Stamp and Coin Mart includes article about my work

The January 2013 edition of Stamp & Coin Mart (published 14/12/12) includes an article by Tim Clegg.  Tim runs the Torbay Stamp Centre and has a keen interest in keeping the hobby of stamp collecting alive.  He's recently written a book called "Stamp Collecting Unhinged" and having read and reviewed this great little book, Tim and I have been in correspondence and he has discovered my own rather different take on using stamps.

Many diverse interests can be combined successfully and his article describes how  my interest in stamps and art have come together, as well as an interesting project by a postcard collector who bought a collection of very old envelopes with heavily postmarked stamps on and is aiming to create a " three dimensional design" with them.

The picture in the centre is one of my recent stamp collages, which I have called "The trawler Marianne". Take a close look at the sails and you will see why.

Christmas Wreath

I've been making my own Christmas wreaths for many years and it's really easy!  All you need is a wire coat hanger, and some florist's wire (or fine wire which is strong but easy to cut).  Gather anything you can find including holly, evergreen foliage, ivy, clippings from fir trees, yew etc.  I even used a few of the lower branches of our Christmas tree which was just a bit too tall.  

You need to bend the coat hanger into a circle with the hook at the top, then wind your greenery around it, at the same time fixing it in place with the wire. Either cut into manageable lengths and knot regularly or use the wire on its holder , wrapping it round as you go. It can be a bit fiddly but you soon get into the swing of it!   You can decorate your wreath with pine cones, either left in their natural state or sprayed or painted with gold or silver paint or glitter.  Add a ribbon, and your wreath is ready to hang on your own front door! 

My first stamp album

Making stamp collages and exhibiting has brought me into contact with a lot of people who were childhood stamp collectors but gave up the hobby.  Most find it fascinating that I'm using stamps to create pictures and I have had some lovely appreciative comments about the way the stamps are being used to good effect.  Some people have kept their old stamp albums in the hope that their families will take up the hobby but this doesn't always happen I'm afraid.  One or two friends have given me their albums and I occasionally receive a packet in the post from someone who has read about my work and is kind enough to send me stamps they want me to have and make good use of. I was recently presented with this lovely little album, which is  the very same as the one I had as a child, a little blue album with a ship on the front, very much like the Blue Peter emblem!

It contains stamps mainly from the  1960s and many are the same as the ones I had myself.  My collection outgrew the little blue album's 6750 spaces, and I later began to specialise in a few countries and themes, but was so pleased to see this one again!     

The Art of Shorthand Exhibition by Tracy Spiers

I first met Tracy Spiers when she called in to my studio in Stroud  during an  Open Studios week-end in June 2010.  Tracy was very interested in my pictures and we chatted easily about how it had all come about, and shared our experiences of the Access course at Stroud college, which she had just started and which I had completed 10 years before.  She asked if she could come back to do a proper interview and write an article about me for a future edition of Stroud Life.   Little did I know then how talented an artist Tracy is in her own right!  A journalist of 25 years, wife and mother of five daughters, Tracy  completed the Access course and is currently doing an HND in Fine Art.

As a journalist, she has used shorthand throughout her career and this has now combined with many of the other skills and art forms she has mastered to create a fascinating body of work.  The Art of Shorthand is  at Kendrick Street Gallery in Stroud until December 31st, and you can meet Tracy on Friday December 7th at the gallery between 6 - 7.30 pm,  at Stroud's  Goodwill Evening.

Dove of Peace

Another popular Christmas card design features the Dove of Peace.  I made my dove card  from stamps of the world and it's available now in several outlets including Made In Stroud, in Stroud, Gloucestershire,  Taunton Stamp shop in Bridge Street, Taunton and also the Torbay Stamp Centre.

The card is an A5 sized card reproduced from an original stamp collage design. The Dove carries an olive branch, in its beak.

Taunton Stamp Shop also sells my cards!

