Love this photo by another of my talented nieces Hannah Chambers  

 Illustration of me by my talented niece Ellie Marriott 

Happy endings?

Snow White, was all right when she got her man.  Fed up with looking pale, she got a bottle tan. 

Sleeping Beauty was a cutie but needed to wake up and smell the coffee.

The Ugly Duckling, was often seen chuckling, as he was beautiful inside.

Jack didn't amount to can of beans, until he became upwardly mobile. 

The Three Little Pigs, operating from digs became pink property developers.

Hansel and Gretel, never did settle and ended up in a commune in Wales.

The Princess was restless until she bought a memory-foam topper, while the pea was frozen and sold to an Iceland shopper.

Beauty was a beast.

Little Red, blushed and said: "I should have noticed something was wrong, my granny has a much hairier chin."

Pinocchio woodn’t grow but his nose grew into a branch of Ikea.

Tinkerbell made a smell and blamed it on Peter Pan.  Captain Hook took a look and dispersed it with a fan.

Creative Writing

It was silly really, letting the weak winter daylight disappear before walking her dogs; now it would be too late to get back without the dark closing in. Pulling on a coat over her expectant belly, chastising herself for becoming distracted and irritated at the prospect of a wet, muddy slide in the twilight, Justine squeezes through the back-gate.

Her day has been frustratingly unproductive, undeveloped ideas melting away before forming fully and the baby seemed unusually restless shifting within her. And there was a nightmare which suddenly surfaced - freed by a radio debate discussing gender neutrality - a cause she'd adopted by opting-out of a sexing scan and felt was a fundamental part of this androgynous existence.

Devastatingly real, the dream revealed a faceless baby, slick with blood, umbilical cord fast about its neck.  "It was only a dream", she comforts, shaking her head to stop foreboding thoughts sinking deeper. 

Heading along the well trodden hedge-line, huddled against the annoyance of an unorganized existence writing her first novel, she passes under the tree's dense canopy.  She wonders at her unease, having always been more concerned with creating a book than a life.

Ahead, the beagles stop abruptly, unhappy tails tucked despondently beneath them, focusing their intense gaze on something sensed along the path.  A cold, malingering pocket of air, drapes itself across Justine’s shoulders and shivering, she instinctively touches her stomach.

Suddenly, a blackbird sounds a noisy warning.  On edge and annoyed at the dogs’ unease, she calls to them but hears a voice as faint as an echo whispering back. Pulse pounding, she searches the direction of the canines’ neurosis, while fishing for her mobile in her pocket, swiping for the reassurance of the torch.

Her phone is dead and swearing, she moves to hurry back, startled at how vulnerable and cold she unexpectedly feels. But the unintelligible voice speaks again – louder this time - as if tuning to a more receptive channel and glancing down she sees that a pale-light is emanating from its screen. Shakily holding it away from her like an unpleasant thought, Justine reluctantly places the phone to her ear with a tentative “Hello?”.

She expects a girl’s voice but can’t be sure and as she tries to make sense of the barren words; the voice is lost to babies’ screams in the background. The glow dies, along with all composure, and sobbing, she tries to run back along the slippery path.

Falling painfully onto her knees, struggling to stand up, a new terror seizes her as something brushes against her face and turning, Justine sees a pair of pale, dirty feet suspended in mid-air.

Hauling herself up, hysterical sobs racking through her body, she stumbles away and looking back sees a corpse hanging, head lolling unnaturally, blank eyes staring down at its distended stomach.

The police and paramedics arrived quickly but there’s nothing to be found. 

Her doctor insists on another scan later that week, which confirms Justine is having twins – a boy, and a girl.

Copyright© Lucinda Merriman

Word for word

I need to write a poem – I want to write it quick, ‘cause if I don’t get the right words out soon, I’m afraid of feeling sick.

Verses coursing through my body, arranging which route to take, surging along my arteries, trying to escape.

Bashing up my brain cells, mithering my messy mind - tickling my stomach lining - dashing down my spine.

Trying to find an opening, a natural way to flow, my conjunctions are forming untidy lines but still it’s all too slow.

My liver says it’s leaving to find a more eloquent space, while my heart is busy emoting, at a fast and furious pace.

Alas, I’ve mislaid all the alliteration I imagined tipping off my tongue - I’ve failed to corral any apostrophes and the prologue’s not yet begun.

If only I could locate a preposition, to see just where I am or think of an interjection that didn’t give a damn!

Clumsy commas dash off with semi-colons, not sure what mark to make; whilst an ill at ease idiom, puts on its brave face.

Clouds of clichés gather, hovering ominously overhead, lazy similes bumping into muddled metaphors, that should have stayed in bed.

