COLESHILL CAFE/SHOP/GALLERY

Art exhibition, celebratory evening & workshop in a community setting, a venue where I had previously shown work after my travels to India.  Here now in the old carpenter's yard, transformed to volunteer run cafe/shop/gallery,  I enjoy contemplating how to install the artworks made on my travel bursary journey to Italy, in response to the RWA Residency & Solo Show, plus new works.  The event is days after the highly positive artist in residence one week only experience at Lacock.  I was feeling it was all too much.  However, with the amazing help of local artist Alex, it came together over two days.  Alex and I had been meeting and collaborating every Tuesday during the summer, and was she brilliantly decisive, practically helpful and encouraging about where and how to place work.  We are both deep in thought when Duncan, landscape painter and exhibition co-ordinator, enters the space and gasps, he is horrified my exhibition hanging gear resides in my handbag.  You need a proper toolbox, he said.  I have one, I reply, pointing to a carpenter's wooden toolbox now full of all my tiny treasures gathered on my journey around Italy.  The collection of work feels good in the space, with a shrine created in the alcove, with flicking lights and offerings.   I sit and ponder of the difference between being in the Royal Academy with a large room,  academia's, arty professionals and off the city street public visitors and this smaller informal rural space with a range of local folk, business and creative professionals, ramblers and cafe visitors.  

"Your textiles look good here" said a visitor sipping tea.  "Amazing"...said a volunteer offering me a slice of her orange polenta cake. "Spooky", said the cleaning lady.  "A cut above the rest", said another volunteer, "I just love looking at your work"... 

"The exhibition is generating many comments" he said.  

A visiting textile artist comments that the three exhibited story dolls
are like Peruvian Burial Chamber Dolls,
and tells me to put up the prices of my scroll books.

 Drawing Breath Sunday workshop:cafe/gallery transformed into pop-up studio, and participants,
draw with inks, write, knit, gather, bind, make iStop motion movies in the gifted doll's house, "I love your work ...very theatrical" said a mother of teenage daughter who creates her very own diorama.