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.  

What's in the box?

No, this wasn't what was in the box!  

I collected a sealed box today from the agent  who acted on my behalf in obtaining a commission from Japan 5 years ago.  I was excited to see what was inside and found these lovely sample items which had been sent  at the time of the launch, by Afternoon Tea, who produced them,  using my artwork, for sale in their many stores throughout Japan !

 Look carefully and you will see my stamp collage designs on mugs, packaging and labelling on tea bags, bubble bath, body wash and  bath pearls!   I was so pleased to receive this prestigious commission and it's lovely to be able to keep these pretty items now !   And Emerald was just as excited to get in the empty box! 

Stamp Rainbows and rainbows on stamps

Children everywhere have been making rainbows tohelp cheer us up during this dreadful time of Coronavirus pandemic and I was inspired to make one too, using stamps.

 Yellow stamps, as always were the most difficult to find, but I eventually found just enough  from GB, France, USA and Japan to complete the yellow band of the rainbow. On a second rainbow I cheated slightly and used gold 1st class stamps!  This was an absorbing activity for a few  hours and while making my collage, I was contemplating the sad reality of how many lives have now been lost in so many of  countries where my stamps have come from.  The iconic US stamp featuring the Statue of Liberty, a proud symbol of New York, is a poignant reminder of how tragically large cities are the worst affected by the virus.  

R M S Mauretania with Coquet island, Northumberland

RMS Mauretania  - Stamp Collage - by Rachel Markwick 

More time at home, due to the Coronovirus  situation requiring us to Stay Home,  means more time to complete a project which has been a long time in the making, or I should say, mullng over .Previous posts have mentioned  R M S  Mauretania, the beautiful Cunard liner, and the Puffins of Coquet island, as well as a trip to Bristol where I managed to talk my way into the now disused Mauretania pub which contains some of the fixtures and fittings of the ship. The last thing to do was to add the masts and rigging sewn into the paper. I've really enjoyed the research,  reading about the ship's various transformations over the years, in both wartime and peacetime, and have used some artist's licence with the paint colours which were the original ones when she was first launched, and of course the scale of the Puffins!

Detail : Coquet Island off the coast of Amble, Northumberland 

Hope you like it! .





I will have prints available in the near future when life gets back to normal.  Please let me know if you are interested.

One hundred and eighty! Dart Board .. in stamps!

Hoping to still be able to go ahead with an exhibition at the Stirrup Cup, Bisley during April and May  where this will be hanging along with other stamp collage pictures.  Will confirm details as soon as possible! 

Stamp collage Toucan .. but which one?

Keel-billed Toucan - the National bird of Belize

You may have seen my previous post and will have read that there are 43 species of Toucan, but I have chosen the Keel-billed Toucan to collage using stamps from countries including Great Britain, France, India, and Germany as well as postcards for the tree branch. 

Toucans - on stamps, but sadly not so easy to see in the wild

Toucans can be seen in parts of Guatemala, Mexico  and Belize, where we were this time last year, but sadly the only ones we found  were a rather elderly looking stuffed Keel Billed Toucan  in the Cultural centre in San Ignacio, Belize, (NICH)  and others featured in murals, and one made out of tyres!   The Keel Billed Toucan is  Belize's  national bird, and I was surprised at its size.  There are 42 different species  of Toucan, but some are now endangered due to widespread deforestation, which has destroyed their habitat. The Toco toucan, the largest of all the toucans, is so far not endangered as it is more adaptable.

Keel Billed toucan at NICH - Cultural centre, San Ignacio

Keen to make a Toucan stamp collage I've gathered  photos and some stamps
 together to  provide me with inspiration!   Collage to follow soon!

Mural - San Ignacio, Belize 

Mural -Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Toucan made from tyres 

Just four of more than 40 different varieties of Toucans are featured on this sheet of Guyanan stamps : The Yellow Throated, Toco (the largest of the Toucans), Keel-Billed and White Throated toucans. 