Just one of the card designs now stocked by Taunton Stamp Shop.

I'm often in Taunton now as one of our daughters is at college there.  I found there is also a stamp shop in the town!   Taunton Stamp Shop,( 66 Bridge Street, Taunton TA1 1UD)  is a lovely old shop which has been run by the same family for more than 35 years.  It has a wide range of philatelic material, including a vast amount of stamps as well as accessories for stamp collectors, postcards, cigarette cards, coins  and model vehicles. They now also have some of my stamp collage greetings cards in stock, so if you're in Taunton call in and have a look around!  It's easy to find, just slightly out of the town centre and a short walk over the bridge, near the Antiques centre, which is also worth a visit.  

Christmas is coming!

Just a month away now until Christmas and every year I try to make a new Christmas card design.
My latest one has just come back from the printers and I've added it to my website.  The Christmas Wreath is this year's design and incorporates mainly stamps from Great Britain, USA and Canada.

I can't imagine quite as many robins will be eating the berries on my real Christmas wreath!

Fish exhibition at The Old Passage Inn, Arlingham

Pop over to The Old Passage Inn at Arlingham, on the banks of the River Severn for coffee or a delicious meal and see the wonderful variety of work on show.  Kel Portman has curated this exhibition of paintings, drawings, photographs, jewellery and 3D work with a Fish theme.  All work is for sale. www.artworks.eu.com/fish for a slide show.

Secret Artist 2012 at The Museum in the Park, Stroud

Last year I took part in the Secret Artist exhibition, and have been invited to take part again this year.
 It will take place on 17th and 18th November in Gallery 2 at the Museum in the Park, Stratford Park, Stroud GL5 4AF, where postcards will be on display which have been anonymously donated by established artists and students from Stroud College.  You can buy a ticket for £15 and once the exhibition has finished all will be revealed and you will be given one of the works of art from the display, according to your ticket number being matched up to one on the back of the work.  It's great fun and you may go home with a real masterpiece by a well known professional artist, and will be contributing to the worthwhile fundraising efforts towards  renovating  the walled garden in Stratford Park.   for further details : www.museuminthepark.org.uk
It's a good idea to get involved as early as possible as tickets sold out last year and many people were disappointed!

Jilly Cobbe: Artist In Residence at Nature in Art this week

Bisley  artist Jilly Cobbe is Artist in Residence at Nature in Art this week (until Sunday 11th November).  I visited her studio yesterday in the garden of this wonderful museum and art gallery at Twigworth, just north of Gloucester.  The studio was busy with visitors including a group of art students who were joining in sketching animals and birds.  There is so much to see at Nature in Art and there is also an exhibition of Wildlife Photography, with some very interesting images.   

American Flag on Stamps of USA

Help! I'm disappearing under a huge heap of stamps which a friend in USA sent me some time ago.  I've been gradually sorting them out as I'm using some designs in Stamp collages and it's always good to have another look to get inspiration.  But what a lot of them have the flag of the USA on!

It's a beautiful flag anyway and well worth it's lovely name of the Star spangled banner.  There's even a museum in Philadelphia dedicated to Betsy Ross who is said to have made the first flag, although there are various stories regarding the exact origins and designers of the flag.  I wondered just how many stamps there are featuring American flags in their various designs and having googled " US flag on American stamps"  got 4,240,000 potential images, and pleased to say that my own stamp collage design was among them!   As it's the last day of the US presidential election campaign, here it is flying again!

Stamp Collage Exhibition at Pegasus Art Shop

The Private view of my exhibition, Stamping Ground,  was well attended and original work, limited edition prints and greetings cards sold well.  Pictures still on show at the exhibition  until 20th November and some pictures  still available to buy from Pegasus Art Shop, which  is open from Monday to Saturday 9 - 5 and the address is: Pegasus Art Shop, Griffin Mill, London Road, Thrupp Gloucestershire GL5 2AZ.  

