Just got back from our fortnight's holiday in Fecamp, Normandy. It's a great area for many reasons and this Summer there's an additional reason to visit the are if you're interested in the art of the Impressionists. There is an Impressionist festival and there are many exhibitions and displays around the ares.
I was lucky to be able to visit a great exhibition which continues on until 26th September 2010 at the Musee des Beaux Arts in Rouen. It's called "Une ville pour L'Impressionnisme MKonet, Pissarro et Gauguin a Roune. As well as many paintings by these artists, including (I think) 11 of Monet's paintings of Rouen Cathedral, you can discover works by lesser known artists. It was the first time I had come across the beautiful oil paintings of Charles Frechon, Joseph Delattre and Robert Antoine Pinchon.
There are other major exhibitions in Le Havre and Dieppe, but it's worth checking visiting times and dates and beware of the French lunchtime closing hours, which I'm afraid I had somehow forgotten when in these locations!
While we were in Normandy we visited Fecamp, Etretat and Yport, all towns which have Impressionist connections and many of the small shops were displaying reproductions of the artists' work alongside contemporary artists' work.
A great area for a last minute break and to take in the wonderful coastline and the Hautes Falaises (high cliffs) made famous by the Impressionists. We managed to get a very cheap ferry crossing Dover to Dunquerque with Norfolk Line for just £49 return in August for car and family of four, but did have a 3 hour drive to reach our dstination in Fecamp.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Press coverage and Open day on Sat 7th August
As a result of the recent Open Studios festival I was interviewed by Tracy Spiers of Stroud Life and the following article appeared in today's edition of the paper.
I'm opening my studio again this Saturday 7th August from 10.30 until 6 p.m.
Also had a small piece in Stanley Gibbons stamp monthly in July. I recently made a series of Tulip collages and one of them included a stamp issued by Brazil in 1953 commemmorating an artist called Horacio Hora. As often happens to me when I'm making my collages, I go off at a tangent trying to find out more about the subject of one of the stamps I have been using! This man was obviously a very well known artist in Brazil in the early 1900s and apparently painted more than 300 paintings, but I have been unable to find out much about him, so wrote to the magazine in an attempt to get some feedback. Hoping to hear from someone, somewhere, sometime, but it hasn't happened yet! Not much on the web either and any art galleries in possession of his work seem not to have photos!
Stamp Magazine and Stamp Monthly also published articles about the Cargoes series of stamp collages in 2008.
I'm opening my studio again this Saturday 7th August from 10.30 until 6 p.m.
Also had a small piece in Stanley Gibbons stamp monthly in July. I recently made a series of Tulip collages and one of them included a stamp issued by Brazil in 1953 commemmorating an artist called Horacio Hora. As often happens to me when I'm making my collages, I go off at a tangent trying to find out more about the subject of one of the stamps I have been using! This man was obviously a very well known artist in Brazil in the early 1900s and apparently painted more than 300 paintings, but I have been unable to find out much about him, so wrote to the magazine in an attempt to get some feedback. Hoping to hear from someone, somewhere, sometime, but it hasn't happened yet! Not much on the web either and any art galleries in possession of his work seem not to have photos!
Stamp Magazine and Stamp Monthly also published articles about the Cargoes series of stamp collages in 2008.
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Catching up after a busy couple of weeks. The studio is looking a bit more like it's normal untidy self after the transformation for Open Studios, and I've been making more cards to take into Made in Stroud, and now also my new contact, M.A.D.E., a shop I've recently found in Cirencester.
Lots of interest in the Stamp collages and the canvas prints of the Union Jack and Stars and Stripes are now available to buy through both these great shops. Made in Stroud shop in Kendrick Street, Stroud,is a wonderful place to visit, with a wide variety of wonderful items made by local artists and craftspeople. The stock is ever changing and includes greetings cards, postcards, prints and pictures, soaps, ceramics, wooden utensils, textiles, books and many more exciting things.
I recently discovered M.A.D.E. (Makers and Designers Emporium) at 9 Silver Street, (www.made-gallery.com) and it's another lovely little gem of a shop well worth a visit next time you're in Cirencester.
