Having had the privilege of a sneak preview of some of these new designs, I can fully recommend a visit to the exhibition. Mark has had quite a long break from potting, during which he worked as a stonemason restoring ancient buildings. The experience and the break have clearly revitalised him and influenced his approach to texture and colour. His new pots are recognisably a progression from where he left off and the development is very impressive. All his work is now in stoneware and with oxide colours which bring out the fabulous variety of surfaces that he has created.
Since the majority of Mark’s work is for outdoors, the courtyard garden at Tinsmiths is a great place for him to have a show and we are keeping our fingers crossed for fine weather on the opening morning (Saturday 11th September) when Mark will be at Tinsmiths to welcome guests. We are expecting some quite large new items - as well as a collection of wall planters and “table top” sized pots.
In case you were hoping to get a glimpse of the work on-line, I should say that the pots will only appear after the show is open – in this case from 14th September. As they are one-offs it seems only fair to those travelling from a distance to have the full range of pots available to them.
Don’t forget that Herefordshire’s Art Week opens on 11thSeptember too, with over 100 open studios and events happening all over the county. To plan a route look up www.herefordshire.gov.uk/h-art/ or pick up a programme from any Herefordshire Tourist Information Office. A really good time to visit Herefordshire – for the arts and for peace and quiet of the countryside.
Show dates – 11th September to 9th October, 2010 and open Sundays during H-art.
Posted in Exhibitions, Latest News, Local Interest.
Tagged with Exhibitions, Gardens, h-art, pottery.
By claredelatorre
– August 11, 2010
Tinsmiths Tipples
Hot off our Letterpress and bringing Poetry to your elbow, in collaboration with Tilley’s Printers we are delighted to announce “Tinsmiths Tipples”, beermats rejoicing in limericks by poet Roger Abbott.
As previously mentioned, Roger will be performing his thoughtful, witty and oblique verse at Tinsmiths as part of the Ledbury Poetry Festival.
Tinsmiths Phoebe Clive explained, “This is the first time that we’ve used our showroom for a poetry reading and we are so pleased that Roger has agreed to perform, his verses are really special. We frequently work with Martin Clark of Tilley’s – a fellow “alley” business in the heart of Ledbury – and thought his traditional printing methods would be just right for this project. A live poetry reading is something to be savoured and this group of beermats are a great way of to carry verse to the reader – or drinker as the case may be, as well as being something to remember the event by ”
Roger Abbott performs at Tinsmiths at 5.30pm and 8pm on Sunday 4th July. To book tickets go online to www.poetry-festival.com or call 0845 458 1743 or buy your tickets from the Tourist Information Centre in The Master House, just behind St. Catherines, Ledbury.
Posted in Events, Latest News, Letterpress Printing, Local Interest.
Tagged with ledbury, ledbury poetry festival, letterpress, poetry, things to do in Herefordshire.
By claredelatorre
– June 22, 2010
If you are considering a trip to Ledbury, take a look at the Poetry Festival which opens on 2nd July. There is a huge variety of events and venues – readings from poets, naturally- but also animation workshops, films, music,poetry slams, advice on how to approach publishers, not to mention the town party. Take a look at the full listing on www.poetry-festival.com or ask for a programme by calling 08454581743. Oh, I almost forgot. Don’t forget, Tinsmiths are sponsoring and hosting an event our showroom on Sunday 4th July. Space is quite limited so we have asked Roger Abbott to give a second performance (5.30pm and 8pm) to allow a few more people to here his witty, oblique and thoughtful verse. Music from Katherine Abbott and Jonathan Fletcher. Hope to see you then.
Book now to hear Roger Abbott perform his latest verse at Ledbury Poetry Festival – venue Tinsmiths
Posted in Events, Latest News, Local Interest.
Tagged with poetry, things to do in Herefordshire.
By claredelatorre
– June 14, 2010
Consider the surfaces available for art and ornament in a living room, for instance. Joanna Wright’s “picture cushions” are a continuation of her still-life painting and print-making. A love of textiles and stitching, added to a feeling that textiles should not be framed and hung on a wall but should be used, led to Joanna’s cushions. Each one a carefully considered artwork, just not wall-mounted.
“ In all my work I enjoy the process of layering and overlapping areas of colour and pattern. Inspiration comes from favourite things: plants, flowers, birds, and especially my large ceramic collection ranging from nineteenth century teawares to 1950s pots. I have boxes full of bits of fabric acquired over many years. I collect remnants from shops, antique fairs and markets, bits of vintage clothing, scraps of embroidery and lace. Some of the pieces of fabric are ones I have screen printed. I also collect buttons, threads and ribbons by rummaging round in old fashioned haberdashery shops when on holiday abroad”, explains Joanna.
When embarking on a cushion she selects fabrics, cuts out pieces and plays around, repositioning them until the design is balanced. She begins the appliqué process by tacking the pieces down. The cushions are then hand stitched with running stitch, blanket stitch, seeding and feather stitch and quilting before finally embellishing with buttons and beads.
Joanna trained at Wimbledon College of Art and has worked as an art teacher.
Her cushions are on display at Tinsmiths for the whole of July. Here are a few examples.
Posted in Home Furnishing, Latest News, Textiles.
Tagged with applique, cushions, Textiles.
By claredelatorre
– May 26, 2010
Taking a day out of the shop is so rare for us that we thought it worth writing about. Firstly, the place itself. An old mill building, light and airy with a fantastic showroom and print studio where Lewis and Wood carefully work on their designs until they are ready to go into production. We joined around twenty “pupils” for a presentation by textile designer Georgina von Etzdorf and Stephen Lewis giving an insight into their working practices, followed by a four handed demonstration of screen printing by Magdalen Jebb (artisitic director) and Stephen Lewis.
