West Cork Arts Centre - Opening

Saturday 31st January 2015 was the landmark opening day for the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen. For many who, like me, have been watching the construction progress of this what can only be described as, a highly unusual building, it was the first opportunity to finally get a glimpse inside the galleries and workspaces.

By the time I arrived, the 'official business' had been completed and with the wine readily flowing, visitors were able to wander through the clean open spaces...

...mingle amongst the art...

...reflect and enjoy the space.

 

Within this unconventional building, there will be all the familiar aspects of the arts, and whole sectors of the community will become involved.

It was interesting to contrast the colourful work from local school children, displayed on the clean white stairwell at one end of the building, with the unfinished industrial look of the bare concrete and electrical conduit of the main stairwell.
I guess it will ultimately be easy to maintain.

None the less, the new space that has been created in Uillinn will be an asset to the people of West Cork.

The name? My little knowledge of Gaelic has found it is something to do with elbows or angles but I stand to be enlightened on the meaning or significance of it.

As for the rusty water tower look - the jury is still out on that one, and may be for some considerable time yet.

Private Investigator

Firstly, apologies for my absence from blogging recently. I have been just a little occupied with my exciting new venture, of which I will blog later but for now, I have a story to tell.

When my late father-in-law passed away a number of years ago, we inherited quite a collection of his artwork, everything from his smooth ceramics to his technically detailed oils of aviation subjects and his lovely simple watercolours. Thankfully, I had already had the presence of mind to take on the task of documenting all of this work long before it finally became dispersed around friends and family. This dispersal time came at the same time as we took on our cottage in West Cork, Ireland, and so it seemed highly appropriate to pull out all of his work which had an Irish connection. One such picture was a small watercolour which had been painted 'in the field' during one of several Irish holidays, taken around 20 years ago by this regular group of four 'senior' members of the Bartlett family - two artists and their spouses. Although the location of this painting is Malin Head, right in the north of Ireland in County Donegal, it didn't seem at all wrong for it now to grace the wall of a cottage in County Cork.

Roll on six years from when we hung it on our wall, to just a few weeks back, when the final preparations for my West Cork Photography Weekends were taking place, I invited my 'second in command' Rónán to take a look at the painting, knowing he came from Malin Head himself.

"Well I never thought I would see a painting of a cottage in Malin Head on a wall in West Cork! And I'm pretty sure I know where it is too"

That got me interested and I encouraged him to seek out the cottage on his next visit home, which was during the recent mid-term break. True to his word, my private investigator tweeted the following...

"Not the same angle but I think this is it!"

Well I think that is it too - thank you Rónán!
(Forgive me for adjusting the colours a little to evoke the feel the original painting)
Now it just remains for me to pay Malin Head a visit. Something for my 2015 diary I think.

What a small world!

Day 28 - August Challenge

Challenge - "Light"

Suggested by - Wendy via Facebook

Light - well, what can I say?!!

Light is so important in our life for almost everything and for a photographer, it can be our best friend or our worst enemy. But what is true, get the light right and it makes for absolutely stunning photographs. For example, one of the most recent images for which the light was perfect, was the mother and baby on Day 25 Light can turn a good image into cracker, and as a photographer, I am always looking for the light: interesting, warm, glittery, there are so many forms of light to look out for. Side lit, back lit, all can be more interesting than just the full-in-the-face light of the middle of the day. Working as a photography tutor, I have often heard the exclamation "The light is wrong" when for example, it has been absolutely gorgeous back lit evening light. Work with it not against it, I say!

Which brings me on to two spells of light which can be the most magical of all - the 'Golden Hours'. The hour as the sun rises and the hour as the sun sets (Depending on where in the world, this period can be longer or shorter than an hour). This is when the light can be at its most stunning. We mustn't forget that without light, we wouldn't have photography. The whole process of creating an image is dependent on how much light reaches the film or the sensor. The dark room process also needs light to produce the final image. So it might come as no surprise then, to learn that the word photography is actually derived from the Greek photo = light, graphy = draw or write. Thus it is often referred to as 'Drawing (or sometimes extending to painting) with light'

And that is literally what I did today, I drew with light. It is one of those fun things that photography groups often workshop, and everyone has seen a similar effect when taking pictures of sparklers on bonfire night. Here, I set up a blacked out room, set the camera up on a tripod with a bulb release, and with a little torch, I practised my handwriting - lots of handwriting - 26 times to be precise! (It's tricky back-to-front and sideways!) And then, I couldn't help my graphic design blood creeping in. For the first time during this month, I have produced a composite image - I added a bit of bokeh sparkle, taken of sunlight passing through some cut glass earlier today.

