A Life Changing Conversation

“You entirely changed our lives you know.” The words of my customer took me by surprise. She went on to explain that over a year ago she and her husband had bought a copy of my print “Waiting for the Next Leaf to Fall”. At the time I'd explained that the scene I had painted was of autumnal trees behind Harbottle Castle, near a kink in the River Coquet, known as “The Devil's Elbow”. So after leaving the gallery, they had immediately gone to see the place for themselves and enjoyed a wonderful walk.

Waiting for the Next Leaf to Fall

Once home, my print was hung in their sitting room and often when they looked at it, they said to one another “What are we doing living and working here, when really we want to be back home in Northumberland?” This year they decided to do something about making their dream a reality. The wife has already taken early retirement and the husband is in the process of doing the same. They are currently up here on a house hunting trip... looking at houses for sale in Harbottle, Hepple and Rothbury.

It's funny how a whole chain of events can take place on the strength of a few words........ And  that you might never know that you had provided the catalyst to change someone else's life.  

Only One Way to Throw Pots?

I enjoyed watching this BBC programme last night.....http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vncvw  It involves 6 celebrities working for the day  as Victorian pottery workers at Gladstone Pottery (Museum). While we were ceramics students in the 1970s we visited there, as well as Pearsons of Chesterfield.  The manufacturing techniques still in use at Pearsons at that time were almost identical to Victorian ones. I can still recall one of the master potters telling us in his blunt accent that, "There's only one way to throw pots....... and that's the way we do it here." With that, he slammed a lump of very wet clay onto the wheelhead, opened it out,  pulled it up to the right height, then rammed a wooden template against the entire side of the revolving clay to create the desired profile. All in a matter of seconds, the pot was formed. Impressively fast, definitely efficient, but totally soulless-  he worked like a human machine.   It was plain that he had no time for students and their fancy, newfangled ideas! 

When I think of the beautiful, joyful studio pots I've seen, handled, used, sold and coveted over the years I know that he was entirely wrong to assume that there was one one way to throw. But perhaps one HAS to have that mindset to be able to churn out hundreds of identical pieces hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year? 

Replica Wassail Cup by Graham Taylor

Replica Greek Douris Cooler By Graham Taylor, decorated by me

Planter by Graham Taylor, remodelled by me.

Handled bowls by Hugh Mactavish of Argyll Pottery 

Do watch this programme if you have any interest in crafts, manufacturing or social history! Perhaps it will also give you a little more appreciation for the work of craft potters, who still work in a similar way- using mind and muscle in harmony to create their wares. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vncvw

Past, Present and Pots.

After my husband Graham and I finished our Ceramics degrees in 1977 we went to work at Appin Pottery in Argyll, in the West Highlands of Scotland. Our new boss Joe Finch, was from a highly respected potting family, and his lovely wife Trudi was an accomplished pottery decorator and watercolourist. We knew ourselves to be very fortunate to land such a great position, with such good mentors. 

Glen Creran 

Life in the glen was happy but strenuous. There was always wood to be stacked to dry, ready to feed the ravenous wood fired kiln. There were an infinite number of jobs to be done every day, from throwing pots to clearing out drains and mixing glazes. We stayed there for three years, during which time our eldest daughter, Alison, was born. It soon became obvious that her favourite part of the day was when the Mactavish children came to call on their boisterous way home from school. The outer door would bang open, and with much laughter and a scurry of feet, they would ricochet up the stairs and burst into our flat. They would proceed to play games with "wee Alison", read her stories, do some drawing, mess about with clay or just generally chatter. Then, just as suddenly as they arrived, like a flock of little sparrows, they would suddenly disappear again- leaving the place instantly quieter, but just a little sad.

One of those children was Hugh Mactavish. And it's clear that those childhood hours spent around the pottery left their mark, as he is now the owner of  his own workshop, Argyll Pottery. So it's with great pleasure that I've just bought a consignment of his delectable wood-fired domestic stoneware pots for sale here at Crown Studio Gallery. 

