Artists & Designers at Smiths Row

I took a visit to my local art gallery recently, Smiths Row in Bury St Edmunds. I say recently it was a few weeks back but I don't get there as often as I would like as art galleries and energetic toddlers don't quite mix!

I was amazed at the fantastic selection of artists & designers they had on show.  In fact I'm constantly amazed at the great exhibitions this small local gallery puts on and feel very lucky it's in the town I live in.

Anyway enough of my rambling, over the next few days I will be posting a selection of my favourites.

Lindsey Lang

I forgot to mention in my post last week that I had spotted a fantastic collection of homewares and textiles by Lindsey Lang. She was exhibiting her debut launch at the Home exhibition at Earls Court and the fab retro inspired prints drew me in. I love the use of a monochrome palette with dashes of bright colours.

Some of the collection was even been hand-picked by the Decoration Editor of House & Garden Magazine for their House & Garden feature at the entrance to the exhibition. Looks like she is destined for big things so watch this space.

All Images from Lindsey Lang

The collection includes cushions, ceramic trivets, tea cosies, tea towels, oven gloves, floor tiles and much much more. The website is currently being updated but should show the entire collection soon so check it out here!

Top Drawer & Home at Earls Court

On Monday I visited the Top Drawer and Home Exhibitions at Earls Court in London. I was on a research day for work but wanted to post on here about the wonderful and inspiring things I found while there.

1. Ary Trays are introducing a new collection of trays using the wonderfully pretty prints of Fiona of Bluebellgray.

Image from Ary Trays

2. Clare Nicholson was founded in 2004 and creates textiles, home accessories and stationery. With influences ranging from vintage textiles to patterned paper, it;s hard not to fall in love with the beautiful patterns.

Images from Clare Nicholson

3. Ferm Living is a Danish design and manufacturing company of interior products with a graphic touch. They produce wallpapers, wall stickers, textiles and accessories for the home. I particularly like their harlequin wallpaper (perfect for a nursery). Their Black board style Calendar Wall Stickers are also pretty cool, especially as I'm terrible at planning.

Images from Ferm Living

4. Jonathan Adler had some wonderfully colourful textiles and accesories on his stand. What really caught my eye were the wonderful blue hues used on this Cube Throw and the Carnaby Scale Vase. They are the kind of colours that make you look forward to the summer.

5. Marimekko were displaying their selection of Spring fabrics. I really loved the Helsinki-Helsingfors fabric which is available in tow colours 590 (Blue) and 690 (Lime Green).

Images from Marimekko

6. Pappelina is a Swedish manufacturer of household textiles. What really interested me was their plastic rugs in fantastically simple graphic designs. Shown below are Hugo, Mose and Mira

All Images from Pappelina

7. Last but certainly not least is Places and Spaces who sell the products of some of the best international interior contemporary brands. The Acapulco outdoor chair is the product I fell in love with though, created by Oficina Kreativa, it is available in this zesty lime yellow as well as Petroleum Blue, Light Blue and Black. Can't wait for summer!

Image from Places and Spaces

Image from Nest

Tent London 2011

Apologies for not posting yesterday or Monday but I was feeling a bit under the weather so had a day under the duvet and now I'm playing catch up.

On Sunday we visited Tent London at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, East London. I try to go to at least one London Design Week event a year and Tent is becoming my favourite, especially now as I'm decorating my own house (Just to let you know we have now exchanged on the house so it's all go for the completion on Thursday, getting seriously excited)

Anyway back to topic of the post, below are my faves from the Exhibition that I thought you might like to hear about, enjoy:

1. I couldn't go to an interiors and furniture exhibition without encountering the ever popular Ercol. They were showcasing two new prototypes of chairs, a new bar stool and stacking chair in collaboration with Russell Pinch. The colours used on the stand are a good indication of the new hues for Autumn/Winter in interiors. Loved the use of orange with royal blue.

2. Zoe Murphy was exhibiting her wonderful array of up-cycled mid century furniture again this year. Every time I see her pieces I get so excited, I really would love one but I think they might be a bit out of my price range. However, she does do commissions, so if you have a piece of retro furniture you really love but needs some updating, she's your girl!

Images from Zoe Murphy

3. Ary Trays new products were also really exciting, my husband and I particularly liked their Alabasta Folk Stripe range designed by British textile designer Asta Barrington. They were displayed on foldaway stands to create fantastic occasional tables, they would look great in the garden.

Image from Ary Trays

4. London Timepiece had a great stand. They deal in a huge range of vintage and retro clocks with everything from Industrial to traditional styles. My husband took a fancy to a few of them, maybe a birthday pressie possibility.

5. Famille Summerbelle was possibly my favourite stand of the day. The company is run by husband and wife team Simon Summerscales and Julie Marabelle. Julie is the very talented artist of ridiculously intricate, personal and lovely papercuts of their favourite cities, London Paris New York and San Francisco. She studied Fine Art and Theatre Set design at St Martin's College in London and her inspiration comes from bringing up their young family between London and Paris. The original papercuts have been vectorised into prints and laser cuts that you can purchase in limited numbers in particular colours. They also produce Paper banners, family trees, cushions and wallpapers all with Julies signature illustrations.

Images above from Famille Summerbelle

6. Bluebellgray by Fiona Douglas is a company I have posted about before, but she had something new and exciting to show at Tent this year. She has now released her signature prints in fabric that can be bought in panels. Simply beautiful!

