Aesthetip March 2014 by Aesthetip

ISSUE 10: March 2014

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www.griffin-photography.co.uk

HELLOâ&#x20AC;Ś It seem's like the storms will never stop hitting our shores, meanwhile the county's creatives are digging in and battling against the elements, carrying on doing what they do best. This month's edition is packed with amazing and inspiring artists, illustrators, photographers and writers. We have had the enormous pleasure of meeting the very talented Kate Walters who allowed us into her home based studio to interview the artist and photograph her space. The award-winning artist Stacey Gutherie has taken time out to provide us with a really insightful interview. Photographers Philip Stangelove, Philip Trengove and Jade Berry also feature this month, and we have several creative writing pieces, reviews and short poems. So if the wind continues to blow and the heavens open again, settle down with a warm drink and Aesthetip â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hopefully it will inspire you to get creative. Steve Kenyon / Deputy EDITOR

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CONTRIBUTORS EMMA GRIFFIN Editor

STEVE KENYON Deputy Editor

CAROLINE PEDLER Illustration

SILVIA MCKIDDIE Cook

MAISIE MARSHALL PHOTOGRAPHER

Jade Berry Photographer

Philip Trengove Photographer

HOLLY KENYON Writer

LAURA PARSONS Writer

LILY RICE Designer

Lisa Lembke Writer

Kate Walters Artist

Toni Cogdell Artist / Writer

Stacey Guthrie Artist / Writer

CONTRIBUTE… If you would like to be featured in Aesthetip. We are looking for, graphic designers, fashion designers, illustrators, designer markers, artists, performers and photographers based in Cornwall. If you have an event you would like to share with us, please get in touch.

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All submissions and enquiries: aesthetip@gmail.com

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contents 08 ARTIST OF THE MONTH 20 artist / faye dobinson 24 insight / Caroline pedler 30 the moving image 32 Learning to fly 34 Artist / Stacey Guthrie 44 Studio journal / Kate Walters 50 illustration 56 photographer / Philip Trengove 68 photographer / Nik Strangelove 78 photographer / jade berry 84 Photographer / Maisie Marshall 88 Millinery / Holly Young 92 Designer / sophie king 102 fashion shoot 108 Model interview / Kate Rowland 110 girls skate 112 Event Calendar 114 Music Review 116 Short poems / laura parsons 118 wellbeing with lily rice 120 studio bites with silvia mckiddie

FRONT COVER

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MODEL / Polly Jopling Bunny Ears / Holly Young â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ÂŁ90.00 MAKEUP ARTIST / Sally Orchard Hair stylist / megan Piekarz PHOTOGRAPHER / GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY

30 34 78 92 108

34 56 120

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artist of the month / kate walters 8

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Words / Steve Kenyon PHOTOGRAPHER / Griffin Photography

Visiting this multiple award winning artist who is also a curator and organiser who has previously been nominated for a Jerwood prize, was both an honor and a privilege. Working out of a home based studio in Penzance she shares with her husband and two dogs, her house is filled with works of art, framed prints, old photographs and bright colours. The artist who is usually found in her studio at least 6 days a week has a strict regime, starting early she takes the dogs for a walk in the park, and spends from 9am until 11am answering emails, writing proposals etc and catching up with paperwork. She then goes into the studio and works through the afternoon. At the end of the day she goes to the gym where her head space can be emptied. This time is used to review work, process ideas and work out proposals for new projects. Kate has recently been asked to give talks on subjects dear to her heart such as women who have survived violence or trauma, taking the perspective of a creative, she has been able to stand in front of captivated audiences, more of which is mentioned in her diary on pages 45 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 49. Having lived in the county for over 15 years, Kate originally moved to Cornwall after having a series of dreams about it. She first came to the area when she was 20, and like so many others fell in love with the landscape and the spirituality.

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Launching in March and continuing through until 26 April 2014 Kate will have a first major solo show in the North of Britain. Titled Kate Walters: A World Revealed, the exhibition will feature drawings, paintings and monoprints that explore her ever present themes of shamanism, dreams, gender and the animal kingdom. Running alongside the show there will be artist residencies and talks. 7 Mar â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 26 Apr 2014. This year also sees her showing in Edinburgh and in 2015 has an exhibition at Millennium St Ives.

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They are generally more caring, and don't use sheepdogs, animals respectfully go where they are supposed to. Somehow Kate also finds time to teach and mentor - with classes at Newlyn School of Art and St Ives, we are completely in awe of her ability to do so much and cannot wait to see the next body of work. There are hints of folk art references in her work, and in the rendering of both animals and people there is a nod towards early cave paintings. However the beautiful work she creates is by no means crude and is womanly and maternal sometimes dark and foreboding. Some of the paintings seem very raw on first view but are really rather sensitive, with ream like imagery, subconcious visions exploring life, death and interaction with the animal kingdom.

www.katewalters.co.uk/

Italy is a huge draw for the artist, in 2013 she won a bursary from a-n to visit the Venice Biennale and write a blog on her experiences. Kate feels a strong draw to this country where true inspiration and spiritualism are everywhere. She goes back there to gain inspiration and to refresh, in the area she often visits people live with their animals everyday like we would our pets, they go everywhere together - sheep and people live as one. Walk around all days with their animals. March

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Featured artist / faye dobinson

The artist Faye Dobinson who is based in the Trewidden Studios Cornwall, is doing her first solo show in London. The show is called Alternative Icons, celebrating female musicians and vocalists who are represent attributes not commonly celebrated in the current media: women who have walked their own path. Alongside Fayesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; paintings, there will be a chance to hear many of the tracks these women made great by logging into the playlist created for the show. Featured musicians and singers: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Betty Davis Lisa Kekaula to name a few.

In our culture of the often overproduced, over constructed and over hyped celebrity, these 15 portraits represent an alternative group of icons, both contemporary and past. The show asks questions about the qualities that create a sense of the iconic and what it may be that the icons we have chosen show us about ourselves as a society. Working from the limited information offered by internet thumbnail photographic images, the paintings became as much about the relationship between photography and painting as the genre of portraiture and its subjects. I was lucky enough to catch up with Faye as she was putting finishing touches to the collection of paintings. THE DOOMED GALLERY 65-67 RIDLEY RD LONDON E8 2NP. 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 9 MARCH fayedobinson@me.com

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insight / caroline pedler Artist and illustrator Caroline Pedler, one of our regular contributors, is based in cornwall. We popped in to have an INSIGHT into her head space - her studio.

