In today's Week-end supplement in Gloucester Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo - P.50-51

Christmas is coming .. and my studio will be open on Sunday 7th December 10 - 5

It's a busy time of year and having also been away in Portugal for a few days, everything is a bit of a rush!!
My studio will be open tomorrow and luckily it was mostly ready before we went away or I would be in a real panic by now .. well, I must admit I am in a "slight panic"  but that's pretty normal for me ..
Running up to Christmas (possibly literally!), I will have my range of Christmas cards out on display and these have proved very popular so many have been reprinted.  Some are completely made of stamps and others have some painting in the  background as this one does.

I used the view from my own studio window as inspiration for the snowy hills where people sledge and build snowmen as you can see on the picture!  
Hoping that it won't be such a snowy view tomorrow, but hot drinks and cake will be available as always! Also available is a Quiz which children and adults like to have a go at!

At the moment our lane is a bit muddy but not as bad as it can be - I think the frost helps!!. Please park in Bisley road near the cemetery and walk the short distance along following the signs ..  Look forward to seeing as you!

Food and Other Delights - an exhibition at The Old Passage Inn, Arlingham

Another delightful exhibition is currently on at The Old Passage Inn, Arlingham, on the banks of the River Severn, featuring work by artists who are part of the Walking the Land group.  Click on the link for The Old Passage Inn, to read about the restaurant and follow the link for Food and Other Delights to see some of the work currently on display www.theoldpassage.com

Strawberry Heart, a collage I made using US Stamps showing  fruit including strawberries has already sold, but limited edition prints are also available  - framed or unframed -   Please get in touch for further details..

Christmas Open Studio Sale on 7th December 10 - 5 - I Saw Three Ships

Another  opportunity to visit my studio before Christmas will be on Sunday 7th December from 10 - 5 and I will have a variety of Christmas cards on sale, as well as prints and original work both framed and unframed.

The title of my Christmas exhibition is I Saw Three Ships to tie in with the well known carol but it also has a very personal link.

The first stamp collages I made were the three ships featured in the poem Cargoes by John Masefield, the Quinquiremen, the Stately Spanish Galleon and the Dirty British Coaster.   I have prints available of all these three  but for sentimental reasons will never part with the originals!   Ships seem to have become a recurring theme for my stamp collage work over the years and I've produced quite a few!

Inspired by visits to the banks of the River Severn at Purton - known as the Ships' Graveyard, I made The Dispatch and the Severn Trow Norah, just two of the many ships' hulks now resting there. It's a great place to visit.  Britain's last remaining coastal steamer, the S S Robin, now restored and shortly to be opened a s museum and ehibition centre in the Royal London dock was another subject for a stamp collage, and recently I've also made my version of the S S Great Britain. Two clipper ships, the Sower (La Semeuse) and The Blue Lady have been named for the French stamps used in their sails .. there is a whole collecting area dedicated to this little definitive stamp and a book has also been written about it.

"I Saw Three Ships" is a Christmas Carol and each year I make a Christmas card to send to friends and  family. These have included an angel, a Christmas tree, a Christmas wreath, a robin and a dove of peace, and Saint Nicholas, whose own story as Saint Nicholas of Myra, a town in Turkey, included his performing several miracles, one of which featured using the wheat cargoes of three ships to save the starving people of the town.  

From Russia with love

As a member of Postcrossing.com, I regularly send and receive postcards.  Today this beautiful card arrived from Russia, from a lady called Natalia.  On careful examination, I found it is painted on birch bark - look closely at the background.  You can see more examples of this on www.artbirch.ru.  The website is in Russian but I think the painting is by Alexander and Tatiana Noryk.  The title of this picture is Chapel, Kizhi, 18th century.  

 Natalia thoughtfully put some interesting stamps on it and tells me that the wrought iron shown on one of them is an example of Kaslinko casting made in the town of Kasli in Chelyadinsk region of Russia.

Another card  from Russia shows a modern design but unfortunately the postmark has covered the artist's name - Rita ?? 

And my third piece of mail from Russia today  was from my friend Olesya who sent me a nice card with a Rose in an envelope  along with some interesting stamps for my growing collection

Stroud Open Studios November 2014 - 1st and 2nd November

 
Yes, my collages are all made of stamps and related materials such as the little signal flags taken from a Smilers sheet as shown on a previous blog from last month. I have also used some interiors of envelopes which have been sent through the post to create the seas and rivers in my pictures.
The hills in the background of this picture of the S S Great Britain,  are made from stamps issued by Guernsey post office and the crowds of people  are  cut out from stamps from all over the world, not just Great Britain.