Large Jug

I've selected pieces that are what we call in the trade "potters' pots". These are the pottery equivalent of a fine single malt whisky- created for the connoisseur, the nuances and subtleties clear to the expert, but perhaps lost on anyone looking for industrial uniformity. Firing a kiln using wood is an elemental, labour intensive process. The kiln needs to be constantly fed with dry wood for an entire day.  The ash formed during the course of the firing, swirls through the atmosphere of the kiln, where it melts to produce a warm “toasted” appearance on the unglazed areas of the pots and imparts an unpredictable speckle to the glaze.  The glazes develop a rich depth of colour, hinting at the minerals from which they were formed. It's the nearest thing to alchemy that exists. 

Assorted sizes of  jugs in various glazes

Faceted vases

Dish with handles

Deep Noodle Bowl

Large Bowl with Blue "Chun" style glaze

It's going to be very difficult for me to part with a single piece.

 

To print or not to print?.... That is the question.

A Miller's eye view of The Thrum, Rothbury

I painted this view of the River Coquet at about this time last year. My viewpoint was the rocks right next to the newly restored water wheel of Thrum Mill- which you may have seen on "Restoration Man" even if you haven't actually seen it in reality. The Thrum is owned by my friend Margaret and her husband Dave, who gave me the full guided tour that day. This culminated in walking out onto the rocks next to the mill race and the large wooden water wheel. The light was warm, bright and low- and it seemed to emanate from the trees on the opposite bank. It was a beautiful, magical, almost theatrical lighting display.

 Since then, I've been vacillating about whether I should make this painting into a print or simply have it framed up to sell as a one off. It's a lovely place which has been a great favourite for generations of residents and visitors to Rothbury.  But does this particular image, with these colours and these unusual lighting conditions, speak to people who have never seen it looking like that? I just can't decide! 


http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-restoration-man/episode-guide

Lovely, loyal customers.

Today I had a visit to the gallery from a lovely couple, who I recognised as soon as they  entered. But it took me a few moments to place them in my mind and to realise that the reason I knew them was because they'd bought this triptych from me a couple of years ago. 

The assembled triptych

It's one of my own favourite views- a wide sweeping vista from Flotterton, which takes in the pattern of fields sloping down the hillside towards Rothbury on the left; the glittering lakes of Caistron, ploughed fields and distinctive peak of Simonside in the centre section; then the exuberant heather hills of the Simonside hills on the right. Regardless of the weather, season or time of day, I always stop to look at this grand view. 

I composed the three canvases so that together they made up the full scene- but also so that each individual canvas was a well balanced image in its own right- capable of being hung separately. 

Left section with manicured fields and Caistron lakes.

Middle section with Caistron lakes, ploughed fields and Simonside

Right section with heather clad hills and wild flowers

My customers enthusiastically told me how much they love the painting, which hangs in their dining room, where they can look at it every day and be transported back to Northumberland. We had a long chat of this and that, and eventually said our farewells.

I was just contemplating how lovely my customers are, and how it's a real privilege to be part of people's daily lives like this, when the gallery bell rang and to my surprise they came back in.  They just had to take a pair of my small oak framed paintings that had been hanging in the gallery window (including the one pictured) of daffodils to compliment the triptych. 

I hope these give them just as much pleasure!

Spring 2015

Spring is well and truly here and to celebrate this, Crown Studio Gallery has a bright new colourful window display crammed with artworks that reflect the season. 

Taking pride of place is my white paper sculpture peacock, guarding his Easter egg like a proud father. This sculpture was inspired by childhood visits to Barnard Castle's wonderful Bowes Museum,  in County Durham, where they have a silver automaton of a swan. I've enjoyed watching that exquisite bird, glide elegantly through its watery choreography for a lifetime. Perhaps I've spent a little TOO long watching it? But when I came to create my own version those hours of observation certainly helped. 

You can watch Mr Peacock shake his tail feathers here My Paper Sculpture Peacock shaking a tail feather! 

