Showing posts with label Colchester. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colchester. Show all posts

Tuesday, 19 June 2012

Finally...On my workbench.. week ??? Better late than never...

Well not exactly on my workbench.... Just so glad to be back in the 'real' world. 
(Many thanks to my son and his friend Michael. The beers are on me boys...)
Some great news, my work was chosen for the Colchester Art open.... At The Minories Art Gallery, Colchester..

Does anyone recognize the famous printmaker/artist I'm hung next to?... So proud.

It's... Jamie Dodds. click the link.. 
His work is amazing, and such a lovely fella he is too.


Thursday, 17 November 2011

Way.... Way out of my comfort zone

I am so nervous.... 

A few weeks ago I was asked by Pam Schomberg to give a little talk about opening my studio earlier in the year...She has assured me that it won't be too nerve racking and that everyone will be kind, but that doesn't help my nerves.  The evening has arrived.... I'm shaking in my boots...                                  

It was strange the way it happened...  Coincidences do happen... I had recently read about a brilliant book; ‘Id rather be in the studio’, by Alyson Stanfield which apparently gave a lot of information about taking the steps from being a closet artist to becoming more professional. Being someone who is full of self doubt, and no courage, I promptly ordered it from the local library... Too tight to buy it?  ... It's an expensive book!!!!..  It turned out to be inspiring and hand-holding and helpful, she talks about being pro-active, and that it's up to the 'artist/me' to basically get of their proverbial arse and do something about it and not wait in the studio for 'it' to happen...'It' won't... So here go's..

Would any artist/crafts people like to join me at Cuckoo Farm Studios this evening.. I can give you a lift from Wivenhoe. It's free.. Let me know asap.

I shall be leaving around 6pm.. email, or ring me..

  

Cuckoo Farm Studios 

Presents the first event in our yearlong going Cuckoo programme.

Thursday 17th November 2011, 6.30pm at the 
Benham Gallery
Heidi Lichterman (www.heidilichterman.co.uk ) discusses the Open Studios in Cambridge.
Three local artists, from Wivenhoe, Dovercourt and Mistley talk about their Open Studio experiences.

Followed by a homemade supper in the Benham Gallery.
The talk and discussion is free (booking via admin@cuckoofarmstudios.org.uk  is essential). Supper is £7 (£5 for CFS Tenants and Associates.)
Heidi has been involved in Open Studios in Cambridge since the concept began and will be looking at the way they have developed through a process of trial and error. Doug Selway, Daphne Sandham and Julie Howe will look at Colchester and Tendring Open Studios and how it has affected them. Open discussion will be encouraged.

Do come and join us in our very first event at Cuckoo Farm Studios.

going Cuckoo
celebrating 20 years of Cuckoo Farm Studios.

Wish me luck... I have so many butterflies... Send me some courage..

... Did I buy the book in the end... Yes! It's inspiring.. Well, it's encouraging me out of my comfort zone for sure...

Wednesday, 26 January 2011

I can't concerntrate on anything at the moment..

My sweet friend is in the St Helena Hospice...

So on this grey day I took myself off into Colchester to meet up with the girls at the Contemporary Craft group meeting held at the Firstsite gallery in Eld Lane. (More about that another time).
On my journey into town, I wander up Queen St, to my right is St Botolphs church it just peeps through the buildings, looking very grey and austere.....As luck would have it  I had my camera with me today.....And...No, I don't know the man in the hat!
 
Continue walking down towards it and your in for a treat.
I love the doorway it smiles at you in an upside down way... Inviting you to come and have a peek...
The surprise is when you round the corner to the left...
 

It is an wonderful early Norman  priory, built in flint and reused Roman brick, the church displays massive circular pillars and round arches and an elaborate west front.
The Priory was granted a charter by William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror, in C.1100. (He is buried in Winchester Cathedral if you needed to know).

It was the first House of the Augustinian Order in England
At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries the Priory suffered badly and in 1536 was largely demolished. 
It was later badly damaged by cannon fire during the Civil War siege of 1648. 

All that history..... And it's just around the corner from my bus stop.... How amazing is that!

