All Things Considered

Tuscany
Posted by Angie Lewin

Whilst the weather hasn't been as idyllic as we'd imagined when planning our trip to Tuscany, the converted barn that we're staying at in the hills close to Sansepolcro is about as perfect as it could be, surrounded by olive trees and wild flower meadows.

After the rain yesterday I collected a few unassuming local specimens to paint in detail. View larger images over at my Facebook page.

Posted by Angie Lewin on May 9th, 2013

Sissinghurst Castle
Posted by Angie Lewin

We managed to sneak in a quick trip to Sissinghurst the other week. Maybe it's a bit ambitious to try to make the large scale planting schemes of these great gardens work in a small garden, but the spring-flowering anemones, snake's head fritillaries, trilliums and hellebores were just so beautiful and understated. I'm going to try to emulate it in our long, well, long-ish, narrow front garden in Edinburgh.

The Charles Rennie Mackintosh watercolour below shows the unique chequerboard pattern on the fritillary's purple flowers. Apparently, Vita Sackville-West called it "a sinister little flower, in the mournful colour of decay" which seems a bit harsh.

Find out more about Sissinghurst Castle and view more of Mackintosh's work over at the Hunterian Museum website.

Posted by Angie Lewin on May 6th, 2013

A return to North Norfolk
Posted by Simon Lewin

We took a return trip to North Norfolk just before Easter - our first since not having a permanent base in the county. 

Despite the time spent catching up with Kate and Elaine in our Norwich studio and the bitterly cold & windy weather, we did manage to get in a few decent walks.

One of the joys of not having a specific place to stay is that we can now spend time exploring some of the areas we hadn't properly visited for a while.

This time we stayed in Cley Next The Sea at Manor Coach House - a traditional brick and flick property dating back to 1825. Definitely somewhere we'll return to and highly recommended.

Find our more about Manor Coach House.

Posted by Simon Lewin on May 5th, 2013

Michael Kirkman
Posted by Simon Lewin

A final Open Studio recommendation for anyone in or near York over the next couple of weekends...

Printmaker, painter and illustrator Michael Kirkman will be exhibiting a selection of work at 45 Grosvenor Terrace, York.

Having studied at Edinburgh School of Art followed an MA course at the Royal College of Art, Michael is now living and working in York.

Here's a selection of the work he'll be exhibiting as part of York Open Studios 2013.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 11th, 2013

Mark Hearld
Posted by Simon Lewin

And here are some of pieces Mark Hearld will be exhibiting as part of York Open Studios.

Both Mark Hearld and Emily Sutton will taking part in our next St. Jude's In The City event in Edinburgh in July. If you'd like to attend the opening, sign up for an invitation.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 11th, 2013

Emily Sutton
Posted by Simon Lewin

If you're anywhere near York over the next two weekends you're in for a treat.

It's time for the 2013 York Open Studios and at 104 The Mount, Emily Sutton and Mark Hearld will be exhibiting a selection of paintings, prints and collage.

Visit on 13th/14th and 20th/21st April (from 10am-6pm on the Saturdays and from 10am -5pm on the Sundays). Full details from the York Open Studios website.

If you're unable to visit, don't forget that you can view a selection of Emily's prints online, plus her fabrics for St. Jude's, Deep Sea and the Elle Deco award winning Curiosity Shop.

Here's some of the work Emily will be exhibiting...

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 10th, 2013

A conversation with Ed Kluz
Posted by Simon Lewin

We're pleased to announce the launch of a short film about the work of Ed Kluz.

Filmed and edited by Alun Callender, Ed Kluz discusses his work, inspiration and working practices. The film is shot on location at Racton Tower in West Sussex and at Ed's Brighton studio and home.

Ed is currently collaborating with us at St Jude's on a range of fabrics and wallpapers. You might like to take a look at his Painswick and Lionheart fabrics.

Ed will also be taking part in an exhibition of prints, paintings and collages that we're organising in Edinburgh in July.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 10th, 2013

Paul Bommer
Posted by Simon Lewin

Printmaker and illustrator Paul Bommer has an exhibition in Norwich from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th April 2013.

'Sack & Sugar' is a selling exhibition of Paul's limited edition prints and Delft tiles.

Paul is a graduate of the National College of Art & Design in Dublin. Working until quite recently in the East End of London, Paul has now relocated to the wilds of the north Norfolk coast seeking space and new inspiration.

Paul's work is informed by an irreverent humour and a love of character, history and a rich sense of time and place, captured with a deft line. He is currently focussing on limited edition screen prints and decorated ceramics which include limited edition tiles and private fireplace commissions.

If you're unable to visit the exhibition at Yallops Gallery, 59 St. Augustine's Street, Norwich NR3 3BG, we're pleased to offer a selection of Paul's prints over at our online gallery.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 8th, 2013

Silt
Posted by Simon Lewin

 In The Old Ways, Robert Macfarlane continues to write about his experience of walking and observing as he passes through landscapes - some dramatic and some more mundane. 

For Silt, one of the most striking chapters of his brilliant recent book, bestselling travel writer Robert Macfarlane walked the Broomway, the notorious 'deadliest path in Britain'.

He was accompanied on this journey along along the Essex offshore path (which has claimed the lives of more than sixty people over the centuries) by his friend and accomplished photographer David Quentin.

Penguin Books are publishing a special e-book edition of Silt which will feature all of David's photographs from the journey, all taken on 35mm black and white film using a Leica rangefinder.

Until April 13th 2013 the photographs are exhibited in London at 4 Windmill Street, accompanied by a specially commissioned sound piece by musicians Jimmy Cripps and Rico Borza, and sound designer Jesse T. Rybolt. Find out more

You'll find lots of Robert Macfarlane related content published by our friends Caught By The River.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 4th, 2013

Beachcomber
Posted by Angie Lewin

I've recently been looking through past work in plan chests and folders and came across a number of prints that I produced when I started printmaking again in earnest in the 1990s.

'Beachcomber' is a very early wood engraving and really shows the influence of Monica Poole's work. I've suspected that the subject matter in my prints has always been slow to evolve as I draw and redraw objects, trying to capture variations in the insignificant. And what might help explain the 'clutter' in my studio is that I still have the same stones, driftwood and rope that feature in this print - all collected in the Orkneys in the early 1990s.

Posted by Angie Lewin on January 20th, 2013