All Things Considered

Chocolate
Posted by Kate Sullivan

As I type this, I’m tentatively munching on a small piece of  Montezuma’s chilli fired dark chocolate and I have to say, it's making me feel a little un-easy.

Now, I like chocolate and I like chillies and I know that the Mexican’s love the two together but for me, I’d rather keep them separate. I want chocolate to be comforting and to be able to savour the indulgence rather than being puzzled by the fiery combination I have just experienced.

Montezuma’s is a British award winning chocolatier (so please don’t let my uncertainty of the chilli bar put you off) and it is just one of the many excellent chocolatiers in Britain who know a thing about mixing textures and extracts with chocolate covertures. It seems that us Brit’s are becoming quite refined with our bittersweet cocoa preferences and we are buying more and more artisan bars, sourced and produced through ethical means.

Another award winner based in Norfolk is Booja Booja who makes organic, vegan, vegetarian or wheat-free handmade truffles. The hand painted packaging in the luxury range also won an award from the Soil Association and is sourced directly from artists in Kashmir, helping support families in the strife torn region.

But one of my favourite chocolate shops is London based Rococo, which for the past 23 years has been producing an intriguing array of flavour combinations. But being a sucker for tradition, I can’t resist the wonderfully quintessential fondant flavours; rose, lavender and geranium – so much more refined than chilli, wouldn't you say?

Posted by Kate Sullivan on May 26th, 2007

Iris
Posted by Angie Lewin

Both in my work and in my garden, I find myself drawn to austere plants with structural seedheeds and understated shades. But there are certain plants whose opulent colours and exuberant flowers are irresistible. Paeonies are one example. Bearded irises another. From 24th May to 10th June the iris fields at Woottens are again open to the public.

Walk between the rows of flowering plants, stretching into the distance, shading from pale ointment pink to chocolate brown and the deepest darkest purple black.

You can't resist stroking the velvety petals of  'Dutch Chocolate', 'Interpol' and 'Oregon Skies', just three of the countless varieties. Due to the warm weather the irises are flowering early so visit sooner rather than later to see them at their best. You can order your favourites whilst you’re there.

Photos of the irises and details of opening times can be found on the  website www.woottensplants.co.uk. The painting displayed here is by Sir Cedric Morris.

Posted by Angie Lewin on May 25th, 2007

Norwood
Posted by Simon Lewin

A conversation with our friends Robert & Julia of (West) Norwood who have been enjoying this blog reminded me that Mark Hearld has been busy on a commission for  Norwood - a new arts club in New York.

With this out the way, Mark's now working on the follow up to Doveflight. Born in 1974, Mark studied illustration at Glasgow College of Art and then completed an MA in Natural History Illustration at the Royal College of Art.

Taking his inspiration from the flora and fauna of the British countryside, Mark works across a number of mediums, producing limited edition lithographic and linocut prints, unique paintings, collages and hand-painted ceramics.

We'll also be exhibiting a range of Mark's varied work at the gallery in the run up to Christmas - but we always exhibit his prints at St. Jude's.

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 23rd, 2007

Black Eyes and Lemonade
Posted by Angie Lewin

Born in 1912, Barbara Jones studied at the R.C.A. and was a pioneer in the field of popular culture, demonstrated by the book ‘The Unsophisticated Arts’ - published in 1951 and described by Peter Blake as “a treasure trove of information about popular art”.

This poster was designed to promote ‘Black Eyes and Lemonade’ - an exhibition held at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain. In association with the Arts Council and the Society for Education in Art, the exhibition explored a variety of popular British art  - toys, souvenirs, printed ephemera and the like.

We often feature the work of Barbara Jones at the gallery - contact Simon to find out what might be available.

Posted by Angie Lewin on May 20th, 2007

Laundry Room
Posted by Simon Lewin

One of the noticeable side effects of setting up the gallery is a sort of obsession about how shops 'work'. Whether they're big or small you find yourself analysing the bits you like and the bits you don't. And a night out with Marie and Will from Old Town will often end with a discussion about the highs (and lows) of being part of this nation of shopkeepers.

Whilst pottering around Norwich on Monday I caught up with twins Oli and Alice Pointer at the Laundry Room. As I've said before, I struggle to stay out of my Old Town clobber but was delighted when Laundry Room opened in 2005.

It's small but perfectly formed, selling a really focussed range of clothes - mixing English made shirting with cult Swedish denim (I'm rather attached to the Acne jeans illustrated here) and artisan sportswear.

Visit the store at 18 Pottergate, Norwich NR2 1DX - see the website for full details and online shopping.