 Most of the pictures are available as cards and prints (some limited editions)  as well but  direct from me via this website/email as it's not practical for Pegasus to deal with card or unframed print  sales for my work from their shop premises.
The Colosseum shown on the poster will shortly be going to a new home, and  three ships also went sailing by!  I've also been commissioned to make a picture for a wedding present which I will enjoy doing!   It's great to meet new people at events such as this and to talk about my work and the background to how it all started.

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

Christmas Tree stamp collage card

Torbay Stamp Centre, 67 Belgrave Road, Torquay   www.stampcollectingunhinged.co.uk is a great place for all your stamp collecting requirements, and now also stock a range of my stamp collage greetings cards!  If you're after a Christmas card with a difference what better than a Christmas tree made of stamps?   Other stamp collage designs also currently on display in the shop.  Why not call in - you're sure of a warm welcome!  See Torbay Stamp Centre website for details of their range of products and opening times.

Market Art - Stroud Subscription Rooms

Paintings by Chris Bingle

   It's always interesting to see what other artists are doing and the latest exhibition,  Market Art, currently at Stroud Subscription Rooms is a wonderful collection of paintings, photography,  and more, by local artists.  As well as the stall holders, customers and easily recognisable Stroud characters who fill James Milroys vibrant canvases, there are glorious paintings of the fruit and flowers in Veronica Wood's pictures.  Chris Bingle has taken it a step further and gone beyond the market stalls to portray the places where grapes, honey and eggs are produced which finally make their journey to the Stroud market. 

 James Milroy's acrylics

Catch the exhibition while you can as it's only running from 16th to 20th October, from 10 - 5 every day except Saturday (10 - 4 pm). 

Carp made entirely from stamps

My previous post showed the ingredients for this stamp collage fish, which is roughly based on the Mirror carp!   Not knowing a  great deal about fish I discussed my latest project with a friend and it turned out that her son is a keen  Carp fisherman and she was most enthusiastic about the beauty of this particular fish.  Searching through my supply of stamps I found several which I felt would be suitable to create my own version, which admittedly is a bit of a hybrid!   My newspaper background is in fact pages from a Stanley Gibbons stamp catalogue.   There will shortly be an exhibition locally entitled "Fish" - date to be announced! 

Can you tell what it is yet?

Add caption

I've been invited to take part in an exhibition next month at The Old Passage Inn at Arlingham, a delightful fish restaurant on the banks of the River Severn.  It's a joint exhibition which will feature artwork of various kinds including photography, water colours, oils and acrylics, drawings, 3D pieces collage and more.  These are the main ingredients of my piece, which is almost completed.  It's a stamp collage and all the above stamps are included in the picture.  Stamp collages are such fun to do!   In the words of Rolf Harris, "Can you tell what it is yet"? Probably not, but you could have a guess : the clue is in the location!   Watch this space to see the finished article shortly.

 

Exhibition of Stamp Collages at Pegasus Arts

Returned to Sender - 1969 letter to a penfriend

Watching Gareth Malone with the Bristol Post Office Choir singing "Returned to Sender" by Elvis Presley reminded me of a letter to a penpal in New York being  returned to me back in 1969.
As a child I belonged to a penpal club at my school and had penpals in such places as USA, Brazil, India, Italy, Germany and France. It was great receiving mail from other parts of the world with colourful stamps on and exchanging news with children of similar age but widely differing backgrounds.  I had obviously failed to put enough postage on this one, but had kept it in my stamp album since then.  Examining this letter to my USA penfriend, Pasty Takahashi I notice that the wording is slightly different from the words of Elvis's 1962 hit.   He'd have had problems trying to fit in "insufficient postage", or "Do not remail in this envelope"!  I had addressed it correctly though, with both the number and the zone!   I never did write to this penfriend again, probably fearing that no other letters would get through either and wonder what happened to her. She must have had a similar experience! If you're out there anywhere Patsy, please get in touch!

