15 minute read
Arts & Antiques
OPEN STUDIO EXHIBITION
Chew Valley Arts Trail Originals| Prints|Postcards Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th October 10am - 6pm
Church Lane Cottage Stanton Drew Bristol BS39 4EW
Phone: 07464 951180 email: info@natashaclutterbuck.co.uk www.natashaclutterbuck.co.uk
Artists museum exhibition
Two wellknown artists, Robin Gray from wedmore and Ceris Jones from Garstang, Lancashire, will show works which show Mendip Moon by Robin paintings and drawings of caves and caving, diving, landscapes and high mountains, still life and life drawing.
Both are founder members of The International Society of Spelaeological Art and have shown work in caving areas around the world. This is their second exhibition at the wells and Mendip Museum. Again Robin will be showing paintings of the Himalayan mountains and also some British mountain landscapes while Ceris will include the hills of Yorkshire. Both will be showing their interest in diving and cave diving and Ceris will include a Hands by Ceris number of her fine life drawings for which she is also well known.
Some people in Somerset will know Robin for his organic abstract paintings and Ceris has persuaded him to include some in this exhibition.
At least one and usually both of the artists will be in the gallery to meet interested visitors. Entry to the exhibition will be free. The museum will be closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Another successful sale at Clevedon
CLEvEdon Salerooms held their latest Quarterly Specialist Sale on Thursday, September 1st. A varied selection on offer saw some very healthy prices achieved throughout the day. The high watermark of the sale was hit not once but twice in the Asian Art section, all in the space of two lots. A Chinese cloisonne enamel bowl had arrived in a carrier bag at the saleroom on a valuation day, having languished unloved in a cupboard under the vendor’s kitchen sink. Clevedon’s valuers sensed it could have potential and their hunch proved to be right, as a long bidding battle took it to £8,200.
In a similar story, a group of five Chinese Republican period (early 20th century) porcelain vases achieved the same price. Finely painted and decorated with Chinese script, they had caught my eye on a visit to the vendor’s home.
I had sold one such vase years ago for a good sum, but could lightning strike twice? A resounding “yes” was the answer, as
£8,200 was recorded for the second lot in succession. Items with a strong local connection often prove most popular at the salerooms. A pistol by rare local maker Joseph Callaway found its way home. The vendor had previously waivered over an offer of £1,500, but was rewarded for declining this as it sold at Clevedon for a more deserving £2,400. With Also with a local flavour, a rare painted wooden diorama of a CHRIS YEO Bristol to London mail coach was the subject of strong bidding, selling for £2,800. The paintings section also yielded a number of strong prices. A good mid-19th century oil on canvas of a farmer with prize bull and sheep attracted the attention of a Midlands-based specialist in animal paintings, who secured the work for a multipleestimate £5,800. Furniture closed the sale and from a local nailsea estate a beautifully primitive windsor chair illustrated the strong demand for the best period pieces as it sold for £1,400. with some 85% sold and a total well above expectations, the sale represented another resounding success for a saleroom going from strength to strength.
Chris Yeo is a valuer at Clevedon Salerooms and regular expert on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow Please visit the website www.clevedonsalerooms.com for more details
Silver and jewellery sales prove popular
KILLEnS stage regular sales of silver and jewellery at their Mendip Auction Rooms and their latest sale held last month saw a large entry attract strong interest from across the world.
Many pieces sold for in excess of £1000 with an early 20th century gold, emerald and diamond three stone ring achieving £1150 and an Italian bi-colour gold rope twist necklace making £1100. Charm bracelets are always keenly sought and a bracelet on a padlock clasp, with hallmarks for Birmingham 1968, together with ten charms made £100. over the past few months, the value of silver items have increased and are wanted. The next sale of silver and jewellery will take place on Saturday 5th november and entries are invited.
At the same sale in September, an excellent entry of
watches went under the hammer. A Pocket watch sold for £1700 at Mendip Auction Rooms George III 18ct gold cased pocket watch by Grimalde & Johnson made £1700 and a victorian 18ct gold cased full hunter pocket watch by Joyce Murray £1300. Killens sell antique and modern watches on a regular basis. In october, three sales will be staged including a Modern design sale on 18th october. A sale of Classic Cars scheduled for 22nd october has been postponed until next year. valuations can be undertaken on a drop in basis at the auction rooms between 10am and 3pm Monday to Thursday and Killens have professional valuers and experts on hand to advise. Alternatively, our valuers are able to conduct free home visits.
Contact the team at Killens on 01749 840770 or email enquiries@mendipauctionrooms.co.uk for further assistance
A window on Chris’s world
THE Somerset Guild is delighted to highlight the glass work of their long-standing member, Chris walters, as october’s Maker of the Month.
