produce some beautiful work. Here is an article about our latest session: https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/146243/deeplish-community-centre-open-day

01/05/2022

It's been a fantastic weekend so far working at Saltaire Makers Fair. We are open tomorrow. Come along and take a look at all the wonderful work on show. So great to be working amongst so many other talented makers.

30/04/2022

It has been a great first day at Saltaire Makers Fair. Come down and visit us at Victoria hall. We are here for the next two days.

11/04/2022

Photos from The Skipton Academy's post

07/04/2022

I have been working with Art Works South Yorkshire since October supporting adults with learning disabilities to develop some fantastic new artwork. Here are just a few examples of the wonderful pieces they have been working on. Recent exhibitions include an installation at Wakefield Cathedral and an installation for the We Wonder Noir event at Wentworth Woodhouse.

07/04/2022

It has been lovely to be back working with Pipworth Community Primary School running the balance ambassadors project for Ignite Imaginations. Over the past few weeks we have been learning about the importance of sleep, healthy easting, good routine and mental wellbeing. We have been growing our own vegetables to remind us to eat our 5 a day. We have also made sleep routine coasters, recipe books and worry jars. We have learnt how to sort our worries using a worry tree and how to deal with challenging emotions. I look forward to seeing the wonderful work the Y4 children produce next term.

09/02/2022

Online Exhibition - Aire Rivers Trust

I am excited to announce I will be working alongside the Aire Rivers Trust on a new public art piece for Gargrave as part of their developing the natural Aire project. The work will celebrate the return of the Atlantic Salmon to the River Aire.

For almost 200 years the Atlantic Salmon had been a creature of legend in the river after severe pollution, sewage and the building of weirs meant they were unable to return to their breeding grounds. Over the last 40 years huge efforts have been made to clean up the river and build fish passes. Finally the Atlantic Salmon is able to begin returning to its ancestral home.

To find out more about their story visit: https://aireriverstrust.org.uk/online-exhibition/

An online exhibition about the history of the River Aire showing how the Industrial Revolution shaped our river in Leeds.

26/01/2022

It's been a busy few months running arts for wellbeing sessions with community groups throughout Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. It's been lovely to work with so many different people on a range of exciting new projects. Here are some examples of the work they have been making.

22/10/2021

It was wonderful to work with children from Rochdale schools to create a welcome banner for Little Amal as part of my work for Cartwheel Arts. Two children from each school with lived experience of migration were given the opportunity to come together at Deeplish Community Centre to design and create the piece which will be on display when Little Amal visits Rochdale on one of her final stops before finding a home in Manchester. The piece the children produced welcomes Amal in some of the many languages spoken in the area and depict universal images of nature.

20/10/2021

It's been a brilliant day working with new arrivals and asylum seekers at Deeplish Community Centre in Rochdale as part of my work for Cartwheel Arts . It was great to work alongside Rochdale Borough Council and Mantralingua offering therapeutic art sessions for everyone who came. Together we worked on a collective tree to be displayed at the centre and made our own printed tote bags. I had a great time getting to know everyone there and there were some beautiful works of art produced by all.

15/10/2021

It's been another fantastic couple of months back working with Cartwheel Arts supporting Art and Soul. Great to be back teaching in person.

18/09/2021

All set up at Art at the House, Cliffe House, Huddersfield. It's great to be back doing fairs again. I'll be here all today and tomorrow running workshops and selling art.

02/07/2021

I'm all set up for more outdoor fused glass workshops.
I am currently running 1:1 and 1:2 glass workshops outdoors throughout the summer. Why not try your hand at fused glass in a covid secure glass workshop.
Half day £90
Full day £140

15/06/2021

Last week I ran a fused glass workshop via zoom with Carr Hill High School year 9 art students as part of the Kirkham Treasures project. They all did really well. I can't wait to see the pieces out of the kiln.