So, I hope you don't mind my 'creative take' on the subject "Light", Wendy. Quite, quite different from those lovely lights you sell!




The grab shot

My thanks to:
Wendy for the suggestion
Our black mutt for getting under my feet in the dark!








Tomorrow, Day 29

"Clarinet and player"

Saffron Hall

Entrance under construction, June 2013, and inset, as it was before work commenced.

(Photographically, this isn't to be the most excting blog post but there is a film later...)

It had been a familiar aspect of the Saffron Walden County High School for many, including ourselves. The triangular glazed lobby was passed through on many occasions, be it to drop forgotten items of school paraphernalia to one of our off-spring, or latterly, as the entrance to the towns' excellent community cinema Saffron Screen

Around two years ago, the old entrance was closed off and the school hall, which had been built in the 1950s and had out-lived its usefulness, was pulled down at the beginning of an ambitious plan to provide the school and also the town with a world-class facility.

To quote from the school website:

"A  brand new performance space is gradually taking shape next to Saffron Walden County High School. The name of the venue is Saffron Hall - designed to inspire through music and the arts and the result of a progressive partnership between Saffron Walden County High School and the Yellow Car Charitable Trust.

Saffron Hall will be a flexible state-of-the-art hall with equipment to match and exceptional adjustable acoustics. It will open in late November 2013 and provide a home for concerts, plays and other events of all shapes and sizes - a programme combining school and amateur events and performances by professional artists and ensembles of national and international stature. The Hall will have a maximum seating capacity of 730."


Whilst on my daily walks in the near-by park, I have been watching and indeed, listening to the noises during the construction process of this new building. The townsfolk have endured wrangles with parking issues created as a result of the building work, and the cinema-goers have had to adapt to the changed access to Saffron Screen. So, to find that the new hall is nearing completion is music to the ears of many. And are we excited about it? Well, I can't speak for everyone, but for me, I'm certainly looking forward to enjoying the new facility. Last night I caught up with the second of two films documenting the progress of this project. Judging by the information given, it is sure to give some of the other venues, both local and further afield (with one, which will remain nameless and has the most dreadful acoustics) serious cause for concern. This second film shows just how versatile and exciting this top-class hall is going to be - and it is in our town.

Take a look at this fascinating little film for yourself

Enter Saffron Hall by clicking on the image

So, no more uncomfortable church pews; views obscured by pillars; muffled music; lost voices and the end to driving miles for a good gig.

Roll on November!

Turn the Page

'1 - 100' Artistbooks

Last year I toddled off to Norwich for the first 'Turn the Page' artists book fair. An inspirational exhibition for those of us who love book arts.
Today I toddled off to Norwich again for 'Turn the Page' 2013 (hard to believe where that year has gone!)
Accompanied this year by a good friend, with whom I had studied at Post Graduate level at LCC, we were excited to see what was happening in the world of Book Arts, having both digressed back to our respective disciplines of photography and illustration

Mentioning Book Arts to most people, I am usually met with a blank stare. Mention bookbinding, and most will have something similar to this in mind. It goes without saying that all book artists will either have embraced traditional bookbinding within the art or will be aware of the methods which they may have adapted to suit their own needs. For myself, I find hand stitching codex book blocks a wholly satisfying process, as making books is another hat I wear. Very shortly, I will be embarking on a very special hand bound album for a certain newly-wed couple.

Having worked on bespoke albums in the past, I also get equally enthusiastic about the limits to which making books or book arts can be stretched to.

There are those who just can't seem to accept that a book should be anything else than a codex form but book arts encourage exploration, experimentation, fun and enjoyment. This is what I found when I studied at LCC, and now the MA study in Book Arts is available at Camberwell.