Stamp Collage inspired by Chocolate!

You never know when inspiration will strike, and if it doesn't try eating chocolate!

At a service station in Italy, near the town of Sansepolcro, birthplace of Piero della Francesca, a beautifully packaged  chocolate bar was calling out to be purchased along with the Cappucinos!  The design on the wrapper featured a mosaic in turquoise, gold, white and black. The chocolate itself was most unusual and very enjoyable and I kept the wrapper for my holiday journal, as I am in the habit of doing when travelling.  The effect stayed in my mind and I eventually created a stamp collage based on this image, using stamps for most of the design, but also incorporating the gold foil which contained the original chocolate bar.

I've produced cards and prints of this stamp collage, and have now also had the original framed in preparation for my next exhibition.  This will be at Pegasus Arts, Thrupp, Gloucestershire starting on Tuesday 30th October until 20th November. Pegasus is open every day except Sunday from 9 - 5.

Unicorns

The Unicorn stamp collage recently finished has been a work in progress for some time!
My version of this mythical beast was inspired by a suggestion from a customer who had bought work from me some years ago, and who is an "authority on Unicorns"  having written a children's book about one, and told me that they have characteristics of many animals combined, including the horse, and the goat, with cloven hooves and a lion's tail.

The beautiful tapestry series in the Musee de Cluny in Paris, la Dame a la licorne (the lady and the unicorn) has a mille fleurs background (a thousand flowers), suggesting the unicorn is in a green forest, and I have tried to recreate this setting using stamps which are predominantly green and including flora and fauna.    The original picture will be included in my forthcoming exhibition at Pegasus Arts, Thrupp, Stroud,  Gloucestershire in November. Prints and cards are also available.    

Sunflowers Stamp Collage

In August 2000 the Post Office issued another  stamp in the Millennium series showing a beautiful Sunflower.  This was to  commemmorate the opening of  Eden Project in St Austell, Cornwall.

Vincent Van Gogh painted several versions of his famous "Sunflowers" including "Fourteen Sunflowers in a Vase" and "Vase with fourteen Sunflowers".    My latest Stamp Collage is a tribute to Van Gogh, using some of these stamps and a combination of other stamps depicting sunflowers, and stamps in various shades of yellow cut to resemble his arrangement.

This and other new work will be exhibited at Pegasus Arts, Griffin Mill, Thrupp, Gloucestershire from 30th October until 20th November.  There will also be a Private View, date to be confirmed.

Rome wasn't built in a day ..

Having visited the Colosseum earlier this year,  I've now created my own version of this great building, complete with a huge crowd of visitors from all over the world. The Colosseum itslef is constructed using mainly Italian stamps, and you can spot Julius Caesar and Augustus the gret behind the arches.  As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day" and this stamp collage took me several weeks to complete but that's not long compared to the real Colosseum which took more than 8 years to build.

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Trawler - The Marianne

There have been no blogs for a while due to problems with internet connections etc, but I've been busy making collages and this is one which has recently been completed.  It's a trawler and I've named her The Marianne, due to the use of the French stamps I've incorporated in her sails!  The collage has been mainly made of stamps, but there are also some envelope backs in the sea!

Vatican City Postage stamps

We've just returned from a fantastic fortnight in Rome and the nearby town of Bracciano. During our stay, we visited the Vatican Museums, certainly an inspiring place which would take several days to explore. It's advised to select a few rooms in order to avoid total exhaustion although on the plus side it is air conditioned! My personal favourite gallery was the Map gallery with its walls lined with colourful 16th century maps of Italy and its ceilings showing scenes from the church's history in each of the regions.   I've yet to discover whether any of the maps or ceiling paintings are featured on Italian or Vatican stamps.

Having visited the Egyptian museum, the Pinacoteca (art gallery which includes works by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio) and many of the sculpture galleries and outside courtyards, we finally entered the Sistine Chapel, very crowded with tourists but a truly amazing sight.