Come along to Open Studios to see the full sized picture! Prints and cards available of this and many more stamp collages.

Commissions .. and some newly available cards

The Barbados flag was recently commissioned and is shown here as a canvas print ready to hang! You can see from my Flags page that I've made many countries' flags and am happy to attempt others if anyone has a special request. Prices vary according to availability of stamps and this one took a while to put together as I had to find suitable stamps and subjects to include from various sources. Also shown are some new cards including one with the Barbados flag - possibly not a potentially  huge seller but I have had a few printed and these will be available at my next Open Studio on 1st and 2nd November - see previous blog post for full details.   Also shown here are the flag of Germany, The Blue Lady, Flower Heart and Christmas Robin.

I saw three ships .. exhibition and Open Studio here on 1st and 2nd November

Fujisan - Japan's beautiful Mount Fuji in stamps

This may be the collage which has taken the longest to complete .. I started it in March and we are now in October! The time it's taken was partly due to other more urgent projects coming along and partly due to lack of particular stamps to complete it.

There are many paintings, woodblock prints and photographs of Mount Fuji and I've been lucky to receive a lovely selection of  postcards from Japanese members of Postcrossing, since I joined last year.  These have all helped me with inspiration for this picture. 

S S Great Britain stamp collage complete with flags

Following a recent trip to Bristol docks where we explored I K Brunel's wonderful S S Great Britain I've finally completed my latest stamp collage.  It's been such fun!  For her hull I've used  QEII black definitive stamps, most of which show our present queen, but I have also included a few  of the 20p "double head Machins" issued in 1990 commemorating the 150th anniversary of British postage stamp. Queen Victoria was on the throne at the time of the launch of the S S Great Britain, and HRH Prince Albert was present at the launch. I It would have been nice to include a stamp bearing his image, but very few were issued and sadly none are in my possession! My post of  7th September showed the Smilers sheet issued in 2010 which included 20 1st class White Ensign stamps together with ships signal flags and having used up the stamps on my postcards, I've used the little flags to decorate the masts of the S S Great Britain, as she was decked out on her launch.
 Other flags have also been taken from stamps issued worldwide, and the "Great Britain" flag miraculously came to light in a bundle of old postal covers, just when I had given up the search!  Also note the date on the Bristol postmarks - lucky to have found these!

 I found a wonderful image in my guidebook which showed the launch from Bristol as painted by the artist Joseph Walter and have based my own collage loosely on this version.

The S S Great Britain was launched from Bristol docks on 19th July 1843 and I've managed to find Bristol postmarks for 19th July .. but for a different year.  This original stamp collage will be available to see at my forthcoming Open Studio in Stroud on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd November, along with some other recently completed stamp collages.  Full details coming shortly!

S S Great Britain - a great day out!

I don't know why we've never visited the S S Great Britain until now.  However, my research for a new stamp collage proved the push I needed to go down to Bristol docks to investigate at close hand this amazing vessel. An online quiz gave me a 10% discount on my  ticket .. and a captain's hat! Needless to say I wasn't allowed to wear the hat in my daughter's company - just TOO embarrassing, but I did sneak in one crafty photograph!

 And she went dressed in a rather nautical looking navy jacket, with "Hello Sailor" logo on the sleeve, which I didn't mind about one bit!!

The tour was extensive, and it was good to find that our tickets would allow us to return any number of times for one year from date of purchase!  From the very start of our self guided tour, I was impressed by the presentation of artefacts and information about the great ship. And there were even some stamps on display.

  The ship was launched from Bristol in 1843 in the presence of Prince Albert, and spent many years at sea in various different forms. The stamps shown here depict S S Great Britain with six masts and a funnel. Later on, she was adapted as a Windjammer, a sailing ship with three masts and no funnel. She was later scuttled in Sparrow Cove on the Falkland Islands where during WW2 she was used as a store for bales of wool, and had some of her iron plating stripped to repair the naval vessel HMS Exeter.

It wasn't until 1970 that a rescue operation was commenced and she was towed back  to Bristol, to rapturous applause from the thousands of Bristolians and visitors who lined the banks of the River Avon to welcome her home.