My paper sculpture  peacock in his natural habitat

Blooming Lovely- Acrylic on canvas by Imogen Skelley

Butterfly Arc Glass sculpture  by Gregg Anston-Race

Anodised jewellery printed with botanical images by Gillian Arnold

Glass dish by Gregg Anston-Race

 I've got a selection of vibrant floral paintings by up and coming painter Imogen Skelley, new fused glass by Gregg Anston-Race, anodised printed jewellery by Gillian Arnold plus resin and decoupage jewellery by Sarah Kelly. I've also got work by my regular artists... plus new pieces of my own acrylic landscapes.  

I hope you'll come and see us soon.

Hill Head Farm near Edlingham

In June I was commissioned to paint a view of Cheviot from Corby Crags- but including Hill Head Farm near Edlingham. This was to be a very special retirement present for the owner of the farm, who was retiring in July after years of being a very popular school secretary.

It's a massive, iconic view and there were a number of logistical problems about capturing a view at the right time of year to show the farmhouse, which is obscured by foliage on the trees in the garden during spring and summer. It was a difficult painting to create- not least because of the scale and complexity of the landscape, but also because it was commissioned and paid for by a committee- all of whom wanted the very best for the recipient, but had sightly differing views of exactly what that might be.

I was delighted with the final painting and believe it to be one of the best paintings I've ever done. But was it what the recipient wanted? I'm perfectly well aware that a painting spends a lifetime with its owners, whereas it's only with me for a short time. So while I need to feel I've created something I'm proud of, it really needs to speak directly and clearly to the owner.

Today the very happy recipient has been into the gallery to thank me and tell me just how much she loves it too. We both stood with tears in our eyes and agreed what a magnificent view it is... and yes....what a great painting!! 

It's made my day, my week, my month.... and possibly my year.

Life's Little Lessons....

Crown Studio Gallery before the new facelift! 

The sudden reappearance of summery weather made me decide to tackle re painting Crown Studio Gallery's shop front myself rather than having to wait for an available local painter and decorator. Since we bought the property in 2006 it's been painted twice by professionals and while it looked excellent on each occasion, it didn't last as long as I'd hoped.

This time, doing the prep work myself alerted me to a couple of interesting things- and has taught me several important lessons-

1) The "mortar" between the stonework below the window turned out not to be mortar at all, but injected silicon- so all of that had to be pulled out like giant strings of chewing gum and the whole lot re-pointed by a builder.

2) While the mortar was given chance to thoroughly dry, I accumulated the rest of the materials for the job. Who knew that gloss paint specifically formulated for stonework and masonry existed? Certainly not the woman in B&Qs Paint Department, who looked at me as if I was delusional when I asked her where I'd find it!! "You must have seen shopfronts that are painted?" I remarked- but apparently not. So I had to buy this online as it's a specialist product.

3) I prepped most of the wood work ready for painting yesterday, washing and sanding it, but this morning I noticed that the tiny brown spots I'd removed from the sill yesterday- and seem to wash away on a daily basis- had returned. So I concluded that they must be the "droppings" of an insect living at the top of the window frame. Turning my gaze upwards I noticed a crack in paintwork, so concluded that the offending bug must live in there. Up my ladder I went with my awl in hand and discovered that there was a long bubble of paint the full length of the shop front. So I had to remove all of that and fill the gap to avoid more wildlife taking up residence there.

The defecating critter turned out to be a spider.

Now, I can remember being asked by our eldest when she was about two years old, "What does spider poo look like Mummy?" At the time I had no real answer, but now I can tell her with some authority... it's pretty much like from fly poo!!!

The silicon filler all removed.

Mortar replaced.

Chocolate Cupcakes.

The last time I had a cupcake was to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Commercially made, it was an amazing looking confection, topped with a picture of her majesty and smothered in edible glitter... It looked wonderful, but tasted disappointingly synthetic and plain nasty. The sense of anti climax made me vow never, ever to bother eating another.

But yesterday when our four year old Granddaughter begged to do some baking, rather than make a single large cake, I decided to give cupcakes another chance. She insisted that they had to be "really chocolatey" and I wanted something simple so that she could do as much of the process as possible- so I used the following easy recipe.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Cakes

100gm plain flour
30gm Green and Blacks Organic cocoa powder (or another brand)
1½ tsp baking powder
140 gm granulated sugar
40gm unsalted butter (at room temperature)
120 ml milk
1 egg
¼ tsp vanilla extract

12 hole cupcake tray with paper cases.