Image from Bluebellgray

7. Finally last but certainly not least is Mini Moderns. As well as being nominated for an Elle Decoration British Design award this year for Best British brand, their stand was one of the best on show. Showcasing their ever increasing range of wallpapers, cushions, fabrics tea towels and much more. My husband was particularly taken with the Whitby Wallpaper below, featuring a wonderful pattern of waves and boats in the Lido colourway, a lovely mid century Turquoise tone. 

Image from Mini Moderns

Personally I'm a big fan of their Festival Wallpaper in concrete below.

Image from Mini Moderns

Tent London

When I first started this blog it was as a response to visiting Tent London (here's the link to my first post), a fantastic multi-faceted design event where companies big and small display their new products for the home. It is a truly inspirational show and even better it's held in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane which in itself is a great place to pick up ideas. This show and many others around London are all part of the London Design Festival. So get down there between the 22nd and 25th September for your chance to see the movers and shakers in the interiors world.

Images from Tent London

Another exhibit you might be interested in is 100% Design the UK's leading Contemporary design event held in Earls Court between the 22nd and 25th September.


Living Etc are currently promoting an offer where you can get tickets for free to Tent London and a 2-4-1 offer for 100% design. I will be heading there on the Sunday for my fill of fantastic products.

Postcards for Japan Exhibition

Postcards for Japan is an exhibition by Children's Book Illustrators and Children's Book Illustration MA Students in aid of Teachers for Japan.

My friend Natalie who is one of those students told me about an exhibition she is holding with fellow students and illustrators at the Michaelhouse Cafe, St Michael's Church, Trinity Street, Cambridge from the 5th-11th September between 8am and 5pm. I should have posted about it earlier but been a bit distracted this week, but there are still a couple of days to check it out.

Each postcard is a piece of original artwork which when together represent a message of hope and good wishes for Japan. The work will be exhibited and sold anonymously at the same price so you can become the owner of a piece by a well-known illustrator.

The MA Children's Book illustration at Cambridge School of Art has strong links with Japanese students. This exhibition has been organised to raise funds in support of the relief efforts in Japan, following the earthquake and tsunami.

Church Street Gallery, Saffron Walden

I took a trip to Saffron Walden on Saturday with my sister-in-law. It's been a few years since I had last been so I was pleasantly surprised in the choice of shops. One of my favourites was the Church Street Gallery a fantastic shop full of local artists work including many prints at very affordable prices. They feature artists such as Angie Lewin, showcasing her fabrics, cards and cushions.

(Image from Church Street Gallery)

I also particularly liked the Multiple and single block lino cuts by Fiona Carver shown below.

Images from Fiona Carver

I actually ended up buying this lovely Red linoprint by Zoe Badger titled 'Endless Love' for my husband's birthday, well in truth, it's more for the house but I'm sure he'll appreciate the sentiment.

Check out more of her work on Folksy, I'm also loving her Flower Power and Bookcase Linoprints.

Images from Zebedee on Folksy

Exhibitions

On the odd occasion when I get chance to go down to London for the day, I always try to see at least one exhibition. So I thought I would post about a few current and upcoming events that might be of interest.

(Image from The Royal Academy of Arts)

The first is 'Modern British Sculpture' at the Royal Academy of Arts. This is the first exhibition for 30 years which examines British sculpture of the twentieth century. It includes works by Jacob Epstein, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Anthony Caro and Damien Hirst. It's only running until 7th April so if you are visiting or live in London make sure you check it out. I particularly love Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, both have their own galleries/museums.

( Image from  Tate Hepworth Gallery)   

Hepworth's is in St Ives, Cornwall and if you are ever down that way for a holiday make sure you visit her old home/studio which is open to the public, her garden is particularly pretty and festooned with her works. The Hepworth Wakefield will also be opening on 21st May, celebrating the areas artistic legacy it will include 40 sculptures by Hepworth gifted by her estate, as well works by major contemporary artists. 

(Image from YSP)

Moore is displayed at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park West Bretton in West Yorkshire where you can experience his wonderful sculptures amoung the natural backdrop of the rolling Yorkshire landscape. You can also see his work at his home Perry Green and the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds.

(Image from Tate Modern)

From 5th April the Tate Modern is running a survey of Damien Hirst's work over the last twenty years. It will include works such as 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living' (1991) in which he suspended a shark in formaldehyde (as image above),  his pill cabinets and butterfly paintings. So if you are interest in the ever changing works of this contemporary artist get down to the Tate Modern.

(Image from Design Museum)

Along the river from the Tate Modern, The Design museum is currently running the Brit Insurance Design Awards 2011 until the 7th August. This is said to be 'the Oscars of the design world' showcasing the most innovative and forward thinking designs from around the world including architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport. If you need to be inspired by people who think completely outside of the box check out this fab exhibition.

Sweet, Sweet Galaxy by Pip & Pop

I was walking around Bury St Edmunds on Saturday morning and thought I would pop into the local Art Gallery Smith's Row. They currently have an exhibition by Pip & Pop the collaboration alias of Australian artists Tanya Schultz, Nicole Andrijevic and John Kassab. It is their first Major British show and is an installation of a psychedelic landscape, made entirely of sugar, cake decorations, origami and sound. I've never seen such a popular exhibition at this gallery and kids seemed to love it. Even I was loving it, it reminded me of those neon coloured harashuku girls from Japan. The music was a magical mix of electronic and xylophone sounds which created an other world feel. If you want to introduce your children to art I suggest to take them to see this work.

The entire installation took them 14 days to create and the 700kg of sugar used was donated by Silverspoon who have a large sugar factory on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds. The sugar used in the exhibition was grown an average of 30 miles away, as Silverspoon are the sole produces of homegrown British sugar and supports 1200 East Anglian Beet farmers.