Saturday 3 December 2011

Pippa Small

What an incredible story.  Read about http://www.pippasmall.com/index.html and check out her blog

Saturday 26 November 2011

Flux Open Studios from 1st Dec

Only five days to go until Flux Open Studios. Check us out! Browse! Engage! Find perfect gifts!

If you’re a Vogue and Harpers reader you will know some of these names. Come and meet us

Barbara Yarde / Ilona Guest / Kyle Hopkins / Maggie Laing / Bev Holden
Natascha Kotsoupoulou / Claire Hart / Imogen Belfield / Vicky Forrester
Yuki Sasakura / Alex Yule / Becky Dockree / Dickie Wilkinson
Commission your favourite jeweller to make something unique.
We have lots of new work to show you – catch a glimpse of the new season’s collections from our group of hip, happening jewellers; get it here before it hits the high street!
Claire Hart's new Butterfly Lovers' Collection and newly engraved sterling silver blossom spoons will be on show for the first time

Sunday 6 November 2011

Winter Collection

 We are proud to present the latest addition to Claire Hart Design Winter Collection: the Mother of Pearl Rose Ring. 

Each beautiful carved rose is set in a hand-sculpted sterling silver claw, on a silver stem which wraps perfectly around the finger.

There are now only five days left before exhibiting at Collect 2011 at Castle Ward!

Monday 24 October 2011

Jazz-Live @ The Rivoli Ballroom


Giant Chinese lanterns and Austrian chandeliers

What better way to spend a Saturday night than at the Jive Party at the famous
vintage Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton with a live band playing? It felt like we were celebrating the 
end of the Blitz! 


Forties Birthday Girl


The ballroom before 600 people descended on the dance floor


Only Fools and Horses @ Frank's

The last week of Frank's Bar (yes, it was a few weeks ago) on top of the Peckham multi-storey car park, was as cool as ever.  Dingy stairwell to walk up, giant awnings stretched across to make a tent-like roof, superb views across London, and gigantic art from Camberwell college. I had the best burger ever, we were entertained by dancers and I got a photo of the iconic Trotter-mobile 'New York - Paris- Peckham', which I see around Peckham occasionally - though the last time I saw it , it was being towed....can it really be on its last legs?

Monday 26 September 2011

Shaun Leane @ Goldsmith's Fair


Leane's Hawthorne Cuff
I walked up the stairs at the Goldsmith's Fair Private View this evening and the very first person I spoke to was my most favourite designer, Shaun Leane. I've seen, and tried on his jewellery in Selfridges, at IJL and I've read about him, but wasn't expecting to meet him. Putting on his jewellery is like wearing cool silk, it is so smooth and beautiful.
He showed me his latest work, the Bound Collection, inspired by Masai tribespeople. He absolutely loves going to Africa. He told me that he has an outlet in Hong Kong and is soon opening in Beijing and Shanghai. I wish him lots and lots of success in China! He looked so busy the rest of the evening, so the opportunity to chat with him was a real treat.
Shaun Leane exhibits every year, but I hadn't registered him before as I only discovered his incredible work earlier this year.......Better late than never!




Other work and makers I enjoyed seeing this evening were
Wright and Teague and the stunning pared down
minimalist works of art by Vladimir Bohm.

Saturday 24 September 2011

Kanji + i



Japanese Embassy on Piccadilly

Another trip to the Japanese Embassy, this time for a Sake (and Sushi) evening, in aid of victims of the Earthquake earlier this year. There were over 300 people present, listening to speeches and seeing videos about help being given in Japan. There was also a heartfelt and moving exhibition of paintings and cards made by pupils in London schools, sending their best wishes to Japanese people in the aftermath of the earthquake. The book of condolences in the Embassy continues to grow with entries from around the world.


Thursday 1 September 2011

Vessels

Getting back to painting once more, with the gorgeous hand-made oil bars I bought in Sweden, plus a few more from Bradbury Graphics in Belfast.


Monday 22 August 2011

Cloud Busting Day

There's nothing like a bit of Cloud Spotting on your birthday on the beautiful Swedish island of Gotland !



Visby arch


Colour Saturation

Colours have been my joy and I felt that they loved my hands
Emil Nolde


The Emil Nolde exhibition at Nordiska Akvarllmuseet was a feast for the eyes and surpassed all our expectations.


Oppet Hus






Loved seeing the sculpture on the west coast of Sweden this month.

Lots of summer exhibitions, now coming to a close. Favourites were the Villa Bro Skulpturpark, with monumental works by Viktor and Ann Korneev, paintings by IngerWihl and textiles and paintings by designer, Annika Wihl.



Bivaxoljekritor

Rosehips



Puer tea cup
Two days spent in a creative workshop on the west coast of Sweden, led by my friend, the artist Eta Hedman. Fantastic inspiration where we played with colour. So absorbed that we all lost track of the time.

We had the opportunity to use chunky handmade beeswax oil crayons, made by a local artist. Beautiful rich colours and thick textures that you can move around the page with a knife.

I splashed out and bought some to play with, back home.
This should see me through the grey London winter.


miniature landscapes

Shadow


Monday 18 July 2011

Masterpiece


One and a half hours weren't enough to take it all in. But after a day at work, it's all you can do. This is the first time I've been to Masterpiece at Chelsea and I'll be back next year.

