YOS – the 2nd weekend

Well I didn’t sell any more pieces but I talked to a lot of people and my son Habib was there as support – so it was nice to celebrate Eid in company . I think I am getting better at talking about my work – it was definitely easier this time ! If I…

YOS April 2023

Well the first weekend is over and unlike last year I actually sold 2 pieces ! Interestingly the people who bought them didn’t spend much time . They had a quick look and then decided very definitely on what they wanted . Which is a compliment in itself , I thought . I cannot find…

Update/explanations

I cannot currently use email so altho’ I have been accepted for this year’s York Open Studios – ie for next Spring I don’t even n]know if this post will ‘take’ !

Notes towards the next felt piece

OK I haven’t put an illustration in at the top because it hasn’t been made yet . Some textile artists work from preliminary drawings or designs more or less worked out . I thought of photos but the camera doesn’t see as I do . I was going to make notes on a random piece…

York Open Studios ; the post-mortem

The idea was to use your studio as an exhibition space – however my felts are made in the sunroom and my ceramics in the garage so they were effectively swapped around . Apparently in previous years there have been complaints that the studios did not look like studios . I’m not quite sure what…

Preparation verging on panic ……..

Well having succeeded in my application to exhibit as part of York Open Studios I now have to do some practical work to set it all up . I have decided where to put the 3-D stuff ( sunroom or conservatory depending how posh you are feeling ) and where to hang the textiles and…

A visit to the Barbara Hepworth Gallery for a retrospective

They have a considerable collection of her work anyway but this exhibition gathered even more examples together ; alongside sketches , photographs and many quotations . There were also detailed explanations of the technical aspects which I always like to know about – to me there is more magic in knowing how something is done…

2 dance companies

Phoenix Dance Co. are originally from Leeds and are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year . As part of the tour they performed at York Theatre Royal for 1 night . The above photo is from the opening piece which was exciting , energetic and very athletic . Some notes said it was about a…

Japanese woodblock prints (& some Gainsborough drawings)

I haven’t put in any of the Gainsborough drawings because , frankly they are not so striking and are largely of interest as journeyman/student pieces . They do show similarities between his favourite backgrounds for portraits and certain Dutch landscapes he would have had the opportunity of studying but I would have expected any painter…

At last !- opera again

This was our first at York Theatre Royal and it was Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” . Astonishingly it was an amateur production which I would have thought too difficult – especially for an adequate coloratura to sing the role of the Queen of the Night ! Actually she did very well in the second section…