 Have Your Cake And Art It |
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Wednesday, May 09 2007 @ 01:05 PM BST
Author: Fred. Views: 514
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 Managed to cop nine Artists Open Houses this weekend Popped into Curtis Tappenden's at 17 Clyde Road on the way to the paper shop, then it was on my bike (pushing it mostly) up to Seven Dials. First stop was Ben Allen's huge house on 12 Montpelier Crescent - lots of big bold paintings and screenprints, plus print work by Jane Sampson of BIP, Kary Fisher (bought two of her 'seven deadly sins' cards) and Rosie Irvine (Rick of Rin Tin Tin's daughter).
Then onward to BiG member Oliver Hyde's small but perfectly formed Square Enough exhibition at 13 Granville Road - lovely lovely stuff, bought set of badges. Right opposite, at 14, is Cecil Rice's house and his wonderful albeit samey watercolours of Venice and the West Pier all bathed in sunset. Reminded me a bit of Cyril Farey.
On my bike again (missing a couple!) to The Glass House at 3 Silverdale
Road to see the biggest concentration of beautiful women artists in
Brighton. Only Kim and Krysia Drury were in attendance unfortunately
(no Pru, Kary or Teresa today!) but I consoled myself with a cream tea
and one of Kim Glass's award-winning scones.
 On my way to Chanctonbury
Road I questioned my strategy of going to places I already knew, so
spontaneously stopped to visit a house on the way but wasn't very
impressed (no name, no packdrill). At Artists Live Here, 15
Chanctonbury Road, I treated myself to a slice of Terri
Bell-Halliwell's lemon polenta cake - sublime! Unfortunaely West Hill
Community Hall wasn't open and I'd already been to the PV at 6 Clifton
Street on Friday night so I zoomed downhill all the way into town and
visited the treasure that is the Sussex County Arts Club, off Bond
Street, not to be confused with the other so-called arts club on Ship
Street. Only one Simeon Stout this year, but three beautiful life
paintings by Bill Donohoe. After using their ancient cudgy, it was back
home, quickly popping in to The Dragonfly House to look for any more
red dots!
As mentioned above, I attended a PV at 6 Clifton Street on Friday
night, one of the premier league Open Houses and an essential visit.
Chatted to Bernard Lodge, a pioneer of computer graphics, who was
showing linocuts and other prints. Got well oiled then cycled to Kate
Osborne's house at 32 Stanford Avenue for her PV. Had some absolutely
gorgeous squash cake (no photo) in the kitchen and was invited to
admire Jon Mills' 1949 BSA Bantam (bought off eBay). Last year it was
chickens, this year Kate's watercolours are of winged bugs! Wonderful.
Last night it was The Dragonfly House PV and I spent an enjoyable
evening with friends old and new (and had the odd drink or two) - and
found out I'd sold one of my Shoreham prints! Woo Yay! There are 198
open houses in the Brighton Festival this year and I've only seen 11 of
them so far, with one weekend down. I challenge someone to do the lot
in four weekends next year! |
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Dan Thompson
RAG