Winter 2012: sneak preview

Here we are. Luckily facing south.    ^
Call in for a festive snifter by the fire.



And here's a little secret preview of our 2012 card    >

Raking Pit update as promised...

So here it is. Small but perfect. Refreshed and renewed. The Caistor St Edmund Raking Pit on Caistor Lane.

It has now been returned to the parish as a beautiful local amenity rather than just being left as a wasteland/dump.

A project funded by the National Lottery, taken on board by the local Parish Council, and Matt and the Norwich Fringe Project, and with support from Community Payback team.

It will be a delight to walk around the neat, new, inviting pathways in the spring and summer of 2013, when the fragrant woodland and wild flowers surround the water's edge, and the ducklings zoom around the pond after their parents.

Check out the info on the panels. Admire the tree carvings. Absorb the peace and tranquility. 



Bring a picnic, find a shady log bench to sit upon in the dappled shade, and relax...

East COAST to West Coast

Now back from San Francisco and have collected the two photos that were chosen for the busy 2012 COAST Festival "Reality Check" exhibition (see TUESDAY 10 JULY 2012 and MONDAY 8 OCTOBER 2012 for details) 

Apparently "footfall" was tremendous, but sadly there was not a single sale in the whole show, or indeed, hardly any throughout the festival overall. 

SF was extraordinary. We hit it at a busy time. What energy!

Elections :  Obama v Mitt (phew)

Hurricane Sandy on the east coast. SF Open Studios at Hunter's Point - a former US Navy shipyard. The World Series baseball (the SF Giants won!) and a BIG hallowe'en scene....

Raking Pit

More about this soon. Away to San Francisco for a few days.

Reality Check reminder

Nip along to see some eighty+ events at the third COAST Festival. Plenty for all. I have just two pieces in the Reality Check exhibition. See blog post on tuesday 10th July for original info...

Reality Check
Photographs for sale presented by Norfolk Contemporary Art Society.

27 Oct - 3 Nov, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat/Sun 10am-5pm

Rocket House Café, The Gangway, Cromer NR27 9ET 

FREE ENTRY

http://www.casaf.co.uk/

For the full programme:
http://www.casaf.co.uk/programme2012.htm


Let me know what you think...

Tie-break tickle

And here's some jollity to take the edge off the approaching autumn chill...

almost empty nest

Here we go. The nest is emptying again. In June it was Natalie nipping off to live in a lovely house in the Golden Triangle, working in the massive Toy Dept of Jarrolds to pay the rent and being an illustrator extraordinaire. 

This time it's the boy Tim. He tootled off on the train to London village yesterday to start work at fancy investment company, Bedrock, in Mayfair today. 

Got himself a neat flat on the top floor of an Edwardian 3-storey house in West Hampstead. A nice "chambre de bonne" he will share with his pal Charlie from uni. Ideal access for both - to work, family and fun.

All very well, but rather gut-stabbing and womb-ripping for the two left behind. The house is now scarily quiet. Minutes have become hours. Fridge still full of food. Many tears sobbed as we wander round the echoing, cold, empty rooms.

Norwich. 1994. Tim; Natalie; Flossie.
Good, grubby bath water

Nige and Tim had built up a closeness over the summer. Bonding. Projects. Building cigar box guitars, making beer, veg gardening, listening to music, going on long daily walks, cooking fancy foods, going to gigs, joking around, watching football and alligator hunting on tv. They became particularly intertwined.

Markshall. 2010. Natalie; Tim; Andre (cousin); Flossie

Even our little baby girl Flossie goes virtually unseen. Now finally free from being formally educated, she is temporarily slaving for the grand Victorian pile up the road at their banquets and weddings, and at a glittery cocktail bar near the cathedral in the city centre, from dusk until dawn, literally, so needs to sleep during the day.

We will just have to adapt, and embrace coupleness anew...(and perhaps look forward to retirement in the gate-house of a mansion in the Cotswolds ....)

<  may be needing this a bit more often

1980 NSAD grads reunion

Nowich School of Art and Design. Graphic Design BA (Hons) graduates 1980:
L to R front row: Jill Nurse; Phil Birch; Piotr Hennig; Dave Fallows; Dave Nicholson.
Back row: Mark Hiner; Maddy Pickard; Nigel Orme.

A grand day had by all, starting with a tour round the college, cleverly arranged by Phil. It's now an immaculate, brightly lit factory of glass, stainless steel and cold rows of white Macs on shiny, hospital-white desks. No dust, paper, cutting mats, Rotrings, Spray Mount, scalpels or masking tape in sight. Or cigarette machines...

Met up later for a meal and some good drinking, and caught up with with more pals, - Anita Andrews, Jenny Hall, Tony Searle and Paul "Mac" Houghton.

