Brighton Christmas Open Houses

The Christmas Artists Open Houses Festival 2011 runs for three weekends:
26th  27th November, 3rd & 4th December and 10th and 11th December, 2011.

We are showing in two beautiful houses this year.
Different work in each house :
Mel and Jonathan William's  house at 14 Southdown Avenue, Brighton, BN1 6EG.

Also showing are :
Maika Crampton textiles,
Belen Gomez ceramics,
Vanessa Mooncie knit and crochet jewellery,
Helen Musselwhite paper artist,
Julia Smith ceramics,
Jonathan Williams prints,
Mel Williams cushions and lavender bags
Annabet Wyndham jewellery.
and me, Sarah Young prints, paintings, tea-towels.

A very welcome return of such a positive and lovely house, full of desirables!
 Vanessa's badger in hat brooch is something else, and I especially liked the vintage children's illustration cards. The whole house is very joyful.

 As is Joy's! at The Festive Fox 53 Kingsley Road, Brighton, BN1 5NH.
Showing:
Lesley Buckingham watercolours
Carol Butler hand embroidery
Joy Fox button jewellery and textile work
Victor Stuart Graham marine assemblages and houses
Sarah Lock lamps and shades
Sarah Young prints, paintings, tea towels and little heads.

Carol Butlers embroideries are so beautiful, especially the bird's nest.
I invigilated yesterday and it was such a pleasure to just be in such a lovely house. Fairy lights illuminate the fig tree in the night garden, with the railway beyond. We are very lucky to have friends in Brighton who let us show work in this way.

For times and information on all the other houses see here http://www.aoh.org.uk/for-visitors

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Brighton Open Houses - 64 Stanford Avenue

It's Open House season in Brighton and we went to the Private View of the newest Open House - and a probable contender for the best exhibition during this years festival - SixtyFour is in a large beautiful Victorian House on Stanford Avenue high above Brighton overlooking the town and the back gardens of Fiveways.

Many of the artists have come from 6 Clifton Street which isn't opening this year but there are a few additions.



Rob Peel is showing his 'mixed process' works which he also calls 'praints' a combination of monoprints and paintings Robs unique process. This lovely prints are semi-abstract landscapes of Sussex and Cornwall - especially West Penwith. Summoning the spirit of the place rather than straight landscapes.

Work is packed into the house and garden - all is worth seeing even though I didn't take pictures of everything.


Victor Stuart Graham's driftwood boats in the bathroom.

Peter Layton's glass.




Rhoda Baker's intricate white teselated card pictures - minimalist, repetitive forms constructed from layered and constructed card shapes, play with light and shadow, and look fantatic on this dark wall.

Judy Dwyer's 'Dangerous Dolls and dogs' are both engaging, and very slightly sinister

Also exhibiting
Hannah Bedford Beautiful Silver Jewellery
Chris Cain - Recycled metal sculptures
Helen Cann - Acrylic Paintings
Mary Gillett - Etchings and paintings of landscapes - Dartmoor and West Country
Lis Lawrence - Paintings of Sussex
Bernard Lodge - Woodcuts
Philip Lyddon - Small scale pots and ceramic figures
Catriona Muir - Textiles
Anabel Munn - Delicate domestic ceramics - expresso cups, vases etc
Kathie Murphy - Resin jewellery
Kate Osborne - Watercolour pictures
Bob Read - Oil Pastels
Judy Stevens - Lareg colour Lino-cuts
Kerry Stokes - Woven Screens and furnishings
John Weaver - Lovely modern simple furniture.
and John Wiltshire - Watercolours and Oil Paintings

I know this sounds like a hell of a lot of artists but the house doesn't feel unduly rammed just a lot to see and worth taking some time to view it all.

(Top Tip for visiting Open Houses if choosing just a few to see choose houses with a long list of artists as there will be more chance you will like something - visiting the house of a single artist can be embarassing if the work just doesn't strike a chord with you)

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Remembering Loppy

Visitors to The Dragonfly House, 48 Ditchling Rise, Brighton - winner for the past two years of Best Open House in the Artists' Open Houses Festival - may well remember Loppy the pet rabbit in the garden, always a big hit with the children. Sadly, Loppy passed away last year, but a memorial has been unveiled - a wooden automaton by Helen Sinden, best known for her wooden heart boxes. Turn the handle and Loppy dives into view and a cloud (his ghost? his dream?) rotates. There also a peep hole where a carrot is hidden! Go on, have a go - you know you want to.

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