final festival fun

ken eardley ceramics - a colourful display

ken eardley ceramics - teacup handles

our most devoted visitor - Tamsin ShaSha

back again....Tamsin & friends

Annabet's tape measure brooch

Annabet & Ken have a chat

Becky Blair - Meet me at the Water's Edge

ken eardley ceramics - bud vases

images courtesy of Lianne Jarrett Associates

Clare Stiles - Damask cuffs

Our last day of festival fun - a big thank you to all our visitors. Trapeze artist and actress Tamsin ShaSha has to get a big shout for being our most devoted visitor! Tamsin's 9 visits has to be a record and bringing friends from as far afield as York and New Zealand - thanks Tamsin! Brighton Jeweller Annabet Wyndham arrived porting a barmy but brilliant tape measure brooch and Clare Stiles shared her secrets of how to alter the instincts of a broody chicken. It's all part of the fun and we're already looking forward to next year. The kitchen's very bare without you Ken!

AT Open House

great flyer

Alice Pattullo - Seven Whistlers

Mr Wingate - centrepoint wallpaper

 Mr Wingate - St Pauls Cathedral cushion

A quick dash to see a very local open house- only 2 minutes walk down the hill to Hendon Street. Opening for the first time this year, AT has a creative and relaxed atmosphere with poetry readings and an interesting mix of work; Alice Patullo's illustrative prints & Mr Wingate's textiles particularly caught my eye, as well as knitting needle bracelets which Mary Fellows bought last week!

Anna-Maria Desogus Memorial Award

In memory of Anna-Maria

memorial award  - commemorative plate designs

In memory of my friend Anna-Maria Desogus who died at 39 years old, I have initiated two annual Art & Design awards. Anna lost her fight with cancer on 9th February 2008. I've wanted to do something positive ever since: to keep her memory alive and to celebrate her life & art. In collaboration with Anna's sister Angela and family, we are delighted to be awarding the prizes for the first time in June 2011. Creating a link between my home-town and the area where Anna grew up, the prizes are to be awarded to students at Brighton University and Stourbridge College. The Brighton award will be for a 2nd year student on the Design & Craft degree (Ba Hons), awarded in collaboration with the programme team Jyri Kermik, Alma Boyes and Gareth Neal. The Stourbridge award is for a National Diploma student progressing onto a Foundation course. The criteria of both awards are intended to reflect Anna's qualities: visual, courageous, socially-aware and innovative. The winning student will receive a cash prize and a commemorative plate designed by Mary Fellows.

two open houses in thirty minutes

Robin Johnson

driftline garden sculpture

a warm welcome from Clair Letton at the cake house

rainbow steps

treasure trove

We did it! Alice & I managed two open houses in thirty minutes ...in a dash to see at least one or two other open houses this month we visited local painter Clair Letton's beautifully located house by Blakers Park. Piles of vintage plates were ready to be made into cakestands; Clair has aptly branded her venue 'The Cake House'. We wish we could have stopped for tea! Check out her wonderful rainbow staircase. Andy Goldsworthy-inspired garden sculptures by the talented Robin Johnson were a great discovery at Sarah Jones' new house in Stanford Road....

today's favourite pieces

sarah jones - undercliff walk

sarah jones - british seaside

mary fellows - kissing tree

Emily Milne Wallis - Deer in the Woods

Jane Robbins - carpet garden

Ken Eardley - new flower jug (medium oval)

ken eardley - apple plate

Ken & I were kept very busy today but we still found time to devour cakes from the Real Patisserie! Here's a sneak peek at today's most popular pieces. Those February days of being blown away on the undercliff walk will soon be here again...

film of the yellow house

click here to view film

here's a film of our open house 2011 - the perfect solution if you can't make it to the house. A big thank you to Tim Pieraccini for ten days of hard work & editing and to Jenni Davidson for her reporting. Samantha Murray's guitar-music evokes a calm relaxed atmosphere; it's a wrap!

Estella's shoes

Jennifer Collier - Estella's paper shoes

Great work Jennifer! Made to commission for writer Sue Roe using pages from her novel 'Estella; her expectations'. A very special & memorable birthday present.

busy open days

hannah cole - brighton beach

sarah jones - coastguard cottages

marion brandis ceramics - there are even gorgeous spoon rests!

busy open days 2011

time for a sit-down - ceramics by jane muir

living room 2011

marion mcconaghie - mini canvasses

emily milne wallis - cycle superhighway

a windy weekend for our guests visiting from vienna - lots more to see before it's time to relax.

featured in the independent

thank you to Lianne from Lianne Jarret PR for sending us a copy of The Independent article featuring our open house exhibition. Published on the day of the royal wedding & written by Jill McNair the article focuses on artists who use their homes to sell art.

text on the yellow house easier to read here!

5 minute film

Jenni & Tim came from 'the latest' yesterday to make a 5 minute film of the open house; with 18 artists to include there was lots to talk about and we certainly deserved our tea break. Looking forward to the final edit which should be ready by monday 16th May.

my jane muir favourites

Jane Muir - boat with two peeps

jane muir - quaver birds

jane muir - treehead man

jane muir - box person

all my favourite Jane Muir pieces have now sold including this very lovely box-person & quaver birds. I can't wait to see what Jane brings next...

open house 2011

Emily Milne Wallis - Arctic Hare - original drawing

melanie porter - knit & sarah jones - prints

victor stuart graham - driftwood boat - our favourite!

I wonder if you think about me....

Everyone loves these bird jugs by Marion Brandis!

Clare Stiles - jewellery - beautifully smooth to wear

mary fellows, ken eardley & rowena gilbert

Sandi from Canada bought Ken Eardley's pear dish

Jehane Boden Spiers - Royal Throne of Kings

Jehane Boden Spiers - Venetian Dreams

a collection of some favourite shots so far from the open house this year. we've enjoyed a great opening weekend with lots of familiar faces coming back to see us....it must be time to put our feet up.....those melanie porter knitted union jack cushions look quite inviting!