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PHOTOGRAPHER / Griffin Photography

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the moving image / Stacey Guthrie

Newlyn filmmaker Mark Jenkin talks about his new work, ‘An Air That Kills’

You’ve said you don’t believe in the past; it’s just a distortion of the present. Can you explain?   We can’t physically be in the past, just view it from the present. We distort it to serve our purposes, it’s very subjective. In the basic sense we reinvent the past to help us make sense of the present. The future, is also just a projection, again from the present, of what we hope or fear the future will be. The future changes, we accept that, noone knows what will happen. We seem to go on as if the past doesn’t change, but we constantly change it, not always for negative reasons.

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How does that tie in with your new film? Film is an attempt at time travel. With this work I was attempting to be honest about reinterpreting the past. I’ve recalled my youth in 2 instances; my life from consciousness until the age of 11, then a 2 week period when I was 15. I recalled, with words, the joy and wide-eyed wonder of that time, long summer days, moments of great discovery, the sense of standing on the edge of something hugely exciting. I then visually captured the specifics of the places where these events played out, attempting to destroy myths or prove truths. It’s catharsis but I didn’t want it to be exclusive so I’ve jumbled the narratives. I want to see if theme can survive the total destruction of linear narrative. The final chapter is a look at the present (or at least the very near past). I wanted to communicate the decline of traditional industry and growing homogenisation of my home town. To me the changes are wholly negative, but someone somewhere may look back fondly on this time. That’s why there is no commentary on this part of the film. Why film, not digital? I like the aesthetic of film, especially small gauge film. I like imperfections. My attraction to film isn’t wholly aesthetic; we can mimic a lot of the characteristics of film digitally now. It’s more about workflow. Film is physical. I like to be in touch with the material I’m working with. I like to be stood up when I’m working, working outside, processing the filmstrips en plein air (partly to avoid breathing the chemicals). The permanence of film is very appealing.

I don’t trust digital. I had another hard drive die this week. Most of the work was backed up but it’s still a nightmare. Where did it go? How can it not be there anymore? I don’t understand. With film I can hold it up to the light and see it. Unless the sun goes out it will always be there. What was the first film you saw? The first film I saw that really stuck with me was Walkabout by Nick Roeg. It ends with a narrator reading a couple of verses from A Shropshire Lad: Into my heart an air that kills From yon far country blows: What are those blue remembered hills, What spires, what farms are those? That is the land of lost content, I see it shining plain, The happy highways where I went And cannot come again. ...and that’s where my work starts. An Air That Kills can be seen at The Millennium Gallery in St Ives until 11th March. http://markjenkin.co.uk/

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Learning to Fly / Toni Cogdell The museum is busy. People are migrating around me like insects sliding across a frozen pond, a strange and awkward dance from object to object, no firm grasp on any one thing. Their feet shuffle across the polished floor, sniffs and coughs erupting from the silence like tiny explosions, sudden and startling. But I am on my own island. Just me, a woman and a swan. Captured in a silent dialogue of emotion and paint, unable to pull myself away, and essentially unwilling to. I am just an unsuspecting wide-eyed teenager standing magnetised in front of the painting Leda and the Swan by Karl Weschke, and that encounter altered the shape of me.

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I knew nothing of the artist back then, in pre-Google times. Nothing of his rich life, from his impoverished and tumultuous childhood in Germany, being captured at war by the British as a young adult to ultimately, in a twist of fate, finding his true self and peace cradled in the Motherly arms of Cornwall, who took him in like a lost child. Not knowing any of this when I left that gallery hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mattered, he was my secret painter, a gift for me. I had been put under the spell of his Leda, her gracefully strong-backed stance as she stares down the swan, alive and knowing, the mystery delicately surfacing from beneath the water. In that canvas, glowing with a light paint had never shown me before, I saw a life, a merging of lives, lived and unlived. A future, mine, laid out before me like a promise. A crossroads, a place of reasoning, a place of hope, enlivening yet safe, this was the map of stars the painting gave to me, mine to return to, to navigate by.

That painting wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have existed without Cornwall, the land that mended Weschkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wings. His known existence of brutality, bitterness and lack meeting one of possibility, hope and art. Art. For this young and angry Hitler Youth follower, now in a prisoner of war camp, art had been dropped onto his path, and it must have gleamed to him like a pearl reflecting sunlight beneath a stormy sea, deftly waiting to be found. He picked it up. This gesture was enough to lead him to Cornwall where he was to live and work for the rest of his life, raising a family, largely singlehandedly, while painting, always painting. He settled in Cape Cornwall, and in the essence of that place he met an adverse ally, a primal spirit as untamed as his. She was kin. Her raw and scarred skin laid bare to him. Through her stormy skies and the windblown open bracken landscape of her body she connected with his rage and rebellion against the world, pulling it from him, alchemising it into a kind of true beauty, the freedom of painting, scattering it like flowers on heathland. Paintings in the world. Entering our world, our lives, my life.

And I am once again in my own studio, flitting bird-like between that first glimpse of Weschkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work and thoughts of his creative process, working alongside the granite cliffs of his Cornish sanctuary, the place he called home. I can see him circling the circumference of the Cape, facing the tempestuous prevailing winds head-on with eyes closed and arms outstretched, becoming lost at sea, and found. Flying like Icarus as he painted, always too close to the sun, but his plumage was full, and his feathers werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t falling. His bravery and ambition rewards us now in the paintings he leaves behind, his own trail of intricate skywriting. All you need to do is to look, if you want to fly. http://www.toni-art.co.uk/ writing.html

Karl Weschke / Leda and the Swan 1985-1986 Oil on canvas 183 x 137 cm

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Featured Artist / Stacey Guthrie

Stacey is an award winning artist who recently won the British Women Artists competition. She joined Aesthetip in February as a regular contributor writing for the magazine about moving imagery. Stacey has kindly taken time out to answer some questions about herself and her practise. Where does the inspiration for your ideas come from, when you have an idea do you know instantly in which medium you will work or is more of the case of exploring all possibilities? Inspiration can come from anywhere. The two key themes I work around are feminine stereotype and hysteria so it can be chatting with friends, reading something on the internet or hearing something on the news that sparks an idea. I know that the end result will be a video but the content and form of the video come about as I’m exploring other stuff like props and setting. I do a lot of exploratory work. In fact the bulk of the work is exploring themes and issues and developing and making props. That’s my favourite bit and it goes on for months. The actual filming and editing are done quite quickly; usually within two weeks.