The highlight for us was the afternoon session with Textile designer, Jenny Stringer, who is one of the three designers to produce for Lewis and Wood, designs for their “Wit and Wisdom” Collection, who turned the enormous print table over to us to have a go, allowing use of her lino cuts and various very unconventional printing apparatus……
Thanks to Andrew Forte for a lovely lunch – measured in Cotswold furlongs rather than air miles and to Stuart who made hanging wallpaper look so easy………
Once we had a browse in the showroom and collected our prints and purchases we were bid farewell with a lovely goodie bag to remember the day by. A lovely refreshing few hours, many thanks.
Posted in Events, Home Furnishing, Latest News, Local Interest, Textiles.
Tagged with curtain, printing, screen printing, Textiles, wallpapers.
By claredelatorre
– May 14, 2010
Following our Boxing Day Walk suggestion, here’s an idea for a lovely spring walk if you are visiting Herefordshire. The Cat’s Back is the first ridge of the Black Mountains you meet as you come from the East – it is the thumb in a spread hand of ridges that includes Offa’s Dyke.
From Longtown head for Llanveynoe and start from the picnic site and car park map ref. 288328 on OS Explorer Map OL13 - thankfully these are situated part way up the slope and gives one a head start. Climb up the steep slope and enjoy a fairly level but thrillingly precipitous (which kept our children interested) clamber from there on with views to the West down into the Olchon Valley (location of Owen Sheers’ novel, Resistance) and up to the next ridge, Hatterrall Hill, The Black and Red Darren with Offa’s Dyke running along the top. To the East the Herefordshire plain stretches away. There are lovely great stone slabs to picnic and sit on along the way and, on sunny days, watch the heat haze rise over the descending slopes.
You can walk on across to the trig point on The Black Hill ( The Black Hill of Bruce Chatwin’s “On The Black Hill) and even on to Hay Bluff and circle around to next ridge or cut down the side of the cat and return to the car park using a sheep track that closely follows the spring line, replenishing drinks on the way as we did yesterday.
Birds that you are likely to spot – Meadow pippits, Raven’s, Crows, Buzzards and Skylarks. Should you want a pub, Craswall offers the Bulls Head with a good lunch menu tel: 01981 510616.
Posted in Latest News, Local Interest.
Tagged with things to do in Herefordshire.
By claredelatorre
– April 16, 2010
We’d like to thank customers who send us a picture of their creations in situ. Curtains, blinds, cushions, PE bags, aprons, bed covers even summer dresses or beach bags – we really enjoy seeing the end results and these are very useful illustrations for other customers trying to choose between options.
Above: Curtains in Pomegranate Linen Union (bespoke from Tinsmiths Sewing Room by mail order), seat cushion in Ticking I Sage, Square cushions in Dandelion 2 by Angie Lewin courtesy of Sue Gavin. Thank you Sue.
Please carry on sending in your pictures.
Posted in Home Furnishing, Latest News, Textiles.
Tagged with curtain, cushions, made to measure, Textiles.
By claredelatorre
– April 15, 2010
Just in time to coincide with the V & A Quilt exhibition, this quilt is finally ready for a bedroom. Found, unfinished, with a fascinating collection of stiffening papers which appear to include copperplate handwriting exercises and children’s drawings we wonder whether this could be the work of a Victorian nanny or governess. Many of the very finely printed fabrics are exquisite and in very good condition both fibre and colourwise. Carefully setting to the task of completing the almost finished, handsewn work we found the most tiny, deftly applied stitches holding the patches together. The finished article measures 205cm long by 230cm wide and is backed and edged in handwoven silk dupion. A handsome addition to Tinsmiths’ collection of vintage quilts on display in the shop.
Posted in Latest News.
Tagged with bedcovers, ledbury, Textiles, victoria and albert museum.
By claredelatorre
– March 22, 2010
You might remember an announcement of new fabrics by St Jude’s here on the Blog just before Christmas? Having an empty curtain pole to fill in the showroom we decided to see how Mark Hearld’s 100% Pure Linen Birdgarden in Brown (with a natural background) would look. Full length, lined, interlined and with a 3″ pencil pleat heading, the result shows Mark’s design works well on a large scale and sits easily within an interior, without dominating it. The less formal pencil pleat heading both suits the style of Mark’s illustrations and allows one to see the design without the interruption of heavier pleats. Our thanks to Mark and Tinsmiths’ Sewing Room, a great improvement and just in time for the St Jude’s exhibition at the end of next week.
Posted in Home Furnishing, Textiles.
Tagged with curtain, Exhibitions, handmade, Textiles.
By claredelatorre
– March 15, 2010
We’ve just received invitations to the St Jude’s Show (which opens at Tinsmiths very soon now, on the 27th March) printed by our local letterpress, Tilley’s. Artist, Angie Lewin kindly created for us a linocut illustration for these cards and we really hope that she is as thrilled with the result as we are. The Italian deckled edge card we found was well worth searching for, it really gives the print impression extra “body” and helps achieve that special letterpress quality. The next exhibition notification in this series, due out in late August, will be for the solo exhibition by Mark Pedro de la Torre which is part of Herefordshire Art Week, keep an eye out for it.
Posted in Exhibitions, Latest News, Letterpress Printing, Local Interest.
Tagged with Exhibitions, letterpress, printing.
By claredelatorre
– March 11, 2010
