Sketch the Broads on 'Golden Sunset'

Angela's own classic Edwardian motor launch 'Golden Sunset' makes an ideal form of water borne transport for three days experiencing the delights of the Broads in summer. This was an additional course by popular demand from students and entailed three full days of sketching and cruising to some of the choice painting sites on the Northern Broads system of inland waterways which are largely inaccessible by foot or road.

We are planning a similar course for 2011 and are already taking bookings. Only 5 maximum on this unique course.
Contact Angela 01692 536486 or 01702 475361.

Sail and Paint the Broads - report from Angela

For all you active folk who love sailing and want to see the Broads from the water, we have recently had our annual cruise on 'White Moth' a beautifully restored Edwardian pleasure wherry. With eight people aboard we set off from her home berth at Horning for four glorious days afloat accommodated on board in her comfortable cabins and spacious saloon.

In June when the Broads are at their best with so much wildlife and flowers everywhere, it was a tossup as to whether we would paint and sketch or just watch the world go by, as Kim our professional skipper sailed this majestic craft.

If you would like to join our 2011 cruise on 'White Moth', then get in touch with Angela on 01692 536486 or 01702 475361. Do it soon as these cruises are always very popular and fill up quickly.

I'm spitting feathers..........!!

Yesterday I called in at the King of Hearts Art Centre, as I usually do whenever I'm in the Magdelen Street area of Norwich. I was delighted to find a terrific exhibition by Liz McGowan and Malca Shotten, Studies of Happisburgh Shoreline. Really powerful drawings, paintings and sculpture in response to the crumbling cliffs and the resultant forms on the beach. It's not to be missed and the sort of exhibition that the King of Hearts does superbly.

Upstairs music was being played and other visitors were sitting out in the beautiful courtyard enjoying lunch from the restaurant in the sunshine.

Imagine then my horror to find that the centre is to close at the end of the year due to financial problems brought about by the current climate. I'm furious that this oasis of all that is good about the arts today is to go, and that the Arts Council won't help because it's 'too small'. No funding can be found to support it. I am tempted to think that a few bankers' bonuses should be raided, as their negligence is the main cause of this. How many other small and very worthwhile arts foundations are in similar trouble.

If you are in the area and can get to the centre and enjoy its facilities please do so. Then, if like me you feel it's a gem, get in touch with the EDP newspaper and rant a bit to see if there's anything to be done even at the eleventh hour.

Exhibition by Kathy Henderson in Cambridge

Kathy Henderson, who has joined our print workshops with Richard Bawden this year at BAC, has an exhibition opening at the Primavera Gallery, 10 King's Parade in Cambridge this weekend.
Her illustrations for her book 'The Storm' which are for sale are just beautiful, so evocative that you can feel the wind whistling around you and hear all the sounds of the approaching storm. No wonder it was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Prize. The exhibition is on till the end of August and not to be missed I feel.

Jean Littlejohn and 'Waterscapes in Creative Textiles'

We recently welcomed Jean Littlejohn back to BAC for Waterscapes in Creative Textiles. Her annual visit is always eagerly anticipated. She is such an innovative textile artist and she enthused one and all with her energy and vision.
We knitted or crocheted small pieces in a variety of yarns which were then felted into submission under the needles of the embellishing machines to make our own unique backcloths. Very satisfying! If you haven't yet met an embellishing machine, I can highly recommend it; a great innovation and addition to textile technology and simpler to use than a sewing machine.
We then worked on these cloths with a wide variety of yarns and threads to develop our designs.
Our choice of materials was greatly enhanced by the kind sponsorship of Coats UK who sent us a wonderful selection of yarns and threads to help us explore our theme. As our stitching progressed, the embellishers and felting needles came in to play to embed stitches and enhance with sheer fabrics, ribbon, tape etc.
The second project explored further the theme of water, using sheer fabrics to create a multi-layered cloth which could then be detailed with stitch and embellishment. The results were absolutely unique and stunning, and set us up with a wide diversity of avenues to pursue......can't wait.
We are so grateful to Jean for her unstinting inspiration and look forward to her next visit to BAC in 2011 at the end of September, when she will help us to take 'A Fresh Look At Flowers'.
We are already taking deposits for this course, and also for Jan Beaney's course on the theme of 'Trees' and Ewa Kuniczak's two felting courses. Get in touch with me, Kit Calladine, bac@berryhall.plus.com for further information.

The amazing things you can do in felt

Isn't it stunning what you can make out of wool fibres!
Ewa Kuniczak has once more cast her spell over the studio at Dilham and the gorgeous pieces that were made amazed one and all - lots of laughter too at some very witty results. On the Friday we were treated to a day workshop entitled 'Precious Purses and Pockets with Poetic Licence'. Ewa brought along her wonderful bag that she had made with many pockets, inspired by the nursery poem 'Winken Blinken and Nod'. I wish I could post all the purses and pockets that evolved over the day, but here are two to make you smile; Marilyn, a complete beginner to felt making with her pansy purse and Diane's pocket for her copy of 'Warning - when I am an old woman I shall wear purple'!