At 'Turn the Page' 2013 there was work which on first appearance seemed like a normal book. On closer inspection, it had come about from pages of thoughts which had been written down, torn out and screwed up, a process being repeated today for regenerating into another new book.

'The Wastepaper Project' Joanna Holden

 The books moved from the almost bizarre...

Karen Apps

...to the cute. Here books had been altered (some may view this as sacrilege!) the bunny having fully movable arms and legs, and being made from the cut pages of the selected book.

Other notable work came from Nicola Dale, with her intricately hand cut pages (timelapse). Theresa Easton with her colourful printmaking drawer, and Miranda Campbell who I had first encountered at the Minories in Colchester.

What was clear today is that Book Arts is as exciting as it has always been, with forty artists sharing their passion at Turn the Page 2013.

I look forward to 2014 and maybe I will have something to share then too.





Whilst visiting Norwich, it seemed sense to 'make a day of it' and we dropped into the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts located on the UEA campus.

I hadn't visited this art museum before and I spent the first twenty minutes of my visit taking in the impressive architectural work of Sir Norman Foster. Pre-dating Stansted Airport, another Foster building which I have come to know pretty well due to my regular flying visits to Ireland, the similarities in the construction were clear to see. The Sainsbury Centre has now recieved listed status as an example of high-tech architecture.

By contrast, the space below is filled with an amazing and mostly historical collection amassed by Robert and Lisa Sainsbury.
Henry Moore and Francis Bacon are alongside each other, and here the Little Dancer by Edgar Degas appears to look up in architectual amazement.

This work struck a chord with me. My Wednesday evening yoga sessions are sometimes like this- my mind alerted to dinner by a grumbling empty stomach, rather than concentrating on the beneficial poses!

Finally a piece which has quite an impact on those who see it. Stranded is a six metre long crystal-encrusted skeleton of a minke whale.

"Stranded raises issues of the dramatic changes in the chemistry of the planet’s oceans and brings awareness to the threat of coral reefs and the marine food cycles"

This reminded me that very shortly I will be returning to Ireland, where I am involved with the IWDG and where I hope I will again be fortunate to enjoy the sight of whales, including Minke, Humpback, Fin whales, and maybe even a basking shark or two in the waters around South West Cork.

Still, I will turn the page to that on another day. Today was all about art. Aren't the chapters of life great?!

The Merits of Exhibitions

A room in the Ansel Adams Exhibition at Greenwich

A little while back, I found a slot in my current tight schedule, to make an enjoyable trip up to London for the purpose of taking in some photographic exhibitions.

"Why do you go to exhibitions when you can see it in a book or on the internet?" I get asked

If you have ever visited an exhibition of work, and in particular, work which comes over as outstanding, then you will have half an inkling as to why viewing work in a gallery has merit.
I had already planned to see two exhibitions:
The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize National Portrait Gallery (The final day was imminent)
Ansel Adams Photography from the Mountains to the Sea National Maritime Museum, Greenwich (Until 28th April)
Then I became aware of another must see, prompting a snap decision to go to London.
Lewis Whyld Riots Revisited, Strand Gallery (On for one week only)

All such very different exhibitions both in subject matter and modes of production but all worthy of note.

Each year I endeavour to visit the Photographic Portrait Prize where it is always interesting to observe styles and trends. 2012 broke the trend set in 2010 and 2011 where the winning images sported young red-haired girls associating with animals. Although not the winning image, the exhibition did open this year with a hard looking man with a ginger animal! However, the winning image of an anxious young woman in Boliva had emotions which this time I was comfortable with (unlike the 2010 winner)

The background to each of the portraits was posted on the wall of the gallery, and made enlightening reading for me but only after each image had been contemplated. (A note here to the NPG, it would be lovely to have this information included in the catalogue for all of the images, not just the winning images) It is perhaps important not to read this information prior to viewing as it puts us, the viewing public, into a similar position to the judges, who always select the images on their visual merits alone.