Are the films and art you create autobiographical? There is a sense in your work that the viewer is allowed to draw their own conclusions, but is there a lot of yourself in your work? They don’t start off being autobiographical. It can be something that’s amused me or enraged me. For example, the last video, called Wabby’s Flabby, came about from finding out you can get control pants for pregnant women. The fact that even when women are growing new life in their bellies they have to be squashed into some contorted idea of ‘feminine beauty’ made me so angry I couldn’t talk about it without swearing. So, I made a video instead. I think most art is autobiographical in that it’s the artist’s personal view of something and that view comes from their experience of life. It’s impossible to leave yourself out entirely, even if you intend to. What is a typical working day like for you, do you have any rituals before or during your practice? I’m a terrible procrastinator. A lot of pottering about, tidying the studio and drinking tea happens before I can sit down and focus. I try to be disciplined and I always intend to start work as soon as the children have gone to school. I’m easily distracted though and what tends to happen is that I sit down in the studio and go, ‘Right, Stacey today we’re going to make those...oooh a squirrel!’ The only thing that could be described as a ritual I guess is that I have to have music while I work. I really struggle to work without music.

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How and when did you first become interested in art, and at what stage did the film making form the main part of your work? I’ve drawn all my life. My earliest memories are of drawing. It’s my first love. I like to draw intensely detailed natural forms but they’re not about anything, they’re just what I see in front of me so it was difficult to develop them into a practice. In my second year studying fine art at Falmouth Pete Webster the painter was my tutor. He knew I had a background in performing and writing and suggested that I take those elements and my other experiences and interests and fuse them into a single thread. He told me to make a film. I told him he was mad. As a winner of the British Women Artists competition in 2013, has this had an impact on your work or your profile? It’s been a turning point. I entered the competition on a whim at the very last minute. I’d seen the quality of the work of previous winners and didn’t think I stood a chance. I entered to get

experience of rejection, as odd as that sounds. You need to be tough as old boots in the art world and not take rejection personally. It’s hard because art is intimacy and you’re offering yourself up for public judgement so entering the competition was my attempt at toughening up. I was delighted when I won first prize though. Professionally, it’s had a big impact. Having that validation of your work seems to make people view it differently; they take it more seriously because someone in a perceived position of authority has said it’s good. I think I started taking it more seriously too. Sometimes it’s difficult to look at your own work objectively, especially when it’s about something that’s provoked an emotional response in you, so having the judges’ feedback was incredibly helpful in enabling me to look at my work from the viewpoint of someone else.

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Personally it had a big impact too. A major theme in my work is that of not fitting in, of somehow being on the outside of whatever is considered ‘normal’. However, when I went to the prize winners party in Soho I felt completely at home with all these amazing female artists. You have been selected for a forthcoming exhibition in Margate by Bob and Roberta Smith and Sarah Martin, how did this come about and what can visitors to the exhibition expect to see from you? Again, it was something I entered expecting to be rejected. Are we sensing a theme here? There were two hundred and forty seven entries and only seventeen of us were selected so I was really pleased to be picked. They’re showing two of my films; ‘The Splendid Life of Hildergard Ramsbottom’, which is the first film I ever made, and ‘Disarmed And Ever So Slightly dangerous’, the film that won British Women Artists. The Splendid Life of Hildergard Ramsbottom is the bitter-sweet tale of a highly intelligent woman who gives up her career for what she thinks is love and ends up living on sheep farm in the middle of nowhere. She ends up making giant cakes in a futile attempt to stave off the madness that has come about through the complete denial of her own needs in favour of tending to other people’s. Sounds quite scary put like that but it’s funny, honest. How does living in Cornwall effect your work if at all? It’s pivotal. My work is about inner landscapes and being able to use the Cornish landscape in my films as a reflection for that is a real luxury. I also think it’s easy to take for granted the sheer concentration of artists and makers that we have in Cornwall. I grew up surrounded by writers and actors and artists. The place oozes creativity and it’s only when I go somewhere else that I realise how much we all bounce off each other’s creativity down here.

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Are there any artists or creatives you would like to collaborate with, if so who are they? There’s lots of people whose work I admire greatly but I’m generally at my most contended working alone. Never say never though. Do you collect or buy artwork by other creatives? I would if I could afford it. There are some amazing artists working in Cornwall across all disciplines. I saw a beautiful piece by Victoria Hilliard the other day. I would have snapped that up in a second if I had any spare cash. I love her work. Is there any particular direction in which you see your work going in 2014? I know the next video will be about laundry. I’m building a giant washing machine for that. I did a Feast funded workshop with the Paper Cinema in 2013 so I want to use what I learned there to make films where I interact with my own drawings. I’m also interested in incorporating cine film into my practice. I did some workshops with a Cornish group called Cinestar, who support artists in the use of cine film. I learned how to adapt found 16mm and 8mm footage and how to process my own footage in coffee and vitamin C, so hopefully I’ll be able to use what I learned there and merge that with my digital practice. I’m also hoping to start taking the techniques I use, such as using green screen to layer two video streams together, to provide workshops and create projects for schools and other groups.

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What is your preferred mediums for working in? That’s like asking which of my children I love most. Video allows me to work across the whole range of mediums, from textiles, to metal work, woodwork and drawing. In creating props and designing and building sets I’m able to indulge my obsessive passion for making. I wouldn’t be able to choose just one thing to do. I’d go mad and end up making giant cakes, just like Hildergard. How and where can our readers see more of your work? I have a website: www.staceyguthrie.co.uk I also have a profile on Vimeo where I upload works in progress and digital sketches as well as the finished films www.vimeo.com/staceyguthrie I have a blog where I write the occasional rant or explore some of the themes I’m working on www.staceylguthrie.tumblr.com The LIMBO Associate Members Open in Margate is on 1 — 23 March Open Friday — Sunday, 12 — 5pm With a Private View on Friday 28 February, 6 — 9pm at Substation Project Space in Margate. I’m also participating in Open Studios for the first time this year.

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Studio journal February 2014 / Kate Walters It’s been a busy month with travelling, weather (!), preparation, and finding time to settle in my studio to actually make work. At the end of January I decided, after much hesitation, to go to Leicester for the Speaking Out show and symposium. I had booked a ticket on the coach, which was the cheapest option by far, but even at the thought of it, writing now, I feel a little queasy (12 hours each way)… anyway, Dr. Nicole Fayard at Leicester University made me very welcome and the exhibition at the Embrace Arts Centre is very interesting – it’s open until the end of March. I am showing 3 works in red watercolour from 2008, which all explore aspects of trauma. Two of the works had been toured as part of the Jerwood Drawing Prize in 2008. The speakers at the Symposium included the police, a G.P., a war veteran focusing in PTSD, and other artists. Re-visiting, and speaking about, a time in my life long passed was somewhat uncomfortable, but it was good for me to re-consider the red watercolours which many people had found very challenging. Three days after returning from Leicester I went to Austria. Some years ago I began receiving the Minding Animals newsletter which highlighted events and conferences around the world. Many of these are held far distant, too expensive for me to travel to, but over a year ago I saw that one of the conferences was to be held in Innsbruck, Austria.