Chris has worked with glass for more than 20 years and been a member of the guild for more than a decade. He works in both fused glass and stained/leaded panels. Some of the former is on display in the guild's gallery in wells. Chris’s leaded work is mainly by commission.
He said: “Stained glass panels can achieve a lot . . . sometimes it’s only a small idea which turns into a transformative project.”
His inspiration began many years ago when he moved to a house where there was a hole where a window should have been. This fuelled an obsession with glass and a lot of trial and error at night classes.
Chris relishes the alchemy of kiln firing and is inspired by nature, conversation, music and his travels around the world.
There are many such crafts people within the guild. Many of them, including Chris, are happy to work on a commission basis to create something which is unique, special to you and meets your needs. Such work starts with a chat and the guild is more than happy to put you in touch with their members. do visit their gallery in Broad St, wells, to view a selection of Chris’s distinctive work.
Studio open for Chew Valley Arts Trail
Cathy Judge CHEwTonMendip based sculptor Cathy Judge has been sculpting for over 20 years. Raised in south Somerset, in a tiny hamlet called Purtington, Cathy had five brothers to play with but resisted becoming a tomboy. Cathy said: “with no female company my age and no money it seemed only natural that I became creative. My hobbies included drawing, knitting, crochet, patch work, dress making, picture making with pressed wild flowers, writing poetry and of course reading.
“It wasn't until much later, when I had children of my own, that I was introduced to sculpture. It was a life changing moment. when I held the clay in my hands and sculpted my first ever rough head I knew I had found what I had been looking for.
“For the next ten years I was totally obsessed with my new love. I found I was drawn to the tactile and curvaceous which led naturally to the study of the female form."
Cathy's focus has recently changed, when they got their own dog. She said: “now I understand and appreciate the love they both give and create. Sculptures of animals themselves do not move me but I am interested in expressing the relationship with owners and their dogs."
Another exciting development is an interest in embossing, including using embossed pewter to enhance quality vintage furniture.
As a part time carer and a singer songwriter, Cathy is a busy lady. After originally training in psychiatry she now works for the orchard vale Trust looking after adults with learning differences.
She said: “I rarely go in without my guitar and love to sing for them. Lately my musical partner Johnny Francis and I have been enjoying playing in care homes and day centres such as the Lawrence Centre in wells.” They also do open mics, festivals and the occasional private functions. Cathy will be exhibiting from her home in Chewton Mendip for the Chew valley Arts Trail, october 8th and 9th, 10am6pm. with a gallery, sculpture garden and working studio, visitors will be able to enjoy a large body of Cathy's work.
From a Ferrari to furniture at Dore & Rees in Frome
SoME slick wheels roll into Frome this month as dore & Rees host their fourth Classic Cars auction on Saturday, october 8th. nick wells, Head of Motoring, has put together a diverse selection of Guy Tayler – started work as a porter at Dore & Rees in the 1990s lots for all to enjoy. Top of the tree is a 1985 MG Metro 6R4 Group B works Rally Car. The 1986 Austin Rover Motorsport test and development car, also a recce car for the 1986 season, has had three private owners with extensive period rally history and is offered at an estimate of £260,000-£310,000.
For the early classic car lovers, a 1936 MG n-Type Magnette, a rare and desirable six-cylinder variant, was delivered new to American beauty queen Hazel Forbes. It has been fully restored to original specification and has toured in recent times, offered at an estimate of £50,000-£55,000.
The appeal of a “barn find” is undeniable and this auction has one of the best, a 1964 Ferrari 330 GT Series 1. UK-delivered from new, originally finished in Blu Scuro with a red leather interior, this example has been in current ownership since 1971 and dry stored since 1988, ideal for full restoration at an estimate of £60,000-£70,000.
A couple of weeks later, on wednesday, october 19th, the auction salerooms will have a very different feel as Select Interiors takes to the floor. dore & Rees’s regular auction featuring furniture, pictures, sculpture, silver, ceramics, works of art and more offers bidders and buyers a chance to find something unique for their interiors. The auctions are led by Guy Tayler, who has lived and breathed dore & Rees all his life, starting out as a porter in the 1990s.
Quickly learning every aspect of auction house operations, Guy has been running auctions from start to finish alongside Mark Rees for many years. His auction now features a curated selection of lots and is open for consignments through to Friday, September 30th. defined by their difference, no two interiors auctions are ever the same. They are the ultimate destination to get that buzz of discovery – you really never know what you might find. Perfect for those looking to furnish their home or be inspired by the unexpected, this is a great starting place for those new to auction. l Are you considering selling items at auction? Contact the team at dore & Rees via enquiries@doreandrees.com or call 01373 462257 to arrange a no obligation valuation.