My final call was to the Musuem of Stamps and Coins of the Vatican.  All stamps ever issued by Vatican City since 1929 are here.  They also have their own little post office.  I bought stamps and postcards and duly posted them in the little wooden posting box, expecting an efficient service.  Unfortunately, having just spoken with a friend to whom I mailed one of the cards on 4th July, it appears it has not yet arrived! Rather disappointing.  At least I was easily able to purchase stamps there, which was not the case in parts of Rome.

Setting out my stall .. at the Glamorous Garden Party

I was invited to have a stall at a recent fundraising event for Breakthrough Breast Cancer http://www.breakthrough.org.uk/  in the beautiful garden of Laurence and Jackie Llewelyn Bowen.  The weather was kind to us and guests turned out in vast numbers  to support the charity, with other stalls sellling jewellery, soaps, kitchen wares etc and of course a raffle with great prizes.  On my stall are stamp collage cards, prints and framed originals - card stocks happily depleted by the end of the evening! My daughter Heidi helped on  the stall and we both enjoyed looking around the wonderful garden and  sampling the delicious canapes! 

The Mayflower - stamp collage

Finally completed my stamp collage of The Mayflower, which can now be viewed in the Ships section.
As always, I've had such fun putting it together and managed to find some Pilgrims to place on board ship, taken from a stamp issued by Great Britain in 1970, depicting the voyage of The Mayflower in 1620. It was part of a set of Anniversaries and the value of the stamp was 1/6. How postal costs have increased since then - 1/6 is the equivalent to 7.5p!  It cost just 5d (about 2p) to send a letter by 2nd class post in 1970.
I've used some more of my USA 2c Landing of Columbus stamps issued in 1893 to construct the ship, and the sails are a mixture of appropriately coloured stamps. Seabirds fly overhead keeping an eye on the fish that swim below!   

All at sea ...

Work in progress at the moment on a picture of The Mayflower which sailed from Plymouth in 1620 carrying the Pilgrim Fathers.  Apparently there were four ships with the same name so it's difficult for historians to establish which one actually sailed to America.  My stamp collage  depicts a three masted ship with a high platform aft similar in appearance to a galleon. Artistic licence allows me to include stamps from all over the world and elements such as fish and coral not necessarily native to the seas she crossed!   Stamps commemmorating the Mayflower have been issued by countries including Hungary, Mali, Great Britain,  USA and many others.

Union Jacks at The Amberley Inn

My stamp collages are now hanging in the bar at The Amberley Inn, Amberley, Stroud GL5 5AF  and I'm told they're proving very popular! As it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, they specially asked for some Union Jacks and  framed originals, prints and canvas prints are on show in  various sizes.   All are for sale and would make great Jubilee souvenirs!    http://www.theamberleyinn.co.uk/   for directions and details of this lovely Inn.

In the restaurant  and reception area you can also see beautiful original watercolours, by local artist Jilly Cobbe, which are also for sale.  Visit her website  http://www.jillycobbe.co.uk/.

National Maritime Day in USA 22nd May

Days of celebration seem to come thick and fast at the moment and in the USA today is National Maritime Day when people remember those involved in the maritime trades.  I came across this fact while browsing on the internet researching for future work on my stamp collages, which often feature ships and boats.
My research recently took me to Bristol where I visited  the M Shed situated on the harbourside near the SS Great Britain, which I have yet to visit!   I found many interesting exhibits inside including a model of the Severn Trow Alma,  detailed in the Museum's label shown here.  A great subject for one of my collages, so must get sorting out the stamps!