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I contacted the organiser at Innsbruck University and discovered they were having categories such as Animals & Literature, Animals & Social Sciences, Animals and Law, etc., but there wasn’t a category for Animals and Art, which seemed odd to me, given it is such a deep and rich seam. I pointed this out to the organiser, Reinhardt, and he invited me to put together a proposal. For the next two months, during last summer, a series of emails and proposals winged their way through the ether until he and his colleagues were happy that I was going to present an entirely rational workshop. Those of you who know my work and my approach will see that this was quite a tall order for me, as my work and my working methods rely to a certain extent on the subtle, the dream-initiated, and the fruit of chance.

As a tiny girl I loved horses and I managed to surround myself with a menagerie of rabbits (an inexpensive substitute). I used to make them little haynets out of string, imagining they were ponies, but of course they nibbled through the string and soon the haynets were no more. I also used to walk other people’s dogs and even – to my shame -secretly ride other people’s ponies with a piece of string around their necks. I was desperate to spend all my time with animals. Now in my work as an artist the animal form often arrives as protector, the one who watches over, mother-figure, inspirer or guide – dispenser of subtle messages. I found it hard to separate the subtle from the rational in my planning for Innsbruck.

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I decided to begin my talks with a fragment of a poem by Ursula Le Guin from her book Always Coming Home, where she shows with great beauty how artists are endowed with the ‘wings of the redwing hawk, the eyes of the mountain lion’ through the creative process. I followed this with a survey of art from around the world, including cave paintings, Aboriginal paintings, examples of work by Redon, Etruscan pot decorations and statues incorporating animals. I highlighted Franz Marc and Joseph Beuys. I had been asked to focus on my work, so I then showed several images and discussed their individual genesis and some of the stories behind them, including how my horse embodied ` and modelled motherhood for me, and how my two dogs curled around my body after I had received the news of my father’s death. I also spoke of my lovely dog who died recently, and how she gave me her skin in a dream I experienced soon after her passing. The audience in Innsbruck was academic and I wanted to change the dynamic of the situation, so I asked them right at the beginning of my sessions to think of an event in their lives where an animal had been significant or had taught them something. Towards the end of the sessions I showed them copies of pictograms made by First Nations’ peoples and asked them to make drawings in a similar style about the animal which had helped them.

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During my visit to Innsbruck I visited the Zoo of Alpine animals. I haven’t been to a zoo since I was a little girl, and I hoped the visit would prove inspiring. The sight of the wolves pacing up and down made my heart ache though. Looking into their eyes you could see vacancy, a void. The brown bear seemed happier, playing with a beer keg, but it may have been frustration. The best part of the trip was going into the foothills of the mountains, into the forest, after heavy snow fall. It was a magical, entrancing place and I loved it. We travelled up the mountain, a red line through white, in a warm tram. The creaturely forms of trees were transformed by the snow maiden’s wand to guardians bending over our path. Snowflakes melted on my cheeks, smarted in my eyes. I found a staff to walk with; the pine resin we gathered perfumed my pockets. I wanted to lie down in the snow, to give in to its’ whiteness, its softness, to feel myself held. But it’s treacherous stuff too, stones lurk, hidden. In my studio I have been re-working old pieces in watercolour. I enjoy working on top of works that aren’t quite resolved. There’s a good scaffold of marks and colours to suggest further pathways to follow. I’ve also continued to tentatively explore oils and oil sticks, some on top of the watercolours. As I prepare all my surfaces with gesso I’m able to combine my mediums, and I like the way the freedom of using oil has encouraged me to loosen-up, and brighten up, my watercolours.

I am excited about: March 7th my show opens at The New Schoolhouse Gallery, York. This show has evolved from my solo show at the Newlyn Art Gallery a year ago. I’ll be in residence there between April 22nd and 26th, when the show will close. I’m also excited about making new work for a show in Edinburgh at Arusha Gallery in August! Recent dream which seems relevant: Of going to a church which was in fact a grassy valley, a river beyond. There was a sort of large open green enclosure, some trees; a priest or holy man came, I asked him where the altar was, I knew it had been a large pine tree – now gonehe said there was a new tree - I saw several but wasn’t sure which one he meant. Then the waters began to rise and all the animals, especially deer, came out of their secret places. They appeared as if from a spiral (like John Newling’s drawings) going clockwise – hinds with their young. The waters rose quickly and we went to a higher place. All of Nature was holy.

Books I am reading this month: Hunger Mountain by David Hinton; The Richest Vein by Gai Eaton; The Wild Heart by Helen Griffiths; Environmental Arts Therapy by Ian Siddons Heginworth; and The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk. mindinganimals@gmail.com www.mindinganimals.com Always Coming Home Ursula Le Guin Technicians of the Sacred J.K. Rothenberg

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illustration / caroline pedler

PHOTOGRAPHY/ GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY

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This month I have chosen to showcase Anna Anna has recently won the AOI Illustration Cattermole. Anna is a reportage illustrator, – Self-initiated award 2013, with her project ‘From the Loft Floor’. It took 20 months to working and living in Cornwall. After 14 complete, with her family calling her Award years living aboard a converted fishing ‘the award for stamina’. boat, she has just moved onto land with her family. In a recent interview Anna chatted about the Loft Floor project and how important Anna worked as a freelance illustrator her personal work is for her commissioned for many years, creating surface design work and her process in general. Here’s for textiles, ceramics and packaging for a snippet. UK retailers. After a decision to do an MA she moved to Falmouth and enrolled on “When I started drawing I thought it would the MA Illustration-Authorial Practice, be interesting to capture the building of which rekindled her love of drawing and a boat as it progressed. This would impose illustration. This lead Anna onto projects its own discipline on me, which would help that have most recently documented the me maintain the motivation to keep drawing, restoration of the last Brixham Trawler, because otherwise I would miss critical Torbay Lass. Along with a self-initiated parts of the construction. I had no idea project about the changes happening to the it was going to take so long, or become British fishing industry and in particular such a big project. At first it was just the the effects on Newlyn. Working with the satisfaction of seeing the pile of drawings Principle Scientific Officer for Cornwall growing and then I realised that I probably Inshore Fisheries and Conservation ought to do something with them. Authority.

