Surreal Pavement Litter

Spent a day in York on 16th Oct. Been under the weather since then… but had to put this on the blog.. as it is one of the strangest things I have ever seen on a pavement in a town centre. Maybe the pizza was dropped because the eater saw the chickens head, or maybe it was a chicken head pizza topping… who knows… but very very surreal either way.

Japanese Sashiko Textiles

A very beautiful exhibition at York Art Gallery. A way of decoratively stitching clothes, to preserve the cloth and mend clothing. A form of fine workmanship and craft carried out by Japanese women out of pure necessity. Some of the clothes had been in use for 30 years, and were layered and repaired. Very  Wabi Sabi, very beauitful. I am not usually into fibre work, but this show really moved me. I guess mostly because the women who made the garments were still evident, through the work and also in the supporting exhibition information and films.

Also popped into see the York Quilt Museum on the same day, kind of by accident, but very pleased to have found it too ! A day of womens work in the best possible sense, from a time when cloth was precious, used and cared for until it was worn out.

 

Northlands Creative Glass

This is an image taken at Whaligoe steps. Just the colours as the lense saw them. Very appropriate as I had just been on my annual pilgrimage to the conference at Lybster. This year the conference theme was colour and transparency. As usual there were good speakers, good conversation, an eclectic diverse and interesting group of people, brought together by an interest in the material that is glass. Northlands is a long way, but everytime I make the effort I return, rejuvenated, having learned a great deal about a great many things, including myself… and with a real sense of a community.

Bolsano

Had a few wonderful days away in Italy, visiting with Christine and Dan. Beautiful overviews looking up and over at mountains, and as ever, stopping to look at details of extraordinary beauty and in this case ingenuity. Lots for the heart and the sketch pad.

The Great Northern

A very good beginning at Manchester Grammar School for an event which showed the work of some very good makers. It was interesting being there after hearing a recent lecture about ‘old fashioned’ shop keeping, and the importance of an authentic shopping experience.

Kind of thought it was what we were all doing there at the show. All of us as, in that instance, small shop keepers, offering visitors and buyers and chance for a tangible experience, buying art works and goods from the people who do the creating, which by its nature offers a rich experience.

A new audience too. Most people I spoke to had not seen our beautiful bowls before and many of them took one home !

Thank you to all who made it a success, in every way.

Origin

We will be at this excellent event again.

Week One

Stand L3.

Showing our beautiful hand made bowls, and presenting new patterns as well as a small selection of overlay bowls and spheres.

Also I will be giving a lecture the following week see Somerset House Link.

Northlands Glass

Made the pilgrimage to The Northlands Glass Conference this year.

The location at Lybster on the NE coast, nearly at the very top of Scotland dictates a long journey which requires a big effort to arrange and make the time to visit.

This somehow makes for a relatively small group of very keen interesting visitors. What pulls people in are the great speakers, good company and interesting conversations over dinner. Northlands really is a special place in many ways. It brings together a community of artists, skilled glass makers, academics, curators, writers and collectors, from both sides of the pond and throws everybody into the mix . Highly stimulating debates, great examinations on topics outside glass and from the great and good of glass which all feed back into new thinking and awareness of what we all do. Looking forward to next year already.

Really cannot recommend this conference enough.

Art In Action

Went for a day out to see the show. Very, very busy. Not seen so many parked cars in one spot for a very very long time. Saw many old friends, some very good work and really enjoyed gardens !

Somewhere over the M62 Rainbow

Well home was just over those hills !

The Journey home across the Pennines on the M62 in the high wind was an adventure….but as always there is something just plain amazing to look at.

( Stephen was driving )

Liverpool

Our Orange Aesculus was all over town for the Design Show Liverpool ! Mad ! Good show, met many new great people both makers and customers, thank you to all who visited the stand, especially the familiar faces which are especially welcome in an unfamiliar city… and a special thank you to ‘Taxi Paul ‘ for taking such good care of me

We were high up in the CUC building affording a great view over the city, which made the 10am to 10pm days more bearable.