Lockdown memories of Japan and an exhibition in Malmesbury Town Hall

 Lockdown no 3 was tough, but having some great memories and many photographs to look back on was a definite plus!  Five years ago we were in Japan and among the many amazing things we loved were the beautiful arrangements of flowers in some of the hotels and places of interest we visited.  Ikebana is the term used in Japan for these simple but meaningful displays and they are placed in a tokonoma or alcove often with a scroll with Japanese characters, or picture hanging behind. 

These displays inspired me to make my own versions, using collage, incorporating some of the papers, stamps and other items gathered while travelling.  Tatami mats are used in houses throughout Japan, and paper screens are also still used in many traditional homes.  

I wasn't expecting to exhibit these pictures, but was recently invited to do so, alongside the  beautiful Japanese  watercolours of Katsumi Harada, late father of Junko Lake who I met just before we went to Japan and who gave me Japanese lessons, which proved invaluable during our travels!  

The exhibition will be at Malmesbury Town Hall from Friday 28th May until Friday 18th June 2021, closed Sundays and Bank Holiday Monday 31st May. 

A separate blog will give the biography of Katsumi Harada.  

Scribbling .. and connecting with Cy Twombly

I had fun recently, scribbling away, testing pens, felt tips, coloured pencils, some of dubious quality,  and sharpening pencils at record breaking speed with  my newly acquired battery  powered sharpener.

A couple of sheets of satisfying  scribble  resulted.

A friend had mentioned the American artist Cy Twombly, whose work is,  to be polite, beyond my understanding  and  I commented  that this may be how he made some of  his work.  But joking apart, I recalled reading that he had lived for periods of time in Italy in a small town called Bassano in Teverina, an hour or so away from Rome where we spent a holiday, 7 years ago, staying  in a very old house full of character.  I  tried at that time  to find out where it was that Cy Twombly  had been living, but I never knew found out exactly where, or indeed if he had ever lived there.  But now, with  time to look back at photos, sketch books etc, and doing  a bit of research with a view to appreciating  his work, as some obviously do,  I finally located a photo of the Palazzo which he had owned and renovated, and where he produced  a lot of his work, some of which I have found a little more interesting, and possibly even inspiring. The massive old building looked familiar, and we had indeed passed it on walks.

We'd been given use of  a swimming pool in a  large garden, which was  a  20 minute walk from the house where we were staying, descending the cobbled streets of the town and meandering along pine tree lined paths. I spent a couple of afternoons sketching and painting the scene from the poolside but I didn't know then  that I had unwittingly drawn the back view of Cy's house - with its three arched tower.  This  revelation is almost as exciting to me  as my newly discovered electric sharpener. 
I'm no closer in understanding his work but for some reason am now becoming more intrigued by it and I feel it may lead me to explore different ways of working,but hopefully something other than  just  scribbling!

Bassano in Teverina

Primary research methods - visit a pub!

I must admit to being extremely disappointed when I arrived at the Mauretania pub in Bristol recently on a mission to get in the mood for embarking on my new project of making a stamp collage version of the Mauretania, originally launched in 1907.  I had located this source of great interest after discovering the story of this beautiful ocean liner, after visiting Amble, Northumberland , "the Friendliest port in England".  See blog post dated for the story so far 6th September.


I had read that the Mauretania building in Bristol's Park Street contains fixtures and fittings salvaged when the liner was broken up in 1936, and had hoped we could go to the pub, have a drink and possibly lunch, and admire the beauty of the mirror veneer panelling, and chandeliers , but instead I was confronted with locked doors, pulled down shutters, and a general feeling of neglect, and no clue as to the demise of the business.Only the illuminated sign "MAURETANIA" which is still lit up at night  remains as an indication of the story of what lies within.
 We spent the rest of the morning visiting a couple of exhibitions before heading back down the hill for lunch but determination lead me to ring one of the bells for other businesses which now inhabit the upstairs .. my call was answered and I asked if  I could possibly speak to someone.  Door catch released, and I proceeded up a dark stairway, emerging to find two helpful ladies, who said they dealt with the Mauretania building, now empty and in need of a new occupant to bring it back to life.