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I think a drawn journalistic account of an event gives people a different perspective on a story. In an age where we are saturated with photographic images, drawn reportage, as opposed to photographic reportage, is rare and therefore is perhaps able to hold the viewers attention for a little longer. I think personal work is fundamental to maintaining an illustration practice. It gives me somewhere to experiment, to try out new ideas and time to explore them in as much detail as I want. But most importantly, it gives me somewhere for my drawings to fail without the fear of letting a client down. I learn so much more from my mistakes than from my successes. This often throws up problems to solve and leads to research into different ways of working.

I think it is important to get your influences outside of illustration. Making time to do personal work creates a circle of research, applying that enquiry to my illustration practice leads to more questions and therefore more research looking for the answers. It is very refreshing. www.annacattermole.com She is also giving a talk at the 12th Annual Falmouth Illustration Forum at FU Woodlane Campus on the 7th March 2014.

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LONDON FASHION WEEK 2014 Backstage Photographs / Philip Trengove London Fashion Week is an exciting place full of colour, passion and eccentricities, not to mention gallons of free booze and the best and worst dressed people youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ever likely to see. I have now had the privilege of covering runways and backstage at shows over the last 6 seasons. Although the runway shows are the zenith of each designers collection, it is backstage where the excitement and energy can be felt most and where I can best put my skills and enthusiasm to work. The aim of my photographs is to capture the atmosphere and experience of being backstage before and during the shows as well as creating images with interesting composition and my aesthetic touch. Photographs were taken a t the Bora Aksu, Pringle Of Scotland, Osman, Zeynep Tosun and Holly Fulton shows, all shot for 1883 Magazine at London Fashion Week Autumn/ Winter 2014.

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http://www.philiptrengove.com

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Featured photographer / Nik Srangelove Nik specialises in available-light location portraiture and reportage using both analogue and digital 35mm equipment. He produces and sells limited-edition hand prints of his personal work and exhibits regularly. He is currently based in the West Cornwall town of Penzance but travels widely.

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PHOTOGRAPHY / ©NIK STRANGELOVE

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Nik kindly took time out to answer a few questions about himself and his photography practise. You were born in London and grew up in Oman and Singapore, although your photography takes you around the world - how did you end up settling in Penzance as a base? I couldn’t afford to live in London at the time. I moved here in 2000. It was affordable and a beautiful place to live. Does living in Cornwall effect your work in any way, if so how? I’ve had to be more creative in some ways. I’m not a landscape or seascape photographer, so I had to find inspiration elsewhere. At first I thought there was nothing to photograph, but then I looked more closely. There is always something to photograph if you open your eyes. You shoot in both analogue and digitally, do you prefer one over the other? I prefer film. I still shoot both black & white and colour negative and print my own work. I mainly use digital for commercial work. I have a Nikon D800 DSLR now. It definitely has its uses. Do you have a favorite place/location to shoot or perhaps just to visit? I still love cities. I miss the urban decay and the mix of people. I miss the vibrancy and the buzz. There’s always so much stimuli it can be hard to focus.

PHOTOGRAPHY / ©NIK STRANGELOVE

You have captured portraits of many celebrities, music legends and artists, has there been a particular favorite to work with? Most of the celebrities were commissioned shoots where I didn’t have much time. You are under pressure to get something quickly. Lately I have been working on an artist portrait project where I photograph artists in their studios. This has allowed me the luxury of time. I can spend more time with them in a relaxed environment and shoot more. Is there anybody either alive or dead that you would really like to shoot? That’s a tough one. I just enjoy photographing people. I want to do more portrait work. Everyone has something special to offer. I like the challenge of trying to get a portrait that I’m happy with as well as the sitter. That’s always a bonus. I want them to be happy too. When you are out on location shooting, what is in your kit bag? I have two Nikon 35mm SLR cameras: a Nikon FM3A loaded with Ilford HP5+ 400 ISO Black & white film with a 35mm lens, and a Nikon 301 loaded with Fuji Superia 200 ISO colour film with a 50mm lens. I tend to change these lenses from body to body as I need to. I also carry spare rolls of film and a lens cloth. That’s about it. Oh, and some business cards, in case you meet someone curious.

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PHOTOGRAPHY / ©NIK STRANGELOVE

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PHOTOGRAPHY / ©NIK STRANGELOVE

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How do you find inspiration? Generally from looking through photography books and by going to see exhibitions. I remember seeing a Franco Fontana exhibition years ago and coming out of the gallery buzzing. I started seeing potential photos everywhere I looked. It was great. I think the main thing is just to get out as much as you can. With a lot of my work being classified as ‘street photography’ I need to get out there and see what’s around the next corner. It’s a bit like hunting I guess. Always in search of new images.

PHOTOGRAPHY / ©NIK STRANGELOVE

Do you have any specific plans for the future? I’d very much like to publish a photo-book at some point. I have various bodies of work and would love to see them in print. I’m also making an effort to go for more competitions this year as well as visit photo festivals like Arles and Unseen in Amsterdam. I want to totally immerse myself in photography in 2014. http://www.nikstrangelove.com/

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Adolescence / Jade Berry

Becoming an adult is a challenge, it is the time when we need to stand on our two feet, but is also a chance to embrace our own freedom and most of us forget that. Adolescence is a documentary project about my life, recording friends, myself and the feelings of becoming an adult, capturing the essence of this period of our lives and creating visual memories.

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http://jadeberryphotography.com/

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http://jadeberryphotography.com/

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PHOTOGRAPHER / maisie marshall

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http://maisiemarymarshall.blogspot.co.uk/

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millinery / holly young Top millinery designer Holly Young recently released a new ‘Vintage Style’ range of head pieces. Aesthetip editor Emma Griffin undertook a fashion shoot to capture and showcase the collection. Shot at an amazing location in Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, it was a perfect backdrop for the pieces. With the storms Cornwall has had of late still battering this historical building, the sound of the wind around the castle was magical. To see more of the collection, please see Holly’s new Not on the High Street store: http://www. notonthehighstreet.com/ hollyyoungheadwear Featured pieces: Pheasant feather — £38.00 Peacock — £38.00 Silk head scarves — £30.00 http://www. hollyyoungboutique.com/

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designer sophie King / founder of crown & glory

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We caught up with the designer and founder of Crown and Glory to ask her about her business. How did Crown and Glory start? Crown and Glory started as a hobby when I was in my final year of university in 2010. I was studying Photographic Art, and the final year resulted in one final body of work, which was a long and arduous process compared to the smaller, 8 week long project weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been used to. I turned my hand to creating accessories for myself as a means to keep the artistic fire alive and to be able to have something more immediate than the other creative works I was producing. Coupled with my love for fashion and for always wearing something in my hair, the first piece I created with a headband of cascading, hand painted feather butterflies. Soon, friends and peers started requesting that I create pieces for them, and a dear friend who had been selling jewellery online for a while suggested I set up an online store. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be forever indebted to her for giving me that first push!