Colchester never ceases to amaze me, how lucky I am to live just 20 minutes or so from all of this fabulous history and architecture... Inspiring... Collagraph knife at the ready...

Friday, 26 November 2010

Protests in Colchester High Street...

 ...Over student university fees..
Approximately 2,000 students protested about the rise in student fee's on Wednesday in Colchester High St. I just happend to be in town with some time to spare.
There where so many police, even some mounted police, I was astonished!  The students were protesting peacefully, there was no trouble, they just wanted to let the local government officers know their grievances. 
I spoke to a few of the students  and asked them about their protest, most where very annoyed that the Lib Dem's had gone back on their pre-election promises, not to increase university fee's, but to go back on their word then to triple the fee's was outlandish. That's why most of them are so upset. 

After talking to some of these great young people, I was in admiration of them for orgainising their protest...  Twitter... need I say more.. I felt so old. 
It was so good to see young people with a little backbone willing to stand up and say what they believed in... 

Despite being intimidated a little by the police, I could hear them planning their next protest..... Good for them, I say..



Next item.... London


Yesterday hubby and I went to London, I had to see a specalist in Harley Street, which turned out to be quite stressful... enough said.


But we made the most of our day, with a little shopping in Oxford Street and a visit to Carnaby Street, which has changed beyond recognition since we last visited...Some years ago, I might add.  Still trendy. with lots of wonderful shops, selling bizarre and fashionable??? Stuff!... I think that I just got a little older.
 Carnaby Street
These did facinate me though, they were in a very expensive dress shop... What great masks, all hand stitched as far as I could tell through the window.
We also went to Hamleys, the famous toy shop to buy a gift for our grandson... We came out with a toy for our youngest instead... He is 22... And still loves toys.


We also went for a quick look in Liberty's....Always a joy.


Then a walk around Soho during the evening...Wow! what a place, it was buzzing, fantastic, I only wish we could have stayed longer... Just to sit and have a coffee and watch the people go by.


We also went to the Greenwich Maratime Museum, hubby's choice, a bit dissapointing, it was nothing in comparisom to the fantastic one in Falmouth, Cornwall.

The best thing  in the whole building... It is vast. was an exhibition of childrens toy boats, which was wonderful and worth the effort of visiting the museum, my photograh is rubbish...Taken 'illigally' through the glass cabinet.

After a l-o-n-g day yesterday... I am shattered, mentally and physically.


I was going to post the last angels... I shall do that sometime over the weekend... Get your thinking caps on I shall need two more names.


Have a good weekend everyone... And keep warm, it's freezing out there.

Saturday, 22 May 2010

Firstsite

Today I delivered my girls to the 'Firstsite' gallery in Colchester.
They will be exhibited from Wednesday onwards...

'A Common Thread' by Julie Howe

This work started out with a cereal packet and an idea for one doll. There are now over 100 dolls, in the final setting up of the installation I shall add a red thread.

Sunday, 9 August 2009

'The Spectacular Dancing Tent'

You know the feeling...

...when you were listening to a fairy story when you were little and it felt so real
...when you are reading a book and you don't want it to end
...or when you are watching a film and you feel that someone is sharing 'the' secret with you alone.......... and you tingle all over at the excitement and anticipation of whats to come.....there's magic in the air ..

Last night we visited a very magical place........ they called it

'The Spectacular Dancing Tent'



I have never seen anything like, it a 'Spiegeltent' arrived in Lower Castle Park, Colchester, as if by magic.
Spiegeltent means 'mirror tent', it is a beautiful wooden structure with the most amazing magical interior with mirrored booths surrounding a wooden dance floor.



All around the outside are individual painted wooden panels that make up the sides of the tent its huge and so very beautiful.


The entrance is like something from the turn of the last Century, like a fairground ride with its carvings painted in rich colours with golden high lights.

Then, as you peep through the entrance

music
sky lights of red and green glow in the evening light
the colours are rich and warm
the dancers are on the floor
moving to the haunting sounds of a Tango
around the edges their reflections dance across the mirrored booths
it smells of perfume, grass and canvas.



I loved it, I was let in on a secret that will stay with me for a very long time.
A little magic here in the East of England