‘The policy is too stupid to be stupid’. I love this quote that I have just heard from Charles Henner via the exuberant Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com. In other words, if it does not make logical sense then there is a hidden hand that controls for motives other than the claimed reason.
Also – It is pretty much a full time job watching the West writing its own suicide note, as Kathy Gyngell just said as Editor in The Conservative Woman.
Anyway we have another busy day in front of us, we will visit with as many artists as we can mange followed by Rockaway Park followed by a Bonfire Sing-a-long.
Hello vs. ‘Greetings’
We entered the bowling alley of the Conygre hall in Timsbury which was being used as part of the art trail for about half a dozen artists. Immediately on my left I met Catherine Beale www.catherineBeale.com who apart from running bath watercolor workshops specializes in contemporary watercolors and portraits.
We had a joke from the first moment of meeting her when I said greetings and she said that sounded nice. I used it in contrast to the word hello which I discover was used primarily to hail a Ferryman or to someone help or get people’s attention. Hello is related to the older French exclamation “Hola” which means essentially “Ho” – like you might say to a horse to tell it to stop.
‘Greetings’ to me has the assumption of communality and brotherhood. It is a sign of welcome or recognition. Also we raise our hand in greeting, but sometimes used more formally an expression of good will uttered at a meeting or on meeting someone or even in a written message ” warm greetings to you all”
Wanting to goodbye when I left, I looked up the word ‘goodbye’ which was first recorded in 1573 in a letter by English writer and scholar, Gabriel Harvey. Godbye as it was then is a contraction of the phrase ” God be with you”
Anna Hurwitz
We next met a lady called Anna Hurwitz, who specialises in making works out of waste material. She describes herself as a textile sculptor.
She writes
USE – FULL WASTE
I like to think of it as a resource, I use it to create interesting things; some practical some visual.
I should like to inspire people to see waste as a resource with potential.
Most of my work on show this year is made using waste material
An unusual gentleman
This was a privilege indeed to be visited by such a splendidly attired person. I opened the door for him to enter and complemented him on his outfit and said that he himself was a work of art. He did not reply but strode majestically in. He wore some wonderful boots, together with torn jeans coupled with a wonderful silk full length coat and wonderful white hair. He could have been a wizard.
My present to myself
I could not help but buy this work. My favourite animal is a butterfly, and butterflies and moths are in the same family. I am fascinated by the eyes that nature has created presumably to frighten off other animals but anyway I bought it after only a moments hesitation.
Lila Streether can be contacted at n.streether@sky.com See here for differences between butterflies and moths.
To an old friend and contact Kate Westcott
Kate lives with her family in a splendid house, set back from the road in Timsbury with wonderful light aspect. . She works in wire and linen. www.katewestcott.com
She is definitely ‘on the wavelength’, believing in life after death, and all the glory of the spiritual realm. She told me of recently departed ones who had maintained contact. She believes that there is going to be a split in humanity where some souls who do not understand will stay on this planet and other souls will migrate to other planets.
I said that regard to our future as human beings on this planet, the only factor that matters is to raise our consciousness and once having raised it, keeping it at that level. I said that we are making our own futures, in her case her art and me with my efforts on my diary. Two very charming senior people offered tea and coffee in the most civilized fashion and I joked that the upper class way was to ask people if they took milk with coffee not had milk with their coffee.
a lovely exhibition area but not a studio
Stained glass by a colleague Jo Eddleston, a glass worker
Francoise chatting with Kate
I called this work ‘diaphanous’ and told her so.
Paulton Methodist Church
Once again we met a fascinating variety of artists including Ginny Lake. She described herself as just interested in natural ink making resources but seemed to me to be very professional in her attitude. She gave us links to instagram sites which included nature’s wildink, naturalink, makingink, inkmaking. She produced a very useful sheet of information which I’m sure if you were to write to her she would be glad to send to you.
Of her own lifestyle she says virtually all the materials used can be grown, or foraged locally, additional materials such as lemon juice, vinegar and honey from supermarkets. Materials for preserving inks such as essential oils and cloves are also easily obtained. Some recipes suggest rubbing alcohol as a preservative. She continues: I haven’t used this as I don’t make enough to keep for a long time but it can be bought online, possibly from chemists?
I’m sure she would be glad to deal with genuine inquiries so do write to her at virginialake105 @ aol.com
One more comment. She is very keen to encourage children to paint. Two young children came along with their dad and when they saw the materials they were keen to immediately sit down and have a go. Interestingly the father home schools them. Ginny told me that the previous day two children from a normal school came and they did not want to have anything to do with the offer to paint. This is the effect of the ‘education’ system.
the ingredients for natural painting displayed as a work of art it itself.
A Charismatic visitor
I also met a charismatic man who had a sparkle in his eye; I found it easier to look at him directly in the eyes than most people. I went up to him in my usual fashion and said that it was all very well buying a picture but where are you going to put it. I said I had run out of room but I suppose I could start colonizing the toilet. A joke of course (or was it?)
