Beginning at the end, above is the painting which twelve artists, who were Taking Tea at The HoBB in Knighton, Middle Wales, 11 May 2010, created. It's called "Welsh Web" and it's acrylic on linen-covered board.
Elf, creator incredible, writer, and epitomy of the essence of life a.k.a. Grant, who keeps The HoBB vibrating with magic, together with his wife Helen, burst a bubble of enthusiasm over me .... the rainbows of which lead to a tasty and painterly few hours of fun, chat and acrylics with these artists:
Jilly Tinniswood, Anne Collins, Martin Herbert, Vivi-Marie, Ciara Lewis, Julia Harris, Bronte Woodruff, Grant, Helen, Brenda Mackay, Mavis Chapman and myself.
Grant, Mavis Chapman, Helen
(backview of Anne Collins, Ciara Lewis)
Mavis Chapman, Helen, Vivi-Marie, Martin Herbert
(backview of Anne Collins, Ciara Lewis)
Brenda Mackay, Ciara Lewis, Anne Collins, Grant
(backview of Mavis Chapman)
Mavis Chapman (centre front) Helen (backview)
Vivi-Marie, Martin Herbert, Jilly Tinniswood
I'd been searching for a reason to visit The HoBB for two or three years, after chatting with Grant on the Ecademy.com networking site - and being entranced by his messages, feeling his enthusiasm for everything which comes his way. Then last month, May 2010, I had to fetch my Mum (Mavis Chapman) and eldest sister (Brenda Mackay) from London where they had been staying with my middle sister. Ha! None of us had visited Middle Wales and Brenda, herself an artist and over from South Africa to visit my Mum, is always up for a bit of extra travel .... so we were on! An email to Grant and within hours Roisin, my PA, was searching google for artists to invite.
Even just inviting artists was fun .... I linked up with a handful of artists who couldn't make it on the day but who I hope to keep in touch with and visit next time.
Before boarding the Irish Ferries "Ulyssess", I stocked up with some deliciously sugary and chocolatey goodies, boxes of different teas and coffee ... and felt not a hint of diet-police guilt. We were, after all, going to be Taking Tea.
What I hadn't mentioned in my emails to the artists was that I also planned for us to be painting a joint painting. A huge bag stuffed with acrylics, brushes, palette knives and clothes sat heavily next to a linen-covered board - primed for painting - and a travel easel in the boot of my car.
The next thirty-six hours of driving - Maam Valley in the West of Ireland to Dublin, across the puddle to Holyhead, on to Stevenage and back to the village of Presteigne in Middle Wales - was lightened with pleasant anticipation. Finally, my hands tender from manipulating a steering wheel for so many hours, we plonked our luggage down in a garden lodge of the Radnorshire Arms Inn in Presteigne ... all three of us secretly hoping for ghosts, after having read the bloody and secretive history of the Inn building. (You can find it here www.radnorshirearmshotel.com/history.html - it's an excellent read!) I definitely heard a creaking and a cranking in the walls, but as that part of the hotel was only built in the 1970s I fear it was simply the plumbing.
Next morning, bright and early, we were in the car, skidding to a halt here and there to dash out and take photographs like all good tourists ought to do, on our way to The HoBB. We missed our turning into the driveway, but it was almost on purpose as we were so enjoying the scenery, the bunnies scampering into the hedgerows, and the cockerels strutting their stuff in farmyards, so much that we almost didn't want to arrive too soon. But arrive we did, into the welcoming embraces of Grant and Helen - and straight into their kitchen to prepare the goodies.
Grant lead me outside, past miniature wooden elves houses lined up on a shelf in a wooden shed area which only belongs in a twinkling book of fantasy - to a room which he and Helen have built ... into it's environment. I think that's the best way to describe it. It's wooden, with the most incredible carved door, lovingly created by Grant; it looks down the field of sheep in front of it through glass windows angled out to make the most of the view and has dragon scales and a forest of trees embossed in cement on its walls.
Even just inviting artists was fun .... I linked up with a handful of artists who couldn't make it on the day but who I hope to keep in touch with and visit next time.
Before boarding the Irish Ferries "Ulyssess", I stocked up with some deliciously sugary and chocolatey goodies, boxes of different teas and coffee ... and felt not a hint of diet-police guilt. We were, after all, going to be Taking Tea.
What I hadn't mentioned in my emails to the artists was that I also planned for us to be painting a joint painting. A huge bag stuffed with acrylics, brushes, palette knives and clothes sat heavily next to a linen-covered board - primed for painting - and a travel easel in the boot of my car.
The next thirty-six hours of driving - Maam Valley in the West of Ireland to Dublin, across the puddle to Holyhead, on to Stevenage and back to the village of Presteigne in Middle Wales - was lightened with pleasant anticipation. Finally, my hands tender from manipulating a steering wheel for so many hours, we plonked our luggage down in a garden lodge of the Radnorshire Arms Inn in Presteigne ... all three of us secretly hoping for ghosts, after having read the bloody and secretive history of the Inn building. (You can find it here www.radnorshirearmshotel.com/history.html - it's an excellent read!) I definitely heard a creaking and a cranking in the walls, but as that part of the hotel was only built in the 1970s I fear it was simply the plumbing.
Next morning, bright and early, we were in the car, skidding to a halt here and there to dash out and take photographs like all good tourists ought to do, on our way to The HoBB. We missed our turning into the driveway, but it was almost on purpose as we were so enjoying the scenery, the bunnies scampering into the hedgerows, and the cockerels strutting their stuff in farmyards, so much that we almost didn't want to arrive too soon. But arrive we did, into the welcoming embraces of Grant and Helen - and straight into their kitchen to prepare the goodies.
Grant lead me outside, past miniature wooden elves houses lined up on a shelf in a wooden shed area which only belongs in a twinkling book of fantasy - to a room which he and Helen have built ... into it's environment. I think that's the best way to describe it. It's wooden, with the most incredible carved door, lovingly created by Grant; it looks down the field of sheep in front of it through glass windows angled out to make the most of the view and has dragon scales and a forest of trees embossed in cement on its walls.
He thought it might be the ideal place for us to create our painting. He was right. It was brilliant.
We warmed up and got to know one another around the table set for tea; then took our chatter out to The Dragon Scale Room where the talk never stopped and the brushes just flew over the canvas.
This is how "Welsh Web" began ......
... progressed a little more ...
... and so it carried on ...
... until this point, just before it got a few more splashes
before it's journey home to become this ...
The final "Welsh Web"
I took a video of the whole painting process ..... just a little editing and it'll be here to enjoy.
Anyone want to Take Tea with Artists? Give me a shout!
Anyone want to Take Tea with Artists? Give me a shout!