Boxpark

Getting off the train at Shoreditch I came across Boxpark for the first time. Boxpark is the world's first pop-up mall. I saw personal favourites like Marimekko alongside lots of new designers. Big brands next to emerging ones - great combination!

With shops made from shipping containers this is vibrant community of a range of designers selling on a very cool level playing field.

Choral celebration at St John's Smith Square

We heard an incredible performance last last at St John's Smith Square from a larger than usual Oriana Choir - the last with their current musical director, David Drummond - with many members from previous years joining to create the most spectacular sound, accompanied occasionally by two pianists and percussionists. And a trumpeter for a couple of pieces.  With a wide range of music from Renaissance to contemporary, it was uplifting, poetic, moving and entertaining. Favourites were Rossini, Holst and the powerful and dramatic  'O Fortuna' from Carmen Burana. 

A few members of the choir, but last night the numbers must have been around 100

Interior of St John's 

Just had to add this drawing of the church in its original setting!

So special after hearing such a performance, to then walk along the riverbank past the Houses of Parliament and Westminster and realise what an amazing city we live in.

Masterpiece 2013

I was given a ticket for Masterpiece last year and knew I'd be back in 2013 to see it again.
Interesting walking through what was the Chelsea Flower Show only a few weeks ago to see yet another amazing exhibition in the same grounds, this time all under cover.
Highlights for me this year were the galleries showing contemporary Chinese Brush Painting: I loved Gao Xingjian's sublime ink on paper, in the Aktis Gallery and Yang Yanping in Michael Goedhuis Gallery.

Work by Gao Xingjian, similar to one I saw at Masterpiece 

I missed the talk on contemporary Chinese brush painting given by Michael Goedhuis and hope to hear another one sometime soon.

Jewellery Week 2013

One year on from Treasure 2012 at Somerset House, I'm delighted to be in the group show Luxe By Me  10-16th June which is showing during London Jewellery Week.

Call in and see nine fantastic designers at Luxe by Me in Craft Central, Clerkenwell.

Cathy at Chelsea

Last day at Chelsea and the sun's out - hooray.

If you visit, stop by and see my sister's sculpture - Cathy Hart and all her creatures. Saw lots of people stopping and smiling when I visited on Weds. She's had her best ever show at Chelsea this year.

Well done Cathy!

Chelsea Colours 3

Loved the artisan retreats at Chelsea but my absolute favourite this year has to be jeweller and anthropologist Pippa Small's - complete with afternoon tea laid out, golden tree and friendly people to chat to.

                                                              A gorgeous gem of a retreat!

Chelsea Colours part 2

Looking around the Chelsea Flower Show on Wednesday evening, I loved the artisan gardens, and especially the Japanese artisan garden with running water and oval frames in the walls. Designer, Kazuyuki Ishihara, won the Best Artisan Garden and a Gold Medal for An Alcove (Tokonoma) Garden.  

Japanese artisan garden at Chelsea

It reminds me of the circle shape I see in gates and doors when in China. This is my favourite gate from a local park near where I lived in Kunming. Very serene. 

Entrance to the park in Kunming

I also liked this miniature mountainous landscape recreated in the Great Pavilion at Chelsea, full of my favourite flowers, the orchid.

Chelsea Colours 1

Aren't these colours good for the soul? 

Chelsea Flower Show 2013......more to follow!

                       

Cloud Leopard

I finally saw the stunning Cloud Leopard by Nahoko Kojima in Craft Central's new gallery this week.

I loved seeing the whole piece, suspended from the ceiling, having only seen glimpses of it in pictures on the net. It is so intricately cut out, delicate and is simply a breath-taking work of art. 

It reminds me of the work of the paper cut-out artists I met in Kunming, though I haven't seen any on this scale before, and so beautifully presented.

Nahoko Kojima's new work, The Polar Bear, will be unveiled at the Jerwood Makers Open 2013. It is entitled, Byaku, a Japanese word meaning White in English. It is hand cut using only one white sheet of Japanese Washi Paper. 

If you are interested in knowing more about this traditional Japanese method of paper making, I can recommend Nancy Broadbent Casserly's book on Washi. She spoke about its history at the Daiwa Institute a couple of months ago and it was an interesting introduction to Washi. 

Dulwich Open House, Baroque the Streets

Brilliant talent unleashed at Court Lane Private View for Dulwich Festival, particularly with the superb street dance and catwalk show. Favourites were Lisa E Moss's jewellery, meeting graffiti artist 'Agent Provocateur',  part of Baroque the Streets, and Cathy Hart's sculpture (of course!).

Liked the Stik graffiti on drainpipe!

     

graffiti for Baroque the Streets

Pepys' first Cup of Tee

I like this extract from Samuel Pepys diary, 1660, which I came across recently......

September 25th

To the office, where Sir W Batten, Collonel Slingsby, and I sat a while; ... And afterwards did send for a Cupp of Tee (a China drink) of which I never had drank before

Apparently it is one of the first references to drinking tea in England - it must have been a real luxury considering the cost and length of time it took transporting tea from the Far East. It was only drunk by the fashionably rich in England for the next 100 or so years.

 Chinese porcelain and a Yixing teapot

Britain has since become the country with the largest per capita tea consumers in the world.


I like this Dutch Golden Age painting by artist Roestraten (1627-1698) showing a Chinese tea set used in Europe. 

Orchids and Ryantown

This time last week I was in Columbia Road Flower Market to see a venue for an Autumn Show I will be in. I have two lovely orchids from the Flower Market which are surviving (so far!).

 I managed to get to the marvellous Ryantown which I've wanted to see for ages now. I purchased a couple of books - one has already been forwarded to a friend. In the shop I was admiring the little muslin square with Rob Ryan quote, and then I realised it's a  little flyer advertising Ryantown Studio at Chelsea.

I was really glad to hear they will be in Chelsea Flower Show this year with 'Rob's Retreat'.
Just a couple of weeks to go now - my sister Cathy Hart's sculpture is almost ready now for her stand at Chelsea. Can't wait to see it all in place for her second year there.