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.