Art in nature
Kelly O'Brien ARTISTKelly o’Brien is pictured installing her sculpture, Pollinator Sanctuary, which was commissioned for Somerset Art weeks, at deer Leap viewpoint near Priddy. She said: “My aim is to offer shelter and refuge for wild pollinators – both honey and solitary bees. Sanctuary means a source of help, relief, or comfort in troubled times.
“nature needs our help and this project is about facilitating that conversation while offering tangible sanctuary in the wild.”
It will be at deer Leap until october 9th.
Details: http://pollinatorsanctuary.art https://www.instagram.com/kellyobrienart/
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For more information contact: Pamela Cartwright 07901 762994 adpcartwright@gmail.com
Inspired by art
PAMELACartwright has spent more than 30 years teaching art in schools and colleges. She has also taught in prisons and worked with social services helping people with mental health issues and disabilities. She said: “From the moment I first studied art it opened my eyes to the world around me. It’s given me so much pleasure and deepened my understanding of my Pamela Cartwright surroundings.” Following the loss of her husband in 2019, after more than 50 years, Pamela decided to leave Staffordshire and head west.
The Mendips were a natural choice as Pamela had attended college in Bath in the 1970s and her daughter, along with her two grandsons, lived in Holcombe. She ended up purchasing a house just four doors away from them.
She completed the move just a few weeks before the first lockdown and by April 2020 she found herself making PPE to be used by the nHS.
Post lockdown Pam has joined art clubs in Frome and Bruton and decided to take on new pupils, with one-to-one sessions for everyone aged over 16.
Bantham Beach at Low Tide
Street exhibition
THELoving Earth Project, an international touring collection run by Quaker Arts network, will be on display at Street Quaker Meeting House from october 16th-22nd, 10am-4pm with an open evening on october 19th, from 7pm.
It says it can help people engage creatively with the climate crisis. The exhibition will also be on show at other venues until november 12th, including Cheap Street Church, Sherborne, Taunton Quaker Meeting House and wells Town Hall.
Foodbank appeals for support
WELLS Vineyard Foodbank says public support is more important than ever this year, due to the increase in the number of people looking for help. At the same time as client numbers are growing, the price of groceries and essential items has continued to go up, putting a further squeeze on already stretched resources.
It says demand has now outstripped the donations given in Waitrose, Santander and Morrisons. This means that the foodbank must also spend around £1,700 a month on groceries to supplement the donations of tins and long life products.
Sue Marland, senior pastor of Wells Vineyard, said: “Without public support, we simply wouldn’t be able to continue our vital work to support local people who are struggling to afford food and other essential items. “That’s why it is more important than ever that we now receive financial donations as well as nonperishable products. If you can afford to help, please think of us. Even very small donations all add up –if everyone in Wells donated £5 to us this Harvest Festival, we would be able to raise an impressive £60,000!”
Details: www.wellsvineyard.com or scan QR code
Frome supports refugees
RICHARD Pelham of Wanstrow did a wing-walk on a 1930s Boeing Stearman biplane near Cirencester to raise awareness, and funds, for the charity “Frome Welcomes Refugees”.
So far nearly £3,500 has been raised, specifically for Ukrainians in Frome, administered by Frome Rotary Club. Frome Welcomes Refugees would like to find more residents who could assist with hosting.
A Ukrainian toast –Richard Pelham (left) with David Murray, Ukrainian host
Details: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richardpelham • info@twentyfifty.co.uk
More changes at show society
THE Royal Bath & West Society has announced that Catherine Look has been elected its new chairman; the first female chairman in its history.
Taking over from Robert Drewett, Catherine will be working closely with the Bath & West team and its wider stakeholder group as the society moves forwards after the pandemic.
Catherine has been involved with the Royal Bath & West Society for a number of years, having joined the board of trustees in 2018. Alongside her involvement in the society, Catherine is the managing director of her family business, which manages and develops park home estates and holiday parks across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
Catherine said: “I’m very much looking forward to working with our team and wider stakeholder groups as the society moves forwards, seeks new opportunities and develops our charitable objectives.”
Robert, who was chairman for more than nine years, said: “Now that we are emerging from the challenges of Covid, and with a bright future ahead of the society, I am delighted to be handing over leadership of the society to Catherine. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. I wish the Royal Bath & West of England Society continued good health and prosperity.”
Robert, who was elected a vice-president of the society at its annual meeting, will continue to be involved with the society, joining its Charity Committee and continuing to represent the society on outside bodies such as the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth.
