Exhibition Excursions

Another week has flashed past. On Saturday I visited the CHAT exhibition in Thaxted(Essex). I always enjoy this exhibition because, not only is it in a very pretty venue, but the work is always inspired. Having said that though I was slightly disappointed this year. CHAT's number were down which may have been the problem but for me it didn't have its usual spark. I think special mention should be made to Helen O'leary's work called 'King and Country' which was extremely evocative, well executed and thought provoking. Of course they allow no pictures so I'm afraid readers will have to track down their website.
On Monday it was my birthday- usually we don't do much but I always refuse to cook so I might get a Chinese takeaway if I'm lucky, but some of the Material Girls had been invited to one of our member's houses. She moved there last year and this was the first time I had visited and it is so pretty. A country cottage with roses around the door opposite a village pub need I say more. We were supposed to be discussing our work for the forthcoming ERTF exhibition (and we did a bit) but really it was just a nice day out with lunch in the pub. It was really nice to do something on my birthday and the weather was beautiful.
Then after working flat out on my module for the rest of the week I met up with some of the ERTF and JCS girls to visit the JCS graduates show yesterday. (again no piccies allowed -sorry)
This year it was held in the Gallery in Redchurch Street instead of its usual Mall Galleries venue. It had a somewhat different atmosphere needless to say- down the road from Brick Lane rather than down the road from Buckingham Palace- and personally I can't say the venue enthused me. There was always a great buzz at the Mall Galleries but I found Redchurch Street rather dead. Shoreditch is supposed to be terribly trendy but it will take a bit to convince me and I was born a Londoner. There were only 5 graduates exhibiting this year and the Mall Galleries are horrendously expensive so that was obviously a consideration but it still seems a shame. Congratulations to all the graduates but a special mention for the wonderful work of Susie Vickery (who produced exactly what I thought she would - wonderful interesting and incredibly executed work) and Andrea Butler.
We them progressed on to the Truman Building to view Loughborough Unis. Textile Show and wow! what an explosion of colour and talent. Brilliant work and sketchbooks so big congrats. to all.
We rounded off the afternoon at Spitalfields market with coffee and chat - which was the best bit of all. It is so lovely to meet up with the JCS and ERTF girls. Distance learning is quite a lonely pursuit and the chance to get together with like minded people is worth its weight in gold- we had a really good time, some moans, a lot of discussion and most of all lots of laughs.
ps. The Julia Caprara School of Textile Art website should be up and running in a month or so and they have big plans. It could be a very exciting future after such a down period.