Northern contemporary glass society exhibition

Pendle Heritage Centre Art Gallery, Barrowford, U.K. Dec 2012.
Istra contributed to Contemporary Glass Society exhibition at Barrowford in Pendle Heritage Centre Art Gallery showing the latest works of top glass artists from across the north of England.

Art in glass

October-December 2012. at Studio Valeria in Medulin, Croatia. Following a fruitful September master class with Susan S. Amend and Jeff Zimmer at the North Lands Creative Glass Centre in Scotland, Istra made a number of new pieces of glass inspired by the local scenery. Glass panels were painted, fired and finished off with engraving. Here are few examples,

 

Interpretations of Hilbre

05/10/2012, Gallery Staacks, West Kirby, U.K. is showing Istra’s latest jewellery as a part of 10 years on Staacks celebration of the theme of “Interpretations of Hilbre”. Jewellery is inspired by the local seascape and is made in new style using Welsh seashell and silver wire.

6th Wirral Society of Arts National Open Exhibition

September-November 2012, Birkenhead, U.K. Istra contributed a painting inspired by the Manchester ship canall and industrial landscape going back to the Industrial Revolution.

Northlands creative glass, Lybster in Scotland

September, 2012 in Lybster, Scotland, U.K.  Istra took part in Susan S. Amend’s master class in various ways of creating images on glass. This was another successful and informative work with Susan (U.S.A.) assisted by Jeff Zimmer and a group of established glass artists from different World parts. Always delighted to visit Northlands and make some good glass art work. Here are few examples.

Wirral Festival of Firsts

07-08 July in Hoylake, Wirral U.K.

Istra contributed to this second festival of culture, art and music organized by John Gorman and friends. Istra organized an interactive group art project titled Art-by Inch in which 10 local artist participated in creating the first 10m long piece of art that was sold £1 per 1" of art at the Hoylake prom. Adriana von Runic and Ali Carter accomplished musicians contributed varied music and performed at an evening concert. Barbara, Maureen, Sheila and Istra sold most of the painting the profit of which will go toward Claire House a local children’s' hospice. 

De-junk Re-junk art from found objects

02/07/2012 art exhibition at Birkenhead visitor centre, UK.
AMAZING pieces or artwork made out of junk are on display in Wirral.Istra exhibited at this the second year at the De-junk, Re-junk exhibition, for which artists have created beautiful pieces out of rubbish, litter and other discarded items.The innovative exhibition is to show how items which otherwise would have ended up in landfill can be transformed into something else with a bit of creativity and skill. More than 30 artists and craftsmen across Merseyside are involved in the show. Artist Alison Bailey Smith organised and curates the show.
Istra Toner's work titled NOSTALGIA has been created from discarder materials including paper, cardboard, clothes and house hold decorating paints. The work questions the meaning of our need for remembering the past. Each piece leads the viewer to remembering their own past, and imagining someone from a long ago hiding their precious mementos of a special relationships under the floorboards for us to rediscover in time.

"Motovun Mon Amour"

"Motovun Mon Amour" German premiere at the Munich International
Short Film Festival, 27 June 2012. Other festivals: Motovun 2011, Trieste 2012, Bozen 2012
Weblink: www.motovun-creative-group.com Among the guests: Brigitte Drodtloff, screenwriter;
actor Johannes Herrschman, Lothar Just, producer/director Peter Goedel.

Production and realisation: Lothar Just, Arnold Trampe and Istra Toner

Synopsis: Motuvun is one of the most picturesque and interesting towns in Istria. Like many other cities in the region, it had a turbulent history. In 1948, almost everybody left, but, in recent years, newcomers (both Croatians and foreigners) have occupied the houses again. An important question is: can these locals and newcomers create a coherent community? This documentary tries to find out by questioning several representatives of the parties concerned

Exhibitions of “Women in Istrian frescoe”

June 2012. Exhibitions in Medulin and Vodnjan, Croatia.

The body of work was shown in Medulin and Vodnjan in Croatia. It was created by a group of International artists on the theme of “women in Istrian frescoes”: from Croatia (Roberta W Nagy, jewellery), Montenegro (Milena Vladisavljevic, painting), Macedonia (Buhran Ahmeti, print), UK (Susan M Sharples, textile; Jan Ejsymontt, painting with music; Istra Toner, glass and painting). Exhibitions were accompanied with a performance on flute by Adriana von Runic, from Australia, and an ensemble of Macedonian folk from Kiril and Metodi group.

Symposium “Women in Istrian frescoe”

May 2012. An international symposium at studio Valeria in Medulin, Croatia.


This symposium was based on the theme of “women in Istrian frescoes” that date from the 13th Century and are specific to the area. Artists gave demonstrations and workshop showing their preferred methods in working: from Croatia (Roberta W Nagy, jewellery), Montenegro (Milena Vladisavljevic, painting), Macedonia (Buhran Ahmeti, print), UK (Susan M Sharples, textile; Jan Ejsymontt, painting with music; Istra Toner, glass and painting), and Australia (Adriana von Runic, music on flaute). Other participants took part in making art. At the end of symposium created body of work was exhibited in Medulin and Vodnjan.

Art-by-Inch

March 2012 - Hoylake and Oxton. As a part of the Woirral Festival of Firsts (FoF) 2012 Istra organized an community interactive art project and workshops in creating the first and the longest original painting. Nine local artists contributed to the first stage of the project. A 10m long painting of local seascape will be completed during the FoF in July with contributions from the public. The painting will be sold at £1 per inch; contribution will be made to a local children’s hospice.

Art from plastic bags

March 2012 - Art from plastic bags. A visit to Bidston Household Waste Recycling Centre

followed by Jo Smith’s workshop in making art from plastic bags at Oxton Green Shop.

Exhibition "Galss fairy tails"

Pula 28/12/2011. Hotel Amfiteatr
In a beautiful hotel situated near the Roman amphitheater in Pula artists from Studio Valeria in Medulin exhibited their work of glass painted and kiln fired images from fairy tails. This exhibition followed exhibitions in Banjole and Medulin. The exhibition was well presented by the regional media.

 

Medulin Chrismas Festival 21-24 Dec 2011

Artists from Studio Valeria participated with art demonstrations and an exhibition in this major kultural event of music, art and crafts.

Workshops in glass at studio Valeria

Medulin, Croatia December 2011

The aim of these workshops was to create a body of work using Cappy Thompson's method in painting on glass and kiln fired. The focus was images from fairy tails as a Universal theme familiar from the youngest to the oldest viewer. Artist chose images from Grim and Anderson classic tails with some regional and some contemporary tails. In all ten artists made 30 pieces first shown in Medulin, and later in a number of places in the region.