I was introduced to a gentleman who was very knowledgeable about the ship and who proudly showed me the clock from the vessel, and pointed out some of the mirrors and other fittings in his office space, as well as an old framed photo of the Mauretania.

 I was then invited to go downstairs to the former nightclub, Java, which also contains some of the once beautiful polished wood panelling and decoration from the ship as well as a ceiling dome minus its glass, and currently sporting a garish glitter ball! 

It's a large space, and times are hard. The nightclub closed after a few years. It would be lovely to see it back in use, and hopefully retaining the historic features. I felt very privileged to have seen just a glimpse of what the Mauretania would have been like in her heyday. The book Mauretaina, Triumph and Resurrection by Peter Newall gives even more information about other buildings and museums which hold more relics from the liner, including Pinewood Studios!

Mauretania Day in Amble, the Friendliest port in England

Celebrated in Amble, Northumberland every year around 3rd July is Mauritania Day. It gets its name from the famous Cunard liner the RMS Mauritania.   The ship passed Amble on that day in 1935  heading to Rosyth to be broken up,and  received the message from the Amble "Amble to Mauretania, Greetings from Amble last port in England, to still the finest ship on the seas."  The reply came back. Mauretania to Urban Council, Amble, to the last and kindliest port in England, greetings and thanks, Mauretania".  Kindliest has over the years become "friendliest", and having visited recently I totally agree!

Built in Newcastle's Swan Hunter shipyard in 1907 for Cunard, she carried wealthy passengers on ocean cruises, and gained the Blue Ribband for being the fastest vessel to cross the Atlantic, maintaining this record for 22 years until it was superceded by the Bremmen. She had 9 decks, carrying passengers in  1st, 2nd and 3rd class.  The first class areas were very sumptious and lined with shiny mahogony and decked out with chandeliers.
On Mauritania Day, which this year took place on the 7th July,  we were able to witness the pride of the town in being named, "the kindliest (now friendliest) port in England" with a programme of entertainment throughout the day including Brass bands, choirs, Belly dancers, the weekly  market, and a very welcoming  street Cafe Church service with tea and cake.

Inspired by the ship's story, on return home I began my research, with a view to making a collage of this beautiful old vessel. Unsure at the moment quite how or where  to portray her, as photos of old postcards and ancient photographs show her with varying paint colours including a very jazzy paint effect during the war.







Always  after a ship to collage, the Mauritania certainly fits the bill, and to my delight I find  I have two stamps  depicting her.  Back in pre-decimal 1969, and in my own collection is   a set of Ships designed by renowned stamp designer, David Gentleman., including the 1/- Mauritania.

  In 2004 a series of  stamps depicting ocean liners was issued  including a 47p  RMS Mauritania stamp from a painting by Thomas Henry

Researching  online, I dicover  that not far from home. is a pub in Bristol  called The Mauritania which is fitted out with some of the original wood panelling and other decorative items  from the ship, so that was my next destination ...   More to follow ...

Renaming a ship .. "The Blue Lady" could be renamed " La Semeuse Bleue"

La Semeuse - Stamp Collage by Rachel Markwick 

A few years ago I made a stamp collage ship using the iconic French stamp called "La Semeuse" or in English, "The Sower".  I used them to make the sails and my original vessel duly sailed off to a new home in Bologna, Italy.  Limited edition Prints are also available! 

  Subsequently, with a dearth of Blue "La Semeuse" stamps in my stock, a new ship emerged and was named "The Blue Lady". 

The Blue Lady - Stamp Collage by Rachel Markwick 

 She also found a new home in West Virginia, USA.  I have prints available, a framed version of which is currently on show in the National Waterways Museum, in Gloucester Docks.  She still goes by the name of The Blue Lady, but new owners of ships often rename them, so who knows, perhaps she could become "La Semeuse Bleue".


