Scruffy shoes at Goldsmith's

http://www.miriamhanid.com/

I had a wonderful time at Goldsmith's Fair http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/ early this evening, looking at the best of silversmithing in the UK. My favourite this year has to be Miriam Hanid. She uses repousse and chasing techniques, getting inspiration from the fluidity of water. I love the texture and delicate patterns on her silver bowls, with tiny diamonds embedded. So stunning.

I was dressed fairly smartly apart from my shoes. But after being offered a glass of chilled white wine, I forgot about the unglamorous scuffs and totally enjoyed seeing the amazing variety of work, chatting to some of the makers.

Other work that caught my eye were pieces by Esther Lord www.estherlord.com , Theresa Nguyen www.theresanguyen.co.uk , Hidemi Asano and Chien-Wei Chang www.chienweichang.co.uk  - loved the delicate recepticals and 'spoons' with long handles, featuring bamboo forms and rosewood, with tiny flashes of red fabric.

Puer Tea Cup

Teacup bought in Kunming has two little painted fish at the bottom, which are said to come to life when the tea is added

Chloe's Silver Spoon: Part Two

The spoon has changed from picture on left to smooth shiny one on the right after lots of filing (didn't realise I was inhaling clouds of silver dust, will wear mask next time!) and more hammering yesterday - and a spin in the polishing barrel.

Next step is to complete the polishing, drop it off to the Assay Office to have the hallmark added and finally I'll etch on the butterfly - symbol of blessing.

The curve is exactly the way I want it now.

'Smiffen in French'

I got to practice my v rusty French at a party on Saturday, with two very amenable people who actually can speak the language: I received an email from John who did some research for me on silversmithing in French :)
So, here it is:

'Smiffen in French'
'As I didn't know how you say silver smithing in French I thought I'd look it up.Well a silversmith or a goldsmith is un/une orfevre (grave accent on the first 'e'). Not a word I ever came across. Oh .. interesting figurative expression here .. 'M. X, qui est orfevre en la matiere, va nous éclairer' meaning ... 'Mr X, who's an expert in the subject, is going to enlighten us.'La orfeverie is either (1) 'the silversmith's trade' so 'Je fais de la orfeverie' I guess is what you say or (2) 'the silversmiths shop or workshop presumably or (3) 'silver plate'. Or substitute gold for any of the above.A blacksmith is either a maréchal-ferrant (one who shoes horses) or a forgeron (one who forges iron)'

Merci, John, et..... tres interessant, n'est pas?....;)
I like the sound of 'orfevre', and also the way the phrase 'marechal-ferrant' just trips off the tongue!


At the party I had managed to blurt out my Christian LaCroix/Paris story from a long time ago, which sounded to me like it was in perfectly good French, but then that was after a couple of glasses of Cava.....

I had gone to Paris with my friend, who had just graduated from Belfast Art College, to find an outlet for her jewellery. So we booked a flight to Paris to meet Christian La Croix - well, why not? We just turned up at his Salon unannounced one day (gorgeous Roman Atrium, complete with fountain) and left the work with his model-like receptionists for a couple of days - for him to think about it! We were about 22 at the time, full of hope and high expectations, but sadly we returned to the UK with all the jewellery.

I'm glad to say Janice is making even more amazing jewellery and richly textured wall hangings, much of it based on her travels in the East. You can see some of her stunning work at: http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Janice-Gilmore-Pageant-Jewellery-Lisburn-P11785


(Personally, I think Christian missed a great opportunity there!)

The Papered Parlour

I've just been introduced to the Papered Parlour in Clapham http://www.thepaperedparlour.co.uk/ by Rose. Really like this blog too: http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/

Will check out the Open Studios in October - great vision.

Japan Matsuri 2010, Spitalfields Markets

http://japanmatsuri.com/




We loved the Japanese festival at Spitalfields yesterday. Spitalfields has to be one of the best venues for these big celebrations. We heard the drummers onstage, I had some crab sushi and bought Martin's birthday presents from the wonderful Tea Smith http://www.teasmith.co.uk/ - some Oolong tea and biscuits.


We watched how a kimono is put together















One of the highlights was being served coffee by an ex-student, now working for a Young Offenders Team in Tower Hamlets, going into schools and working with teenagers at risk - such a tough job, which I know she will be brilliant at.

Making Chloe's silver spoon: Part One

Take one sheet of silver and hammer out the bowl

As I hammer the handle, it is leaning to the right, so have to keep hammering in the right spot until it's straightened

Start to add the curve in the handle

Take off some of the silver.

A moth has settled on the equipment and I like its shape - might use its outline in the butterfly etching at the end.

Spoon next to the smaller one I made in March. I keep hammering the bowl to get the perfect curve and saw off superfluous parts.

It's beginning to take shape:)

Silver Circles

Sawing and hammering
silver circles
for coral roses: 30 completed, I'm halfway through!

Some good reasons for returning to Dali

Can see myself living here some day...... loved it!

By the way, the coffee shops and restaurants which I didn't photograph were also fab!

China Dogs

Note, dog shoes

matching owner's.

Jasper, my all-time favourite

Chinese dog: much loved pet thankfully!

mmmmm....?

How did I create atmospheric seventeenth century-style photo/painting?

(really, I have no idea!)

Cute fluffy things on the street: can't help wondering what happened to them next....

probably best not to know!

Old Stuff

We like old things in the West. My friend took me to a second hand market in Xining. Huge place. Furniture with faded colours and patterns. Pieces with a history. And some cool retro fun things like a luminous old 50's telephone from Shanghai. But we had to look hard for the good stuff. I suppose it gets snapped up quickly.

I noticed alot of the furniture was painted over in bright orange. These probably are new rather than antique.....I hope.

I liked this wall surface. Got a few funny looks as I photographed it though. I just like the texture and colour. It looks like a landscape or a map.

Then we went to an old part of town that is being demolished and will be built over by the time I return so I had to get some pictures.....

I like the old patterns on the doors and loved this house. Someone still lives there but I suppose not for much longer. They have their buckets of coal lined up outside.

An old street. No-one living there now. It was quiet and eerie. Just waiting to be knocked down.

But the last place we went to has to be the coolest cafe I've been to in China.

The Green House Cafe.

Old reclaimed furniture throughout, doors suspended from the ceiling, not an orange painted chair in sight. Great coffee, great atmosphere. Popular with Locals and Foreigners.

Yak Market

My favourite place in Xining was the Yak Market. Well that was my name for it. Lots of Tibetan goods, people in exotic looking but definitely very warm clothes, monks wandering around and even recorded chanting blasting out from a shop, all added to the atmosphere.

I bought some lovely gemstones there - set in silver (we think). Aren't they pretty? Also bought quite a bit of turquoise. Beautiful.

In the Turquoise Shop while my friend was bartering away for me I got distracted by a strange bit of taxidermy: a deer with paper ears. Poor deer! adding insult to injury. Apparently they are killed for their horns which are ground down to make a highly precious medicine. Would love to know what it's used for.

My friend took me to her favourite restaurant at the Yak Market for some meat and noodles. It was a massive bowl of hearty country portions. SO much meat in one bowl. Two of us couldn't finish it. But it was delicious. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Though I have to admit it doesn't look so great in this photo....