A Day in the Life of Sharon Bennett

I have always enjoyed making things; getting messy and creating atmosphere, whether with paint, fabrics, light or furniture. I am inspired by beautiful countryside, buildings, colour, water and places that I love!

A Day in the Life - Sharon Bennett

As a child I continuously annoyed my younger sisters by trying to capture them on paper with my pencils. After that I mostly drew and painted flowers in watercolour. More recently I joined an Art Group where I eventually developed a style of painting with which I am very happy.  Also I have a great love of photography, my recent works merge photos with collage, acrylic pallet, watercolour and pen work.

 

For texture in my work I often use different types of paper, including tissue, corrugated and foil.  One of my artworks ‘The East London Skyline’ was created during the 2012 Olympics. I incorporated cuttings about the Olympics from London newspapers into the painting itself. In my Venice paintings I have used handmade Venetian paper, tickets from train and boat trips! The painting then becomes alive and personal!

A painting will begin by the taking of an inspiring photograph. While out walking, holidaying or just shopping, beautiful buildings, waterways, boats, countryside, simply demand to be photographed! I take many – thank heavens for digital photography.

 

The next job is to search through the photos to see which will work well with my style of pallet knife painting and collage. The selected photographs are then enlarged, pixilated and often form a part of my paintings and become merged with collage, mixed media and acrylic pallet knife painting. I also usually include newspaper cuttings, tickets, wood, paper, anything which makes the picture more personal and unique! The result of these combinations create some powerful pieces of work. By using collage and many different textures it helps me to capture the vibrancy and atmosphere of the scene. I always like to work from my own photographs although I have created a couple of commission pieces.

 

 

I photographed St Paul’s from the Tate Modern on one of those perfect winter days. My daughter had bought me ‘high tea at the Tate’ as a birthday present last year. The weather was a perfectly crisp and sunny February day! A very rare treat in the middle of an awfully wet winter. I took the photograph from the restaurant on the top floor of the Tate. The resulting photograph was stunning and I hope you like the painting that emerged too! Margaret Graham did, and bought it when Easterleigh Hall was published. This is what she does – buys paintings to celebrate.

 

Six nights booked in Venice. We hoped for lovely weather as we were going in February! The first three days we had non-stop rain!  This did not stop me taking tons of photos and the results were stunning. The rain just seemed to enhance the colours of the beautiful Italian buildings and made the water a very deep green.

 

I was very pleased with the resulting painting, which also incorporated collage of matchsticks, our ticket from Venice to Verona and pieces of handmade Venetian paper.

I have lots of gorgeous atmospheric photographs to work with. A very familiar sight of a gondola full of Japanese tourists. The buildings over this canal are such a beautiful colour and I have tried to, and hopefully have, captured that! This is one of my most recent paintings.

 

I have some work going into a new pop up shop in Maidenhead called Craft Coop, located in Nicholsons Centre,  in an ex jewellery shop, across from Icelands, from 22nd Nov till the 4th January 2015.

 

For a further look at my work:

 

Website: www.mashup-designs.co.uk……..then…….Sharon’s Art.

 

 

My contact email is shazben58@gmail.com

 

 

Mortlach Whisky Sponsors Private Viewing Of The Cycle Revolution Exhibition At The Design Museum

Tuesday 17th November 2015 saw Mortlach whisky take pride of place at the private viewing of the Design Museum’s newest exhibition, CYCLE REVOLUTION, an exhibition which celebrates the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain, from everyday commuting to Olympic level competition, and looks at where design and innovation may take the riders of the future.

The exhibition runs from 18th November 2015 through to 30th June 2016 at London’s world leading Design Museum, celebrating the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic level competition, looking at where design and innovation may take the riders of the future.

The exhibition looks at cycling subcultures through four ‘tribes’ –

the High Performers who reach Olympic speeds…

the Thrill Seekers who take on all terrains…

the Urban Riders who pedal our cities mile by mile…

and the Cargo Bikers who work on two wheels.

The private viewing event was attended by over 300 guests, who were invited to try a choice of two Mortlach Rare Old serves.

Mortlach, the luxury single malt Scotch whisky is notorious for its powerful, complex and unique flavours that have earned it the title of ‘The Beast of Dufftown’.

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The private viewing was opened by Deyan Sudjic OBE – Director of The Design Museum

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Frost Magazine correspondent Corinne Tuddenham-Trett with Georgina Bell and Sir Terence Conran

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Mr and Mrs James Giles

The Design Museum’s passion for celebration innovative design concepts and individuals reflects Mortlach’s own design-focused approach and echoes the whisky’s history of innovation from its birth in the golden era of Victorian industrial engineering and design.