Loved getting a lift on the the buggy to save us a 15 minute walk. Once there, it was hard to know where to start with all the amazing antiques, art, craft and jewellery. Things that caught my attention were:

Gregg Baker's Asian Art where we were enchanted by the silver leaf screen with electric blue kingfishers, one darting and one seated 

Martyn Gregory's Far Eastern antique paintings of Shanghai and Hong Kong


Loved the jewellery of course - saw someone choosing a magnificent Theo Fennell ring. 'Jar Parfums' had a beautiful  display, the rare books were mesmerising, especially 'Les Enluminures'. Over one hundred shop fronts, dealing in antiques and exquisite art and craftsmanship. Masterpiece was, as it says,
'The best of the best from around the world'.
Sadly, we didn't even have time to stop for a leisurely drink at Harry's Bar, there was so much to see. 

Cockpit Arts 25th Birthday


Charlotte Sale Glass

What a treat to see the incredible talents of the artists of Deptford at Cockpit Arts. I went to the last day of the open Studios which was a couple of weeks ago now. Loved meeting and chatting to Naomi Ryder,  Charlotte Sale and many others.


Naomi Rider


I met a violin bow maker - first one I've ever met. His work is exquisite, using silversmith techniques, wood-carving, pearl-setting techniques- plus of course, horse hair setting.

Monday 20 June 2011

Westminster Hog Roast


A fun relaxed evening spent in one of the gardens in the grounds of Westminster Abbey for a bbq with people from the Home Office, Foreign Office and friends. One friend was visiting from Hong Kong (who I stayed with when I was stranded due to the volcanic ash last year) and a doctor from Shanghai. Of course I had to try out a little sentence in mandarin. I was kind of understood - but at least I tried.... Finding the word order difficult to get right. We talked about China (in English) and I heard about the biggest bridge in the world - near Shanghai of course, where else? It is 26 miles across.  Can that be true? Apparently it has a hotel in the middle so you have the sensation of being in the middle of the sea.
Sometimes I get vertigo just hearing these things about China.


To reach the hog roast, we walked through the cloisters, past private gardens and off the usual tourist track to arrive in this secluded part of the Abbey, so it felt really special.


We had umbrellas up occasionally. Great British BBQ weather: but the fine mizzle, which is all it really was, didn't dampen the mood. In the twilight with Parliament towering behind us, the Abbey on the other side and live music, including plenty of Irish and Scottish ballads, it was atmospheric.

Monday 13 June 2011

Waterfront@Belfast

I'm back in London from a busy weekend at the Waterfront in Belfast - at the conference Focusfest. Great to meet so many friendly people on home territory - customers and fellow stallholders!

                                                                               


Looking forward to returning to Northern Ireland soon.


Eden Jewellery
 












Spoon collections


Sunday 5 June 2011

Floating

 I like the way objects are suspended on walls and in glass at the V&A, from small coins to entire house fronts.



C17th house front


'Floating' building reflection


C16th carved stairwell

Thursday 2 June 2011

Mindful of Silver

I love living in London, especially on a day like yesterday.

Goldsmith's front door


After meeting friends for lunch at sunny Southbank, I walked over to Holborn to the Assay Office at Hatton Gardens to have some Hallmarking done: then I headed to the Assay Office at Goldsmith's, Foster Lane, to speed up the hallmarking process so my work is ready - for next week's show in the Waterfront in Belfast.



So of course I had to go back for a second visit to the 'Mindful of Silver' exhibition and spend more time looking at Theresa Nguyen's ethereal silver sculptures. It is fascinating to see the drawings and models, getting an insight into the thinking behind the finished piece. I'd like to see that more often in shows.
Theresa Ngyuen
 I stopped by the Goldsmith collection, recognising more of Suzuki's Aqua Poesy vases, having sketched one at the Ulster Museum in December.


My Suzuki sketch with some Irish pots!
 
It was wonderful to see, for the first time, the work of  Adi Toch. Her sublime spherical containers seem to float on the glass surface. They are incredibly tactile and the titles such as Red Sand and Oil Drizzler evoke associations with desert travellers in the Middle East. Beautiful. 

As I headed for Baker Street to meet a friend, I just had to (!) stop in at Selfridges to check their wonderful array of contemporary jewellery. I spent quite some time at Shaun Leane's display, trying on gorgeous pearl rings and chatting to the very helpful assistant. His jewellery is as smooth as silk next to the skin -  refined, poetic sculptures. I can see how he is an award winning designer. Wonderful to at last try on his jewellery after reading about him in association with Alexander McQueen and seeing his work from pictures.

I met my friend at 'Croque Monsieur' on Baker Street and we headed to the grand Daiwa Foundation next to Regent's Park to hear a talk on Sino-Japanese relations (my friend is a fluent Japanese speaker and so he hears about these things.....!).  The speaker, Dr Yoichi Funabashi, is a well known and respected Japanese journalist, author and academic who has also lived for many years in China. The talk was informative and gave a balanced overview: it makes me want to find out more about how countries are getting along in the Far East in the light of China's 'Peaceful Development Strategy', especially as China is becoming so economically powerful. How might it change in the future?

I enjoyed hearing stories such as this little snapshot of the history of relations between Japan and China. In the early 7th Century, in connection with the tobacco trade with China, the Japanese Emperor addressed the Chinese Emperor using these words:

'The Emperor of the Land where the Sun rises sends greetings to 
the Emperor of the Land where the Sun sets'.

Needless to say, this greeting was not at all well received in China - and so the struggle over protocol and status continued on for centuries.

So, after yesterday's action-packed day, I can truly say I now have more than enough to reflect on as I head back to my studio in Camberwell this morning..........

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Have one's cake and......


.......ok, we didn't eat it, but here it is - a slice of cake from The Wedding.

cute tin
Owned by a friend's flatmate who works for Prince Charles.
Wondering just how long will this piece will last........