Summer delights........

the trouble with the summer months is that there is always so much on and usually at the same time, so you have to pack it in when you can.

Last week we visited the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy and Art in Action at Waterberry near Oxford. Both were very good days out.

I really enjoyed the Summer Exhibition this year, I loved treatment of the walls in the main rooms, vivid turquoise and shocking pink which really made the paintings pop. All the paintings can be found on line this year so if you can't visit you can at least have a flavour,

This was the treatment of the main staircase (usually just bare stone) by Jim Lambie .

I could have spent the morning photographing from all angles. The highlight for me had to be Tom Phillips' The Humument". 
This is just a small section of this incredible work.

 It needs an exhibition of its own. Or perhaps he would like to lend it to me!  Go here to see it in detail.
From art on the wall to art in action.  Fascinating to watch highly skilled people from painters to jewellers as they work. The first to catch our attention was this young lady who turns newspapers in to thread and then creates garments with it.

The beginning of a portrait. Loved the Van Gogh hat.

a few things from the "Best of the Best" marquee.
Carved from one piece of wood..

 

A map of London

A ceramic garden

Exquisite painting

Every tried needle felting?

 

My absolute favourite by Lisa Wisdom  Fascinating story.

You can see three other favourites here
There were a lot of dogs at Art in Action which pleased my friend greatly.

Right what next?

Perfect day........

.....glorious weather, good friends, a favourite place and a warm and generous tutor.  What could be better.
Yesterday we took ourselves to Sew Not Strawberry Jam.  I may be repeating myself but this is one of my most favourite places on this earth,

and yesterday inside this was waiting for us.

A magical day with Christine Kelly who has a beautiful blog called Gentlework 
 And that is what we did, Christine suggested creating a place which could house a keepsake, though we were free to make anything with inspiration from her lovely pieces and if we wished using her generous supply of old quilts, vintage linens, lace and threads.
Here are just a few of the delights

 

Beautiful, thoughtful pieces drawing on nature and her own inner feelings.

This is my own effort,

The napkin belonged to my mother and I  am using this to make a home for my father's RAF cap badge.   Since I took this is has undergone a tea bath, this is the inside.

A long way to go, I think.

We were able to take a sneaky peak at the latest of SNSJ glamping vehicles. The horse box, you can see the Shepherd's Hut in the background.

The geese at SNSJ are another delight and this one decided to cool off, 

and this one is for you Seth

Thanks Sam, Christine and "The Girls" for a super day.