Icing

100gm unsalted butter
200gm icing sugar
1 tablespoon Green and Blacks Organic cocoa powder

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3
2.  Weigh out the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and mix these together in a bowl until they are evenly mixed. Add the sugar and butter then beat with an electric mixer on a slow speed until the ingredients are combined into an even sandy texture.
3.  Measure the milk in a large glass measuring jug, then add the egg and vanilla. Beat these together in the jug until well mixed. 
4.  Pour half of the milk /egg mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and beat on a slow setting to combine. Add the rest of the liquid and beat for a further 2 minutes until the mixture has turned lighter in colour and is smooth. (Scrape any unmixed ingredients off the sides of the bowl with a spatula)
5.  Spoon cake mixture  evenly into the paper cases. Bake for 20- 25 minutes until the sponge bounces back when touched. 
6.  Carefully lift the cakes onto a wire rack to cool. 
7.  While the cakes cool, make butter icing by beating together the butter, icing sugar and cocoa. Beat for several minutes until the mixture becomes light in colour. Pipe rosettes of icing onto the cold cakes and decorate as desired.

Cleaning the mixing bowl

The finished cakes iced, decorated and ready to eat

Add family and a cup of tea for a perfect afternoon! 

A tried and Tested Marmalade Recipe.

This is the recipe I've been using for decades- so old that it's still in imperial- like my kitchen scales.

2lb Seville oranges
2 lemons
4 pints water
4lb sugar

Wash the oranges and lemons. Put whole fruit and water into a jam/ preserving pan and cover with a lid or tin foil. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about an hour and a half until the fruit is soft.

Remove fruit from pan and place in a bowl. Retain the water / juice in the pan. Using a sharp kitchen knife and a fork to hold the fruit, slice the peel into desired thickness. I tend to do this by quartering each fruit, then scraping out the flesh, pips and pith. Put the pips aside to use later. We like the peel very fine "shred"- which makes the cutting process long and tedious- but I make this a little easier by using the fork to hold several pieces of peel together, then slicing through all of these at the same time.

Do NOT discard the pith as this gives the characteristic bitterness. Once all the pips have been assembled, put them all back into the retained water in the pan and boil for ten minutes (this is important in helping the marmalade set as you are harvesting pectin from the pips) Remove the pips from the water, then return the cut fruit back into this water. Bring to the boil, then add the sugar, stirring over a gentle heat until the sugar is all dissolved- making sure you don't leave any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan.

 Then boil rapidly- stirring only if it looks like it might burn- for about 30 mins or until the setting point of approx 220 F is reached. When set a small amount on a cold saucer will wrinkle when allowed to cool and pushed with finger.  

Put into clean, jars that have been preheated in a warm oven. I usually stand these on a wooden board covered in clean paper to make catching spills easier and clearing up less of a sticky nightmare! Use a ladle to fill jars. Cover with waxed discs of paper and put lids onto jars while still hot for a good seal.

This makes about 10 jars- depending on the size obviously!

Marvellous Marmalade.

It's marmalade making day here at Crown Studio Towers.... I prefer a really powerful, zesty, bitter, solid marmalade...not that light, wishy washy jelly stuff that one is usually served at breakfast in hotels and B&Bs. So every year I make a batch of my own.

It's a job that brings back a lifetime's memories- my very first batch made as a school girl at my parents house in Ferryhill County Durham during the early 1970s- which wasn't anything like sweet enough for my Dad- who much preferred Roses' lime marmalade and made no secret of it!

Living as a student in Droylesden in Manchester our house was near the Robertson's jam factory and during January and February the grey, wet tired streets were filled with the glorious, invigorating smell of oranges and sugar being transmuted into marmalade.