See more ships on my website
www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk

Tall Ships and tall stories at the Tall Ships Festival in Gloucester Docks this week-end

This week-end will see  magnificent tall ships sailing into Gloucester Docks for the bi-annual Tall Ships Festival.  Several have inspired stamp collages in past years, and I have 20 pictures on display now until September in the National Waterways Museum on the dockside, including a few or the  vessels that were here last time.  I'll be visiting the festival to see some newcomers, take some photos and hopefully eventually make some more pictures. La Malouine is back again this year, and features in one of my collages. I'm looking forward to seeing the Vilma, and the Grayhound as well as regular visitor the Matthew!

As well as the pictures on display on Floor No 2 of the National Waterways museum, you can read stories about the ships and other pictures, from previous blog posts, explaining how they came about, inspiration and interesting facts the ships and the stamps. I've also compiled two new  Stamp Search Quizzes for children( and adults).These have always gone down well in my own Open Studio.
This week-end, the entrance fee to the Tall Ships Festival also includes free entry to the National Waterways Museum and the tall ships visiting! 

COMING SOON! : Tall Ships Festival May 24th - 27th and my exhibition open from 16th May onwards ...

The Tall Ships Festival will be coming to Gloucester again this year from  24th - 27th May - Spring Bank Holiday week-end.

The Atyla in Gloucester Docks 

It's always a great event and I'm particularly excited about it this year as an exhibition of my Stamp Collage pictures of Ships will also be on show in  Gloucester Waterways Museum  from 16th May, through the Festival period and then on for several months - dates still to be finalised.  Several of the collages depict some of the tall ships which visited in 2017  including La Malouine, the Johanna Lucretia and the Atyla.  The White Heather has been undergoing a refit, and I'm not sure if she's finished, but my  picture of her, as she was two years ago, will be on show.
You will find the exhibition upstairs next to the new Museum Library.  There is so much to see in the museum, located right on the dockside, and with its own shop and cafe.  It's well worth the entrance fee which entitles you to return any number of times for a whole year.
My work includes originals and prints, which can be purchased by contacting me direct.  Cards will be available to buy from the museum shop. 

The White Heather - Stamp Collage Original and Prints on show

Currently on show at The Old Passage Arlingham is the exhibition "Between Seeing and Dreaming", featuring work by  artists working in a variety of media including painting, photography, jewellery, sculpture, ceramics and not forgetting my own stamp collages, of which The White Heather is one. At the Old Passage I've included a framed print, and the original can shortly be seen in my new exhibition, Stamping Ground 2, at Gloucester Guildhall from 2nd October,  until 30th October. in the exhibition hall.

The White Heather is a Cornish Lugger built in 1926, originally operating out of Mevagissy and fishing from Falmouth before being laid up on the River Fal for many years.  From 1988 she was running sailing trips from Fowey in Cornwall.  I was pleased to go on board this beautiful old lugger, one of only a dozen still surviving, when she was in Gloucester Docks in 2017 for the bi-annual Tall Ships Festival. We heard that she has sailed to Morocco and Brazil before returning to Britain via the Caribbean, but is now undergoing refitting in the docks.
In this picture I've used stamps, envelopes, thread for the rigging and even words from an old stamp album.

John Piper - Liverpool Metropolitan cathedral, art and stamps - Inspiring!

A few years ago I  enjoyed the exhibition "John Piper in the 1930s - Abstraction on the Beach" at Dulwich Picture Gallery, so I  was pleased to find another exhibition of his work this year at Tate Liverpool, featuring collages, and other mixed media artworks. This was one of the highlights of our recent stay in this wonderful city, and a film about Piper's and  Rutyens' designs  for  stained glass for the Catholic cathedral, prompted us to revisit this awe inspiring  building!

In my own work using stamps in collages I have become familiar with subjects of stamps and noted that one of John Piper's paintings from 1940 also appeared  on a British stamp issued in 1968,

the church of St Mary Le  Port, Bristol  badly bombed in WW2.

