Art Trail in Street, Somerset.

With a couple of hours of spare sunshine this afternoon, I set off to explore part of the new Art Trail in Street, Somerset which runs for the next two weeks in venues around the town.

In all there are ten trail boards to find featuring local artists and their work and the first location is in the beautiful setting of a Georgian house.  In the grounds of the building are works by Garry Sharp, large, dynamic sculptures built from re-purposed roadside litter and textural patterns worked into the grass.

Exploring these installations in the garden led me to a WILDEDGES by Melanie Thompson, an immersive art experience in a hidden walled orchard where I wandered through the blossom trees and then up into the nearby barn for a video installation with views out across the town and countryside beyond.

The house itself is host to a vibrant collection of local artists work, housed in two airy and peaceful rooms, connected by and sweeping up a grand staircase.

Upstairs I found Jules Meriano in residence, an artist who works in beading and mixed-media to create bespoke pieces of jewellery, headdresses and accessories. Trained in colour and crystal therapy her unique and gorgeous pieces are tailored to the individual to create personal works of art. Jules is in residence on Saturday 11^th and 18^th of May 2019.

Details of the #ARTTRAILINSTREET is on Facebook -

 www.facebook.com/ARTTRAILINSTREET/

The art trail runs from 4th to 18th May 2019.

The venue visited today was the Alfred Gillet Trust, The Grange, Street BA16 0BB.
(Accessed via car park 4)

https://alfredgilletttrust.org/whats-on

In search of green...

The sudden heatwave this weekend has made the soft greens of Spring seem all the more vibrant. Orange tip, Brimstone, Blue and Speckled wood butterflies are emerging. This morning I went out in search of green to photograph around the garden...

hostas, cornflowers, rose and oregano in pots

mini flower gems

new sunny gravel bed with low growing herbs, golden oregano

marjoram and thyme

rejuvenated lilac and willow 'dragonsclaw'

Spring greens!

New Art Exhibition, Street, Somerset

I'm delighted to be exhibiting at Create:Space II in the pop-up galleryin the Old Tesco Building, Street.

Come along and see a great range of local art on exhibition and for sale at
Unit 6, Crispin Centre, Street, BA16 0HP.

The Staging Post runs from 25th March to 4th May 2019.

Glastonbury Tor and Orchard Trees, watercolour 2019

January Trees

The arrival of new seeds to plant is always a  treat, especially in January. This year it is a packet of six non-dormant Monkey Puzzle seeds (Araucaria araucana). I hope they will germinate and add to the collection of small trees growing away, including the Giant Sequoias. I have also taken cuttings of the Salix babylonica 'Tortuosa' (corkscrew, tortured or my fave, dragon's claw willow). I have found the easiest way with these is simply to push bare stems in a pot in winter and watch them grow away in Spring.
I have planted my lovely Christmas gift of a Glastonbury thorn in a pot for now, until a permanent site can be found in the garden. Growing trees in containers, whether Bonsai or just small trees, is a lovely way to find a life-long connection to nature if space is limited. If you make one gardening resolution to keep this New Year, make it to grow a tree.

January frosts

Sequoiadendron giganteum

Dragon's Claw willow and Californian lilac

More frosts...

Monkey Puzzle seeds

Street Christmas Cracker ~ December 1st.

On December 1st it will be the annual Christmas Cracker on the High Street in  Street, Somerset.

I'm delighted to be exhibiting at the pop-up gallery in the Old Tesco Building again.
Come along and see the great range of local art on exhibition and for sale at
Unit 6, Crispin Centre, Street, BA16 0HP.

Exhibition runs 11-am - 4pm, Monday to Saturday, through till December 15th 2018.

'Gulp'

framed watercolours &

hand painted cards and fridge magnets

and handmade christmas cards

St. Catherine's Chapel, Abbotsbury. Watercolour & pen.
(Framed size 22 x 28cm)