Vintage Portuguese embroidery patterns inspire new collage work ...

In  Lisbon recently, we visited  the flea market  in the Alfama district, a colourful and bustling location, and I found these attractive 1960s embroidery and tapestry patterns, which open up to large poster size and could possibly be framed as such.   

I covered some notebooks with one of them, and am now taking inspiration from an image of a pretty flower basket from the cover of another to make a series of collages using stamps from many countries.  The stamps I'm using for the borders are from Ukraine and all depict leaves and fruits. To create the basket work for two of my collages,  I've used George VI definitives which have a great pattern,  almost like wickerwork . 

Flowers and foliage are cut from stamps with floral images, or made in the shapes of leaves and flowers.  It's a work in progress,  but at least I've made a start after a period of artist's

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!

Enjoying a good rummage ..

 Stamps for new projects are sometimes  easy to find, having already been sorted  into countries, subjects, colours or just "may be useful for a certain idea not yet started ".  But more often than not, I find myself rummaging around in boxes and bags for likely materials for new projects, or in the latest case to find ordinary definitives in pastel shades to complete a large picture of the Shard abandoned last year  due other projects of  more immediate interest to me, and I might add, the fiddly nature of the task I'd set myself!

  There's something quite therapeutic about sorting through heaps of stamps, and I often find little treasures which make me smile, such as this delightful Isle of Man stamp showing Postman Pat and his Black and White cat.  And I have  a black and white cat of my own, who  also appreciates a good box of stamps.

   

I went walkabout (in Charity shops) and got inspiration from Aboriginal art ...

I recently picked up an original Aboriginal painting on canvas for a few pounds in a Charity shop.
The artist is Minnie Ngwarray Morton one of the artists of Ampilatwatja in the Northern Territory of Australia.  Interesting to read that artists from this area  mainly depict medicinal plants and herbs arranged in attractive patterns. This piece  has a  terracotta coloured background, and  limited palette of blues, yellows and greens.  I've never been to Australia, but have "explored" by means of stamps, and loved creating an  Australian flag collage some years ago using stamps showing the wonderful and  varied landscapes of this vast country.  When I think of a famous Australian landmark, Ayers rock, or Uluru,  springs immediately to  mind. It's the largest monolith in the world, and appears on a stamp issued in 1993, shown below with a few others I'm hoping to incorporate in a stamp collage version of Ayers Rock I'm now working on.
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 I'm  gathering together mainly Australian stamps in appropriate colour tones, as well as also searching and researching  Australian plants on stamps  to include in the picture's foreground, along with a few trees and maybe some wildlife. I also found a series of stamps showing Aboriginal rock paintings art, issued in 1984, some of which may also find there way onto the rock. 

I must keep at it and not be tempted to go walkabout again for a while!                                           

The Grayhound - new arrival in Gloucester Waterways Museum exhibition on Floor 2 - and new cards

The Grayhound - Stamp collage by Rachel Markwick

 I have added a framed limited edition  stamp collage print of the Grayhound  to the other pictures of ships currently in my exhibition in the Waterways Museum,  Llanthony Warehouse in Gloucester docks. Also available in the museum is a selection of my cards mainly featuring ships and flags.
Cards are priced at £2.50 each or £10 for  5 . These are also on Floor 2 but need to be purchased  in the shop on the Ground floor .  The exhibition continues on until October, but will update on  closing date, as it may be extended.

Here are some of the latest additions to my range of cards:

The Atyla, The Grayhound, The White Heather and La Malouine  in Gloucester Docks

The Grayhound - latest stamp collage original

Just completed this stamp collage inspired by the beautiful ship, The Grayhound, which visited the docks in Gloucester this year, and is now at sea.  I've used stamps, envelopes, and also created the rigging from thread, with some painting  too.  Prints in various sizes and cards will be available shortly. Please let me know if you are interested.