Earth.water.wind.sky at The Old Passage, Arlingham

The Old Passage Inn at Arlingham is currently hosting an exhibition of art, photography, and 3D work by more than 20 artists and photographers.  http://www.theoldpassage.com/ gives details of the restaurant's location, menus, and accommodation, as well as the art events that take place there. By clicking on the Art events link you can view the exhibition in  a blurb book beautifully composed by photographer Kel Portman, and the images can be easily enlarged to view in detail. Works are in alphabetical order by artist. Some work has already been sold and the quality is very high but most reasonably priced. It's well worth a visit and artists are kindly donating a percentage of their sales to SARA, run by volunteers providing a rescue service on the River Severn, details of which also appear on the website of the Old Passage Inn.

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.

Landscape and Garden paintings by Rosemary Lewis

The variety of art on show during the Open Studios week-ends which take place every year in Stroud never ceases to amaze and surprise.  I visited Rosemary's Lewis's studio in Bisley Road  by appointment as I have my own studio open and need to be here to receive visitors, and was delighted to see beautiful acrylic, pastel and mixed media works featuring very familiar territory. The paintings of Conygre wood  are  sensitively executed and Rosemary has painted many of these in situ.  Her garden has also provided inspiration for her work which can be seen on her website http://www.rosielewis.co.uk/    Open Studios continues on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June.  Also see venue 37, P. 21  of the Open Studios catalogue  http://www.sitefestival.org.uk/  . Catalogue gives  details of all the other artists' studios which will be open then.

Visitors to Stroud during Site 2012

The lovely sunny weather brought crowds of people out for the week-end, and many of them visited my studio in Stroud, which was open along with many others for  Open Studios 2012.  I had visitors from USA, Canada, France, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia as well as from other parts of the UK and local people too.  A steady flow of people enjoyed the pictures and I always love discovering that so many visitors have a special hobby or interesting story to tell too.  Seeing my letter from the Queen thanking me for my Jubilee inspired Union Jack card, prompted one visitor to relate a story of someone she knew who sent the Queen a raven as a gift this year - one of her more unusual presents I would think, and I did wonder quite how it was delivered!   Another guest recalled his visit to an Indian post office and having to wait for the return of the man who would frank his postcards to ensure that the stamps were not removed before despatch.  So many people have been stamp collectors at some time in their life and I hope I am able to convey my own appreciation of a hobby that can bring so much interest as well as for me being a means to create what I hope are interesting works of art. 
This year I also produced a quiz for children to complete, and  was rewarded with such comments as, "Your work is ace!" and "Awesome art", as the quiz questions helped them to look closely at the pictures.   
Tea and cupcakes were also available - very civilised!
The studios will be open again on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th from 11 am - 6 pm.

see http://www.sitefestival.org.uk/  for details of all the studios - mine is on page20 venue 35 at The Lawn, 132 Bisley Road, Stroud tel. 01453 757933.

Stroud Site Festival 2012

So much going on in Stroud at the moment - just wish the rain would stop though!
Site Festival 2012 opened last week-end and as I was stewarding at the Brunel Goods shed during the afternoon I was priveleged to be able to see Darren Almond's six-screen HD video Sometimes Still - shown for the first time in the UK.  This 25 minute film follows a Buddhist monk on a nightly journey through the forest, returning to the temple at dawn.  Full details in the Site Festival Programme p.04.  Last screening on Thursday 10th May 11 am to 9pm.  It's extremely dark in there, but adds to the atmosphere!  Well worth seeing.  http://www.sitefestival.org.uk/

Also a reminder that Open Studios starts this week-end with 88 artists opening their studios, in 50 different venues.  See Open Studios brochure, also accessed from same website http://www.sitefestival.org.uk/ 
My own studio is listed on Page 20, venue 35 and full directions and contact details given there if you require further information.  Studios are open from 11 am - 6pm 12th,13th,19th,20th May and may also be open at other times - contact the artists individually for other dates.

Keeping a Diary

I haven't always found the time to keep a daily diary, but almost always when I go on holiday or on a short break, I try and keep a diary or sketch book, or both, as well as taking photographs.  Painting on holiday is sometimes possible too depending on the location and I've also been known to do the odd collage!