The Metropolitan Cathedral was also the subject of a stamp as part of the British Cathedrals series of 1969, with a value of 1/6d.  Pre-Decimal Currency. 

John Piper used all sorts of materials in his work, including matchbox labels, paper doilies, string, wallpaper, but as far as I know, never postage stamps.  Visiting Liverpool and having seen this latest exhibition, some of the small craft moored in the Albert Dock also seemed  reminiscent of vessels featured in some of his work.  My own ship themed collages completed since seeing this exhibition, now also incorporate a few new materials, such as cotton and scrim for the rigging and additional painted elements.Matchbox labels? Not yet, but see my Ships page of www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk for latest collages. Thank you John Piper for the inspiration!

Send a postcard - brighten someone's day!

As a stamp collector and traveller,  I appreciate very much receiving postcards,  but it doesn't happen so much these days and when it does, it's a real treat.  Internet, social media, whatsapp,  have provided instant ways to communicate, from almost everywhere that has wi-fi.  I do this too,  but I always try to find a few interesting postcards to send, provided I can locate a post office. On a 10 day trip around the Baltic capital cities of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia I was lucky  to find cards, stamps and post offices!

In Vilnius, I purchased two rather lovely woollen jumpers at bargain prices but soon realised they would be too heavy and bulky to included in our luggage, so had to find a Post office in order to send them home. It had interesting Commemorative stamps on sale, but sadly I wasn't able to put these on my parcel, having to make do with a rather boring label and customs declaration!  The jumpers arrived  home long before we did though! The postcards were sent a few day later, from a  post box near the main bus depot, but  took much longer to arrive at their various destinations.

The historic post office in Tallinn, opposite the Cathedral, was a beautiful building, and also had a wonderful selection of postcards and a wide range of beautiful Estonian stamps, and  this proved to be a very efficient postal service!

How long does it take?

How long does it take you to make a picture? That's a question artists are often asked.  A good answer is, "A lifetime of experimenting", or in the case of this particular piece, almost a year!

Not that I've been physically working on it for all that time, but I went with a good friend to the wonderful Tall Ships festival last May, and La Malouine was moored by the Warehouses in Gloucester docks.d We climbed aboard and were given a tour by one of the crew.

We asked what the name meant and were told that the ship came from St Malo in France.  Using photos taken at the time, and having sorted out suitable stamps I got started a few months later, but have only recently completed the picture .. the brickwork of the warehouses and the windows were a challenge but very absorbing.

For the first time, I've used cotton dipped in acrylic paint to sew in the rigging and am quite pleased with the effect!   And I saw several  beautiful ships that day ... so watch this space! 

Union Jacks of all sorts make a great Christmas Gift

Union Jack - Big LOVE version

The Union Jack is such a wonderful flag and I've enjoyed making several different versions with stamps for several years now.  They are very popular to give as a gift at any time of year, but if you are looking for a special Christmas gift look no further!   I'm happy to say that they have travelled the world too and been purchased by people in USA, Canada, Denmark and Australia either as canvas prints or giclee prints and in sizes from A3 to larger than A1! I've also been asked to customise them by including  particular stamps which have a special meaning for the recipient.  You can see other versions of the Union Jack as well as flags from many other nations, made with the stamps of those countries on www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk - see the  FLAGS  page.

