Jean B Martin
Yesterday I got to meet my absolute painting hero - Jean B Martin when she did a talk at the opening of her exhibition in the Cotswolds. She has much to teach me as a painter and in real life she is both full of advice and new approaches and also witty and down-to-earth in a unstarry way which doesn't belie her huge talent.
I discovered her work quite by accident when on holiday years ago - there was a beautiful jewel of a painting propped on the floor waiting to be framed (we were in a frame and exhibition shop)Â and we loved it so much we bought it and that was the beginning of my discovery and subsequent adoration.
She also brought along her beautiful charcoal laden sketchbooks and I spent a long time getting grubby fingers and memorizing as much as I could! It was very special and I hope to put some new things into practice really soon.
The 62 Group
Currently at the Midlands Art Center, Birmingham, UK is a wonderful Textile exhibition by The 62 Group called Ctrl/Shift. It's on the theme of changes and shifts in the artists way of working whether that be by using new technology or a change of understanding or personal practice.
The 62 group has become one of the most prestigious Textile groups to be a member of and now has both international membership and a strict activity requirement to stay a member of and in doing so it keeps this prestige.
Here's a few snaps of just a little of the exhibition.
Joanna Kinnersly-Taylor is an innovative fabric print maker from Glasgow.
Recast represents the change of light and space as you walk through a space.
Sue Stone uses machine or hand embroidered stitches (or a mix) to create amazing textures which are true-to-life of the object represented. She draws on the past and present, often in a portraiture style and her pieces are very close to a drawn/painted image but done with thread, fabric and dye.
Caroline Bartlett is based in the UK and produces tactile works involving pleating and fabric manipulation and which also often incorporate ceramics.
Jane McKeating   is an avid drawer - see her sketchbook film in the artists processes area of the exhibition and her instagram page.
This love of drawing translates through into printed and hand stitched embroidered art.
These pieces are found handkerchiefs which represent aspects of old age pertinent to her own experience of caring for an ageing parent.
They were my favourite pieces - so intricate, patterned and colourful yet sombre and emotive and intricately executed.
Come along and see it all before it closes.
Adventures in Shibori
I made the most of the recent sunny weather to do some messy dye projects in the garden.
This is some Shibori fun- the Japanese method of clamping and twisting fabric prior to dying.
It is so simple but effective but in the past it hasn't always delivered the results hoped for until this time when the sun rendered me more patient than usual!
I'm planning some projects of things to make and stitch with these beautiful fabrics if I can bear to cut into them.
Monet’s House, Giverny
A week ago today we were soaking up the sunshine in Giverny, France, visiting Monet's house and garden.
I think it's a sign of ageing that I enjoy the nostalgia of a place such as this,
that and it's cute, old world french-ness.
He lived here for forty-three years from 1883 to 1926 and I love theres still the sense that (however romantic and untrue it may be!) that he just sat here, or ate there...
The original house was very small and Monet enlarged it on both sides making it not very deep but very wide, which is kind of nice as there are now lots of windows all looking onto the garden.
The barn next to the house was adapted to become his studio although it was mostly for storage as he painted in the open air.
Above it's the product of patience - below the reality! People everywhere.
Monet chose all the colours in the house and particularly wanted the blue kitchen to show through to the yellow dining room.
If you visit and happen to arrive when the queue to look around the house is small, then my advice is do it before the garden. We couldn't resist the garden first and ended up with a long hot queue in the sun.
Hope you've enjoyed an armchair tour - here's some fun facts I happened across if you want more :)
Monets Garden, Giverny France
This past weekend we nipped over to Normandy, France to visit Monet's garden in Giverny.
It's been something I've wanted to do for years and HB had a spontaneous moment of birthday gifting and made it happen.
I'd heard a lot before I went about how small it was, how many visitors crammed in to see it, how it was the wrong season for this and that...
Some of that may be true - here's a 'truth' photo of the constant crowds getting the bridge shot!
But generally I found that most people seemed to be storming around as they only had limited time on their coach/cruise ship excursion and so if you just linger and wait a quiet spot does open up around you.
The planting is unbelievable - whether you're a gardener or a painter (or neither!) you can't fail to appreciate it.
The borders are planted up in great long swathes of tonal groups - all yellows, reds and oranges or pinks or a quiet harmony of all-white plants.
It's hard to get a really good photo of that as you are only allowed to walk the perimeter paths and not actually in and through the garden.
To get to the water lilies you use an under-the-road tunnel as Monet bought a plot of land across the road from the house and garden and landscaped it.
It's much quieter in both its planting and because of the tranquility that all the water brings.
You can also paint in the gardens after hours Mon - Fri (not the weekends) by buying an artists pass at the ticket booth on the day you want to paint - buy the ticket between 5/5.30pm and then wait for the gardens to close and go back in after 6pm till 8pm.
If you want details I think the press office was the best source of information (details here)
It's also worth knowing I think, that even if you print out your e-ticket and take it with you still have to stand in queue to go through with all those buying their tickets at the door. We had a false sense of security that we would get flagged through an express queue -no! so we were glad we'd gone early on in the day.
I'll do a another post showing the house soon.
Coming up roses
Here to talk roses! They've been brilliant this year until a few weeks back when we began this tropical weather we're enjoying in the UK and a month in they've suffered from lack of water.
This week I've dedicated myself to trying to paint some before they're completely passed it but they've wilted as fast as I can paint them.
A messy rose strewn desk is a lovely thing though.
So I've done what I can and I'm off to enjoy a g&t in the sun - happy weekend :)