Having recently been re-visiting my sketchbooks and note books from my visit to Prague 10 years ago, I came across this collage, which also brought back the memory of our walking tour of the city.

Our guide, a beautiful statuesque Czech girl named Hannah, arrived at our hotel and announced, "Today you will walk for 7 hours!".  And, in spite of the number of aged folks in our party, that is exactly what we did.  It was certainly a wonderful tour of Prague, but in the heat and with cobbled streets to negotiate, very tiring.  When we reached the castle in the afternoon, my mother, then aged 76, asked if she could sit down for a minute, but was told "If you do so, you will miss something", so on we went.  

The following day, we decided to opt out of another guided walk, chosing instead to visit other parts of the city at our own pace and found interesting old antique shops and bookshops, where we purchased some old sheet music for about 5p each. I think it is music for accordion, which may come in handy one day!     These beautiful little sheets look great framed up and I copied the one above to make into a collage incorporating newsprint cut into small sections a la Jiri Kolar! (See previous blog). 

Jiri Kolar - Czech Artist 1914-2002

I made an amazing discovery when I visited Prague in 2002, just after the devastating floods.  The small gallery called The House of the Golden Ring in the centre of Prague houses a wonderful art collection, and it was here that I first saw an amazing collage by the aptly named Jiri Kolar.  The picture which stays in my memory, but which I have never been able to find a photo of, was the silhouette of a beautiful woman, completely collaged with old black and white photographs.  I did a quick sketch - just an outline really, and some time later recreated my own version, using my own children's silhouettes and filling them in with scraps from magazines that they chose themselves!   Since then I have found books about Jiri Kolar, and have now learned that he was also a poet and writer as well as a talented artist.  One of the books about him, Jiri Kolar: Transformations contains images of the many types of collage he created and named. These include Chiasmage, Confrontage, Crumplage, Intercollage, Rollage and Prollage and so on - many variations on a theme.
 Various internet sites have information and images of Kolar's work but museums in Prague are somewhat difficult to navigate and I still can't find an image of my lady's silhouette - will have to return there sometime!

Shortly after my return I started my Fine Art degree at the University of Gloucestershire and during that year I decided to make some work referencing this artist, not very well known here.  I was lucky to find some books in a second hand bookshop near Tate Modern, and online research filled in the gaps!  

In the frame ...

I attended the  monthly Stroud Business Women's Network meeting this morning at the Old Lodge Inn. I've been a member now for a few months and it's a great place to meet others who are in business and keen to promote themselves, their products and services. 
On a rota basis, members get to "Shout about" their business and today Lesley Young gave us an interesting insight into her framing service.  Not only does she frame pictures and  photographs, but also often gets asked to frame personal items such as children's clothing and holiday souvenirs.  Luckily for me, Lesley had just completed framing my "Dispatch" stamp collage featured in my previous blog, and it was on display for all to see.  As always, the framing was perfectly in keeping with the picture and Lesley had given me her expert advice on the way she felt would enhance this particular subject, using the technique of float mounting the stamp collage which is on watercolour paper, and exposing the decaled edge of the paper. A deep spacer had been inserted to raise the glass, showing the picture off to its very best advantage. The frame is tulip wood and tones in very well with the wood effect of the ship, for which I had used  heavily postmarked US stamps portraying the Landing of Columbus.   This picture will be displayed with others in the Walking the Land exhibition called Earth.Water.Wind.Sky opening at the Old Passage Inn, Arlingham on 4th May until the end of May, and possibly beyond.
Lesley can be contacted for advice on framing by e mail on framingbylesley@hotmail.com.     

earth.water.wind.sky exhibition from 4th May 2012

The Old Passage Inn, at Arlingham in Gloucestershire is once again hosting the Walking the Land artists' exhibition, with the theme  earth.water.wind.sky.    Each work incorporates one of these words in the title.
The work will be displayed throughout the restaurant in its beautiful setting on the banks of the River Severn at Arlingham.