Looking at other trends within the sixty images, the dominance of colour images was once again clear, and there were no trendy angles or jaunty poses, just pure classic positioning. The biographies also revealed that there was a high proportion of UK linked photographers who had been successful in 2012, as was the fact that many were either art school graduates or photographers working in the industry. Equipment varied from high end medium format cameras, through to all levels of pro and semi-pro equipment... except for one. An image by 'photo-interested' Nathan Roberts, taken of tourists at the National Gallery cafe provided a shard of hope that anyone can be successful here. His atmospheric image was taken on a... smart phone.



Moving on to another contemporary exhibition, Riots Revisited was a calmly located airing of a selection of images by Lewis Whyld, taken during the London Riots in 2011.
A photographer for the Press Association and based in London, he was one of the first photojournalists on the scene on the first night and was also there during the days that followed. As the tensions mounted, it was said that Whyld was at times forced to use his mobile phone to record the images for fear of his own safety. Some of his images were subsequently seen the world over and many were published in our own national press.

On entering the peaceful gallery, it wasn't long before the heat of those nights was rekindled. Recalling my own fears from the reports of those unsettled summer nights, the overwhelming red glow of the burning buildings jumped out from the exhibition prints. Silhouetted riot police and hooded youths was a motif often repeated in the imagery, the tensions clearly visible. However, it was one image in particular which made a big impression on me. Against a burning red background, swirling smoke provided the movement in towards the focus of the image; four on-duty police horses.
The most striking feature of the image, a single white horse produced emotions first of compassion then of bravery. His hard work during those awful days was ultimately recognised as Boris the Met Police horse did indeed receive an award for his bravery.

An outstanding set of images from Lewis Whyld, which deserved to be aired for longer than the week they were afforded. However, may they also be a reminder of how close to volatile some situations become and remain thankful that we seldom experience incidents such as this in this country.



Finally, having been suitably refreshed, I set off for a complete change of scene at the Thursday, late night opening of Ansel Adams Photography from the Mountains to the Sea exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Sadly I misjudged my timing to reach Greenwich and ended up lacking time to do the exhibition justice.

Adams, an American, began his life in photography during the 1920s and went right through into the1970s and beyond. Being noted for his stunning black and white landscape images of places such as Yosemite, his dedication to photographing and then producing the very carefully tonally balanced images, gained him respect. His images were being shown in galleries alongside conventional art, something almost unheard of for photography. Today, his images are considered as fine art, with reproductions of his work regularly appearing, and on countless items, such as calendars and greeting cards.

My first impression was of the almost timeless quality of the images, although landscapes such as these often wouldn't show up the man-made progress of time. However, it was the water and seascapes which drew my attention on this occasion. With many of his images using long exposures, he succeeded in capturing the movement of the water whilst still maintaining an element of crispness. One image in particular illustrates my point. The Atlantic Schoodic Point 1949 was taken after two days of setting up and waiting for exactly the right conditions, such was Adams perfectionism. The long exposure "blurs the water, giving the picture a tender melancholy feel"

Now, I have written before about my personal view on 'milky' water and my dislike of the current popular trend to horrendously 'over-milk' images, so much so, dynamic seascapes are becoming flat to the point of 'why bother'. Adams illustrates beautifully that it is possible to capture the dynamics and the beauty of the action of water, in both this image, and also many of his waterfall images too, without losing sight of what water is. In the short amount of time that I was viewing his work, it made me think carefully and come to one conclusion. It is high time to reconsider how we might view our own images. As true representations of what we see, or of abstract imagery? For me, milky water falls into the latter category and as such, I feel has an imminently finite place in today's true photography. The tides are changing. Without actually harking back to the past let us reconsider the merits of the skills of the old photography masters.


So, the merits of exhibitions? If they are nothing more than thinking space then that is value in itself.
Enjoyment? Now that is valuable.

Michelle Thompson, MA RCA

There is just still enough time to catch the accomplished illustrator, Michelle Thompson MA RCA for her Open Studio today. She has her door open until 5pm, where her work (and the work of her partner Gareth Wild) is available to purchase.

I was delighted to have been commissioned to take some promotional photographs for Michelle recently, just a small selection here.

If you require something similar, do feel free contact me.

