Last weekend I went to the Country Brocante at Cowdray Park in Sussex. Although I'm a complete Bah Humbug person about Christmas, I have to admit to a strong dose of nostalgia about some of the items for sale- amongst the shabby chic galore, and the trendily-white-painted cupboards exhumed from French pigsties were some gems from my childhood..
My Mum had that Christmas cake ornament Santa, and the little boy on the sledge! They were made from some kind of plaster, and over the years of being stuck into my Mum's rock-hard icing they gradually absorbed the sugar, and took on a spooky coat of crystals. We also had the Christmas trees made out of bristles, although ours were always a bit wonky.
Didn't have one of these dogs on wheels, but always wanted one...
And as for this assortment, wow! Sooty xylophone, definitely had one of those! Beatrix Potter books! Jelly mould in the shape of a rabbit! (and a toffee hammer)
My sister and I also had a whole farm full of lead animals, its a wonder we're here to tell the tale.
I'm sure I heard on radio four that there's just one factory in Bavaria still making these beautiful baubles- I particularly love the ones with the 'dents' in them.
Meanwhile, Jenny in Handmade Happiness has asked me for some Christmassy items for the shop. This year I am giving fairies with fat bottoms a starring role. Why should thin fairies have all the fun? They can be hung on your Christmas tree, or worn as a brooch.
http://jenny-handmadehappiness.blogspot.co.uk
Once upon a time, everyone used wooden or clay bowls and dishes, and the travelling pole lathe turner would go from village to village, making them as people needed them. And as a bowl gets older it becomes more beautiful. We have two made by Mr P that we use for salad, and as the dressing has soaked into them they have acquired a patina you couldn't make any other way. These pots and bowls are in the Tudor kitchen at the Weald and Downland Museum.
Here is Mr P's latest bowl, just released from the lathe. He made it as a demonstration at the Surrey Hills Wood Fair on 2nd October. The thing in the middle is the mandrill, which holds it onto the lathe, with a piece of wood big enough for another bowl left attached. The things that look like tree stumps either side are the supports between which the bowl turns, and of course the power is provided by pedalling. So the whole thing could be loaded onto a cart and taken to the next place.
Some more bowls made by Chris at the wood fair.
I love the simple technology of this ageless way of woodworking. This chopping stump is made with tapered slots so that the legs fit in, and then can be taken out for transporting it. (Also love that great big mallet!)
Of course, wood in itself is beautiful..
And when it needs to be joined (as in this stunning table top) the joints themselves become the best part of the design.
It was a beautiful day on 2nd October for the Wood Fair at Birtley Estate, and there were over 5,000 visitors over the weekend. I met lots of people who were interested in coming to one of my art days next spring and summer, too.
This is my favourite time of year, especially on a sunny day. Last weekend we were at the Weald and Downland Museum for the Autumn show, admiring the magnificent plough horses, and meeting up with other 'woody' friends. This chap seemed to be enjoying himself too!
A perfect harvest festival day.
This Sunday, Mr P and I will be packing up our tent again and heading for the Surrey Hills Wood Fair at Birtley Estate:
http://www.surreyhills.org/events/the-surrey-hills-wood-fair/
I will be demonstrating the monoprinting technique I've been using with participants in my art days at Birtley this summer, and bringing along some of my own pictures. Mr P will be helping to demonstrate bowl turning on a pole lathe. Why not come along and say hello? I'm hoping to find some people who would like to come to art days next summer too.
The wood fair last year was great fun, lots of people came along to join in with autumn pursuits- abseiling up trees, trying the archery, watching the wood turning, browsing the many stalls, or just enjoying a beer or an ice cream.
If you enjoy all things woody, you'll love it. Last year it was also a dog-lover's dream, so many to see and make a fuss of. Bring yours along to me and I can make a quick character sketch!
I've had great fun drawing and printmaking 'al fresco' with lovely people this summer, even when the rain threatened to wash us away. That's the British weather for you- keeping my fingers crossed for sunshine this weekend.
Might see you on Sunday!
Who remembers having one of these? I've been longing for one for ages, and finally weakened and bought one from Amazon. Fantastic how you can get anything from Amazon these days, I had given up asking in art shops and stationers for a desk pencil sharpener. I'm sure we had one on the teacher's desk when I was at junior school.
I have got lots and LOTS of pencils, and they are now all very sharp after I spent a happy afternoon whittling away with my new machine. Look at those points, you could play darts with them!
I love the fact that its a very simple, well made bit of kit that does a great job. Something very satisfying about a thing that's completely fit for purpose (not to mention that its also shiny and red).
And another pencil sharpener- I bought some very chunky crayons and was delighted to find that you could also buy the custom sized sharpener. I know I could use a knife, but how delightful to have the exact tool for the job.
And just who needs a rubber this big? (Me, of course!) It really is as big as it looks. Oh, how I love stationery shops...
Of course I do have some pencils which will still need to be sharpened with a stanley knife, especially the ethnic one made out of a tree...
Look at this lovely monoprint/pastel drawing made by Lindsey at the art workshop day yesterday at Birtley estate! As the group was the same as on the last art day, everyone already had ideas for what they'd like to do.
This picture uses the technique of monoprinting a textured background (the blue colour), and then adding the landscape drawing in pastel. The effect of the cloud is particularly successful.
There is plenty to draw at Birtley, beautiful lakes with canada geese, and lovely wild flowers.
It was a perfect sunny summer day, and everyone enjoyed sitting under the trees to draw. (Is it a coincidence that Marcus's picture matches his shirt?)
We practised looking at what to leave out to simplify a picture, and what kind of lines to use to depict different textures. For instance, the tree in the background of the sketch below was big and dark and in the shade, so could be drawn with one thick stroke of the side of the chalk, and the silver birch in front is delicate and soft. You can make a lot of different kinds of marks with pastel, and an infinite number of colours by mixing them on the page.
Beautiful delicate 'ghost trees' by Lindsey (below). I love the surprising snowy effect the printed background has given.
Everyone produced exciting drawings, and I think they all enjoyed themselves as much as I did!
I hope to be at the Surrey Hills Wood Fair, demonstrating monoprinting on Sunday 2nd October:
http://www.surreyhills.org/events/the-surrey-hills-wood-fair/
It was a great day last year, with lots to see and do. Maybe I'll see you there?
Last weekend we went to a wonderful sculpture park, full of quirky artworks amongst acres of forest. Some were monumental, and some tiny, like these little people leaping through the trees- they are about 30cm tall, and at head height on their rusty plinths.
The things we liked best though were the shiny ones that made you look twice. These balls were floating in the stream and could be moved around if you could reach them.
This next picture looks as though the centre section has been pasted in but that's just how I photographed it! There were several tall narrow mirrored pyramids which reflected the surrounding trees and the other sculptures (also strange old women in pink trousers..).
A sort of two-for-one optical illusion.
The reflected sculpture here reminded me of a dreamcatcher.
This ghostly (or ghastly) figure was making off through the bracken on a penny farthing bicycle.
And the picture at the top? Who would guess that the inside of an old concrete mixer lorry would look so beautiful?
I'm afraid I don't have the names of the sculptors, but this is the link to the Sculpture Park:
https://www.thesculpturepark.com