Guests enjoyed two Mortlach cocktails:

Acciona: Mortlach Rare Old, Lillet Blanc, Merlet Lune d’Apricot gomme, Regan’s orange bitters

Mortlach Rosemary and Honey Sour:  Mortlach Rare Old, Manuka honey, fresh rosemary, lemon and barrel-aged bitters

Edward Taylor, Georgina Bell and William Butler-Adams OBE (CEO Brompton Bicycle)

Georgina Bell (Brand Ambassador for Mortlach Whisky), Andrew Ritchie MBE (Inventor of the Brompton folding bicycle) and Beatrix Ong MBE (Fashion Designer and Patron of the Design Museum)

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About Mortlach Scotch Whisky…

This unique and astonishingly complicated distillation process, which commentators have attempted to explain as ‘2.81 distilled’, produces a whisky so flavoursome that whisky commentators have referred to it as the ‘Beast of Dufftown’ – a bold, rich and powerful spirit tamed for years in the finest oak casks.

Mortlach has been considered a secret weapon amongst whisky blenders, going into some of the world’s most treasured and beloved blended whiskies. With its thick, rich, robust character the whisky provides backbone, body and character in the blending world. It’s also highly prized by whisky lovers across the world – highly sought out but, in the past, hardly found. That was until in 2014 the distillery was given the limelight and recognition it not only deserves, but one that it truly has earned with the launch of 4 new luxury single malts.

www.mortlach.com

About the Cycle Revolution Exhibition…

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The last decade has seen a revolution in cycling, on a scale not witnessed in the UK since the Second World War. Cycle Revolution celebrates the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic level competition. It brings together bicycles, clothing, accessories, equipment, film and photography to explain where cycling is now and where it might take us in the future. The exhibition looks at cycling subcultures through four ‘tribes’ – the High Performers who reach Olympic speeds, the Thrill Seekers who take on all terrains, the Urban Riders who pedal our cities mile by mile, and the Cargo Bikers who work on two wheels. British bespoke bicycle frame building is showcased in the exhibition in a recreation of a bicycle making workshop featuring artisans from across the UK. Cycle Revolution closes with a glimpse into the future of cycling – how it is changing the infrastructure of the city, and how architects, designers and urban planners are responding to the needs of twenty-first century cyclists?

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Enjoy the ride! Don’t miss the specially-commissioned Ben Wilson bicycle sculpture in the museum’s Atrium, cycling films in the 1.5 Gallery and series of cycling related talks and events.

Continue the conversation on social media and feature on the exhibition’s Social Wall @designmuseum #CycleRevolution.

Highlights of the bikes on display include:

  • Sir Bradley Wiggins’s 2015 Hour Record bike and 2014 World Championship Time Trial bike
  • A number of Team Sky’s Pinarellos from the 2015 Tour de France, as well as kit and equipment from the team’s 2015 Tour de France win
  • Sir Chris Hoy’s Great Britain Cycling Team London 2012 Olympic Track bike
  • The Lotus Type 108 ridden by Chris Boardman at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games
  • Eddy Merckx’s 1972 Hour Record bike Francesco Moser’s 1984 Hour Record bike, loaned for the exhibition from the personal collection of Sir Bradley Wiggins
  • The earliest prototype Brompton in existence
  • A 1978 Breezer Series 1
  • A 1969 Raleigh Chopper
  • Bike builder’s workshop – showing the tools, materials and skills that combine to create a bespoke machine.  Six independent British bike builders are profiled – Donhou Bicycles, Toad Custom Cycles, Hartley Cycles, Robin Mather Cycles, Mercian Cycles and Shand Cycles.
  • High profile cyclists including Lord Norman Foster and Sir Paul Smith discuss their passion for cycling and hopes for its future in the closing film.

Pre-book your ticket now (Members and children go free) – £13 Adult £9.75 Student £6.50 Children (6 to 15 years old inclusive)

For group bookings, contact +44 (0)20 7940 8783. Prices include optional donation. Tickets are subject to a £0.50 booking fee.

There are a small number of cycle racks outside and beside the museum, and limited space to park bicycles along the riverside railings.

The museum has a cloakroom with limited space for folding bikes, helmets and panniers. 1 ticket for 3 exhibitions.