Snowy Farr Memorial

Yesterday evening was the first time I have visited Cambridge since the Snowy Farr memorial sculpture was unveiled on 7th August, so I was keen to take a look at the artwork which has been in the pipeline for so many years.

For those who don't know about Snowy Farr here is some background about him. For all those visitors to Cambridge pre mid-nineties, we will all have our own memories of this eccentric character who, for charitable purposes, had a regular spot down Petty Cury.

The monocle-wearing, white bearded man, dressed in a distinctive red military-style suit and wearing a top hat, would arrive with his little handcart containing his animals, which were also white to match his beard. Once set up for the day, the cat would then be perched on the top of the hat, whilst the mice fearlessly ran around the brim. Occasionally, one of the mice would make a foray up the long white beard and half disappear into Snowys mouth.

It was exactly this eccentric spectacle that helped him raise thousands of pounds for charity, so when in 2007, Snowy Farr passed away, it was only natural that there was a call for a memorial. Over the following years, I observed in the local press, the progress from suggested designs through to selecting the piece to be commissioned. I remember at the time of selection feeling that there was only one that should be chosen from the shortlist, and indeed this is the one now standing at the Market Hill end of Petty Cury.

It raised eyebrows at the time and it is still raising countless eyebrows in the letter columns of the local press, now that it is in place. Why should this be?
It seems many wanted a facsimile of this amazing character - a statue in its most obvious form. Clearly here, the hat and the animals are the most recognisable part, with the 'jelly bean' forms being representative of his handcart, the red uniform and the white beard.

To help settle this in my mind, I went back to the proposal document submitted by the artist Gary Webb.

"For this project I didn’t want to make a formal, serious, figurative sculpture like Nelson on a column or Churchill on a pillar. Snowy Farr wasn’t that kind of guy: I wanted to bring the fun back and make something much more engaging and memorable for all ages, but especially children as he seems to figure in the imaginations of all that saw him when they were young.

This sculpture needed to be abstract because he was an abstract, eccentric English character. I also wanted to emphasise Snowy Farr’s instantly recognisable features and colours so that they can continue to bring that extra bit of spark to Cambridge like they have done in the past. The sculpture has a plaque and also an active collection box which will celebrate Snowy Farr’s achievements and make his contribution to charities for the blind not only acknowledged, but also ongoing. The size of the sculpture is human sized but in a slightly larger-than-life scale, like the man himself."

I think Gary Webb summed him up perfectly and having read his proposal, I am now (almost) perfectly at ease with the finished, remarkable and distinctive work. Despite the criticism, it appears that the public are already relating to it and the charitable collections that Snowy Farr is remembered for, as donations are being left on the plinth. Why on the plinth? Because the collection box was omitted, as apparently it was deemed too difficult to manage the emptying by the City Council. Instead they are asking people to make the extra effort to go into the nearby Guildhall (if open) where the charity collections are taken. As if people will? Most just want to pass by, and on a whim, anonymously drop a coin or two into the welcoming slot at Snowys feet - just like they always used to. In my opinion it is a huge oversight on the part of the Council and fully expect to see the retrospective addition of the charity box very soon.

Maquette image by Gary Webb

Taking a look back at the maquette, I could see why I wasn't quite at ease with the finished work. Apart from the omission of half a mouse from the beard area, I can't quite understand the use of orange instead of the proposed red for the uniformed body. Both changes from the proposal probably haven't helped with the acceptance by those members of the public who struggle to find artistic vision and understanding.

I have to admit I am won over and feel it is a fitting tribute to the man. This tactile, hugable colourful sculpture will prompt many a child to ask "Who? What?" and beg "Lift me up to see the mice on the hat!" It will stop adults in their tracks, make them think and remember. Best of all, I'm positive it will grow in everyones affections.

Snowy Farr 1919 - 2007

Thank You

After three years of use for Open Studios, five spot bulbs blew at once this morning as I began the tidy-up. After two weekends, the lillies have blown over too. I think this means it is time for a rest from Open Studios!

However, my grateful thanks goes to all those who visited this year (and previous years) and all those who were kind enough to purchase the mountains of greeting cards. I even had to do a second print run of my running hare image it proved so popular.

