All Things Considered

Randall’s Folly, Salthouse
Posted by Simon Lewin

We recently commissioned Ed Kluz to create this collage/painting of a long lost landmark of the North Norfolk coast.

Randall's Folly (also known as Great Eye Folly) was originally built by Onesiphorous Randall in the 19th century but was seriously damaged by the great floods of 1953. 

The novelist Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893-1978) rented the folly in Salthouse from 1950 to 1951.

She describes her first impressions of the folly in a letter to Alyse Gregory - written in 1950 (courtesy of Literary Norfolk)

"...I think Valentine will have told you about the Great Eye Folly. I have the oddest impressions of it, since we were only there for about fifteen minutes, and conversing all the time with its owners. But the first five of those minutes were enough to enchant me. It is the sort of house one tells oneself to sleep with, and sometimes I almost suppose that it is really one of my dream-houses, and no such solid little assertion of the rectangle breaks the long sky-line of salt-marsh and sea."

Find out more about the folly from the Salthouse History website.

Ed is currently working on a new fabric for us - the follow up to his Painswick design.

Posted by Simon Lewin on January 11th, 2012

Rob Ryan’s Christmas window
Posted by Angie Lewin

Something I'd meant to write about before Christmas is this brilliant window display that Rob Ryan has created for Coutts Bank at 440 Strand - opposite Charing Cross station.

The window has been created to raise fund for Kids Company. There will be an auction of the stuffed elephant, doll's house and rocking horse that form part of the display. But you can also make a £5 donation to Kids Company by texting KIDS HELP to 70700.

Posted by Angie Lewin on December 30th, 2011

Grayson Perry
Posted by Simon Lewin

 I took a trip to the British Museum last week for Grayson Perry's The Tomb of Unknown Craftsmen exhibition.

The show features various new works by Perry alongside objects made by unknown men and women throughout history from the British Museum’s collection.

The exhibition runs until 19th February 2012. Booking recommended.

Here are a few snaps from outside the exhibition itself.

Posted by Simon Lewin on November 23rd, 2011

Ed Kluz’s Painswick
Posted by Simon Lewin

Launching at Ed Kluz's exhibition in Ripon tonight is Painswick -  his first fabric for St. Jude's.

Ed is fascinated by the objects of our cultural heritage. He seeks out the eccentric, the lost and the overlooked. Follies, curiosities, vanished buildings and folk lore inspire artworks which explore themes of renewal and reinvention.

His exhibition at Hornseys in Ripon, entitled Northern Arcadia, will define the beauty and harmony to be found amongst great northern houses and their correspondent gardens and will include views of follies and buildings around Studley Park, Castle Howard, Duncombe Park, Bramham Park and other great estates.

Two examples of the work being exhibited are shown here, beneath the images of Painswick.

Posted by Simon Lewin on September 16th, 2011

Stoer Head Lighthouse
Posted by Angie Lewin

Although a previous blog about the coffee van on Cley beach might suggest otherwise, we don't base all our walks on the available catering but last week Leigh's bright blue van by the Stoer Head Lighthouse was a cheerful and welcoming sight.

The walk around the point isn't a long one but there are great clifftop views. Watching climbers scale the Old Man of Stoer is a bonus and the views from the trig point at the high point of the walk are incredible, whatever the weather. From the van, Leigh serves bacon rolls, venison burgers and pancakes. You can take your mug of tea and gaze out to sea watching the gulls wheel around the the cliffs below.

Posted by Angie Lewin on July 21st, 2011

Edwin Smith
Posted by Simon Lewin

We managed to catch the last day of Edwin Smith's exhibition of photographs and paintings at Moray Art Centre yesterday.

Having initially trained as an architect, Smith (1912-1971) is perhaps best know for his photography and particularly his exploration of the vernacular in architecture.

But the exhibition also featured a number of Smith's paintings - here is an example, 'Turf Fire', which is on loan from the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden.

Merrell publish a great book featuring Edwin Smith's photography and you can view and order digital prints from the RIBA photograph archive.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 3rd, 2011

The Dunmore Pineapple
Posted by Simon Lewin

Just back from a visit to The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh catching the last day of Ed Kluz's exhibition there.

Amongst a sea of red dots I was surprised this stunning collage was currently without a home. Very tempting to add to the piece we'd already purchased.

'The Dunmore Pineapple' is a large framed collage at £950.00 - and worth every penny. To find out more visit The Scottish Gallery website.

We're currently making some final colourway amends to our forthcoming Ed Kluz fabric, Painswick. More on that soon.

Posted by Simon Lewin on June 29th, 2011

The Alhambra
Posted by Angie Lewin

Ever since my days working in garden design, I've gazed at photographs of the Alhambra and Generalife. But I was worried that the hordes of camera clicking tourists would make the reality a disappointment.

After the relative isolation of my residency at Los Gázquez our time in Granada was in sharp but good contrast. In countless photos I tried to record the incredible gardens and architecture. But on a smaller scale the complex tile patterns and their wonderful glazes that feature throughout are a real inspiration.

Posted by Angie Lewin on June 7th, 2011

Ed Kluz at The Scottish Gallery
Posted by Simon Lewin

Here are some more examples of the work that Ed Kluz will be exhibiting at The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh from 4th June 2011.

 

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 26th, 2011

Rural architecture
Posted by Simon Lewin

Angie and I are travelling in Spain at the minute. Yesterday we took a favourite walk in the Pyrenees. 

Here's a modern refuge on the route, part of the GR-150, close to Santuari del Boscalt, near Ansovell. No idea who designed it - I'll try to find out.

The first photo shows the hut at the start of the circular route we took - the second towards the end of the day when a thunder & hail storm allowed us to make proper use.

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 19th, 2011