New project

Well, the good news is that we are definitely 'on' for the John Piper film, commissioned by Mike Goldmark of the Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham. The bad news, to a certain extent, is that if we are to accomplish all the filming we want to capture before the dark days creep in, we'll have to film on location once a fortnight from now until late September - which doesn't leave a toadstool of space for FBSG. I'll try to continue logging FBSG and writing the film scripts but the main problem is that having left a project for a certain length of time the exact visual recall of the hours of film becomes dimmed, so if something proves to be not quite right, you can't necessarily recall a tidbit which would suffice or improve.
Nevertheless, we aren't complaining, it keeps us busy and the brains ticking over, and we now have a sister blog which records progress on the new project, to be found on: http://piperpapers.blogspot.com/

Coping?

Work, the garden, everything is beginning to overwhelm me!
Garden - I'm a fair weather gardener and the weather has been so lousy that I've hardly been out this year until the current heat wave, and then I suddenly realised the weeds had taken over, so had a mad splurge the last few days and it looks tolerably better, but with 1/2 acre to tend tout seul (although I draw the line at mowing the lawns) it's a bit of a facer.
Work - Returning from the last trip to Film Farm I worked flat out for a few days on our new project and then an absolutely hectic week on the Tokyo Brangwyn Exhibition 2010 for which I've been appointed consultant curator. Plus lectures, meetings, general catching up - FBSG hasn't had much of a look in. And in recording Driftwood #3 I mistakenly let myself in for completely revamping the Reproductions page of my Brangwyn website and adding all 100 illustrations - something I've been meaning to do for ages, but takes a tad longer than a few minutes!
But I did get a break to celebrate Labour Day and we had a walk round the Saxon Shoreline north of Folkestone with views of Sheppey and then back inland to Luddenham, windswept and pleasantly bleak (contradiction in terms?) and one could almost imagine what the coast would have been like centuries ago with just a few dotted farmsteads, sheep grazing, birdlife flourishing. then on to the Sportsman at Seasalter, which I believe is the only pub in England to have a Michelin star and it was EXCELLENT. Nothing pretentious, plain decor, scrubbed oak tables, mix of chairs, relaxed but knowledgeable waitresses and good quality fresh food superbly cooked - so if ever you are in the region - make a detour! (beachuts at Seasalter above)

Off again Saturday to visit my mother, travelling via Northampton armed with tripod and the new Olympus E510 - very swanky! Then a few days at Film Farm either discussing the new project or getting on with FBSG. Our projected trip the first week in June to interview Andrea about Miscellany's approach to the music and thence on to Gareth to film him making the stained glass panel has had to be postponed unfortunately - probably until August.

(below: Bluebell woods, Kent, 1 May 2008)

Northampton again

Ruth has emailed that the prototype is the Mansfield Road Baptist Church in Nottingham - which is really odd because it stated a West Bridgford church in the Abington Avenue Minutes. I've already arranged to visit Northampton on my next trip up north, together with tripod this time so I don't get camera shake. I'm feeling a new camera coming on - something with SLR possibly. And then I'll check out the Baptist church. Phew, academic rigour!

Quarters

Go on, you're kidding me - we're 1/4 way through the year already? Aaaaargh!
Well, the 2nd edition of DRIFTWOOD is published, and I've written the script for the Tiffany section. When we met up at Film Farm 24 April we recorded all my dialogue for that section and re-recorded Northampton because I'd enlivened it a tad - hopefully. Unfortunately it transpired I hadn't got sufficient images to keep the dialogue going in the Northampton film so when we started editing, the whole thing sort of unravelled and we didn't get very far, and my photo of the memorial plaque had camera shake, so I was somwhat in the doghouse - hey, give me a break, I'm comparitively new to this game. Anyway another lesson learnt and good job this isn't the Apprentice - otherwise I'd have been FIRED!
However we did produce a rather lovely opening page which will be used for each section, including the Brangwyn Portfolio wrapper design (rather Batik looking), a relevant quote and a logo which identifies each window in both the film and the PDF files.
The good news - there is some? - is that we've been commissioned to produce a DVD about another artist (NOT Brangwyn) which is all rather exciting but under wraps at the moment, but needless to say, it ended up monopolising most of our precious few days, brainstorming and so forth.
Meanwhile Gareth has family problems so the project could possibly be delayed yet again on the Welsh front. Another heartfelt AAAAARGH!