09/06/2021

Having run workshops both live via zoom and as recorded sessions with primary schools on Kirkham the children created their very own postcards from the past capturing what life would have been like in Tudor, Victorian and Roman Kirkham and writing messages to modern day Kirkham from their chosen historical character sharing their characters story and their dreams for the future. Here are some of the piece they made, displayed in shop windows throughout the town.

08/06/2021

The work created in my beavers workshop is now on display in Kirkham's historic telephone box.

07/05/2021

Tunnel Book workshop – Kirkham Treasures

It's been a busy few weeks working with Kirkham residents on the Kirkham Treasures project. Through consultations with the community and a variety of visual arts workshops I have managed to open up discussion about the town's heritage and the communities hopes for the future. In this zoom workshop with local adults we explored different aspects of the town's heritage and learnt how to make three dimensional tunnel books.
For more information and step by step instructions to create your own please visit:
https://kirkhamtreasures.co.uk/tunnel-book-workshop-2/

Tunnel Book workshopby Alex BlakeyMay 5, 2021Thank you to everyone who attended the Kirkham Tunnel Book workshop. We can’t wait to see the end results. Here are a few images of pieces created by local residents. The first boom depicts Kirkham Wesham Primary School, the second piece focuses on the ...

07/05/2021

Great class with Kirkham Beavers exploring the history of Kirkham. I can't wait to see their work installed.

21/04/2021

Reimagine, Our Street with Ignite Imaginations Artist Alex

Take a look at the final video for the Reimagine Shiregreen installation I created for Ignite Imaginations, Sheffield in collaboration with the local community.

https://youtu.be/Atu5Z1yJN-A

ReimagineOur Street, by Ignite Imaginations Artist Alex Blakey.This project, supported using public funding by The National Lottery Community Fund named Reim...

17/03/2021

Sheffield primary school art project illustrates pupils' life in lockdown

Sheffield primary school art project illustrates pupils' life in lockdown

An art installation exploring life in lockdown will be showcased on the Beck school playground this week.

15/03/2021

Mapping Kirkham with Kirkham Grammar School Students – Kirkham Treasures

Mapping Kirkham with Kirkham Grammar School Students – Kirkham Treasures

Mapping Kirkham with Kirkham Grammar School Studentsby Alex BlakeyMarch 4, 2021March 12, 2021This week I have been working with A-level geography students at Kirkham Grammar School developing a new visual heritage map of Kirkham. We began the week, exploring Kirkham’s history from Roman times thro...

12/03/2021

This week I installed the 'Our Street' installation in Shiregreen. The piece was created as a response to covid 19 as a way to connect the community at a time when everyone is apart. The piece showcases work by Beck Primary school exploring the children's dreams for Shiregreen alongside local photography and work created in collaboration with members of the community through zoom workshops and activity packs. The piece celebrates the area's key workers and the different things people love about shiregreen or have experienced during lockdown. It aims to instil a sense of pride in the area and a greater sense of connectivity whilst encouraging more people to explore their own creativity and try their hand at arts activities. The response to the work was fantastic. It was great to see so many people excited about their local community and really engaging with the piece. The structure will be installed in Beck Primary School next week for the children to explore in their breaktime. The hope is to continue to add to the piece and take it to different locations in the future.

05/03/2021

This Tuesday I will be installing my reimagine project in Shiregreen.

03/03/2021

Kirkham Treasures – Revealing Kirkham's Heritage

I've been selected to work with the town of Kirkham on their Kirkham Treasures project. It's been a busy first few week conducting research and developing a new community engagement plan for the town. Keep updated on the project through their dedicated website: https://kirkhamtreasures.co.uk

Kirkham Treasures has been planned to reveal the past and preserve heritage, while also seeking to develop a cultural vision for the town.

04/02/2021

It's been a busy few weeks working on the Reimagine project for . Our dog definitely enjoyed exploring the piece. A lot more work still to do before it reaches its home in Shiregreen in March.