The Crown Jewels - in the Tower of London

Perhaps the highlight of a trip to the Tower of London for many tourists is seeing  the Crown Jewels.  Years ago tourists were  moved along by the guardians in case they lingered for too long in front of the dazzling displays of ceremonial jewels, including the Imperial state Crown pictured here.

The Imperial state Crown, 1937 

Nowadays, there are travelators on either side of the main attraction but I did managed to go round twice to get a really good look! Photography is strictly prohibited in this area of the Tower, so postcards were duly purchased, and I also found Universal Mail stamps on sale  for use on international postcards. Priced at £4.99 for 5 stamps it's just a little more expensive than the current 97p to send a postcard overseas, and not something  always easily found.   

The above stamps feature a Yeoman Gaoler, A Raven, The Imperial Crown of India, 1911, and two views of The Tower.

In 2011 Royal Mail issued a set of eight stamps featuring  details from the Crown Jewels collection.

I name this ship ..????

My latest stamp collage is now finished and the difficult task of naming her now faces me ..

She is a three masted clipper, like the Cutty Sark, shown here on a recent GB stamp:

In my picture I've used stamps from all over the world, but predominantly US stamps for the hull and French stamps for the sails.  The sheet of stamps with the White Ensign featured in a previous post together with the signal flags also came in handy.  The crew are international and there are some passengers too!

Another ship collage used the same French definitive stamps in shades brown and rusty red.  This stamp is known as La Semeuse, the Sower.  However, although the owner of the other ship suggested "La Semeuse Bleue", The Blue Sower, I have slight reservations as I feel that this one is definitely of English origin, built of course in Stroud!! So my final decision is The Blue Lady .. but of course, another owner would be free to rename her, as has been the tradition  for many famous ships over the years!

The Haywain by John Constable - another one from my miniature art collection!

I'm a member of Postcrossing.com and today received a lovely card showing The Haywain from a student in Newcastle, who had recently visited Constable's home and the place where he painted many of his famous works. I've not been there yet but have seen  this painting on many visits over the years to London's National Gallery.  Completed in 1821, it's  one of Britain's favourite pictures and probably Constable's best known.

The 1/9 stamp is part of the British Paintings set of four stamps issued in 1968.   Coincidentally it was part of the set which included the Ruins of St Mary le Port by John Piper which I featured in my previous post earlier this week!

Other stamps in the same set are: Pinkie by Thomas Lawrence, painted in 1794 and in the Huntington Library collection, which I have used in at least one of my stamp collages as part of a crowd scene - see if you can find her near the Leaning Tower of Pisa ..and also Queen Elizabeth I by an unknown continental artist - National Portrait Gallery,London 

John Piper's painting of St Mary le Port, Bristol

One of my favourite artists, John Piper, painted an evocative  picture of St Mary le port, Bristol, which suffered severe damage during the bombings in November 1940, when the painting was completed.

 This image appears on the 1/6 stamp, part of a set of four paintings by British artists,  issued in 1968. I have a mint set in my childhood stamp collection.  It was great to be able to see the actual church yesterday while in Bristol.  The tower was undamaged, but the rest of the 15th century church is in ruins and preserved as a memorial in Castle Park,across the road from Bristol's Cabot Centre shopping mall.

Paintings by Winslow Homer - also on stamps

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a  book called Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton - I'm very keen on swimming - and go to my local pool several times a week. It tells the story of Leanne's attempt to be selected for the Canadian Olympic teams of 1988 and 1992,  and although not successful, she retains a lifelong love and interest in swimming. As well as a fascinating and well told account of her experiences she is a talented artist and includes several series of illustrations connected with everything to do with the sport, from portraits of fellow swimmers to photographs of her costumes, and small paintings of swimming pools all over the world. And she also includes some art references, which I personally can never resist looking up!   I've discovered several paintings new to me, by the American artist Winslow Homer, whose former home Leanne was lucky enough to stay in on a visit to Maine.

Gulf Stream by Winslow Homer (1899) 

Sharks, The Derelict by Winslow Homer 

I'm not likely to ever own an original Winslow Homer, but as a stamp collector, I have a smaller example in my own collection - not quite as sinister as the first two shown above, this one is called Breezing Up( A Fair Wind) 1873-1876 - the stamp was issued by US Postal service in 1962!