What if these thoughts do make it into the open and are transcribed onto the page, will their sudden exposure seem weak or overplayed?

An errant ego rushing off to find flattery, seldom looks back to ponder on its faults, not for it perpetual circles of uncertainty, as in a beginner’s waltz.

We should be careful what we wish for, be wary of what we aspire to write, as often words betray their creator, leaving them ashamedly contrite.

After all it might just be hyperbole, overstated and often queer – for example who ever thought of a word that sounds like itself and called it an onomatopoeia?

Copyright Lucinda Merriman ©

To be?

Be careful what you wish for,

be mindful what you think.

Be cautious what you eat for tea,

be wary what you drink.

Keep walking on the sunny-side 

of life’s perpetual gloom.

And be sure to stay on the funny-side 

of your eventual doom. 

Copyright Lucinda Merriman

Greeting card verses

Special Birthday Wishes 

Every year you have a birthday, today you have one too, 

of all the things most wonderful, I wish them all for you.

Walking in the sunshine, singing in the rain, 

holding hands with the one you love, making daisy chains.

Catching warm birthday wishes, holding happiness in your hand, 

embracing joyful moments, will make you understand, 

how sending across all my love and wishing you the perfect day, 

will happen every year I think of you, in this very special way.

Thank You

Thank you for being so wonderful, thank you for being so kind.

All the lovely things you do for me, have been swirling around my mind.

Listening to all my problems, giving me a hug, 

buying me a bunch of flowers, never looking smug.

If everyone were as nice as you, the world would be a better place,

the streets would be full of happy people with smiles upon their face.

Copyright Lucinda Merriman

'Be Creative with Workbox' Magazine article written from Textile Society's Press Release

This article features in the Jan/Feb issue of 'Be Creative with Workbox' magazine.

Recent article in Popular Patchwork written from Textile Society's Press Release

Checkout this latest edition of Popular Patchwork!

Introducing this year’s sensational Textile Society’s student bursary winners

This year’s overall winner was postgraduate Abigail Barnes who recently graduated from the Royal College of Art where she specialised in Mixed Media Textiles.  
Abigail explains: “My graduate collection focused on luxurious embroidery and

Abigail Barnes at the ATF London

embellishment design, where I looked at ways to exploit traditional techniques of hand embroidery, while using more contemporary processes.” 
The judges were impressed by the level of skill and craftsmanship demonstrated in the production of the work, and how this was deployed to creative effect.  Sumptuous materials - leathers, (stingray and ostrich), furs, pearls and silks were utilised to form highly decorative embellished and constructed cloths that have the potential for a wide variety of applications.

The judges reported: "The work of Abigail Barnes is sensory and exquisite.There is an elegant fusion between the digital and ‘hand’ processes with media and materials being sensitively and carefully selected.  Student’s work should show the potential of itself, rather than be at a point of closure, and it was for this reason that we were particularly impressed with Abigail’s application.”

Abigail used her bursary award to buy materials to put together a trim collection in

One of Abigail's designs

collaboration with her friend Elizabeth Ashdown, a Weave designer, also a recent graduate from the RCA, to exhibit at Première Vision, Paris, the fashion industry’s premier material sourcing event.
Abigail said: “The Textile Society’s award really helped me to fund Paris, which was a wonderful, if a little overwhelming experience.  I spoke to lots of inspiring and influential people in the industry and it was great to see how my work would translate in terms of production for a fashion house or atelier in London.' 

The two runner-ups were postgraduates Kita Katona and Alice Hebdon.  

Zita Katona at the ATF London

Kita Katona graduating this November with a Distinction in MA Fashion and Textiles design from Heriot-Watt, created a printed textile project 'Anthropocene', inspired by the human 'built' environment.  Her work takes on the sixties modernist architectural environment of 'brutalism' and the vernacular of Scotland, including pylons and the industrial landscape. 
Zita explained: "I wanted to try and make our industrial landscape attractive - translating into something you would want to bring into your home.  My project incorporates three collections - 'Grids' (industrial networks), 'Blocks' (town layouts) and 'Cracks' (industrial materials)."  

Crack by Zita Katona

The judges said: "Zita's enthusiasm, perfectly complemented her well-presented written work an communicated a topical and lively context." The judges admired her colour palette and use of laser cut wood blocks and digital print on coarse linen, as well as using her designs for a more delicate devoré.
Keen to carry on creating her own collections, Zita, delighted with her award said: “The Society’s award helped me with my research, to buy materials and create prototypes, which I can now use to show potential manufacturers, designers or architects.”