I'm exhibiting my stamp collage picture which shows the Dispatch, a sailing ship which once sailed the high seas as far as Newfoundland but is now in the ships graveyard nearby at Purton, just a few miles along the banks of the River Severn from Arlingham.  The title of my piece is "to the lonely sea and the sky", taken from the poem by John Masefiled, whose poem Sea Fever is another of my favourites. 

 This  framed original picture will be for sale at the Old Passage  and prints  and cards will also be available at my own studio during the Open Studios week-ends on 12/13/19/20 May from 10.30 to 18.00.

The exhibition opens on Friday 4th May and will be on show until 31st May.  Opening hours for the Old Passage Inn are from 11.00 - 16.30 and 18.30 -21.30 daily except Sundays when it closes at 15.00 and is closed all day on  Mondays.





Also check out the Walking the Land website http://www.walkingtheland.org.uk/

All you need is Love ... Love, Love, Love

Beatles Union Jack

This is such a big year for celebrations, anniversaries and international events, and it's also 50 years since the Beatles played for the first time. I loved making this Union Jack on a Beatles theme incorporating three LOVE greetings stamps stickers and six Beatles album cover stamps issued in 2007. You can spot (clockwise from top left) Abbey Road, Let it Be, Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles, With the Beatles and Revolver. Of course there are also numerous other British stamps making up this stamp collage Union Jack.

Giclee prints, prints on watercolour paper and greetings cards available to order. Please ask for further details.

Stamps blow away in the wind!

One of the down-sides to stamp collage is that I can't work outside! Having spent an hour "filing" my stamps this morning I ventured out into the sunshine, wishing that I could do some of my stamp collage work outside, but it's just not possible. I tried it once and found that all the stamps were blowing all over the garden - such a frustrating experience! Unlike an artist painting "en plein air" I'm just not able to put stamp to paper out in the open, having to make full use of my wonderful studio space, which at least has a great view over the are in Stroud known appropriately as "The Heavens".

Taking my coffee into the garden I find that the yellow tree peony is coming into bloom, and the scented viburnum is covered in blossom. Parrot tulips of various varieties in their planters are a perfect picture, and the sunflower seeds are emerging. Lavender and euphorbia love our hillside garden and don't seem to need much maintenance, just the occasional bit of clipping. Walking round my own garden has inspired me to create another another stamp collaged garden , so now I'm back to filing my flowers, foliage and architectural and landscaping stamps ready to create another garden picture.

With Stroud Open Studios Site 12 festival coming soon, I've also been busy framing, making cards and getting prints ready for sale in my studio which will be open on the two week-ends of 12-13 and 19-20 May or at other times by appointment.

to the lonely sea and the sky - The Dispatch

Finally completed my stamp collage of the Dispatch, a two masted schooner which has ended her days on the banks of the River Severn, at Purton Ships' Graveyard. Built in Scotland in 1888, this beautiful old ship had a long history of voyages as far as Newfoundland for cod fishing, before being beached in 1961. Not much remains now as the ship has been burnt, vandalised and pilfered over the years but is now protected by the association formed to conserve the remains of the ships at Purton.

This framed picture will be exhibited at The Old Passage Inn at Arlingham in May 2012 as part of the Walking the Land Exhibition. Prints and cards will also be available from my studio which is detailed in the Site 12 Open Studios brochure Route 04 and will also shortly be on line.

" to the lonely sea and the sky" seemed an appropriate title for this tall ship, the quotation taken from John Masefield's poem, Sea Fever.

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by".

Tea with the Queen?

This Diamond Jubilee Union Flag canvas print looks at home next to a typically English blue and white china tea service! Tea anyone?

Canvas print flags 40 x 30 Cms available at £70 each - a great Diamond Jubilee souvenir with a difference. It features stamps issued during the Queen's reign and has that touch of nostalgia too! email: markwickrachel@gmail.com