I am dragging my anchor .. and other naval expressions!!

Still working on my latest stamp collage ship and wanted to include some signal  flags on this one. Among my stock of useful stamps I found a single 1st class White Ensign flag stamp. A sheet of  20 of these including signal flags was issued in June 2005. I  suppose I could use these to post my letters with, but chances are I will hang on to this one  .. it's so interesting it could even be put in a frame! Several of the signal flags are indicative of how I feel at the moment .. Z : I require a tug,  or perhaps V: I require assistance, but hopefully before too long, P : The Blue Peter - about to sail!!  Just need to decide which ones to use on my "work in progress".

Anyone going to Barbados?

Lucky you if you are off to Barbados for a holiday, but if not, perhaps the next best thing would be a flag like this, all made of the stamps of Barbados!  What a colourful flag it is, originally adopted in 1966 when the island became independent. Its colours represent the blue of the ocean and the golden sands  of Barbados with the broken trident in the centre, taken from the original colonial badge.  I was commissioned  to make this  Barbados flag stamp collage as a Christmas present and will be getting some canvas prints made from the design too.  I've really enjoyed putting it together, sourcing suitable stamps to conjure up the atmosphere of the island. I've including stamps with flowers, fish and birds of Barbados, coral reefs, blue skies and some of the famous landmarks and, of course, cricket, lovely cricket!

New Ship to be launched soon (Stamp Collage)

A sneak preview of my latest ship - it's based on the clipper ships which sailed the seas in the 1800s.

I  recently bought a large collection of old stamps which included  many  old French stamps - known as La Semeuse (the sower). I used some of these stamps in shades of red and brown  in the sails of a previous ship and thought blue would be nice this time!

Raphy Dalleves - 1878-1940 - Swiss artist from Valais canton at the Sion Art Gallery

detail from Two women from Evolene, around 1920

Visiting small local galleries can be very enlightening and the the Sion Art gallery in the Valais region of Switzerland is a little gem! The rooms are well lit and the gallery just the right size to be able to spend an hour or two discovering the delightful works of local artists as well as some more internationally known ones.  Here we found work by Oskar Kokoshka and Felix Valloton, but what stood out for me were the paintings by local artists including  Raphy Dalleves, who specialised in portraits of peasants from the region, dressed in their everyday clothes, and going about their work. The women in the above portrait are from the village of Evolene, where to this day people proudly wear similar colourul costumes.

Les Laveuses, Heremence, by Raphy Dalleves, 1907 - Tempera on canvas

details from Les Laveuses, Heremence

Barry the heroic St Bernard dog - special exhibition in Bern Natural History Museum

 I visited the Natural History Museum in Bern, at the end of a rather stressful  trip to Switzerland's capital city - unfamiliar roads, heavy traffic and trams seemingly coming from all directions. I'd arranged to meet up there with my daughters, but they'd   mistakenly gone to the History of Bern Museum instead, so I had a pleasant hour  on my own! The highlight of the visit was the exhibition  about Barry, the legendary  St Bernard dog.  I was alerted to this when I heard a Japanese tourist  asking where he could find the "famous dog".

There is a whole area devoted to the story of Barry's life as a working St Bernard who saved the lives of more than 40 people lost in snow  in the mountains of Switzerland.  I'm a little surprised that he doesn't appear on any Swiss stamps, but found two others featuring this breed of dog, with a miniature barrel of brandy attached to its collar - although I read in the story that this is a  myth and the barrels don't contain any brandy after all!   To read more about Barry and the Natural History Museum of Bern, visit their website www.nmbe.ch.

Troyes, Aube region (Champagne area)

An overnight stop at the lovely hotel des Comtes de Champagne in the historic town of Troyes en route to Switzerland gave us the opportunity to  enjoy a meal at a pavement cafe and take in the atmosphere.

Near the hotel situated in Rue de la Monnaie, is  Ruelle des Chats, so narrow that the cats could leap from one side of the street to the other!

 A stamp shop in Ave. General de Gaulle was open for business at 9 am!  www.dupontphilatelie.com. I found  a selection of interesting old envelopes, which may someday find themselves recreated into a collage or otherwise may end up in my own collection.  The town of Troyes itself features on one stamp and also on a postmark on a separate envelope!

And even more unexpected was an open door leading into a taxidermist's shop: