Fairlyte Open Studios

 

The Fairlyte Workshop is opening its doors for the 

COASTAL CURRENTS Arts Festval 2010

A celebration of visual arts, performance and events throughout my hometown of Hastings & beyond.

Opening times:

18 - 19 & 25 - 26 September 11am - 6pm  

For full details including directions please visit the COASTAL CURRENTS website

 

If you are local to Hastings on the South Coast of England it would be great to meet you. Come and have a cream tea and meet me and my two guest designer makers (see below)

Here is a little montage of some of the work I'll have on show and for sale:

Some of my fresco secco paintings

....and here are some Elizabethan designs hand painted on linen for cushions and curtains and as fresco secco panels.

A mosaic of Elizabethan designs

Joining me are:

Julie Tucker-Williams
Julie creates unique pieces in silver and gold, precious stones and freshwater pearls. Buy unusual jewellery from stock or commission a piece to your personal requirements.

Vanessa Mooncie 

Vanessa is a contemporary crochet jewellery designer who creates delicate, finely detailed accessories. As a silkscreen artist her prints capture the provocative narrative in couture, dance and illustration.

Vanessa's crochet pendant and Julie's silver heart pendant

Mermaids and Multivines

A recent commission to paint a swirling Elizabethan Multivine design. 

The finished painted wall

Mel and Dave painting the design

We painted this design between the studding of an attic bedroom in a Grade II listed Elizabethan house in Mermaid Street, Rye.

Mermaid Street, Rye

The original design was discovered painted on the walls of a house in Canterbury which is why we have named the design The Canterbury Multivine. Whilst the house is long since demolished, fortunately the painting was recorded as a watercolour just before the bulldozers moved in. Thanks to this sketch we were able to reconstruct what we know was a popular style of design in the 16th century.

A detail of the original watercolour

As Elizabethan wall painting designs go this is one of the more subtle and pretty of them with a loose flowing arrangement of flowers, leaves, acorns and fruit. As with most Elizabethan wall paintings this design has its appertaining frieze across the top.  The colours consist of a simple palette of earth colours: shades of yellow and red ochre and terre verte.

We have enjoyed using this elegant design over the years in different settings. Here are some examples (not terribly good quality photos I'm afraid - these are scans from photos - pre-digital era!) 
 

Canterbury Multivine - Exhibition stand at Period Living Fair

Canterbury Multivine painted on kitchen walls  (private client)

Canterbury Multivine painted between beams in a library (private client)