Too many choices yesterday….  Father’s Day brunch (just turn up, no shopping or cooking required), football on TV or Patchings Art Festival.  It was a tough one, but I went for the Festival. It was good to see Hazel Lale and John Connoll….. and some new work caught my eye.  Crooked Knitwear had a stall full of bright and exciting clothing items made by combining knitted and fabric components (and don’t forget the yarn necklaces), and there were some very beautiful botanical drawings by Emma Jane Bennett (I’ve got a few of her cards to sell in the shop).  Oh, and then…the art supplies. There was a big emphasis on painting and drawing, which meant… PAPER. There sure is some lovely paper out there. Kinda like bread – too tempting, and, at some point, you just have to stop yourself.

I managed to just scrape in and see David Hockney’s work at the Royal Academy of Arts before the exhibition closed. I won’t pretend I know what I’m talking about on any professional level, but I did like the bigness and the colours and the fact that he has managed to grab so many people. Lots of people sat looking at his ipad work while having a go themselves on their own ipads….  young and not so young alike. That was nice to see.

And yesterday I made it to Saltaire to see the Hockney exhibition at Salts Mill. It’s called 25 Trees, though most of it is made up of portraits of family and friends. I preferred the  landscapes and trees at the Royal Academy. However, there was a very good DVD playing at Salts Mill that showed how the large landscapes were painted. Hockney does actually stand in the middle of the countryside and paint. And the 6 canvas pictures – well, those 6 canvases are set up side by side, on easels that are positioned on top of the dirt and leaves, in front of the trees and paths and plants. He paints fast because it’s cold. Hockney does go on to add colour and general Hockneyness to his work in his studio, but the actual recording of the scene is done in situ. Amazing. Oh to be driving in the Yorkshire countryside and see David Hockney filling his massive canvases by the side of the road.

Karen

I am very behind with updates…. what we’ve done…. what we’re going to do……

So far this year, there have been 3 Sunday workshops – Stained Glass Hearts with Cynthia Else, Collaged Landscapes with Helen Hallows (Helen is currently exhibiting at the Sock Gallery in Loughborough) and Pendants and Earrings with Jessica Noonan.  To see the full range of photos, go to our Facebook page. Here’s a sample to keep you going:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what’s coming…

Look out for our Easter Holiday Paper Making Workshops and Flower Making Workshops….  and our musical evening on the 21st of April. Details will be available soon.

Oh, and if anyone likes David Hockney, you can see an exhibition of his work at Salts Mill in Saltaire until the end of April.  It’s a wonderful place with lots to look at and some very nice food too. Not sure if it’s still the same, but we had American Root Beer the last time we went.  That alone was worth the visit.

Karen