While recently completing her Masters in fashion and Textiles from the Glasgow School of Art, Alice Hebdon works in costume design, both dyeing fabrics and creating costumes for film, TV and theatre.

Alice Hebdon at the ATF London

Through access to the Glasgow School of Art archives, Alice researched the origins of the artist’s smock in the paintings of the Scottish artist Joan Eardley and her original working garment. Alice is intrigued by the qualities of its wear and tear, the accidental splatters of paint, and staining.
Alice said: “I love the depth of colour Joan used – her dark tones and the zingy bursts of light coming through, these inspired the colours I selected for my collection.”

Continuing with the traditions of linen in smocks, Alice has developed her print using linens produced by Peter Greig and Company of Kirkcaldy, the last remaining linen weavers in Scotland. Her printed samples demonstrate an empathy with the qualities of cloth – continuing to soften and wet finish the linens before distressing them, breaking down their surface by brushing and sanding, and subsequently darning and mending – before imprinting these tactile qualities and reprinting them back onto the cloth. 

Alice's award winning design

The judges said: "We were impressed by Alice's development from research to ideas towards contemporary practice and textile design and her vision for the development of these traditional garments into a collection of printed compositions for new, extreme fashion shapes."

Alice has found the whole experience of the Textile Society’s award process enjoyable and enlightening. 
“Not only helpful in terms of buying fabric and being able to create my collection for the final degree show, I found attending the Textile Society’s Manchester Textile Fair pivotal in providing clarity, encouragement and advice at that point in my course.  The judges gave me some great advice and the confidence in my project that I needed. It was also while I was at this event that I was approached to exhibit one of my pieces in Gallery 8, Duke Street, London alongside legendary designers and artists such as Henry Moore and Zandra Rhodes.”  
In the future, Alice aims to develop working relationships with other Scottish textile manufacturers and cloth finishers.

The Textile Society – Lyn Broster – email bursaries@textilesociety.org.uk http://www.textilesociety.org.uk/bursaries-awards/student-bursary.php  

Abigail Barnes - Woven and Mixed Media design studio specialising in fine fabrics and Passementerie.  ashdownbarnes@gmail.com

Zita Katona – Graphic and Textile Designer – postbox@zitakatona.eu – www.zitakatone.eu

Alice Hebdon – Designer, costume maker and fabric dyer – alicehebdon@gmail.com

This year’s exciting winners of the Textile Society’s 2017 Museum, Archive and Conservation Award

The Textile Society’s annual Museum, Archive and Conservation Award is designed to support textile related projects within a museum, archive, or conservation studio for exhibition, publication or conservation that will help achieve greater awareness and access for the public.

The Society offers awards of up to £5,000 for a textile related project within this sector and this year they are delighted to announce the names of two worthy winners - The Charles Dickens Museum,London and the FairlynchMuseum, Budleigh Salterton.

The Charles Dickens Museum, 48 Doughty Street, London, is the former home of renowned author Charles Dickens and is the leading centre for the study, appreciation and enjoyment of the life and work of Charles Dickens (1812-1870).   

It holds the World’s most comprehensive collection of relevant material – over 100,000 items, which includes a small collection of personal textiles - stockings, handkerchiefs and examples of Mrs. Dickens’ needlework.

With support from the Textile Society and an award of £2,500, the Museum will conserve, research and permanently display this unique collection of textiles in an exhibition entitled, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Charles Dickens: Intimate objects and private textiles.’

The museum feels that these items have been historically underappreciated but seen through this enlightening exhibition, will establish an important and tangible link to Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine, as people, powerfully suggesting the personal and domestic.

Director, Dr. Cindy Sughrue OBE said: “We are thrilled to receive a Textile Society Award, which will allow us to conserve, display and produce new interpretation for a collection of intimate objects and private textiles that belonged to Mr. & Mrs. Dickens.  These items, including stockings, handkerchiefs and examples of Mrs. Dickens’ needlework, provide a rare and evocative glimpse into their personal lives.”

The Fairlynch Museum/Budleigh Salterton Arts Centre and Museum, Devon is a small accredited museum managed and staffed entirely by volunteers.

Fairlynch Museum holds a diverse collection of costume and textiles specific to Devon and in 2017 the Museum celebrated its 50^th year of providing awareness and access to local history. 

With support from the Textile Society and an award of £2,550, the Museum will conserve and mount an exceptional rural silk wedding dress made in 1850 and a Honiton lace train and veil, worn by Lady Sidmouth at her wedding in 1914.  These exciting items will be displayed in their upcoming exhibition; ‘100 years of Wedding Dresses’, April to October 2018.