04/02/2021

Paper Art Activities | Draw the Day

Here is the latest postcard workshop in a series I've been creating for Cartwheel Arts.

Eight unique paper art activities with templates for you to try at home!

12/01/2021

During the lockdown it's more important than ever to stay creative. Why not have a go at one of the activities postcards designed for Cartwheel Arts.

Over the last 3 weeks I've been working for Cartwheel Arts posting postcards and materials packs out to residents in Rochdale to help keep them creative. We will be sending out weekly packs for 8 weeks.

This is a great way to bring a story to life.
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Think of scene you would like to bring to life. Using a sketchbook or paper think about the different layers of the scene. Are there distant hills and a house, a close by tree and a person or animal in the foreground? You will need about four layers in your image.
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To begin, take a thin piece of card and fold along the long lentgh one way and then the other to make a concertina. Glue the long edges along each side of a piece of card that you would like as the background of your piece.
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You will create each layer from the back to the front. Start with the distant hills. Draw them on another piece of card leaving a 1cm strip at the bottom that goes all the way across.
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Cut along the top of your hills to create their shape and stick the edges of the piece to the first step in your concertina's.
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As you create each layer stick them to the next fold in the concertina's until you have all 4 layers.
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Finally add a frame card to the front.

12/01/2021

It's been a busy start to 2021 constructing the framework for the Reimagine installation for Ignite Imaginations . I can't wait to see the piece installed in March.

28/12/2020

Photos from Ignite Imaginations's post

17/12/2020

To celebrate the summer project with Blue Pits Housing Action we made a book that shows off all of the fabulous work made by participants with quotes and an overview of the process. Thanks to Toucan Print for getting it printed and delivered so quickly and on beautiful FSC approved paper using environmentally friendly inks!
Lead practitioners:
Ebb and Flow Art For Wellbeing Alx Creations

24/11/2020

Fantastic news! The Stepping Stones woodwork arts for wellbeing project I taught for Cartwheel Arts and Blue Pits Housing was awarded first place in the Rochdale Borough Adult safeguarding and dignity awards 2020. Such a great project to work on. It was amazing to see the difference it made to the participants.

19/11/2020

📣 Announcement 📣

Ignite Imaginations is thrilled to announce the launch of REIMAGINE, a series of art experiences across the city this winter.

We are thrilled to be working with our amazingly talented artists Laura Page Photography Alx Creations, Sara Beaven-Widdowson and Charlie Hill to bring this to life!

Tell me more...https://www.igniteimaginations.org.uk/reimagine

With thanks to our funders The National Lottery Community Fund

09/11/2020

Visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/alexblakeydesign to order your Christmas gifts before the end of November and receive free shipping on all UK orders over £35.

12/10/2020

Some more photos of some of the great work created by participants at Blue Pits during the course. Their work is now installed in their on site gardens for all to enjoy. Another fantastic project for Cartwheel Arts.

12/10/2020

Last week was the final week of teaching arts sessions at blue pits for Cartwheel Arts. It's been a fantastic project and I'm so proud of the work each and every person created. Both groups achieved a lot throughout the project, not only learning DIY and arts skills but also learning transferable skills such as presentation, confidence, teamwork, planning and problem solving. The course was aimed at both improving wellbeing whilst also teaching life skills and skills for the workplace. The group's worked as a team to set a theme for their work and design their final pieces using the skills they had learnt. The results were fantastic and the pride was clearly visible on each and every person's face when they installed their work on site. It's always great to receive positive feedback on a project and hear about the difference it has made to those involved. What a fantastic project to work on and a great group of people. Wishing everyone at blue pits the best in their future.

28/08/2020

It's been great to be back working out in the community teaching woodwork skills for Cartwheel Arts. I have been teaching a wide range of basic woodwork skills that will be used to create a collaborative artwork for the gardens. Not only are the classes great for improving wellbeing but they also teach important life and employment skills.