I LOVE making Etsy treasuries and finding other people's lovely artworks. My treasuries are always nature inspired. My latest is called 'Pheasant'.
If you would like to visit the page on Etsy, please click here
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I have made many, so if you would like to see them together, they are on my Pinterest in a special folder. If you like any, just click on them and you go to the Etsy page.
Spoilers - DO NOT READ if you are lucky enough to be going.
Well last night was a brilliant evening! Thank you so much to Kate for taking me and looking after me so well and everyone who was so very helpful and kind all evening at the Eventim Apollo in London. A huge thank you to Ian for dialling 148 times to get the last disabled and carer seat and then not being able to get another seat anywhere to join us. To rub salt in the wound, he then drove us there and back!
Poor Ian!
Safe delivery to the Apollo in Hammersmith
Kate Bush's son, Bertie, convinced her to do some live shows. You were not allowed to take photos (rightly so) during the performances, so there are rather a lot of pictures of Kate and I getting a little overexcited!
Tickets
Kate Bush cocktails before - yummy
Official tour poster
The stage
Getting very excited waiting
The show started promptly and had a 20 mins break. Kate Bush had wonderful stamina and kept performing for a very physically demanding 3 hours! There were so many very exciting highlights, but here are some of my favourites. The performance began quite traditionally with a beautifully dressed, bare foot Kate Bush with many old favourites and then her wonderful story telling began.
It started with the tale of 'The Ninth Wave' - her in a shipwreck including haunting images on a screen of Kate Bush floating and freezing in a life jacket but managing to sing, a nightmare room at home seeing her husband and son, confetti canons firing hand-written Lord Tennyson's poetry (including the inspirational lines 'Wave after wave, each mightier than the last / Till last, a ninth one, gathering half the deep'), huge billowing sheets as waves, helicopter search and very creepy life size fish skeleton costumes. AMAZING!! After the break, the next story was 'A Sky of Honey' - During this session we were treated to a wooden mannequin and Kate Bush at the piano. While this happened there were giant projections of flying birds. Also, 16 year old Bertie was an artist with a huge canvas and he also sang a solo. The scene then turns darker and the puppet savages a gull and Kate Bush's arm turned into a wing and she flew!
How spoilt was I?
The whole evening was fantastic. Especially getting to know our new friends Ann and Ken (sitting next to us). I knew Kate Bush would not disappoint. I had remembered every last detail of my previous experience in 1979 at the then Hammersmith Odeon as a very young 17 year old! It was so good then and I am very happy and privileged to have had the opportunity again. Thank you X X
Kate has written a beautiful blog with some of her drawings. If you would like to see it click here please.
So excited, we are doing h.Art. For many years, we have been avid visitors to local artists in their studios and now it is our turn to be hosts! If you have not been to h.Art (Herefordshire art week), I should explain what it is. It is your chance to follow the pink signs and join the art trail. There are over 200 artists and design makers to tempt you with their wonderful artworksl.
Invitation
Our art studio shall be open 6-14 September 2014 from 11am-5pm. We are No.10 in the official booklet.
There is a free map and guide to help you plan your route. They are available from www.h-art.org.uk or I am very happy to pop one in the post.
We would love to see you. By all means send me an email or message on the form below if you know when you might come.
A huge thank you to Ian for taking my work to the autumn show at beautiful Wyndcliffe Court Sculpture Garden.
Wyndcliffe Court
This is my first time at this lovely Sculpture Garden. Wyndcliffe is in Monmouthshire. Its opening times are 11am-6pm Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, from 2nd May to 28th September.
These are what I am exhibiting in the garden.
Because I have been quite busy this year, I have not been in many sculpture trails.
On Saturday we went to ‘Art in Action’ at Waterperry House in Oxfordshire. Sunday was the final day (I am afraid), but I thoroughly recommend a visit next year. There is a wonderful selection of art, to cater for everyone’s taste and lecturers for those inclined too. There is also a huge choice of yummy foods and drinks available. As well as specialist art tents there is a great market.
My presents
As you can see from the photos, we had a fantastic day out and met LOADS of lovely artists! I was also thoroughly spoilt and had all these beautiful presents.
There are far too many, very talented people to mention but here are a few of my favourites. My gorgeous cardigan above came from the beautiful Megan Crook from Crooked Knitwear, the soap and very elegant reed diffuser came from an old favourite Merrywood and the beetle hand bound book and unusual owl tea towel both came from Inky Otter.
Gil Fox and her wonderful creations
Kate wearing one of Gil's hats
Claire Cawte's textiles
These are more family favourite designers who were at 'Art in Action' this year. They include the wonderful and quirky work of Gil Fox who makes hats, fascinators and flowers, Claire Cawte's beautiful 'one-off' items that can be worn or displayed and Lucy Jade Sylvester's organic jewellery.
Ceramics are always a big favourite and there were too many to choose from. Two of my favourites this year were Hilary Simms with her gorgeous sculptural ceramics and the Vinegar Hill Pottery with stunning colours.
Simon Griffiths beautiful sculptures
Tom Griffiths collection
My final favourites are the Griffith family. Dad, Simon creates amazing stoneware sculptures. I do not normally like realistic sculptures, but these are really beautiful and I especially like the wood he uses. His son, Tom is a wonderful drawer and has a great letter from David Attenborough.
My beautiful assistant!
Kate and Ian
A really great day out! Huge thanks to Ian and Kate for taking me XX
I am so excited and a huge thank you to my wonderful daughter Kate and son Harvey for all their help and filming. My first ever video is live on You Tube!
We filmed it during a couple of beautiful days at Goose Farm, where we live in the Worcestershire countryside.
It was made originally for the children at Staunton and Corse Primary School who will be making clay leaves as part of their 'Arts Week'. The wonderful Eastnor Pottery will be firing them for them. I am sure they will have a lovely time.
I have just had a brilliant evening in Birmingham with my daughter Kate. Thank you so much for taking me.
We started the evening with yummy cocktails (non-alcoholic) and gorgeous food at Milano an Italian restaurant. The evening just got better when we went to the Glee Club and saw the amazing singer songwriter Holly Williams.
Holly Williams was accompanied by a very talented beautiful, young lady (sorry I cannot remember her name). We were incredibly lucky to have her husband too, fellow musician Chris Coleman who was also touring with Kings of Leon and had come to visit her for just 2 sessions. It was so lovely seeing them together and she is 6 months pregnant! Huge congratulations.
After a brilliant evening listening, we then were able to buy goodies off Holly! This is my very special CD that we listened to all the way home.
We also need to say a huge thank you to everyone at the Glee Club. I was in a wheelchair for the evening and they reserved us front row seats (we were literally 3 feet from the band). We did not book the seats till Thursday and we were escorted in and out of the lift at the back and felt like royalty! It was our second visit but we are definitely going again!
