Oxfam's 100km Trailwalker

Helen Forbes, the Director of Essential Italy who are sponsoring an art prize at the Palace Art Fair, is taking part in Oxfam's Trailwalker, a 100km team challenge across the South Downs starting in Petersfield and finishing in Brighton. Teams of four trek through the night to complete the course in under 30 hours. The challenge combines endurance, navigation, determination and teamwork!

Helen is taking part in the walk with three male friends and they hope to achieve the walk in 28 hours.

Helen says, 'We have to complete the walk together. If one member of the team can't make the finish then we have all failed. I am the only woman on the team which probably makes me even more determined than ever not to let the side down. We hope to raise in excess of £2000 which will be fantastic support for Oxfam's work'.

Helen is in training by running regularly to keep her fitness up and the team met up recently to start training together by walking 20 miles around south Cambridgeshire.

The walk takes place on 17th July with the finish on the morning of 18th July and the team are of course hoping to raise as much money as possible. Anybody interested in supporting the cause can find full details on http://www.justgiving.com/comradesinboots.

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Coming up - Paul Catherall at Castor & Pollux

In addition to the many delights Brighton's art festival has to offer, Castor & Pollux are showing Paul Catherall as their festival exhibition this year.


Catherall’s architectural prints draw from 20th Century poster design and focus on structures that are part of the urban environment with a clean and sharp palette inspired by commercial art of the 1950’s and 1960’s Catherall depicts various well-known landmarks from London, New York and Brighton.



Catherall identifies the established and continually developing skylines of his locations, treated equally in measure. Catherall displays an expert eye for composition and colour; and great draughtsmanship, achieving ultimately a delicate balance between classic commercial design and contemporary urban landscape. His linocuts have become synonymous with Transport for London and Tate Modern.

The private view takes place this Friday from 6-9 pm. You can see more information at www.castorandpollux.co.uk including the Brighton Print Paul has done especially for the exhibition.

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Open Houses - Brighton

Brighton's Open House season opened last weekend with a record 240 artists houses opening to the public. The studios have been full of artists and makers creating and finishing new work and the framers have been working all night. We've been working hard proofing new relief prints to show at "The House of Newts" at Queens Park Kemptown and the show's looking good and people seem to be liking the new work.

This weekend seems like it will have cloudy cold weather - so an ideal time to be going from house to house, looking at marvellous pieces of art, extraordinary home decor and some beautiful houses (there are dreadful ones as well but that's all part of the fun!).

If you don't know where to start to come our house in Kemptown (26 South Avenue BN2 0BP) where you can sit down with a cup of coffee and cake pick up and look through the thick brochure and ask for tips about which are the best houses.

Sarah Young's new prints with Jeff Soan's animated wooden sculptures in the foreground.

Sarah Young's relief prints, and Lucinda Guy's books, knitted toys and dolls.

Anna Tilson's mosaic mirrors, wall pieces and tables

Angela Charles landscapes from the west country.


Julia Mills glass panels.


Mibo - Madeleine Rodgers is showing her 50's/60's inspired fabrics, light shades and her new paper kits which fold to make little animals, and decorations.

THE YELLOW HOUSE

Also open just up the road is the Yellow House which is returning after a few years break, and features the fantastic ceramics of Jane Muir, amongst 16? other artists and makers.


Ken Eardley's Ceramics at the Yellow House


If you come across some brilliant Open Houses let me know or write about them and send me pictures and I'll put them on the blog

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Marine Conservation Society - Auction

Coast Magazine has commissioned posters from some of Britain's best artists to raise money for the Marine Conservation Society.

"At Coast, we feel it is time to re-invent the seaside poster for the modern day. We want to celebrate the UK coastline in all its life-enriching glory and big up Britain's seaside towns and beaches. It is time that a new generation of visitors discovered the pleasures of a day at the seaside. And what better way to encourage them than with a set of new, powerful posters?"


Artists include Angie Lewin - with her 'Salthouse' poster, Rob Ryan - Rye, Christopher Wormell - 'Sandilands'. See all the designs and bid to buy them at EBAY - very interesting to see who's designs are the most popular (Angie Lewin seems to be the most popular at the moment)


Coast are opening the idea out to the public with a £500 competition to design a seaside poster, The winners and runners up will be chosen in September and you'll be able to see the winning designs at MADE10 which is supported by Coast. I'll post details of the competition later.

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Maxine Sutton - Half Price Sale

Just got an email from Maxine Sutton announcing that she's having a clear-out and many items on her website are now at least 50% off through her website


Including these lavender stuff hearts @£4.00


These screenprinted coffee cosies - @£18


These 'miracle' tea cosies @£16...


and lavender spoons @£4.00

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