Related events…

22 Nov 2015 11:00 Cycle Culture Tour Take a Cycle Culture tour with Artouride and discover some of the gems of London’s design-led cycling scene.

28 Nov 2015 14:00 Stories from the Saddle: Jon Day’s Cyclogeography.  The Stories from the Saddle series invites cyclists of all stripes to the museum to share their story of life on two wheels. These monthly talks are part of the Cycle Revolution programme.

01 Dec 2015 19:00 Breaking the Cycle: A Slow Journalism Night The editors of slow journalism magazine Delayed Gratification host an evening which delves into some of the disruptive technologies and innovative designs that are challenging the status quo.

06 Dec 2015 13:00 – 16:00 Jingle (Bicycle) Bells. To coincide with the museum’s Cycle Revolution exhibition, everything you need for the festive season, on two wheels. Plus don’t miss Santa on a Bike and Christmas Carols.

10 Dec 2015 19:00 Home is Elsewhere: 50 years around the world by bike Long-distance cyclist and touring legend Heinz Stücke reflects on fifty years on the road to celebrate the launch of his book.

Images: Shane Finn (Visual Devotion) and supplied

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The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition… Closing Soon

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

8 June-16 August 2015

The largest open submission exhibition in the world

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Held without interruption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition displays works in a variety of mediums and genres by emerging and established contemporary artists.

The works are selected and hung by Royal Academicians, and entry is open to all artists.
In 2013, nearly 70% of the exhibits were by non-Academicians, £70,000 worth of prizes was awarded and over 5,000 works were sold.
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An unusual mix of celebrities –  Una Stubbs by Grayson and Measles, Harry Hill by Damien Hirst and Simon Cowell by Jenny Samtula
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The staircase and the Central Hall are alive with colour, enticing the visitor in.
Dominating the Central Hall is Matthew Darbyshire’s  Captcha No.11 (Doryphoros)  with Liam Gillick’s Applied Projection Ring.
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Grayson Perry’s amazing supersized tapestry, Julia and Rob.
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Jim Lambie’s kaleidoscopic stairs lead you up to the Main Galleries

 

At one time the show was known simply as ‘The Exhibition’, where the likes of Gainsborough and Reynolds, Turner and Constable sharpened their skills against each other.

Nowadays, although there’s a plethora of art fairs, commercial galleries and contemporary exhibitions to choose from, the galleries at Burlington House make an unrivalled setting for artists to display and sell their artworks.

For all of the works displayed, the artist is the seller of the work and the Academy takes a 30% commission on all ‘Offers to Purchase’, the proceeds going towards the RA Schools and their diverse programme of exhibitions.

The array of works and the celebratory atmosphere of the exhibition make for an unique experience where visitors can browse, buy and discuss the works on show.

Animal Tales At The British Library

 

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(Doty & Waterson’s aquatint etching & letterpress edition of A Swarm, A Flock, A Host on display in Animal Tales.

Courtesy of the artist & DC Moore Gallery, New York)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7TH – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST

Richly illustrated editions of traditional tales that will appeal to adults and children alike…
From the earliest marks made by humans in caves to our social media obsession with cats, animals have been enduring media stars throughout the ages.

Encompassing symbols of the sacred and the profane, the wild and the domesticated, they both feed our imagination and help us to make sense of the world around us.

No surprise, then, that they have been inspiring writers, poets, scientists and artists through the ages.

Perfectly timed for the school holidays, both adults and children alike will enjoy this new exhibition in the foyer of the British Library.

The show explores why animals have come to play such an important role in literature.

Visitors will be entranced at the richly illustrated editions of traditional tales from Anansi to Little Red Riding Hood.

There’s even an accompanying soundscape with poems by Mark Doty and Darren Waterston.

THE BRITISH LIBRARY
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
+44 (0)1937 546060

The Antarctic Pavilion: Alexander Ponomarev – Concordia

Fondaco Marcello, Calle dei Garzoni, Grand Canal, Venice 56th Venice Biennale of Art

Saturday 9th May –  Sunday 22nd November 

The Antarctic Pavilion- Alexander Ponomarev – Concordia1

For anyone who happens to be in Venice between the above dates I think I trip to the Antarctic Pavilion would be an extraordinary experience. Following the critical success of the Antarctic Pavilion’s inaugural exhibition at the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale, Concordia is a major installation by the celebrated Russian artist Alexander Ponomarev.