Although I boarded some of the other ships, unfortunately this time I was just a little too late to go on  The Grayhound, and watched her sail away down the River Severn on a working voyage with regular crew and some passengers.
She goes to many interesting destinations including the Portugal, Madeira, the  Azores, France, Spain and Ireland, collecting cargo en route, and also taking passengers.

The Grayhound is a Lugger built between 2010-12 and is a 5/6 replica of the original  18th century vessel. built in Cornwall.

You can read all about her on website
www.grayhoundluggersailing.co.uk

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

Flags of many nations - all made from stamps

We all love flags!  

  Here are a few which have been made up into canvas prints in a variety of sizes and have gone  as far away as Australia,New Zealand, USA,Canada and Japan, as well as closer to home!   Shown here are my LOVE version of the Union Jack,

Welsh flag, Stars and Stripes (USA),

Australian flag, Swiss flag and German flag, all made from the stamps of each country.

The largest I've had made was a Union Jack  100 x 60 cms but generally they are approximately 30 x 40 cms according to the format of the flag itself.They can also be produced as giclee prints. 

These are just a few of many I've made from stamps - others can be seen on www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk    and I'm always happy to discuss commissions for more unusual flags such as one made in the colours of the Ugandan flag, including Ugandan stamps but also other themes from countries and subjects associated with the recipient. Possibilities are endless .. just ask! 

Unframed Prints available

Voyages of Discovery, my exhibition of Stamp Collages at the National Waterways Museum continues on until September, and there has already  been a lot of interest in the ships which are the subjects of most of the pictures.on show.

Staff and visitors at the exhibition in the National Waterways Museum May 2019

  You can read the ships' stories on previous blog posts, and information is also available in the museum display.  During the summer months the museum is open every day from 10 - 5.
Pictures can  be supplied as unframed prints, and in various sizes. Print quality is excellent and colour is guaranteed fast for 70 years + although I may not be around by then to check on it!! Take a look at my website www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk  to see all the pictures.   

England Winners 1966 .. and the Postal Museum is a Winner too!!

Union Jack stamp collage, including the 1966 4d World cup England Winners stamp 

On a recent trip to London, I visited the Postal Museum which was opened on 13th June 2017 by Princess Anne.   Entrance tickets are valid for a year, so I  hope to return again soon  to see what I  missed due to time constraints. Everyone was obviously enjoying the many imaginative displays  and the opportunity to go on the fabulous Mail Rail train under the the City.

The Mail Rail, which carried millions of letters every day across London opened in 1927, but closed in 2003.  Run by staff including former postal and railway workers  it makes for a great way to understand the workings of the system with  stops during   the journey for video presentations on the walls of the platforms where the trains would had their mail bags offloaded  for onward delivery.

Back in the museum itself, displays  took us back way beyond the issue of the Penny Black in 1840 to a time of horse drawn Mail Coaches when  the "postmen" carried pistols to defend themselves against Highwaymen. A  coach was  was once also attacked by an escaped lion!
Nostalgia also kicked in with the story of the issue of the World Cup Stamps in 1966, and the issue of the ENGLAND WINNERS  4d stamp after the winning goal was scored in the final on 30th July!
As the daughter of a stamp dealer,  I found the story particularly poignant, as were various other coincidences during my visit.  The guide  told me  that the stamps were first  released for sale at Trafalgar square post office at midnight on 18th August 1966.  I have several still .. and one appears on a Union Jack Stamp collage I created some time ago .  (Prints available to order).   The coincidences I refer to are that my dad's birthday was 13th June, and he was born in 1927 .. and he was there buying those stamps on 26th August 1966, sensing that they would make a good investment.  Maybe they weren't a great investment financially, as you can pick them up now for very little, but for me it is a great story to remember.I know my dad would  certainly have loved the Postal Museum, and with his knowledge of stamps and history,  would have been a great guide!