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How important to you is it to keep your designs hand made? It’s incredibly important, as it allows us to retain control over the quality of the products. While time and financial constraints may not always mean we are able to keep every component handmade in house, we will always retain control over the finishes of the pieces in our collections. Do you wear your own designs every day? I’m sure the PR friendly answer here would be always, of course! But much like how you see designers at fashion week taking their bows in comfortable, laid back pieces and an exhausted expression, I’m usually far too busy in the office to give much of a thought to my own appearance each day. However, especially if I need cheering up, you’ll often find me with something ridiculous on my head just because it makes me happy. Who is your ideal customer? Crown and Glory girls are fun, frivolous and don’t take themselves too seriously. They treat everyday like it’s their birthday and dress accordingly. They’re leaders, not followers, and love nothing more than being asked where they got their awesome new threads from.

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You have had a great success in your brand since you started out, have you any advice for others? You have to be absolutely, head over heels in love with what you do because you need to be all-consumed with it to have the guts to grow in this industry. Learn quickly how to determine the difference between fear and intuition; fear will hold you back, intuition has got your back. Concentrate on being original and unique - ripping off someone else’s idea isn’t ever going to get you very far. I write more day to day advice in my It’s Business, Baby column on the blog (http://crownandgloryhair.blogspot.co.uk/ search/label/it%27s%20business%20baby) What was it like to be shortlisted for the UP Entrepreneur of 2013? Very unexpected! I feel very honoured to be able to represent the hundreds of young, creative businesses that are determined to succeed high-growth and push beyond the ‘hobby-business’ stereotypes that can often be associated with being a young, creative, female business owner. To be recognised for how far I’ve come in just 2 years was very humbling. Since you started Crown and Glory in 2011, what would you say has been the best moment to date so far? Sitting front row at London Fashion Week, September 2012, seeing my pieces on the models at Danillo Gabrielli for House of Evolution S/S13 Show. That fulfilled a childhood fantasy (that I’m more than a little bit determined to do again!) The most surreal? A week earlier I was making headbands to order in the window of Oasis’ flagship Oxford Street store for their party for Vogue Fashion’s Night Out. Yep, my job is super varied and I love that about it!

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What are the ups and downs of running your own business? As a self-confessed control freak, the fact that I, and only I, am responsible for the success of the business and my career is incredibly motivating. It can also be incredibly nerve-wracking knowing that all the decision making lies with me but hey, no-matter how scary the problem, there’s always an outcome, even if it wasn’t what you initially expected. The common misconception about running your own business is that you’re in control of your time - when in fact you probably have to make more sacrifices and put work first, as a business owner - there’s no 25 days holiday per year or guaranteed, regular income to fund all your jaunts! But for me, these are small sacrifices for being able to do something I am head over heels in love with every day of the week. What a job! Where do you get your inspiration from for your designs? It sounds mega cliched, but everywhere. I try not to think too much about what we ‘should’ be producing as I think to stay innovative you have to put some of your craziest ideas out there and just squeeze your eyes shut and see what happens. When I designed the Liberace ears for the Rock n Roll Bride collection and took them to the design meeting with Kat, I worried that she might think I was absolutely off my rocker and that they were *too* ridiculous. She squealed when she saw them, and they’ve become our best selling product to date. Like I said…trust your gut! We understand that your partner Gareth is your production manager. What is it like to work so closely with your partner? We actually met while working together (I worked part time at a bar during university and he worked at the same bar after graduating) so we knew we could work together well. For some people it would be the death of them, but it’s helped grow the brand so much quicker than I could’ve done alone!

Do you have dreams to have your own studio team in the future? Absolutely, we want to ensure that wherever possible, everything is managed and produced in house - from our designing and production to PR, marketing and logistics. What are your plans for your brand during 2014? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re aiming to secure a major retailer for a collection we have up our sleeves and also want to continue to grow our overseas stockists to Australia and New Zealand. We have a super exciting collaboration coming up and will be introducing some new lines for the brand, too all I can say right now is think cute and fluffy! MODELS / Holly Harwood & Natalie Whear MAKEUP ARTIST / Sally Orchard HAIR STYLIST / Megan Piekarz DRESSES / Sherri Hill â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cargo Clothing, LOCATION / Goonhaven Garden Centre PHOTOGRAPher / Griffin Photography http://crownandglory. bigcartel.com

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he loves me, he loves me not... MODEL / Polly Jopling MAKEUP ARTIST / Sally Orchard HAIR STYLIST / Megan Piekarz PHOTOGRAPHER / Emma Griffin

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POP FASHION

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Model Interview / kate rowland

How did you get recruited?

What is your trademark?

I first started modelling helping a friend out for her A-level photography course. About a year later I saw an advertisement for Preloved Boutique requesting a model, I saw it and was instantly interested. Although it was my dad that encouraged me to just go for it. I managed to get the job then my modelling took off from there.

My trademark would probably have to be my naturally open mouth which gives my face a different look.

What do you think makes you different to other models? When on shoots I love the atmosphere and creativity it brings. I try not to take things too seriously and enjoy every shoot I go on.

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How would you describe your personal style? My personal style would probably be elegant and classic. I love anything that celebrates the female body and compliments my figure. I love any chance to get dressed up and put on my glad rags. (Just wish there were more of these occasions!!)

Were there any struggles that you had to cope with through your career as a model? When I first started modelling I was very aware or myself and how I looked; I was very insecure about the way I looked through comments at school when I was younger. Modelling has taught me to forget about what people think and to do whatever your passionate about and enjoy it. Modelling has definitely boosted my confidence, taught me to ignore the negativity and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

What has been your favourite shoot you have worked on to date and why? I have loved every shoot I have been on for all different reasons. I enjoyed the bridal shoot I did on Dartmoor as I got to shoot with my sister, I love shooting vintage, and warm location shoots are always lovely! One of my personal favourite shoots would have to have been the floral shoot with Sally Orchard MUA just because I love the contrast in the colours on the final images, my eye makeup was amazing, and it was such a beautiful summers day on location. The black and white shoot with Hayley Larson MUA is also one of my favourites as the style of the shoot was very me and loved the makeup too! Both of the shoots final images were fantastic as always. Any shoot with Griffin Photography is always fun and never short of good company!

