All Things Considered

Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2010
Posted by Kate Sullivan

The line-up for this year's lively 239th Norfolk & Norwich Festival is very impressive. It boasts 350 performances at 50 different venues, some of which are not usually open to the public. The festival is also billed as the International Arts Festival of the East of England - so expect a brilliantly varied choice of entertainment, including some world premieres.

It's difficult to know which events to buy tickets for, as there are circus acts, classical music, dance, jazz, street theatre and much more, and I'm hoping I've not left it too late to make my choice, as I hear tickets are selling fast.

Thankfully, not all events are ticketed. The Festival Garden Party was loved by my girls last year, and is back this year on Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th May. I'm also keen to see NoFit State Circus at Eaton Park and Kurt Perschke's 15 ft inflatable RedBall (see below). These will be squashed into 13 locations across the city during the 13 day long festival. I'm also planning to get my 6 year old daughter's hair cut by children of the same age, as part of Mammalian Diving Reflex Haircuts by Children at the stylish Flint hairdressers. It can't be worse than her 3 year old sister could do, can it?

The festival runs form 7th - 22nd May 2010. For further information and to buy tickets, visit nnf10.org.uk

Posted by Kate Sullivan on March 31st, 2010

Women of Bardfield
Posted by Simon Lewin

Next Sunday sees the opening of a new exhibition at the Fry Gallery in Saffron Walden.

'Women of Bardfield' exhibits the work of the artists who worked in this Essex village, which during the 40s and 50s was home to artists and designers including Edward Bawden, Eric Ravilious, Sheila Robinson (whose work is pictured below), Bernard Cheese, Marianne Straub and Walter Hoyle.

From the Fry Art Gallery website...

"There are wood engravings, box constructions and paintings by Tirzah Ravilious, oils paintings and pots by Charlotte Bawden, and remarkable marbled papers by both artists, often working together at the kitchen table. Sheila Robinson invented the cardboard cut and there are a number of these together with an unpublished book Seven Dancing Princesses. Lucy, the first wife of John Aldridge, was a rag rug maker and one of her pieces is on show together with a portrait of her at her work. Marianne Straub had a distinguished career in woven textiles and there are examples on display. Many people will have sat on her work while riding on London Transport's buses or Underground trains.

Besides all this work these women artists and wives were remarkable for the richness of the decorations of their own homes- a quality which lives on in photographs at the time, and the tradition of decorating interiors with interesting object d'art, handicrafts, linocut wallpapers and found objects. "

On a related note, we're delighted to be hosting an exhibition of work by Chloe Cheese (Bernard Cheese and Sheila Robinson's daughter) in December 2010.

Chloe studied at Cambridge Art School and then the Royal College of Art. She has exhibited at galleries worldwide and has work in public collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and the Arts Council of Great Britain.

'Women of Bardfield' opens on Sunday 4th April 2010 at the Fry Art Gallery.

If you'd like to receive an invitation to Chloe's exhibition with us in December, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter. In the meantime, you can view examples of her prints at our online print store.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 27th, 2010

Garden Wisdom
Posted by Simon Lewin

Elle Decoration have included this short review of 'Garden Wisdom' in their April 2010 issue. You can also read this full review in Gardens Illustrated or purchase a copy online from Amazon.

Angie's currently working with Merrell on another book project due this Autumn. We'll post some information about that soon.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 24th, 2010

David Gentleman
Posted by Simon Lewin

This week sees the opening of a new exhibition at the Fine Art Society on Bond Street.

'David Gentleman at Eighty' celebrates the 80th birthday of this artist and designer who has worked in a range media - wood engraving, watercolour and lithography.

The exhibition also sees the launch of a new edition of 'Ask The Fellows Who Cut The Hay' by George Ewart Evans (Gentleman's father-in-law) which is illustrated throughout by 60 of the artist's beautiful watercolour paintings and drawings. David worked on the images all through the summer, autumn and winter of 2009 in Blaxhall, the Suffolk village on which the book is centred.

The exhibition runs at the Fine Art Society, 148 New Bond Street, London, during March and April 2010. You can find out more about the book via the Full Circle website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 23rd, 2010

Henry Moore
Posted by Angie Lewin

I walked my usual route from Pimlico tube to Tate Britain this morning to see the Henry Moore exhibition. I've loved these pollarded plane trees in John Islip Street since I was a student. They looked as good as ever against today's blue sky. The exhibition was impressive and inspiring too. Keeping to the tree theme, a series of reclining figures carved in elm were both a highlight and a sad reminder of the loss of these beautiful trees from our landscape.

The Henry Moore exhibition runs at Tate Britain until 8th August 2010. More

Posted by Angie Lewin on March 23rd, 2010

Jane Bush
Posted by Simon Lewin

Artist Jane Bush will be opening her studio as part of the Telegraph Hill Festival in south east London this weekend.

Jane has been working in paint and collage for the more than twenty years. Her subject matter examines the culture, myths and imagery of everyday life covering subjects as diverse as archaeology, domestic life, war, travel, and natural history.

Her studio at 93 Lausanne Road, London SE15 2HY will be open on 20th and 21st March 2010, from 2pm until 6pm. Find out more about the Telegraph Hill Festival.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 18th, 2010

Paul Nash – The Elements
Posted by Simon Lewin

It was a busy Sunday at the Dulwich Picture Gallery when we called in to see the current Paul Nash exhibition yesterday.

'Nash was responsible for some of the most haunting and beautiful images of the twentieth century, including many landscapes that live in the memory simply as quintessential views of England'.

Like Ravilious, there are rarely any people in his landscapes. This, with his generally muted chalky colours, gives a quiet yet slightly unsettling quality to his work. Also shown are paintings carried out as an official war artist and black and white photographs, often taken as reference for his work.

The exhibition runs until 9th May 2010 at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 15th, 2010

Frank Kiely
Posted by Simon Lewin

Artist Frank Kiely will be exhibiting a range of his prints on the Mark Jason Gallery stand at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea Park, London this weekend.

The Fair runs until 6pm on Sunday 14th March 2010. For full details visit the Affordable Art Fair website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 11th, 2010

More from Toby Morison
Posted by Simon Lewin

Just back from Toby Morison's exhibiton of Indian watercolours at The Coningsby Gallery. Highly recommended.

If you're in London, you can visit the exhibition until 13th March 2010 at The Coningsby Gallery, 30 Tottenham Street, London W1T 4RJ. Visit their website to view further images.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 9th, 2010

Indian Spring – Toby Morison
Posted by Simon Lewin

Illustrator Toby Morison has an exhibition of Indian watercolours opening at the Coningsby Gallery in London next week.

The thirty images were painted on the spot in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujaret.

Toby Morison studied at the Royal College of Art. He was a founder member of the influential Big Orange studio and has worked internationally as an illustrator for the past twenty years. He is the author of Little Louis Takes Off (Simon and Schuster 2006).

Toby has always travelled widely - often with a sketchbook as companion. He has an abiding fascination and love for India. These images were painted on streets and from rooftops and balconies - often with a small audience in attendance. From a teeming Delhi through the holy town of Pushkar, to the blue washed city of Jodhpur and the boat building port of Mandvi on the shores of the Arabian Ocean these images reflect the vibrancy, ingenuity, colour and humour of India.

The exhibition runs from 8th March 2010 until 13th March 2010 at The Coningsby Gallery, 30 Tottenham Street, London W1T 4RJ. Website

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 3rd, 2010