Summer h.Art 2015

Thank you so much  to everyone who visited us this summer (?!) - despite the weather on Monday. There is a Facebook album here.  I have included photos.

Huge thanks to Kate, Alice, Sam, Ian and Harvey.

We would love to see you this Christmas on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December. 

So exciting - Nearly time of h.Art 2015!

It is that time of year again when you can visit loads of wonderful artists and see them being amazing and creative.This year Kate and I are number 62 and we would love to see you.

Delivering brochures!

If you would like a brochure (we sent out loads so hopefully you got one), we can easily pop one in the post.

This summer (?!) we are open Saturday12th September to Sunday 20th September from 11am to 5pm. There will be Kate's famous cake a day to tempt you as well as great artworks!

If you cannot join us this September then we would love to see you at the Christmas opening Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December. Please bring your friends. We promise to get you well into the festive spirit.

Pennells' Sculpture Sunday

It has been a while since I wrote a blog post. It has been a very busy few months. This week has been particularly hectic. We just had an amazing holiday in our favourite part of Scotland, Ardnamurchan Peninsula. There are a few of the best photos on my Facebook page.

We had a long journey home on Saturday but had a lovely Sunday afternoon at the amazing Pennells' home in Martley. Their garden is so pretty and part of it is an old quarry. A great setting for the many interesting sculptures.

There was a wonderful mix of media and many of Pam and Ian's own artworks. She enjoys making stunning glass and beautiful rugs and he specialises in sculptures.

Pam's lovely glass

Amazing garden

Sculptures in garden

One of my heads

Striking head in border

Pam's yummy food and drinks

Exploring

Ian's work

Sculptures in quarry

Both Ians!

Pennell's beautiful home

Thank you both for a glorious Sunday afternoon.

New obsession, birds

Apologies, I have not written a blog for a while, so here goes!

OK – My latest obsession is birds!

I have just moved my bedroom downstairs (I have a progressive illness). I try to go on my exercise bike and rowing machine most days. It is so boring but now I have a beautiful view of the garden. My son encouraged me to feed the birds and  make it more interesting. 

My husband is used to my mad spending (thank goodness), so it started with finding a good supplier of feeders and food. That is when I discovered the wonderful Garden Wildlife Direct. Buy in bulk because it is cheaper! I have a selection of huge sacks in the barn. Ian is well trained and fills and replenishes regularly.

Once the feeding was sorted, I needed to know who my new visitors were. I found some brilliant identification charts at  CJ Wildlife . To see them properly too I bought a lovely pair of very reasonably priced binoculars  (£25) from Uttings.

My equipment

I have been listening to the dawn chorus most mornings. I know a few bird songs but not many. I have been trying to learn them and there are a lot of really good websites. I have an excellent CD which came with a beautiful bird book by DK called ‘RSPB Complete Birds of Britain and Europe’, I was given for my birthday last year.

Shy little Robin

This Great Tit loves the fat balls!

Thirsty Woodpigeon

My favourite pair of Great Tits

Unless you can spot who is singing, I am finding it quite difficult to identify the correct bird. I am hopeless with phones but I am trying a new app called ‘BirdsongId’. I will let you know in a few weeks how it is going.

I have just joined the RSPB and cannot wait for their pack to arrive! I have learnt /am learning quite a bit of new information and I hope this helps if you decide to give it a go too: )

What an evening for Ataxia UK, thank you so much the Arter XX

Last night Paula and Rachael from The Arter in Stratford, very kindly hosted an evening for me to raise money for Ataxia UK. Unfortunately I and some members of my family have inherited SCA1, an incurable neurological rare disease.

Rachael, Paula and Rory from The Arter

Not wishing to sound like the Oscars, but I do have a few people to thank for making yesterday evening such a success. Firstly, and biggest hugs to Paula and Rachael for thinking up and working so hard to deliver such a wonderful idea. Everything worked so well, the invite was amazing and The Arter looked so beautiful! Sorry no pictures of the brilliant balloon decorating outside and great lung power. The mulled wine, mince pies, nougat etc were so yummy. Many thanks to all the very kind fellow artists and their generous donations to the raffle and those who came too! Many thanks to the gorgeous Rory, Paula's son, (I want one - he is SO lovely) for everything but especially his star role in the raffle. Ian for his great auctioning of my torso and the wonderful Steve Orchard for being the successful bidder (very sorry Rachael).

Yummy nibbles

Great helpers

Successful bidder

Lovely Steve Orchard

Rory my excellent helper and raffle

As you can see The Arter is looking wonderful and is crammed full of Christmas goodies, you cannot fail to find the perfect, unusual gift (and calendars). I think Mr Smith was even impressed by the quantity (and quality) of pressies we found last night. Too tempting and it is Christmas after all! Definitely still time to give them a visit if you can.

Lovely Arter - Thank you SO muchXXX

Many, many thanks again to everyone at The Arter. If  you would like to see more photos from the great evening please follow this link.

Christmas festivities!

Christmas has come early to Goose Farm. We have a very busy start to the month.

Kate and I are back at Worcester Cathedral (this time in the cloisters). On the 4th we are  decorating one of over 70 Christmas trees.

The Christmas Tree Festival is a free family event running throughout the Christmas break. You can visit the wonderful selection of trees 9am-5pm everyday, from 8th December to 4th January. 

5-7th December (11am-5pm) is our h.Art Christmas weekend. We would love to see you and please tell your friends to pop in too. There will be loads of Christmas culinary goodies to sample and lots of present and decorating ideas. Kate and her friend Alice also have a really beautiful surprise!

The lovely Arter in Stratford are very kindly hosting a shopping evening for me on Wednesday 10th December (from 4-8pm). There will be yummy mince pies and mulled wine too. They hope to raise money for Ataxia UK with a raffle and auction of one of my pieces. Everyone is very welcome to join us. Late night shopping at the Arter is a must for handmade gifts anyway (plus 10% discount!) but if they can help promote such a rare illness that is brilliant too, and very kind of them.

To Gheluvelt and back

A huge thank you to the boys Ian, Nigel and Neil for the great photos. They just visited the battlefield of Gheluvelt to commemorate the 100 years anniversary and the very brave Worcestershire Regiment.

Their story is sympathetically explained in Ian's blog. The whole trip was incredibly moving. I was particularly haunted by the pictures showing the trenches where so many died, so sadly. 

On their long journey home, they very kindly called into a cemetery in Contay, where a relative of mine is buried. I told his story in an earlier blog. Jonathan Tombs was born in Herefordshire and buried with 1,132 other soldiers. It is a beautiful location.

I was especially thrilled with the leaves that they brought back. I hope to make something from them. Many thanks and I am glad the trip went so well.  XXX