When Graham and I worked up in Appin I was introduced to a new revolutionary way of marmalade making by Trudi Finch-who used a food processor to chop the fruit in a matter of moments. This created a chunky, opaque result. But Graham remains unconvinced by this and to this day I cut each piece of peel to the finest "shred" slowly and laboriously using a wickedly sharp knife.

Every year I use the same recipe and method, but nevertheless the results do vary- one year dark and rich- as a little bit of sugar burnt early in the process, another year clear and lightly set. But every year it's tangy with a citrus hit that's almost painful in its intensity.

One year I went to Seville during February and was charmed and surprised to see streets littered with Seville oranges dropped from the trees growing along the central reservations. I was quickly brought back to earth when I noticed the amount of dog muck also lying there!

My Paper Sculpture Peacock

 If you didn't get to see my Crown Studio Gallery Peacock video- which was made for my Christmas window display - here's a second chance. I created the paper sculpture peacock from two coat hangers and 8 sheets of white cartridge paper.

A New Start

It's been over a year since I posted anything on my blog. 

But now I'm back!

A Christmas Card Message.

Elsdon Pele

Before we bought our own property in Rothbury's Bridge Street, we lived in a rented ancient farmhouse in the picturesque village of Elsdon.  The carved stone over the front door bore the date of 1729, but even the casual observer could see that there were much, much older elements to the building. During the time we lived, worked and had a gallery there, we were privileged to met lots of people who had connections to this historic property.  Many were Tynesiders who had been evacuated to Elsdon during the Second World War who told comic tales of seeing sheep for the very first time and being terrified of these "wild animals", or of being sent to the farm to collect jugs of fresh milk. Others were relatives of agricultural workers who had once lived in various unlikely looking outbuildings. Some had ancestors who had been domestic workers in the farmhouse at various periods... and they all had their own stories to tell.  But a handful of these visitors to the gallery were family members of the Keith family, who had been the last family to own the property and to use it as a working farmhouse. 

As a result we have become occasional correspondents with Robert Keith and his wife Margaret, who now live in Carlisle. Robert has always been a keen artist, producing pencil drawings of  Elsdon's farm buildings right through his childhood and becoming a professional artist in later life. He also has a keen interest in local history, which are all reasons why we continue keep in touch.

I'm going to take the liberty of  reproducing the note he included in this year's Christmas card.

" Had a look at your excellent website Lynda. Some of your paintings brought back memories. In 1950 one evening I sat on a seat in Lovers Walk (The riverside walk along to The Thrum from Rothbury village) - I didn't know it was called that- and watched a steam engine in the station across the river (Coquet).

The Thrum Rocks

Not that many years ago Margaret and I were at Thrum Rocks and watched two girls jump across the river. The firts one made it, but the second one landed in the water. However she clung to the rock and hauled herself up.

To me The Cheviot hill was once a blip on a radar screen. In the early '50s as a radar mechanic in the RAF I was posted to Acklington. In the morning I would push this enormous revolving aerial round till two marks on the turntable aligned, assuring it was facing Cheviot. Then I would go down the ladder into the well below. It housed the transmitter, which I would tune for maximum signal on the receiver."

Cheviot from the Border Ridge

If there was ever a TV programme called "Simply Avoid Dancing" there's a possibility that my husband and I might be invited to take part... Nifty little movers we are not!! But with the help of some fancy digital jiggerypokery, even we can cut a caper!

We might be serious about our Art, but we try not to take ourselves too seriously! 

 http://host-d.oddcast.com/php/application_UI/doorId=1083/clientId=299/?mId=45725253.3 …

The Best Compliment Possible.

Yesterday I had a phone call from one of my oldest customers. He and his wife first visited the gallery when we had only just started up in Elsdon in 2000, when they bought some of the very first paintings I created there. These were vibrant still lifes on canvas of ceramics and flowers and very  different to the landscapes for which I'm now known. Because they were newly retired and love Northumberland so much, they often used to holiday in the area and always made a point of visiting me to see what new work I had on show. Occasionally they bought a new piece, but more often we simply shared a coffee and a chat.  But this year when I was writing their customary Christmas card, I realised that  haven't seen them now for at least a year so I mentioned this in the card.  My lovely customer phoned to tell me that he's bedridden now and can't visit Northumberland any more, but that my paintings continue to give him so much joy.