The Antarctic Pavilion- Alexander Ponomarev – Concordia voice in thewilderness

Concordia is Latin for ‘harmony’ – the personification of concord, a treaty or pact. It is also the name basis of the Costa Concordia, wrecked off the coast of Italy in 2012 after a catastrophic blunder by its captain who abandoned ship before the safe evacuation of his 3,229 passengers.

For the 56th Venice Biennale of Art, Alexander Ponomarev’s installation, curated by Nadim Samman, deploys the Costa Concordia disaster – specifically, the broken pact between Captain Schettino and his passengers – as a provocative lens through which to view the fragility of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. This agreement suspended military activity and sovereign claims on the continent’s territory, limiting human activity there to the pursuit of peaceful scientific endeavour. As the global struggle for resources intensifies, the future of this treaty is in peril.

In Ponomarev’s sculptural intervention a scale model of the grounded Concordia, tilting like a tipped iceberg (or perhaps a shift in the polar axis itself) stands as an image of terrestrial re- orientation: a new worldview.

The Antarctic Pavilion- Alexander Ponomarev – Concordia4

Elsewhere in the exhibition, fire invokes a notorious act of arson by a staff doctor from the Argentinean Almirante Brown station, who burnt his base to the ground when the setting sun announced the onset of winter.

Further works are based on the artist’s recent expedition to the (Russian Orthodox) Trinity Church of Antarctica when the whole expedition party received marriage sacraments from the southern continent’s only resident monk.

In addition to its invoking of paradigmatic disasters, Concordia is a meditation on community, responsibility, security and the strength of the ties that bind us together amid shifting personal and political landscapes.

The Antarctic Pavilion is a European interface platform for The Antarctic Biennale, to be held in Antarctica in 2016 aboard international research vessels. The Antarctic Biennale is also devised and implemented by artist Alexander Ponomarev and curated by Nadim Samman both of whom were named by Foreign Policy Magazine among the ‘100 Leading Global Thinkers’ of 2014 ‘for designing a blueprint for Antarctic culture.

www.antarcticpavilion.com

 

 

Pop Up Mexico Exhibition In Potters Fields | London Gems

Pop Up Mexico Exhibition In Potters Fields | London2015 is the year of Mexico in the UK and to celebrate there is a wonderful and vibrant pop up Mexico exhibition which opened yesterday in Potters Fields. I went along to take in the culture and the fun experience.
Pop Up Mexico Exhibition In Potters Fields Pop Up Mexico Exhibition In Potters Fields | London Gems Pop Up Mexico Exhibition In Potters F
 As I headed towards Potters Field I heard beautiful Mexican music and already saw the bright colours and statues. There were crowds everywhere. The exhibition had certainly caught the attention of Londoners who were having lots of fun. There was a huge queue at the Wahaca truck for burritos and nachos. But it is not all food, statues and music. There is an immersive pop-up pavilion in London’s South Bank. It is a multi-media experience and is not just educational but also tons of fun. You learn all about Mexico through state-of-the-art innovation, using cutting-edge modern technology. Best of all, it’s free!
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 Inside the dome is a very cool colourful car, clothes, the opportunity to experience Mexico City, lots of art and lots of other immersive media. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. I had a great time and I learned a lot. I definitely want to head to Mexico now. It has made its way onto my bucket list as it is so beautiful. Mexico has a lot going for it.
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 2015 marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration between Mexico and the United Kingdom.  For twelve months, the two countries will create new connections in the areas of culture, arts, education, science, innovation, trade and investment. There will be a series of events taking place across the UK, all of which are designed to address the preconceptions people have about Mexico. Mexico is not about mariachi, tacos and guacamole anymore.This is all about the modern and contemporary Mexico that has everything to offer: wonderful culture, great food, nature and art. In fact, Mexico is the only nation to have its cuisine designated by UNESCO as of Intangible Heritage of Humanity so after checking out the exhibition enjoy some great food by acclaimed Mexican restaurant, Wahaca.
Pop Up Mexico Exhibition In Potters Fields | London Gems food Pop Up Mexico Exhibition In Potters Fields south banl Pop Up Mexico
If you don’t live in London, don’t worry, you won’t miss out. Later in the year the dome will be travelling north to Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. This is a great day out for all of the family. Pop along before it closes on the 12th March.
The dome is open to the general public: 26th Feb – 12th March, Potters Field Park next to City Hall, 10am – 8pm. Entry is free.
 

Sponsored post.