Plans for further get-together. Send in more photos if you have any good ones. 

Top Drawing

Armenian street by Kiah Kiean. Look him up. Beautiful work.

sweet surprise

everyday icon

Chupa Chups, taken from the Spanish verb chupar, to suck. 

The Chupa Chups lollipop, invented in 1958, is a bona-fide design classic. The invention of Spanish businessman Enric Bernat, it was the first ever sweet to be sold on a stick, liberating children (and their parents) from the tyranny of sticky fingers.

It was also the first sweet to be placed in a jar on the counter, directly in view of its principal consumers. Prior to this, sweets had been marketed to adults and kept on tall shelves - a universe away from an impulse buy.

Realising though that however great a product is it’s nothing without a good logo to help brand it, Bernat called upon the services of an artist friend of his. Sitting at a pavement café with Bernat one day in 1969, Salvador Dalí, yes, the Salvador Dalí, scribbled away furiously on the pages of a discarded newspaper and, within an hour, had come up with the sweet’s famous daisy logo.

Acutely aware of presentation, Dalí insisted that his design be placed on top of the lolly, rather than the side, so that it could always be viewed intact. It’s proved to be one of the most enduring pieces of branding ever and one that’s still used today, four billion sales later. It’s quite literally your chance to own a Dalí....

http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles

Summer 1982

What a dear pair...thirty years ago...

A superior selection of feisty BA Graphic Design graduates of 1980 from NSAD are meeting up for a reunion hoot, drinks and food on 

Saturday 1st September 2012 at 8.00 pm 

at Pizza Express in the Forum, Norwich. 

Anyone out there we haven't managed to contact that can join us...?

What a dear pair...thirty years later...

All things are possible

The old themes return. The use of Catholic imagery, natural materials, inks, metals, handmade papers, and photos of grafitti taken in many locations. I found this piece while sorting through an old "Exhibitions/Galleries" folder recently. Completed after trip to Lithuania. Enjoy.

Typographexcitement

....delicious enough for you?

Unlock a bee

British bees are in trouble.

Three species are already extinct. 
But we need bees.

With other pollinating insects, they're vital to:

• Many of our favourite foods
• Our economy - without bees food prices would rise
• Our gardens, parks and countryside
  
  

  http://www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/bee_cause_about_35042.html

• Make your own bee hotel
  Building a bee hotel is a quick and effective way to help save British bees.

You won't need much more that an empty plastic bottle, a bit of bamboo (or other hollow stem) and the simple step-by-step guide.

There are around 220 species of wild bees in the UK, called 'solitary' because they make individual nest cells for their larvae. It is these solitary rather than bumble bees that will be attracted to your bee hotel. 
The equivalent of bird boxes, they provide vital nesting space, needed by bees more than ever given recent habitat loss.
Thankfully, we can save bees. And that's what The Bee Cause is all about.

Download a step-by-step bee hotel guide.

Book as Art: Tree of Codes

May be making some more handmade books very soon....some leather, some fabric, some knitted and crotche'd, some with added quirky papers, card, tin, copper, and stones, shells, yarns, feathers, ribbons, bark, sand, plastic, string, a twist of lemon, a strand of saffron....

Reality Check: COAST 2012

I have been very graciously invited by the Norfolk Contemporary Art Society to take part in a photography exhibition at the next Cromer and Sheringham Arts Festival this autumn:-

Reality Check

As part of the COAST festival, NCAS presents an exhibition of photographs by Norfolk photographers at the Rocket House Café, The Gangway, Cromer NR27 9ET. Curated by Robert Short and Keith Roberts.

27th October - 3rd November 

Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm.  Sat/Sun: 10am-5pm  
FREE ENTRY

All works for sale

 

http://www.n-cas.org.uk/future_exhibitions.asp?eid=45#e45


Pop it in your diary....

Alien merriment!

The annual fancy dress party in the village of Chassy, in Burgundy, France. 
Spot my sister Dinah, - front row, green-gowned, under umbrella - winner of this year's theme - "Extra Terrestres" - far out! (...act your age, girl...!)

La La Blues

Settle down with a cold beer for a few sweet moments and give this a little listen.
Blues to uplift the soul...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOzmOZQdcYY

It's that time again

 

The Campaign for Drawing has one aim: to get everyone drawing!

Drawing can unite people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures. It is accessible and economical, requiring only pencil and paper.

The Campaign pursues its aim through the annual October Big Draw festival, involving over a thousand organisations across the UK and twenty other countries. 

Big Draw organisers run events for families, children and adults, creating opportunities for drawing with a great variety of media and exploring many subjects. Partners include national and regional museums and galleries, schools, shopping and community centres, libraries, art clubs and village halls. 

The October 2012 festival kicks-off with a free national launch at the  

Victoria and Albert Museum on 30 September. 

