Easter sunshine - at last!

Easter bonnet and brass band parades in sunny Lyme Regis, Dorset made a good day out on Easter Sunday. A bonus 'find' (besides the fish and chips and ice cream) was this fascinating 'stone balancing' exhibition on the pebble beach. Adrian Grey was balancing huge pebbles to create heart-stopping sculptures. His website is www.stonebalancing.com A good lesson in the art of 'less is more'.

Landscape - Let Us Travel

The lovely mediaval building called Hotel du Sens houses the Bibliotheque du Forney, 1 Rue du Figuier 75004 Paris. The exhibition 'Landscape-Let Us Travel' is showing there until 19th June 2010 when it moves to a gallery in Brittany then onto Sweden, the home of the sponsors, Pfaff.

I went to Paris for a couple of days to attend the opening. I met Evelyne Ouillon, a Distant Stitch student, for the first time which was delightful - I'm sorry I meant to take a photo of you Evelyne. Below I'm standing with Janice Myers, a previous student at Urchfont Manor, now a fellow exhibitor in this exhibition.

The opening event was a grand champagne affair in the company of over 500 others including the mayor of Paris. 'Tread Softly' caused a lot of interest and Janice and I pose near it in quiet moments. Janice's work - 'Way Out', using the Pfaff embroidery machine digital software to stitch into layers of plastic and paper maps - seen in the photo above to the right of Janice. The large hanging to the left is 'Man On The Moon' by Alice Kettle.

We stayed in a lovely little hotel near le Canal S Martin (of course) called the Hotel du Nord. http://www.hoteldunord-leparivelo.com/hotel.html

Getting ready

I've been gathering and checking over the different design development ideas before packing up to send to the Hub for the 'Visual Thinking - Unpicked' exhibition and Symposium. I'll be there and contributing to the presentations of the Symposium. Put 24th April in your diary and join us. Download a booking form and book your place - use this link http://www.practicalstudygroup.co.uk/gallery/visualthinking/

West and East - Exhibitions

If you live in the East/North of the UK, you will be interested in this exhibition and symposium.

National Centre for Craft & Design
Press release 10.01.2010

Textile Study Group
Visual Thinking – Unpicked

HUB Roof Gallery 24th April – 6th June

This dynamic and experimental exhibition is the result of a year long collaboration between the Hub and the Textile Study Group. Visual Thinking – Unpicked, is an exhibition exploring the creative process of 14 textile practitioners who are pioneering in the field of textile practice and education.
Film, artefacts, photographs, installations, textile and drawings are exhibited, exploring the causes and influences behind the unique and often very private creative process. As such, this exhibition will open the door to artist’s studios, inviting audiences to consider the process and thinking behind the work.
This exhibition and associated events is a rare opportunity to engage in dialogue and exchange with the artists and experience a conceptual approach to textile practice, process and making.
It is planned that a symposium will accompany the exhibition, details available soon.
The selected artists are:
Sarah Burgess, Mary Sleigh, Ann Wheeler, Rosemary Campbell, Jan Miller, Siân Martin, Mary Youles, Jenny Blackburn, Kay Greenlees, Gavin Fry, Shelley Rhodes, Ros Chilcot, Janina Evans and Alison King.

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IN THE WEST/SOUTH

If you live in the West/South of the UK, this exhibition will be of interest. You are invited to the Opening at Ginger Fig on April 8th between 6 and 8 pm for a glass of wine and to meet the artists who are all students of my Masterclass at Urchfont Manor.

Email restored!

I feel wanted again! Messages have come pouring in to my inbox. Jacqui has worked her magic again and has revived my email address - sian@distantstitch.co.uk so I look forward to hearing from everyone who might have had their messages returned last week. Please feel free to use windwhistle@tiscali.co.uk whenever you think there might be a problem in the future.

Email problem

If your emails to me on my 'sian@.........' email address have been returned to you, please use this one - windwhistle@tiscali.co.uk

I hope it will only be temporary fault. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Sian

A Somerset Winter

Wind Whistle Cottage

Tea for two, but only for the birds.

Viewing the distant Mendips Hills.

With plenty of inspirational surfaces!