 

 

The Call of The Wild Art Exhibition by Wendy Breckon

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In search of the creative experience, my curiosity takes me away from the hustle and bustle of Broad Street in Lyme Regis and the sea down to the Town Mill. This feels like the artistic hub, an enclosed, pretty area with a restored 700 year old flour mill and two art galleries (the Malt House and Courtyard).  Here is a tranquil place, tucked away where one can write, sketch or sip tea as the world goes by.

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I love art exhibitions; who doesn’t.  I feel the magnetic pull of the Malt House Gallery.  A light filled, calming space with the apt title of ‘CALL OF THE WILD’.

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This is closing on 23rd November, but there is a new exhibition every three weeks so have a look at the work of these artists and see the essence of the gallery.  The opening hours are normally from 10.30 to 16.30 except in early January (www.townmillartsguild.com).

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By the entrance off to the right, are three adorable and quirky figures keeping watch on all who pass through. These ladies mean business. With umbrellas over their heads and animated expressions, they clutch their handbags very tightly! Owning one is not enough, I want them all PLEASE.

I have competition in Margaret Graham though, who wonders if she’ll need a mortgage to acquire them. She treats herself to a work of art every time one of her books is published, and Easterleigh Hall is just out. We’ll have to get our elbows going, and the best girl wins.

These are the wonderful creations of ceramicist Linda Bristow, soft muted colours that would look perfect in my sitting room.

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In Linda’s collection there are also unusual shaped pots with daisies on top.  A very popular ceramicist, her work is displayed beautifully. Linda Bristow was originally a nurse but when her children grew older she went to Bath Spa University as a mature student to do an art course.  Gaining a first class honours degree in 2007, her final design piece, an instillation of 200 porcelain and bronze flowers, was snapped up by one person. Sadly it wasn’t me.

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Linda has exhibited everywhere in the UK.  She loves being outdoors and is fascinated by nature.  It is easy to visualise her working in the garden studio taking in the wonderful views of Charmouth.

Elizabeth Wilson is another artist exhibiting in the gallery, who I was lucky enough to meet today.  Her visually beautiful oil paintings capture the light and movement in the skies and seas around Lyme Regis perfectly.  My favourite three are ‘The Cobb’, ‘Storm on The Cobb’ and ‘The Seagull’.  Will her oils she has captured the iconic scenes, that those of us who live here and those who visit enjoy so much.

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Liz lives in Lyme Regis.  She originally completed a botany degree and has always had a fascination for the ‘conversation between the landscape and nature’.  It was only seven years ago that she started painting in oils.  Liz has been both influenced and inspired by Constable the landscape painter and the modernist painter Martin Kaneer for whom she has a great admiration.  Liz has always preferred being outside and likes to revisit a scene many times to achieve her end result.

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So visit Lyme Regis.  Seek out the Town Mill.  Enjoy the fabulous art in both galleries.  Meet the artists, but please leave one of those fabulous ceramic females for me.

For other activities and courses at the Town Mill, check out www.townmill.org.uk and Philip Clayton the Curator of the Arts Guild (curatorartsguild@yahoo.co.uk)

 

 

Millie Mackintosh, Jessie Ware & Louise Thompson Pledge Allegiance To Cath Kidston

Cath Kidston has a new campaign this season all about women and their handbags – something which is very personal to every woman, and can be a real storyteller in terms of personality and personal life and we love it.

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With a particular focus on the universal truth of the two tribes women fall into on the subject of the size of their handbag – either being the kind of girl who carries everything but the kitchen sink or the kind that only carries the bare essentials, Cath Kidston will launch a photographic exhibition called ‘Do You Like Yours Big or Small?’ at their flagship store 180 Piccadilly, featuring high profile friends of the brand including Daisy Lowe, Jessie Ware, Nicola Roberts, Millie Mackintosh, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Cath Kidston herself pledging their allegiance to being either a #totesbig or #totessmall kind of girl and revealing what they carry in their everyday bags.

Daisy Lowe, Jessie Ware, Nicola Roberts, Millie Mackintosh, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Cath Kidston annafriel

The exhibition will run for two weeks in the 180 Piccadilly Store, London and will be open to the public, who can also get involved by submitting their own #totesbig and #totessmall images for a chance to be featured in the exhibition. In addition there will be an interactive Ames Room, which distorts the users perception creating a #totesbig or #totessmall effect depending where you’re stood.

 

The Cath Kidston Ames room will be touring the UK bringing modern vintage British fairground fun to the below spaces:

 

o    Southampton – 6th & 7th Sept

o    Meadowhall – 13th & 14th Sept

o    Bluewater – 20th & 21st Sept

o    Westfield – 4th & 5th Oct