Big Draw, Big Make will bring together leading teams and individuals from some of the UK's top design practices to show the importance of drawing across the creative industries.

“Where would we be without drawing?” Quentin Blake

Check it out:-
http://www.campaignfordrawing.org/home

Cool Spaces

from:  www.improvisedlife.com 

"We recently stumbled on a cool post at French by Design illustrating ways to define space by painting walls in unexpected ways. We especially like the illusion of sunlight make be using tones of grays and whites, and the blue paint defining the start of a new space."


love it.

More Five and Twenties

   

 < Beth

Beth  >

Hilary   >

<  Hilary

Troubadour proposition

Check out my Bear's band website for upcoming gigs 
- and the new album -
@

www.thepropositionband.com

Playing at the Troubadour on Old Brompton Road

  Programmed Event:   22nd June 2012   Doors 8pm   £7 before 10pm

The Proposition

Acoustic-roots trio The Proposition released their debut album  

"King Snake, Devil Shake" 

to critical acclaim earlier this year. 

 

This high energy trio combine guitar, banjo, mandolin and rich harmonies in a heady lyrical and melodic mix with a full-tilt rock-n'roll attitude.

 Country Routes mag said: "A foot stompin', rampaging delight. A trio of supreme raconteurs. Grit, wit and loads of fun."

http://www.troubadour.co.uk/programme_view.php?view[type]=programme&view[id]=3015

Tipping Point

What is 38 Degrees?

38 Degrees is a community of UK citizens working together to bring about real change in the UK by taking action on the issues that we all care about.

What does the name “38 Degrees” mean?

In nature, avalanches begin when they reach the tipping point angle of 38 Degrees. In the UK, 38 Degrees members work together to bring about real change in the UK by taking action on the issues that we all care about, to create an avalanche for change.

What does 38 Degrees stand for?

38 Degrees believes that power should rest with the people: we provide simple and effective tools for hundreds of thousands of us to influence the decisions that affect us all. We work together to defend fairness, protect constitutional rights, promote peace, preserve the planet and deepen democracy.

Is 38 Degrees connected to a political party?

Definitely not. We are not connected with any political parties, and are funded by donations from members. Our independence means that we can campaign on issues that we feel passionately about and that we decide on together. We are driven by issues and outcomes, and judge all politicians by the same standards.

S I G N   U P !

...and from the US Forest Service website... 

"Basic Guidelines: Hazards of Winter Recreation"

• 95 percent of avalanche accidents are triggered by the victim.
• 95 percent of accidents occur in the backcountry. Avalanche workers control avalanches with explosives at most ski areas and above highways. But, as soon as you cross a ski area boundary or leave the highway, you must become your own avalanche expert.
• Most avalanche victims are 15 to 35 years old, male, educated, and intelligent. They may be backcountry skiers,
  snowmobilers, snowboarders, or climbers. Although most are very skilled at their sport, they have low to moderate
  avalanche skills.
• Almost all avalanche accidents involve slab avalanches, which are similar to a dinner plate sliding off an inclined table. Slab avalanches occur when the additional weight of new snow, wind-blown snow or a person overloads the
  strength of a buried weak layer.
• Most fatal avalanches are small–less than 3 feet deep, less than 300 feet wide and less than 600 vertical feet.

 Avalanche Terrain There are four terrain factors affecting snow avalanches; slope steepness, slope profile, slope aspect and ground cover.

Slope steepness Few avalanches occur on slopes with a steepness of 30 degrees or less. On slopes steep er than 45 degrees, the snow sluffs continuously so slabs do not tend to build up. The danger zone exists between 30 and 45 degrees, with avalanche danger reaching its maximum at 38 degrees. For comparison, the steepest slopes at most ski areas are between 35 and 40 degrees–prime steepness for triggering an avalanche. It is best to avoid slopes that are as steep as an expert slope at a ski area.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/maps/brochures/winter_rec/page4.shtml

Passing through Pasadena

"Physical Biology of the Cell" - PBoC: 2nd Edition, was Nigel's latest crayonning quest to the US of A for the publishers Garland Science. 

Working in the mountains of Pasadena above LA, with some of the world's most massive science brains, profs gathered from San Francisco, Boston, Princeton and scattered about beyond. 

Someone has to do it.  And occasionally a WAG has to  go on these work trips to make sure all is going as it should too. And to draw, walk, sit, drink, rest...

Here they are, slaving. L to R: Nigel Orme, Hernan Garcia, Julie Theriot, Jané Kondev

...and here, with the paint spray...all amazing people...

L to R: Jané, Hernan, Julie, Nigel and the Rob Phillips

Doors open, another damn day at
the sunny Californian coal face.



(ps: 29th feb: any lovely proposal stories to report?)