Christmas is coming

With Christmas fast approaching I've been making soap dishes for the occasion - these are already available at the Lazyhill Gallery in Abbotsbury, and the Creative Gallery in Wareham - and will be on sale at Stourhead this weekend 20th/21st November, where I will be having a stand next to Jane Maddern the maker of the wonderful soaps so customers can choose their own soap to go with the dish.  These make a great Christmas gift.

Other events coming up to Christmas include:  Salisbury Christmas Market,  where a group of exhibitors at the Ginger Piggery are getting together to man a chalet for the first couple of weeks in December;  Christchurch Christmas Festival in the Priory Church where a really festive atmosphere will combine craft displays/sales with the Church's advent celebrations; and Dorset Pottery Group's annual exhibition in the Allsop Gallery at Bridport Arts Centre.  Other fairs, etc are shown in the calender page of this blog.

A busy time!  A very Happy Christmas to you all.

Swanage Folk Festival

After two fantastic outside events during August - Buckham Fair and the Melplash Show, my favourite event of the year is coming up next weekend.  Two days of fun and fantastic music and dance at Swanage Folk Festival falls this year on the 8th and 9th of September.  Come and find me with lots of other great craft folk in the marquee in Sandpit field.

Mudeford Arts Festival

This year Mudeford Arts Festival - 28th/29th July - has a beach hut theme.  To celebrate this I've designed yet more new soap dishes, with beach huts, buckets and spaces, sand castles, ice creams and sailing boats.  Come and see them there - 10am-6pm Saturday 28th July and 10am-4pm on Sunday 29th July.  Lots of other arts and crafts, music and entertainment.  We are told there could even be some sunshine!!!

Weather - 7th July 2012

Unfortunately the weather is against us this July.  Today I should be at Shaftesbury for the fabulous Gold Hill Fair, but torrential rain forced me to return home at 7 this morning.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit better and I can face the tussle with the gazebo, and support the Shaftesbury Rotary Club who organise the event.
Next weekend the event at the Countryside Education Trust in Beaulieu has already been cancelled (14th and 15th July) as their ground is waterlogged.  But I will still be exhibiting at "Sculpture in the Garden" with Barbara Woods at 5 Dean Swift Crescent, Lilliput, Poole BH14 8LE from Friday 13th July to Monday 16th July from 9am to 6pm each day, and at the Hayloft Gallery in Wick Lane, Christchurch with other CADArts members from Friday 13th July to Thursday 9th August from 10am to 4pm each day except Sundays when the gallery is closed.
I'm just hoping that things will have brightened up by 28th/29th July when I am exhibiting at Mudeford Arts Festival - in the open air at Mudeford Quay Green, near Christchurch - usually the most vibrant, enjoyable weekend.

Dorset Art Weeks 2012

This Dorset Art Weeks 26th May-10th June I'm going to be showing my work once again at Stewarts Country Garden Centre, Gods Blessing Lane, Broomhill, Holt, Near Wimborne BH21 7DF (venue 343).  They have organised a group show with painters, glass artists, sculptures and much more.  It is a really attractive and well stocked garden centre, with very helpful staff and a good restaurant.  A lovely day out in itself, or a good place to arrive for lunch or tea if you are doing the DAW trail. All artists/crafts people will be demonstrating their working practice when in attendance, and I shall be there 10am-4pm each day except Mondays and Thursdays and only 10am-12 noon on Tuesday 5th June.
The Creative Gallery, St. John's Hill, Wareham and the Lazyhill Gallery in Abbotsbury are also open during Art Weeks, and I will be stocking up there before the event - so there's been a lot of making going on!

New Galleries for 2012

After the sad closure of Strawberry Fish Gallery late last year I'm delighted to say that my work is now on sale in two new gallery settings.
Lazyhill Gallery in Abbotsbury, Dorset is the most perfect space.  A purpose built gallery space, in total keeping with the village, with lots of light and a garden space where they have garden sculptures in the summer.  Their website http://www.lazyhillgallery.co.uk/ gives you an idea of the different artists/craftspeople's work on sale, some via the internet.  Rachel and Gordon were most welcoming and I hope my work will be well received by their public.  I'd forgotten quite how lovely Abbotsbury is, even on a cold day in February when I made my first delivery.
Love Fish in Southbourne Grove, Bournemouth is not only a fish mongers and cafe, selling fresh fish and local deli products, but is also hosting art and crafts on a fishy theme.  The shop has a beach hut feel, and the large shop windows onto the Grove provide a great display space for my work only minutes from home.