Had a great day out visiting my eldest daughter who's just moved to Bristol, only to find that there's a collectors shop near where she lives! Came home with two large bags of stamps on paper which have taken me days to sort out and soak ready to be
turned into collages at some stage when inspiration strikes! I have to say that many of them are recent GB stamps which I have now put into my own collection, which had been slightly neglected over the last few years, so any stamp collectors will be relieved to know that I do have great respect for the hobby of philately as well as putting the more common items to good use in my collages!
Here is a, hopefully, slighly better reproduction of the Union Jack "Love" Canvas print, mentioned above.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Stamp collages were a great talking point
The last two week-ends have been so busy! My studio was part of the Site 10 Open Studios event and people came from far and wide to visit.
There are several studios in the Bisley Road area of Stroud and it makes a great circuit for people to see several artists during the course of one day, and our work is all so different that we're not really in competition with each other, rather providing a great variety of experiences for the public. As the event is over two week-ends it is possible to visit many other studios in other parts of Stroud and surrounding villages too.
This year I have been showing new work which has been produced mainly over the last two years - stamp collages. Subjects include Tulips, an owl, cats, Ships, Peacock and Gaudi mosaic designs. Stamp Collage Union Jacks and the US Flag, Stars and Stripes and the Dove of Peace caused much interest.(Postage stamps are used to create the pictures as opposed to rubber stamps!)Visitors were clearly amazed at the unique use of stamps, and my slight concern about adverse reactions from any philatelists were needless. A lifelong stamp collector, and journalist, all the way from the USA, visited my studio and was fascinated with my work, so much so that he is planning a piece for inclusion in an American Stamp magazine.
I have much enjoyed hearing stories and memories connected with stamps, mainly from adults. However, two very young visitors also enjoyed doing a "Stamp Search" I had devised to help them to look closely at the work. I think their parents had fun with it too!
There are several studios in the Bisley Road area of Stroud and it makes a great circuit for people to see several artists during the course of one day, and our work is all so different that we're not really in competition with each other, rather providing a great variety of experiences for the public. As the event is over two week-ends it is possible to visit many other studios in other parts of Stroud and surrounding villages too.
This year I have been showing new work which has been produced mainly over the last two years - stamp collages. Subjects include Tulips, an owl, cats, Ships, Peacock and Gaudi mosaic designs. Stamp Collage Union Jacks and the US Flag, Stars and Stripes and the Dove of Peace caused much interest.(Postage stamps are used to create the pictures as opposed to rubber stamps!)Visitors were clearly amazed at the unique use of stamps, and my slight concern about adverse reactions from any philatelists were needless. A lifelong stamp collector, and journalist, all the way from the USA, visited my studio and was fascinated with my work, so much so that he is planning a piece for inclusion in an American Stamp magazine.
I have much enjoyed hearing stories and memories connected with stamps, mainly from adults. However, two very young visitors also enjoyed doing a "Stamp Search" I had devised to help them to look closely at the work. I think their parents had fun with it too!
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Art is a lie that tells the truth
This morning I had the pleasure of stewarding the Drawing show in Stroud Subscription rooms. It was a great opportunity for me to spend some time looking at the work of other artists taking part in the Stroud Site 10 Festival. Michelle Ohlson and Kerry Phippen have done a great job in putting together an interesting and though provoking selection of work by local artists. I found the piece by Carlos Ordonez particularly moving and was glad that I was able to watch the slide projection through several times. (It takes just a few minutes). Other visitors to the show were very appreciative of the explanations provided by the artists which are available to view in the sub rooms, and I would encourage others to go along to see this exhibition. It is on until 30th June. Monday - Sat. 10-5 pm and Sunday 20th only 10 - 4.
If visiting on 19th or 20th June, why not visit other Open Studios artists in Stroud and make a great day out? Brochures are available online. www.sva.org.uk
If visiting on 19th or 20th June, why not visit other Open Studios artists in Stroud and make a great day out? Brochures are available online. www.sva.org.uk
Saturday, 12 June 2010
"Dove of Peace" stamp collage canvas print
The dove has become known as a symbol of world peace, and appropriately my stamp collage includes postage stamps from all over the world.
It would be great to think all of these countries could exist in harmony with each other.
"U.S Flag" stamp collage canvas print
This beautiful canvas print is taken from the original stamp collage, using mainly US postage stamps, in the colours of the Stars and Stripes- red, white, and blue.
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