Northampton

On my monthly trip up north to visit my mother I dropped in to the United Reformed Church to take a photo of the photo they have of the Minister at the time of FB's window (long winded sentence), take a photo of the plaque in memory of those killed during WW1 since the window commemorates them and one soldier in particular, and photograph the atrium behind the east window. Ruth very helpful as usual. I mentioned that I was then progressing to West Bridgford, Nottingham where the architectural prototype of this church is rumoured to be. I was under the impression that said prototype was CofE and so had narrowed down my list of churches in that area. Ruth wasn't so sure, tried ringing the previous Minister but unfortunately he was out.

Arrived at Nottingham. St Giles was castellated so no good, the church on Boundary Road too modern, but a URC I happened to drive past looked a possibility. Unfortunately didn't have time to return because was due in Thornton.

Winter Wonderland

I set out from Kent yesterday morning in bright sunlight and wearing only a T-shirt (well, plus jeans) all set to visit Rachel in London and collect my newly purchased set of The Studio magazines. As I left I noticed a few drops of rain - within half an hour the countryside was blanketted in snow and the fast lane of the M20 was white. London was just the same, all the suburban rooves frosted like fairy cakes, tree branches drooping under the weight of the snow. Under Rachel's expert guidance the car was soon loaded with my 108 volumes plus two index volumes, and after a jolly lunch I set out again for Kent. By this time the snow had disappeared in London but as I entered Kent it started snowing again, almost blizzard conditions at times. By the time I reached home the landscape was a winter wonderland, and with that glorious silence which comes with snow.

Today the bookshelves were emptied and The Studio given pride of place. Also provided an excellent opportunity to re-organise my books, but there just isn't sufficient space for everything!

Accompanying photos show the snow in the garden and my wonderful new acquisition (left hand side of the bookshelves).

Mad March

It certainly was a wild one, wet and windy, and an endless Operation Stack (that's when they use the M20 as a car park for lorries - this time it lasted weeks partly due to the frightful weather and partly due to French strikes).
Work continued nonetheless, and my latest booklet, 'A Humble Offering to the People of Walthamstow'. Being a Short History of the Formation of the William Morris Gallery and Brangwyn Gift (certainly not a short title) went into production the middle of the month (pictured above). If you'd like to purchase a copy email me (£4 plus 50p post and packing). I also completed the film script for the Northampton window and the 1st DRIFTWOOD script (first mentioned in blog dated 2 February 2008).
And then it was Easter, rather an exhausting process, collecting the grandparents from Bristol and Scarborough areas, feeding 8 for a period of 5 days, and then delivering the oldies back home again afterwards. The highlight of the weekend was my elder son announcing his engagement - a due cause for celebration.
And then on to 3 1/2 days extremely intense work at Film Farm. I managed to get my daily run in before breakfast, but after that there was no let up - one evening we finished at 11.30 (way past my normal bedtime!) However we did succeed in launching my new website http://www.libbyhorner.com/ and also the podcast DRIFTWOOD which I think is great fun, but then perhaps I'm biased! Go have a look and a listen and let me know what YOU think! If you'd like to make any contributions, highlight local exhibitions, a book publication, a musical event or have a rant about the art world - just let me know. It can't be all bad because it was immediately accepted into the illustrious iTunes Podcast Catalogue (Arts). Wowzers! (Just click on the word Driftwood above to access)

We also succeeded in recording my blurb for the Northampton film and going through the script in detail, but did take a small break to visit the Tastes of Lincolnshire fair in nearby Horncastle, where I was introduced to the delights of smoked eel c/o Smith's Smokery and bought myself some Lincolnshire Poacher - a superb cheddar which was first produced in 1992 and was named Supreme Champion at the British Cheese Awards in 1997 against 500 other cheeses!