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GIRLS SKATE CORNWALL / holly kenyon

I have recently got the new GoPro hero 3 which is a very small camera with a fisheye lens which is commonly used to take sports videos and pictures. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterproof and picks up the sound of wind. I regularly take the GoPro out whilst skateboarding, and have been videoing my self and my friends skateboarding. I am hoping to use it in the summer in the sea and swimming pools.

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You can do a lot of cool things on the GoPro. You can take videos, take photos, time lapse photos and photo bursts. There is also wifi built in and you can use an app on your phone as a remote control for your camera. Images and videos can be saved straight from your phone to your laptop and other devices. March

Due to the bad weather I haven't been able to do that much skating, but during the half-term I went to Mount Hawke skate park with a friend. Deciding that the time was right we went on the vert ramp and of course both fell off. It's a scary ramp but it's very fun. A vert ramp is similar to a half pipe, but it gets higher nearer the top. The first time I went on the half pipe I was scared of how high it was and how I would actually skate on it. I tried skating on it, going up it and then coming back down I kind off fell off my skateboard but got back up and tried again. Once I'd had a few tries I felt more confident but I didn't actually manage to do it properly. I am going to keep practicing at it.

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Event Calendar / March As the unprecedentedly wild winter appears to have given way to spring (at long last) it’s time to brave the great outdoors again and see how our favourite galleries are faring. Newlyn School of Art – Chywoone Hill Over the next four weeks Newlyn’s internationally renowned art school will be offering classes in coastal painting, stone carving and painting the essence of form. The Inspired by O’Casey two-day printmaking course (running from 22nd -23rd March) is a particular highlight. Mary Crockett, a former studio assistant of Breon O’Casey, is taking the course and a number of his original graphic plates will be used as teaching aids. The techniques for which O’Casey was most celebrated – dry point and carborundum – will be focused on and by the end of the two days students will be able to produce their own spectacular prints. Check out the Newlyn School of Art calendar for a full run down of all the pottery, sculpture, printmaking, drawing and painting classes coming up in the months ahead. http://www.newlynartschool.co.uk/ art-courses/

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Newlyn Art Gallery (Newlyn) and The Exchange (Penzance) For another month the provoking exhibition Curiosity: Art and the Pleasures of Knowing will continue to dominate the very different sister spaces of Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange. Described as a witty and mysterious juxtaposition of Cold War connections, contemporary art, history and anatomy, the displays demand your attention and are designed to incite discussion. Brian Dillon is the curate of the contemporary pieces and Helston Folk Museum are presenting a random assortment of oddities. Until the 8th of March the multilayered mixed-media works of Elizabeth Waller will be available to view and purchase in Newlyn Art Gallery’s Picture Room. For more information about exhibitions and events being held at Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange please visit: http://www.newlynartgallery.co.uk/

Millennium – St Ives

The Belgrave – 22 Fore Street, St Ives

In mid March Millennium will be offering two fresh creative perspectives as it celebrates the work of film maker Roger Thorp and presents Mark Surridge’s Alignments exhibition.

As a gallery which pays homage to the best of undiscovered and established modern & contemporary art, the Belgrave will be spending March commemorating Brian Rice and 50 Years of Printmaking. The collective of vivid images, spanning over 50 years of creative expression, compliments the newly produced ‘Catalogue Raisonne of Prints’ and is well worth checking out.

Thorp is one of the founders of art-house gallery littlesongfilms and will be showing his video instillation of The Fountain Project while Surridge’s colourful, dramatic oil paintings offer up abstract tributes to colour, form, thought and movement.

http://www.belgravestives.co.uk/

http://www.millenniumgallery.co.uk/

Tate St Ives – Porthmeor Beach, St Ives

Cornwall Contemporary – Chapel Street, Penzance

As was mentioned in the February issue of Aesthetip, Tate St Ives is currently closed for the second stage of its refurbishment. The gallery isn’t scheduled to reopen until May, but you can find out more about the renovation plans on the Tate St Ives website: http://www.tate.org.uk/about/projects/ tate-st-ives-phase-two

Ken Spooner’s Ignition exhibition and book launch comes to end on March 10th and is supplanted by the works of dynamic artist Jamie Boyd, whose representations of the figure in both watercolour and oils are remarkable for their striking simplicity and yet surprising depth. Cornwall Contemporary will also be preparing for its mixed media exhibition to be held in April in support of Breast Cancer Care. http://www.cornwallcontemporary.com/

In April we’ll be covering all the eggxibitions running over Easter. LAURA PARSONS / lp121966@gmail.com

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Music review / Lisa Lembke

“We are the voices, the voices in the shadows, the shadows of their souls” (II – The Hunt) The south coast of Cornwall offers two new, unique and uprising voices in the music industry. The sound of the upcoming singer-songwriter duo II (Two) is taking the listener on a journey through dark sounds and towards the deepest hidden sides of the self, mainly inspired by Swedish vocalist Lykke Li. Most of their lyrics are based around the theme of Lykke Li’s song Youth Knows No Pain, whose significant influence on the young artists can clearly be heard in their music. The up and coming musicians who decided to collaborate on their university work (Falmouth University), place their musical focus upon harmonies within their vocals and their minimal acoustic sound. Their music provides a combination of haunting and mysterious sounds, and the image of being set in a fairytale; a walk through a foggy forest on search for the self. Keeping those remarkable characteristics the duet is looking forward to experimenting with the so called Loop-pedal (a one-maninstrument) to expand their sound but simultaneously still keep it minimalistic and focus on the actual music.

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II’s music is definitely suitable for mainstream even though it still has an edgy tone, keeping it real and leaving the listener drifting into another sphere of haunting dreams. The duo is planning on touring in September 2014, supporting the young artist Abee Hague; more recent acts are planned. Find out more about the enchanting duo: https://soundcloud.com/iitheband https://www.facebook.com/iitheband LISA LEMBKE / lisa.lembke@freenet.de

Photography / Sam Robbins

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short poems / Laura Parsons Penny Whistle Player

Young Professional

Under the awning Of a shop on pause,

Too tired to peel off professional face,

Her stage is always set.

so it stays in place

An intimate backdrop,

concealing

mood lighting

a head that’s ringing

damp and perfumed with urine.

from a phone always pinging

Jumbled tunes from a battered pipe question Are we going to Scarborough fair Oh Danny Boy?

stock is rising, so got to stay trim, got to go to the gym,

blank eyes trailing notes

Then lay out a suit for the morning.