Union Jack - Beatles Version

Union Jack with Queen Elizabeth II

This one has a smaller LOVE stamp in the centre 

LOVE - England Winners

Article in local papers to promote the Longfield Big Heart Charity auction

Thanks to Sally Bailey, on behalf of Longfield for getting in touch and interviewing me , and producing this lovely article which features in the colour magazines of this week end's  Gloucester Citizen, Gloucester Echo and Western Daily Press,  covering several counties.
I donated this original Heart stamp collage, now framed,  as I felt it was appropriate for the Big Heart Charity auction which is now live on Ebay and will finish on Thursday evening 30th November . More than 250 pieces of work have been donated by  professional and amateur artists and celebrities and will help to raise money for art therapy  at Longfield's Minchinhampton centre.  Visit
www,Longfield.org.uk and click on Big Heart 2017.
The article in full is below:

Cats on stamps .. or cats made of stamps .. or in Emerald's case, Cats sitting on stamps

Whereas some philatelists collect stamps by country, some prefer to arrange their collections by theme,  and a popular one is Cats on stamps!  There are many new issues every year and I am not tempted to continue my late mum's collection although it's nice to look at them once in a while.

However, I have made a few  stamp collages on a Cat theme .. see the Cats page of my website.
This one hasn't yet made it to the website ..

Purple Iris


















My black and white cat, Emerald, has taken the theme to a whole new level ..

Boring "labels" on your letters? .. Single use only?? Recycle them is what I do!!

It's quite difficult to find stamps that are predominently white so I've been hoarding these rather boring "labels" which the Post Office put on Special Delivery envelopes in anticipation that they might come in useful sometime ....

 "Single Use Only" is printed in the bottom right hand corner, but I've managed to recycle them effectively I hope,  into the sails of my latest boat.


Almost finished .. just a few  details  to add, including a crew and a flag to hoist!

Stories of sailing and the sea .. The Jolie Brise, a new stamp collage in progress

The Oxfam shop in Stroud has some great bargains! I picked up an interesting book last week called "Jolie Brise - A Tall Ship's tale" by Robin Bryer.
Briefly, she was launched in 1913 at Le Havre and was in her time a pilot boat, and carried the Royal Mail, rescued the crew of a burning ship and won the Fastnet race three times!

The very first chapter starts with a quote I love, "What people really like are stories about sailing and the sea!"  I have found this to be so true.  Over the years, I've made several stamp collages based on boats and ships of many types and although most of these have now sailed off to new homes, you can still see them on my website www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk  under the SHIPS heading!
I thought it was rather appropriate that Jolie Brise at one time carried the Royal Mail, as my version is of course made from stamps!

I hope to have the picture finished in time for the  Open Studios festival in May in which I will be taking part, opening my studio along with many others in the Stroud area on Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th and Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th  from 11 - 6 . Hope to see you!

Sardines .. Hungry? (and Hungary!)

Committing ideas to a blog post is a good way of keeping myself on track with a project. I've finally completed my stamp collage tin of sardines, using a variety of "ingredients" in the form of stamps from the Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, Australia .. and Hungary .. and a little help from the inside of a box of chocolates and a foil coffee bag!  The background is old pages from a Stanley Gibbons stamp catalogue.  

Packed like sardines .. from the Post Office??

I went in  the Post Office on Camoes square in Lisbon, Portugal, to buy a few stamps for my postcards. The lady behind the counter asked me if I would like to buy a can of sardines instead and get the same amount of stamps included in the price.At least that's what I thought she said!   It sounded like a good deal so I purchased the little can only to find that it actually contained six stamps but not sardines after all! I really need to learn Portuguese next time I go!!

 These stamps were issued in November 2016, celebrating the  Fish canning industry in Portugal and they show the different processes as well as the various types of fish, including Sardines, Eel and Tuna, which you can find attractively packaged in colourful cans in food stores and souvenir shops everywhere in Lisbon!I spotted this display shown below on the left, and another shop in the city centre has been selling canned eel exclusively since 1942.  I was offered a sample to taste, which I did, somewhat reluctantly, but have to say that it was quite delicious!

I used just one of my stamps from the Limited edition stamp can (above)   .. and now I wish I hadn't as the intact tin will surely be a future collector's item! But it's certainly a talking point!  And I came back from my holiday with several brightly coloured tins of real sardines as well!!

I've since made a colourful collage  incorporating the lid of the opened can as well as the lid from a real can of Sardines, alongside other bits and pieces collected while in Lisbon.

.

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).