Light, Space and Structures, Ewa's two day course which followed meant a new departure for all of us, using very fine felt to diffuse light, both natural and artificial. We trapped fibres and natural materials between cobweb-like felt and then gently stretched it in frames created from thin twigs and stems. The sunlight streaming in through the studio windows was diffused in a magical way. Then on the second day the shades for artificial lights cast a welcoming glow quite unlike any lamps I have ever seen - mysterious but warm and friendly.
If you fancy having a go at making felt objects, think about joining Ewa at BAC next year for 'Felt Fripperies' - jewellery, corsages and fascinators, or 'Fashion Felt Accessories' including slippers, mittens and sculptoral collars.

Jan Beaney at BAC

Jan Beaney arrived recently for her annual two-day visit to the Centre. What a treat was in store for one and all! She is just an amazing tutor. Some of the class were regulars who come every year and wouldn't miss it for the world. Others have been itching to get on a course with Jan for many years.
This year she based the work around the theme of Stitched Landscapes. She lead us deftly through a design process which gave us the basis for our compositions. We then used snippets of fibres, yarns etc held between two layers of soluble fabric to build our designs. Once this was in place we could both machine and hand stitch into it, knocking it back with an embellisher if needed, before washing away the soluble fabric. Two days of gorgeous creative textiles.

As well as the photo of Jan demonstrating sorbello stitch are two of the pieces by students - work in progress.
If you'd like to know more about working with soluble fabrics, check out the series of books written by Jan and Jean Littlejohn (Double Trouble Enterprises), and don't miss their courses next year. Jan's course will be centred on the theme of 'trees' and will be 7th and 8th of September. This course is already booking!
We are also indebted to Coats Crafts UK who regularly sponsor these two courses by sending us lovely threads and yarns to experiment with. Aren't we lucky!

Sad News

Doris Sherer and her youngest great grandson


It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Doris Sherer. She died suddenly at her home in Dilham last week.
Doris had helped Angela at the school right from the opening of the Centre until she 'retired' only about a year or so ago. Many of you probably met Doris for the first time at our Open Weekends, when she was often the first person you met at the door.
Visiting students enjoyed her lovely lunches and she always had time for a chat and to take a keen interest in all that was going on in the studio and out on location. She often sat for portraiture courses so I suspect some of you may have drawings and paintings of her in your folios. Whenever she could, she loved to join in the courses too. The walls of her cottage boasted several lovely pieces that she completed with Andrew Fawcett's groups, and she also enjoyed working with the textile groups.
Her funeral will take place next week. We shall miss her greatly and remember her with much affection, gratitude and smiles.

Welcome back.......

...........to our blog - sorry we've been missing for a while, but now we're back to bring you news of all the goings on at Broadland Arts Centre in the little Norfolk village of Dilham.
Our year is well underway and the last few weeks have seen a flurry of creative activity.
Richard Bawden returned for his annual three days teaching lino printing. The results were spectacular, and I wish we could show them all. Many of them will be shown in exhibitions around the country during the next few months.

Vanessa Burroughes is a regular student of Richard's. She is a wonderful printer making these large, beautiful prints by placing the paper and lino between boards and treading firmly and methodically up and down! Her work is at present on exhibition at The Gibberd Garden in Harlow, Essex. Do go along and see it if you can. To find out more go to www.thegibberdgarden.co.uk.
Richard Bawden will be back at BAC to tutor a course on Drypoint and Mezzotint at the end of October. If you'd like to know more about this or any of our courses ring me (Kit) on 01692 536778 or email bac@berryhall.plus.com.

All Booked Up

report by Kit Calladine - Applied Arts Coordinator
Hallowe'en weekend at Dilham saw most of the beautiful autumn leaves whisked off the trees and unceremoniously dumped in soggy heaps in the lane.

But in the studio, leaves of the book variety were being ingeniously folded, arranged, stitched and glued into gorgeous little books with lovely covers in all kinds of textiles and papers.

Penny Graham-Jones and I demonstrated several ways of constructing books that could be used as diaries, sketch books, note books, recipe books, folders, letter books, etc. We were both amazed and delighted how each student took these methods and freely adapted them to suit their own particular projects.

The variation of papers, fabric, stitches, beads, cords and ribbons chosen showed just how versatile and exciting this application of arts and crafts can be.
Feedback from the students confirmed that they too were thrilled to bits with their efforts; some have already signed up for next year! Penny and I can't wait to get started both on our own new projects and to plan those for next September when we shall be doing 'Further Bookings'. Check out the 2010 course list on this blog. Also take a peek at Penny's blog for more insight into 'All Booked Up'.