Jagged limbs bunched up, scabbing legs drawn

Re-set alarm, factor in time for commuting and

under a t-shirt that’s seen better days

shooting up

and too many nights.

Arrive early, leave late, work through lunch,

A flowing audience of revellers, workers, walkers, see her, pass her, forget her discordant song. Coppers, cigarette ends, receipts – The blooms at her feet At the end of an endless performance.

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But bank balance is climbing,

Crackled lips pursing snatched by Three Blind Mice.

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and an inbox that keeps overflowing.

the ladder of success.

always say YES, and pray that someday the goalposts stop running away.

Hungry for a Match.com

Station Hopper

Sitting in a glow,

King of the network,

a warm, humming light.

Prince of Carriage E

Clicking, searching, (snacking)

Keeping court while courting company.

Creating

Missed his stop too far back

a vision. Dividing her life into boxes,

to change course

herself into parts.

so with no castle to return to

Neat and ordered. Accessible.

he adopts a defensive position,

Desirable?

stays on the move, and finds

Pros and cons war leaving her question whether attributes are attributes anymore. Instead, seconding guessing what they want to see – Never married. No kids. Under thirty.

Obsession. A constant in a life denied. His continuing journey cemented as with minimal acts of valour he earns his badge of honour. His plastic pass,

Selecting well rounded hobbies,

his free ride

singing, socialising, surfing? Fabricating

No A – B

for a journey which isn’t.

After countless nights

Just starts. Stops. Termination.

tweaking, perfecting,

Repeat.

papering,

Changing thrones, but always

a scrutinised image is cast out. She hits save.

defying the end of the line.

For nudges.

When not riding the rails of others conversations

Winks.

he sits in contemplation

Fate.

of the miles he’s covered

Then, the wait.

and watches the landmarks as they fall away.

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Photographer, Trainer & Model Joe Palmer / LILY RICE OF LEXIE SPORT Photographer, personal trainer and fitness model, Joe Palmer is seriously passionate about health. At 17, having played county standard football (and receiving the honor of England trials) Joe put his passion into practice and qualified as a personal trainer, ‘I didn’t take the usual university route but luckily it worked out well and by 18 I was working with MMA athletes” Wanting to take his business to the next level Joe decided it was time to go back to university and study business management. It was while on the course and having just placed 5th in his first fitness model competition that he decided to buy a camera and try his hand at something new, “I bought a camera and some lights and set up a little photography studio in the spare room. It was then that my passion for the modeling industry went to the next level. I learnt how to correctly light a picture, pose models, and a whole heap of post-production techniques” Now mixing both his passions Joe offers a unique service with his business OVO Photography, both training and photographing models, “I enjoy linking fitness and leading a healthy lifestyle to modeling and it allows me to put into practice my experience of modeling, directing and of course personal training’

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We asked Joe his top 5 tips to creating the healthy model look: 1) High intensity workouts – for the greatest benefits in the shortest amount of time in the gym, you have to push your heart rate up and challenge your muscles to their maximum. Only when you push your body to the limit will you see the best transformations. 2) Healthy eating – What you put into your body is even more important than what you put your body through. Plenty of protein and clean carbs are essential for your body to look good. Furthermore, concentrating on your micronutrients will push your body to the next level, getting in the right amount of vitamins and minerals will reap benefits to skin, energy levels and body shape.

3) The ability to de-stress – Stress not only impacts your appetite but the stress hormone cortisol actually promotes fat storage around the abdominal area. Meditation is a great way to de-stress and even just switching your phone off for a few hours a day and concentrating on yourself can provide huge benefits. 4) S leep – Whilst you sleep your body repairs physically and also restores hormones to their natural levels. If you’re not getting the recommended 8 hours sleep you could be setting yourself up for a stressful day before you’ve even woke up.

5) Routine – All of the above points are made much easier to stick to if you set yourself a routine. Set yourself days to workout and days to relax, prepare your nutrition for the day ahead either in the morning or night before, set yourself time in a morning or night to do 15 – 30 minutes meditation and try and set yourself a strict time to get to sleep so you have your full 8 hours sleep. www.facebook.com/ovophoto

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Hello my dearsâ&#x20AC;Ś Here we are again another four weeks flown past. Its a little quieter down here in Cornwall as far as the weather is concerned, which is a blessing. My heart goes out to all those families that have been flooded, I cannot imagine the distress they must be having to deal with. I took Rodney my pug out for a lovely walk this afternoon, it was cold but the sun was shining. It was lovely to see the daffodils in the fields making their way up through the cold earth, they always herald Spring is on its way.

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Lets hope the Spring gives my love life a bit of a boost. My dears, just keeping you all up to date with my latest dates. The last man I met for an afternoon date was just awful. He was so miserable, not one smile, no eye contact and his face looked like it had been slapped with a wet kipper. I made my excuses and left very quickly, did not even have a second cup of tea! One man I did meet was very nice, but he lived too far away. So for now I am just concentrating on my work, I am sure the man for me will eventually turn up. Will keep you all posted. For our Studio Bites this month something very easy and quick to make. Ginger Biscuits, these are lovely with a cup of tea or coffee and can be easily popped into your handbag when out and about, so here we go.

METHOD Sift together flour, ground ginger, mixed spice and baking powder. Rub in butter finely. Add sugar and mix to a dough with the beaten egg. Shape into a long sausage and transfer to a length of aluminium foil. Wrap foil round sausage and twist ends. Work backwards and forwards to form a roll about 5cm 2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for one hour. Heat oven to 190c (375 f) Gas Mark 5. Slice the biscuits very thinly from the roll and stand well apart to allow for spreading on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until pale gold. Cool on a wire cooling rack. Store in an airtight container when cold. Well my dears, until we chat again, take care and keep smiling.

INGRED IENTS: 225g — 8oz pl ain fl 5ml — our 1 teas poon b aking powder 100g — 4oz of butter 175g — 6oz of caster sugar 1 egg, beaten 7.5ml — 1 a teaspo on of nd a half ground ginger 2.5ml — ha teaspo on mix lf a ed spi ce

Yours, Silvia McKiddie

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