Flags of many nations - all made from stamps

We all love flags!  

  Here are a few which have been made up into canvas prints in a variety of sizes and have gone  as far away as Australia,New Zealand, USA,Canada and Japan, as well as closer to home!   Shown here are my LOVE version of the Union Jack,

Welsh flag, Stars and Stripes (USA),

Australian flag, Swiss flag and German flag, all made from the stamps of each country.

The largest I've had made was a Union Jack  100 x 60 cms but generally they are approximately 30 x 40 cms according to the format of the flag itself.They can also be produced as giclee prints. 

These are just a few of many I've made from stamps - others can be seen on www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk    and I'm always happy to discuss commissions for more unusual flags such as one made in the colours of the Ugandan flag, including Ugandan stamps but also other themes from countries and subjects associated with the recipient. Possibilities are endless .. just ask! 

Latest Commission - a personalised flag of Uganda

I'm always happy to consider commissions, and the latest one was a pleasure to make! I was asked if I would  create a personalised flag of Uganda as a 70th birthday present.

 My first thought  was that it would be difficult to find enough stamps of the right colours, Black, yellow and red, from  Uganda itself, to make up the six bands on the flag.  For other stamp collage flags I've chosen only to use stamps of the country concerned.  However, I was told that this was not essential and I could use practically any stamps, but maybe keep to countries holding some significance in the life of the recipient, so that made it a bit easier!

I thoroughly enjoyed the search for elements connected with family, work and travel  in countries including Australia, New Zealand, the USA,  South Africa, Great Britain and the important connections still retained with Uganda. I was also  told he enjoys crosswords,is a fan of the Beatles, is a Capricorn, and was also born in the Chinese year of the pig! The national bird of Uganda, the crested crane,  appears in the central disc of the flag - that was probably the hardest thing to track down, but I found a stamp with one on which fitted the bill!

Now that the flag has been framed and presented at the birthday celebrations, I can also reveal a tiny secret addition, a fountain in Naples, the destination for a surprise holiday!

Other personalised commissions have included the flag of Barbados, made into a slightly larger canvas print, and a Union Jack also featuring many personally chosen themes. This was reproduced as a huge canvas print more than 1 metre wide, and sent to Australia!

If you'd like to commission a personalised flag, please get in touch!

International Beatles Week in Liverpool 21-27 August 2013

This week is International Beatles week in Liverpool! Yeah, Yeah, Yeah - wish I was there!
I made this Beatles tribute Union Jack stamp collage flag which incorporates the 6 Beatles album cover stamps issued in 2007, along with other iconic British stamps to make up the flag.  In clockwise order from top left of flag are : Abbey Road 64p, Let it Be 72p, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1st Class, Help! 64p,  With the Beatles, Ist Class, and Revolver, 72p.  It's available as a giclee print on high quality paper at £35 (unframed)  plus P&P or as a canvas print mounted on a wooden frame at £60  Plus P & P. Both images are approximately 36 cms x 26 cms (approx A3).  E mail  markwickfamily@aol.com  for further details. Cards also available.

If you want to find out more about  International Beatles Week, have a look at their website:
bit.ly.LivBeat.   I can personally recommend the Magical Mystery tour, which I've been on twice.
It was such fun!

Every picture tells a story

Spent yesterday morning hanging the exhibition of my work at Pegasus Art Shop, London Road, Thrupp, Gloucestershire, and it's looking good!  The exhibition runs until 20th November 2012,  9 - 5 Monday to Saturday.
Pegasus Art Shop is a great place to dispay work as they have plenty of wall space leading along to studios and the shop, so I've been able to create a pleasing show with areas of work in themes including ships, flags, gardens and Gaudi inspired pieces, as well as some individual subjects.

Until recently I've been reluctant to part with my original work, maybe for sentimental reasons, but I've recently  made the decision that it's time to offer what people want to buy and that is original stamp collages - and I can  always keep a print for myself! The quality of the printing is such that you can often hardly tell the difference, but with the stamp collages the texture of the stamps is also very appealing, and there's nothing quite like owning original art.  The majority of the pictures in the exhibition, Stamping Ground, are framed originals, but I've also included some canvas prints and a few framed prints too.

Every picture tells a story and there are so many stories within the stamp collages themselves too.
All the flags, for instance, are made up of the stamps of each individual country and within those stamps are the history, folklore, natural history and characters who make up that country.

Named ships of which there are some originals and some prints have their own histories and are made up of interesting details.  Hope to have a good audience for my work at Pegasus in the next few weeks! Please get in touch if you need more information on any of the work included.

The Colosseum, Original framed Stamp Collage by Rachel Markwick, features in the current exhibition at Pegasus Art Shop, Thrupp










markwickrachel@gmail.com

Olympic torch coming to Stroud on 23rd May

Stroud is certainly looking extremely festive with Olympic banners all all over the town, great shop window displays and  Union Jacks and bunting for the Diamond Jubilee too!  What a year!  And Stroud Site Festival 2012 continues until the end of May with the second of the Open Studios week-ends tomorrow and Sunday as well, so the distinctive yellow and black Site 12 or Open Studio signs add to the colour!    My Union Jacks featuring the Queen's portraits on stamps is proving popular among studio visitors and Canvas prints, cards and larger prints are available. I also have other versions of the flag as a stamp collage with the word LOVE in the centre, which makes a great gift!   As well as our own wonderful flag, I've created flags of many of the other nations from their own stamps and many of these are on display here in my studio at the moment, along with pictures of ships, gardens, birds and more abstract stamp collages.

See http://www.sitefestival.org.uk/ for details of all the studios open this week-end - some artists' studios  may also be open at other times if you phone them for information.  See Page 20 venue 35 for my own studio information.

Tulips are coming out in my garden ... and in stamp collages too!

Tulips are some of my favourite flowers and making these was great fun! I've never been to see the tulips in Amsterdam but enjoyed the wonderful display at Cerney House gardens in Gloucestershire last year. Hope to revisit soon.

There are five Stamp collage tulip designs all of which are available as prints or small canvas prints and greetings cards.

Made in Stroud Shop, Stroud, Gloucestershire

Just delivered new stock of cards to the shop today, including my latest Union Jack stamp collage which celebrates the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It incorporates many stamps issued during her reign, with a beautiful photo portrait of her in the centre. Cards £3 each and there is also a canvas print which is A3 (30 x 40 cms approx) at £70. New card designs also available from the shop including three new garden themed designs and the French flag, also available as a canvas print - I think they have a retro/vintage feel about them!

The Made in Stroud shop has a great selection of locally made items including cards, ceramics. jewellery, pictures, textiles, decorative items and more all very reasonably priced.

Artshape Artshop Open in Beechwood Shopping Centre

Unit 15 in Beechwood shopping centre, Cheltenham is now the Artshape Artshop until at least Saturday 5th November, with the possibility that this time may be extended.

A wonderful variety of work is on sale in the shop, made by artists and students who work for Artshape or who attend classes run by the charity. 20% of sale price will be donated to Artshape, and it's well worth supporting them. Visit http://www.artshape.co.uk/ to find out more about classes and courses run by Artshape and to see some of the work on sale.

I have several of my stamp collage canvas prints and pictures on sale, as well as cards and a couple of very eye catching A1 framed Union Jack and US Stars and Stripes posters! You can also visit my website on http://www.rachelmarkwick.com/