We do not pay enough attention to the context in which a photograph or artwork itself should go. That is why I have such a respect for the curator of art exhibitions. The works of an artist do not magically arrange themselves in the right position but have to be very carefully placed with regard to the shape of the room, the other images and a most important Factor that of light. The wrong lighting can ruin the impact of an image.
In general, I find that less is more and that one work can fill a whole wall. The worst exhibition I ever went to from the point of layout was the Royal Academy exhibition which is held each summer. They stack the pictures 10 deep. How can each picture speak to anyone meaningfully. I remember taking one look and fleeing the room
Campbell Mosaics
I loved the way Frances dressed herself to suit her works thus making herself a work of art. I may have said to her this, but if I did not, it still stands. “You have a choice. You can either be a living art installation, or a robot. There is no middle point. ” She is definitely the former.
To home at 2pm to have some lunch.
Rockaway Park at Night
We arrived around 4:00 p.m. That were about 50 or 60 people there but as the evening went on, more showed up. We were not sure whether there was any music but if there was it was performed after we left. I noticed quite a lot of people wandering around looking for a focus. As it became darker, they lit the bonfire and it was pleasant enough standing around. As my readers may know I am fascinated by the imagery there. Mark, the founder, the warmly and it was very nice to see him. He told me there had been some temporary chaos in the car park which was why the bonfire was a bit late but really it did not matter. The café was doing good business with vegetarian meals; I canted myself with a slice of walnut and chocolate cake. Francoise and I both wondered around separately and made contacts as we felt appropriate.
I always see things that I want to photograph that I had not noticed before. There are thousands of objects and they appear and disappear with great regularity so you never know what you’re going to find.
Bonfire and Sing’A’Long – the Vineyard Bath Group
The setting was completely different or diametrically opposed depending on your point of view.. We find ourselves in a barn, part of a farm rented by the leader of one of our Christian groups, Rob. It is rented from the vast Duke of Cornwall Estate. Admission was three pounds which covered the administration costs and a cup of very nice soup, a choice of three. I had a tomato soup. I have not had such a soup for I don’t know how many years,but it was tasty enough but I’m not quite sure if it was homemade.
There were a very large number of children with their mums and dads and it was pleasant to see the usual face painting, designing and all the healthy things that children do. I saw a few people from my Christian Study group and greeted them. We arrived about 6:00 p.m. At 7:00 p.m. The singing began, a group of people singing evangelical songs to which some of the audience sang along. I preferred to listen to the music from a distance and stood in front of the enormous fire composed of bales of hay from rapeseed.
The farmer, Rob, told us that if you plow it into the ground it takes ages to become reabsorbed and that in this case the crop was grown for the seed not the stalks. Hence he announced that there would be a bonfire, a traditional fire around this time and people could bring round stuff to burn and get rid of should they wish. This is one of the few types of material that the farm is allowed to burn; the regulations are that strict.
I asked Rob what app he used to forecast the weather and he told me one, ‘Hyper local weather’ which I had never even heard about but it is far better and more comprehensive than the two apps. that I’m using at the moment so without any delay I uploaded it on my Android and off it went. I like the radar option.
I found conversation with those in my Christian study group a little bit difficult because in a way everyone was ‘off duty’ and wanted to relax, so everyday chat was the common denominator and it was inappropriate to discuss other more weighty matters. Anyway, overall I am glad I went. It is nice to see my fellow human beings enjoy themselves.
Equipment in the main barn
visitors listening to the singing
The fire roaring away. It is about 6m in height and 12m in length
Trying to give some indication of the size of the bonfire.
Various letters from the artists of the Art Trail Weekend after my having written to them thanking them for allowing us to see their work. Here is my letter:
As a visitor I would like to show my appreciation for letting us all see some of your work.
Members of the public have no idea about the time and effort that goes towards an appearance at such events so in a way I want to make up for their thoughtlessness by thanking you for your unsung work.
If you did not get as many paying visitors as you had hoped you have no doubt sown some seeds which will come to fruition at a later date. The conversations that you had with the visitors may have changed their lives or their perspectives in some way. Not everything can be monetized.
In my own work, I love it when people ring me up six months after a meeting and say ‘ you won’t remember me but…….’ then they go on to tell you how your work has influenced them in some way.
If you would like to see my take on the proceedings this weekend bearing in mind that I did not get a chance to talk to everyone, please visit my blogs.
https://www.briansnellgrove.net/2023/11/04/an-action-packed-weekend-part-1/
https://www.briansnellgrove.net/2023/11/05/an-action-packed-weekend-part-2-rockaway-park-and-a-farm-bonfire/
My diary is designed to give people a view of one human being’s attempt to survive and thrive. It is in itself a work of art.
To which two of them responded:
Anna Hurwitz: Thank you very much for the lovely feed-back.
It was a great pleasure talking to you and Francoise. For me personally it is very important to have this kind of personal exchange with visitors. I am not generally very keen on appearing in galleries because I never get a feed back.
Thank you again. I hope to see you again.
Best wishes.
Andrew Eddleston (potter): Thank you. It was lovely to meet you both. Thank you for your kind and supportive words and thoughts.
Your blog is another world.
Thank you again.
Best wishes