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 15th, 2007

Meet Mr. Therm
Posted by Angie Lewin

He’s the ancestor of the cheery, fickering animated flame fellow who’s been promoting British Gas over the last few years (has he gone out?).

Mr T was created by Eric Fraser (1902-1983) for the Gas Light and Coke Company and appeared in many advertisements over the years.

Fraser was a prolific illustrator best known for the many drawings and covers he produced for the Radio Times. Other clients included ICI, the GPO and Ealing Film Studios and creating a mural for the 1951 Festival of Britain.

We occassionally have work by Eric Fraser available at the gallery.

Posted by Angie Lewin on May 9th, 2007

Asparagus
Posted by Kate Sullivan

We’re now a week or so into the short, two month run of fresh asparagus and I’ve still not manage to eat any - which is ridiculous seeing as I have been counting the days till the season began for the past two months.

For me, asparagus signifies the start of the summer. I enjoy trying out different combinations of the lean green super-food but always find that simply simmered, buttered and seasoned is hard to beat.

Every year I notice more and more small farms selling the freshly cut spears around Norfolk. There is one asparagus field that I love watching as I pass every week. I’m always amazed that this field is pretty much unattended until early April, when suddenly it is tidied in readiness for the pending crop. At the beginning of May and seemingly overnight the crowns poke through and ascend rapidly.

Being a fan of this delicious and short seasoned vegetable, I winced with horror when I heard this week about a farm contractor who mistakenly ploughed the wrong field of rising asparagus instead of turning the soil of the adjacent field in preparation for strawberries, losing the grower about £10,000 in sales. Ouch.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on May 7th, 2007

Helvetica
Posted by Simon Lewin

Fantastic - a typeface has a birthday!

To mark the 50th birthday of Helvetica, film maker Gary Hustwit has made a film that looks at the profileration of a single typeface - one which I'd guarantee we all see at least once a day.

It's one of those typefaces that just 'works' - along with Gill Sans it's a face I'll often end up using having spent hours trying to find and use something new.

Designed and developed by Max Miedlinger and Eduard Hoffmann in 1957, the typeface was part of a revival of sans-serif faces across Europe.

This feature length film features looks at typography, graphic design and visual culture and includes interviews with a number of leading designers including Erik Spiekermann, Neville Brody, Tobias Frere-Jones and Jonathan Hoefler.

Find out all about the film and view some trailers here.

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 6th, 2007

Dunlopera
Posted by Simon Lewin

Published in 1961, Paul Jennings' "Dunlopera" is one of those hard to categorise books that in many respects you just can't imagine being published nowadays. Designed by John Lewis and printed by W.S. Cowell of Ipswich, this history of the works and workings of the Dunlop Rubber Company is illustrated throughout by 24 two colour linocuts from Edward Bawden - all as playful as the example shown here.

Good copies of this scare book are now particularly hard to get hold of.

You might be interested in Mainstone Press' "Entertaining A La Carte" which profile's Bawden's work for Fortnum and Mason. A stunning publication. More

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 4th, 2007

Smokehouses
Posted by Kate Sullivan

Food smoking has been around for many years, and it is thought that like most techniques, it was discovered by accident. Leaving meat or fish to hang over a fire not only preserved the food, but also gave it a desirable flavour and helped maintain a food supply when there was a shortage.

I know of three excellent and fairly local Smokehouses; Richardsons Smokehouse  and Butley Orford Oysterage in Orford, Suffolk and Cley Smokehouse in Norfolk and as you may guess, they are all situated by the sea, making the most of the local fishermen’s catch. I recently went to the smokehouse in Cley (pronounced k-l-i) and bought not a piece of mackerel as you may think, but instead bought a tub of smoked olives. I had this delicious and slightly odd nibble at a local wedding. The olives were not only smoked but also infused with cumin and coriander seeds - delicious.

Both Orford smokeries are on my list of places to visit in a few weeks time when we’re holidaying nearby in Thorpeness.  I remember from a previous visit that the connected Butley Orford Oysterage Restaurant is fabulous and as you would expect, the menu is full of fresh and smoked fish. The tables are the original Formica from 40 years ago and the service old fashioned and faultless.

Back on the North Norfolk Coast at Salthouse, is another simple and uncomplicated eatery, Cookie’s Crab Shop. Here you can bring your own wine, sit in their garden shed, and look out to sea whilst eating fresh crab and peeling prawns. Do book in advance; the popularity of this fish haven is astonishing.

If you fancy attempting to smoke some food yourself, I believe it is quite simple. Nick Sandler and Johnny Acton’s book Preserved make it sound easy enough to build hot and colds smokers, but if you’re not keen on DIY, visit Smokey’s Place for further information and equipment sales.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on May 2nd, 2007