I appreciate all your support during times that are tough economically.

It was lovely meeting everyone, both the regulars and the new faces. Also, the art, design and photography students who came as part of their studies, and unlike some, I'm always happy to share the joy and enthusiasm of creativity and photography with them. Afterall, they are the future. Let's embrace them rather than alienate them - we all had to begin somewhere.




You may already be aware that I will not be taking part in Open Studios next year as I will have a very important and happy draw on my attention. However, this doesn't mean that I am giving up the photography - far from it.
Open Studios has been an excellent route back into the creative world that I had left behind before embarking on the joyous career of being a full-time mum, and which sadly, now too has come to an end. Photography and bookarts will continue to progress from here onwards, and if the recent increase in calls for commissions is anything to go by, then the three years at plugging away to re-establish myself has paid off. It hasn't always been easy and there were times when I thought I would give up but it is down to those who have believed in me that I am still here now. Thank you all.

I can't finish without saying a huge, huge thank you for all the support and patience from my better half and also our lovely off-spring. Love to you all- oh and not forgetting my lovely patient photographers assistant currently sleeping beside my desk.

And now, the house can transform back to normality...

Cambridge Open Studios 2012

With only a few days to go before I open my doors again for Cambridge Open Studios the panic is starting to set in. (Eeeek!) Not only about how my gallery/studio space appears but whether I have selected the right work to showcase. It has been so difficult to choose what to include when I have several years of images I that I can go back through and that also qualify for the 'Local' title. Needless to say I won't be able to please all of the people all of the time.

So how have I decided? Well, for my 'Local' theme this year I am presenting an eclectic dip into all things local that have influenced my work over the past few years. This won't be a collection of 'postcard-style' images of landmarks, although there are some familiar places featured (as the image above). This will be a showcase of images captured during pivotal moments whilst out and about with my camera, special moments, purposely photographed moments and, happy accident moments. Indeed, as a photographer, I carry a camera of some form with me pretty much all the time, so, I am always looking for pictures and I can often catch those moments when others might have said "If only I'd had my camera with me" Some of the images took hours of patience to capture, others, just a split second but all are local (within 30 miles or less) and all have a significant place in the catalogue.

I will be happy to chat about the background to the images with anyone who visits my Open Studio but hope that the work will speak for itself as to the breadth of subject I cover. I will be delighted to discuss any projects that you might have, both photographically and also book arts. With a couple of book art commissions currently in progress, I hope to have some work in action on show too, although this depends on how many visitors come funnelling through my door.

It just remains for me to invite you to my Open Studios as part of Cambridge Open Studios 2012.

on

Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th July
Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd July

11am – 6pm

Click here for more details

Look forward to seeing you!

Let's Promote Cambridge Open Studios Pt.2

Click image to go to video

You may recall my blogpost back in April, where I was involved in the production of a promotional film for Open Studios?
Well, it is Hoorah!!!

The film is now on the big screen, the Premiere having been on Friday 22nd June.

Last night I sneaked into Saffron Screen to see it in its full glory- all 30 seconds of it.
I think you might agree, Kenya did a lovely job with it

The film is to be shown before every screening until the end of July, so please do look out for it if you go to watch a film at Saffron Screen, and pass the message on to everyone about Cambridge Open Studios and particularly about our Saffron Walden and District Trail

Huge thanks to Kenya Brading and not to forget a mention to Nicolas Casal for the lovely music

Saffron Walden & District Open Studio Trail

As part of
Cambridge Open Studios

Pick up a Saffron Walden & District Trail leaflet today!

Available from Tourist Information office, shops, galleries, library and many other outlets in and around Saffron Walden

Sparks Will Fly - Saffron Walden

Marina Mightier, who arrived in Saffron Walden on Saturday

Essex County Council and Chelmsford Borough Council have teamed up with outdoor performance specialists, Walk the Plank, to develop a cultural celebration of the Olympics from May – July 2012 with an outdoor performance programme called
 

Sparks will Fly in Essex

"An excellent selection of photos which really capture the spirit of the afternoon."

Uttlesford District Council
(via Twitter)