I feel incredibly privileged to receive such a beautiful message. I don't think I could ever have a better, more genuine or more touching compliment. It's very humbling..

Back by Popular Request- Dr Johnson's Favourite-Mulled Wine

It's that time of year when customers begin to ask for the recipe of the complimentary mulled wine that I serve to my customers every weekend during December. So by popular request,  here's a reprise of the blog entry I made LAST year. Enjoy!

Once Upon a Time many years ago, we discovered this old recipe for mulled wine called "Dr Johnson's Favourite". (The Dr Johnson in question being Samuel Johnson, the English author, poet and critic whose most memorable contribution to British culture was probably his Dictionary of The English Language published in 1755.)

I thought it had been in an ancient recipe book, given to me by an aged aunt on the occasion of my 14th birthday.... but hunting through my now dilapidated copy I found that this wasn't the case. My husband @pottedhistory AKA Graham Taylor, thought it came out of a long discarded South African magazine. We simply don't know.... But what we DO know is that we've been enjoying this warming, spicy concoction every Christmas for decades and that every time we serve it, people ask for the recipe, which we are always happy to share. By popular demand it was even printed in The Northumberland Gazette one year.

I don't imagine that there's an historian anywhere who could confirm that this truly was Dr Johnson's Favourite, but I can say for absolute certain that it's OURS. Give it a try, it might just become a favourite of yours too!

Dr Johnson's Favourite-

1 Bottle red wine

2 Medium orange sliced

1 Sliced lemon

3 Tablespoons of sugar (or to taste)

4 Cloves

1 Mug boiling water

1 Good measure brandy or orange liqueur

Put wine, orange, lemon, sugar and cloves into a stainless or enamelled pan over a low heat. Bruise the fruit with a wooden spoon to burst the juice cells, cover and heat till steaming but DO NOT BOIL. Remove from the heat, add boiling water and brandy/liqueur, sieve into a jug, add more sugar if necessary and serve in heat proof glasses.

It is best taken in congenial company, beside a warm log fire.

More Gorgeous Glass

On the principle that you just can't have too much of a good thing, here are some more pictures of  gorgeous glass and a sneak preview of some of the Christmas gift wrapping I've already done for a customer! 

Copperfoiled glass mistletoe 

 This artist made, copperfoiled glass mistletoe- created right here in Rothbury, will give you plenty of kissing opportunities for years to come. It won't fade or drop its berries- so pucker up!! 

Fused Glass Snowflakes- made in Cumbria

Presents ready to go under the Christmas tree!

My Winter Wonderland Christmas Window Display

Last year my Christmas window display was very traditional, with a vintage sledge piled up with wrapped presents whooshing across the whole window. This year I've gone for more stylish and sophisticated look with a mistletoe motif and a white and green colour combination. 

For me Christmas is all about love and family, so what could be better than mistletoe to give you the perfect excuse to kiss the ones you love!? 

The complete window display in daylight

You'll also find some gorgeous artist made work, that's perfect to indulge the most discerning  of your loved ones!

Mistletoe mobile centrepiece. 

"It Must Be Love" automata by Keith Newstead

Felt brooch kits in tins

Butterfly brooches by Melanie Tomlinson

Sculptural Glass hares by Rachel Elliot

Mouthblown Glass by Tyneside Artist, Jane Charles

My own ceramic robins on festive ribbons

Anodised aluminium jewellery by Miranda Peckitt

As well as all these pieces of gorgeous glass, jewellery and other treasures, I also have a fine selection of my own prints and original paintings of Northumberland. 

The window display in the dark complete with twinkling lights.

I hope you'll come and see my Winter Wonderland window for yourself- as the afternoons get darker, the twinkling lights look better and better. 

Please remember that Crown Studio Gallery is OPEN seven days a week during December. 

I offer a free gift wrapping service on all purchases, so you can select your items, go and have a quiet lunch or afternoon tea in one of Rothbury's excellent establishments and return to find your presents all ready to go under the Christmas tree.