All Things Considered

Mark Hearld in BBC Homes & Antiques
Posted by Simon Lewin

Regular visitors to our website will be aware that Mark Hearld will be exhibiting at our North Norfolk gallery from Saturday 12th June 2010. If you'd like an invitation to the opening and details nearer the time, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter.

Mark also features in the June 2010 issue of BBC Homes and Antiques in an interview with Charles Farahar...

"The briefest glance around Mark Hearld’s York flat tells you that this is the home of an artist, an animal lover and, clearly, a hoarder. Everywhere you look, something catches the eye. Stuffed animals nestle next to Staffordshire figures. Piles of books – mainly artist’s monographs, Picasso is a particular favourite – crowd the shelves, and paintings and drawings from artist friends decorate the walls. An imposing, rabbit-shaped cushion occupies a chair, birds flutter endlessly after each other in a paper mobile overhead. There’s even an enormous 3D duck hanging from the ceiling."

Read the article in the June edition of BBC Homes and Antiques. Photo below by Jane Sebire courtesy of BBC Homes & Antiques.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 28th, 2010

Museum of British Folklore
Posted by Simon Lewin

On Saturday 3rd April the first of the Museum of British Folklore's mini exhibitions opened. The owners of Port Eliot, Lord and Lady St Germans have kindly loaned the space in one of the Gatehouses for the summer period while the main house is open to the public and also for the Port Eliot Festival period.

The exhibition looks at the Padstow May Day tradition and features a replica of the current Old Oss mask which is flanked by fabric designed by Mark Hearld and sponsored by St Jude's. There is also a small display of Corn Dollies which are specific to Cornwall.

The upstairs space has cabinets looking at curious remedies and cures, such as wearing the key of a church around the neck whilst sleeping to cure heartache. The legend of Dando, the dissolute 14th-century priest of St Germans, who is said to haunt the area, is told with an engaging film piece. Lastly, a fairy bower is displayed with a piece about the Cornish Piskies.

The exhibition runs at Port Eliot in Cornwall until 30th July 2010. Open every day except Friday from 2pm-4.30pm. Find out more about the Museum of British Folklore.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 27th, 2010

Angie Lewin’s Salthouse poster
Posted by Simon Lewin

LATEST Angie's 'Salthouse' poster will feature in her forthcoming 'Plants and Places' book, published Autumn 2010. For details nearer the launch, sign up for Angie's newsletter.

UPDATE The bidding closed on the 16th May 2010 and the winning bid for Angie's print was over £2,200. In total just over £4900 was raised for the Marine Conservation Society.

Earlier this year Angie was asked by Coast magazine to produce a linocut print, re-inventing the seaside poster.

Seven artists have contributed to the project including paper-cut artist Rob Ryan, Red or Dead founders Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway and Biba creator Barbara Hulanicki.

This three-colour linocut print (50cm x 70cm) is a one-off and is being auctioned to raise proceeds for the Marine Conservation Society.

The auction launches on Ebay on Thursday 6th May 2010 - if you'd like to receive a reminder nearer the time, do sign up for Angie's e-mail newsletter.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 22nd, 2010

Chloe Cheese at The French House
Posted by Simon Lewin

Illustrator & printmaker Chloe Cheese currently has an exhibition of drawings and prints on at The French House (49 Dean Street, London W1) entitled "A Glimpse Of The French House and Soho".

We have a solo exhibition of Chloe's work at our gallery in North Norfolk in December - for further details and an invitation to the opening nearer the time, please do sign up for our e-mail newsletter.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 22nd, 2010

Islabikes
Posted by Kate Sullivan

I hadn’t realised just how awful the choice was for quality kids' bicycles until we started searching to buy an upgrade for our 6 year old. At first we were looking for something not too dissimilar to a Dutch ‘sit-up-and-beg’ bike but we found nothing. We found childrens' versions of the bikes we own and they weren't bad, but they seemed heavy and the brakes unreachable for small hands. We then discovered through various forums that Islabikes had a fantastic reputation.

"Isla has put her years of cycle design experience and practical cycling knowledge together to produce a range of exclusive bikes for children. She has searched the world for suitable tiny components, and where they have not been available has had them made.

All bikes have child specific frame geometry and a full set of proportional components, including brakes that can be operated safely with small hands. Gear ratios are carefully selected to suit the age of the child. Each bike can be customised at the point of purchase with tyres that exactly suit the intended use - you can also have a set of full mudguards and a carrier. This way each bike can be used for mountain biking and cyclo cross, as a track racing machine at your local track league, for going to school, touring holidays or days out exploring with the family."

Bikes can be ordered online http://www.islabikes.co.uk or you can visit them at their base in Ludlow.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on April 14th, 2010

Mark Hearld’s dresser
Posted by Simon Lewin

A couple of years ago Mark Hearld was commissioned by the producers of the latest Nanny McPhee film to paint various elements of the set.

“I painted a cockerel and a hen on a Victorian bed board, a mural on the children’s nursery wall, and parts of the kitchen. The farm themes they wanted are very typical of the work I do.”

We're trying to source some stills of work he produced to post here, but in the meantime, here is a photo of the dresser that Mark create for his 'Mark Hearld & Friends' exhibition at The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh last year. (We're now the proud owners of Terry Shone's greyhound ceramic, The Pretender, on the top of the base).

Mark Hearld has a solo exhibition with us opening on Saturday 12th June. For further details and an invitation to the opening please sign up for our e-mail newsletter.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 11th, 2010

Sheila Robinson
Posted by Simon Lewin

Designer Brian Webb has produced a wonderful booklet to accompany The Fry Gallery's "Women of Bardfield" exhibition. We've asked Brian to select a few of his favourite images and will be posting these in the coming weeks.

The first is "Abingdon, 1965" by Sheila Robinson.

Born in Nottinghamshire, Sheila Robinson studied at the local Art School and then at the Royal College of Art where she came under the influence of Edward Bawden. An accomplished printmaker she developed to a high quality the cardboard-cut. On her marriage to Bernard Cheese she moved to Great Bardfield, where they worked on their own commissions and with Bawden.

We're delighted to be working with Sheila's daughter Chloe Cheese who will be exhibiting at St. Jude's in December.

"Women of Bardfield" runs at The Fry Gallery in Saffron Walden until 4th July 2010. Full details

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 8th, 2010

St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Posted by Simon Lewin

We're really very proud of our friend Paul Humphreys and his team at Hare & Humphreys for their work on this Millennium Project at the cathedral in Bury St. Edmunds.

There's a great slideshow of the project on the BBC Suffolk website...

"The final stage of the Millennium Project at the cathedral in Bury St Edmunds was to build a fan-vaulted ceiling under the roof of the new tower. The viewing area opened to visitors in March 2010 and they've been gazing up in awe at the artwork 130 feet above their heads."

View the slideshow in full

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 7th, 2010