Trustee Betty Hebditch said: “Fairlynch museum were thrilled to win this award and be in the company of such prestigious former award winners.  We are looking forward to showing our wonderful costume and textile collection to Textile Society members in 2018. We hope as many of them as possible will come and see our little museum in the seaside town of Budleigh Salterton.”

Article for the Textile Society in Craft & Design Online November 2017

To read the November/December edition of Craft & design Online click here

Textile Society mention in Period Living April 2017

Right sides together

Always on the lookout for exciting creative talent to encourage and nurture, the Textile Society is keen to connect with their ‘right side’.

Graduate Rachel Howarth was spotted while exhibiting her inventive textile designs at the ‘New Designers’ event in London and selected from over a 1,000 design graduates to receive the Society’s 2014 Lucienne Day Innovative Textile Design Award.

Rachel told me: “I was on my stand at the ‘New Designers’ event, when Fiona and Debra from the Textile Society came on to talk about my designs and the Lucienne Day Award. It was very exciting but totally out of the blue and unexpected.”

“It came just at the right time after my graduation, when funds were low, giving me the belief, opportunity and finances to realise my next project."

“I feel greatly honoured to have won this award, not least because Lucienne Day is one of my heroines - always an inspiration to me, her designs have stood the test of time and still look fresh and contemporary today.”

Rachel also won the ‘New Designers, One Year On, Part 2’ award at ‘New Designers’ last year and recently had a solo exhibition at the National Centre for Craft and Design in Sleaford, as part of her prize.

Taking her inspiration from modern architecture and the interesting way light is reflected in glass, Rachel uses digital print to create a tonal azure palette that perfectly combines with her innovative geometric patterns, to create evocative artworks and homewares.

“My solo exhibition was another great opportunity and was well received.  I wrote to the Textile Society to let them know how I am progressing, as I like to keep in touch because of their incredible support.”

As a past Lucienne Day award winner, Rachel has been invited to come along to the Society’s 25^th Antique Textile fair in Manchester on Sunday 30 April, 2017.

Coinciding with Lucienne Day’s centenary, Paula Day, Lucienne’s daughter will be there too and would love to meet other past winners of her mother’s prestigious award. 

Have you previously won this award? If you have, we would love you to join us in Manchester.

Please get in touch by emailing Lynn Broster at bursaries@textilesociety.org.uk

Visit www.rachelhowarth.co.uk to find out more about Rachel and her work.

Walking the line between accidental colour and Abstract Expressionism

Is Clare McEwan an artistic brand that accessories abstract art and just happens to 'do scarves' or is there more to this intriguing designer?  Lucinda Merriman finds out.

The essence of Clare McEwan is difficult to define – it’s like trying to pin a tail on a donkey – fun to try but hard to achieve in the dark.

Artist, photographer, designer, entrepreneur – she is all of these but you get a feeling that there’s a lot more to discover.

Playful yet determined, sociable but equally happy in her own company, Clare’s creative nature is highly tuned, sensitive to things both light and dark. Her specific seam of creativity and the paradox of an artist’s persona; seem to evoke the multiple layers that define her artwork.

Born in Dartford, Clare had an aptitude for science and thought that her future lay there until she was waylaid by the fantastic art department at Dartford Grammar School.

Inspiration appears in many guises – art teachers seem unlikely heroes but Clare will tell you otherwise: 

“Artists themselves, my teachers had contrasting characters with different areas of expertise that complemented each other perfectly. They were extremely encouraging, introducing me to Abstract Expressionism, Cubism and Minimalism and through their infectious enthusiasm gave me an independence and freedom to create bespoke products from an early age. Drawn to the abstract, I developed my drawing skills, studied composition and the formal arrangement of layer and colour. They made me realise that I could have a career as an artist.”

With supportive yet chilled out parents, Clare left school with ‘A’ Level Art and chose to do a degree at London’s Central Saint Martin’s College.  On successfully completing her foundation course, Clare opted to do a BA in Textile Design for Print.

Graduating with a First, Claire developed a firmly established style based on her independent thought and love for experimentalism and produced six huge 2m x 1.5m wall hangings in a variety of translucent fabrics including PVC mesh and crinoline for her degree show, one of which was bought by the college for their collection.

Clare said: “Textile design came naturally to me as this medium gives me flexibility to work in large format and to indulge my abstract ideas.”

On leaving and after a slight post-uni wobble, Clare moved back home to her parents and got a job with a freelance rug designer where she received an interesting commission to produce an artwork to hang in the reception of a private Bone and joint Health clinic in the Emirates Towers, Dubai. 

"I was so excited, what an amazing opportunity to showcase my work on an International stage.  My largest artwork yet, I created a 6m x 2m textile hanging using similar techniques to those used in my degree show. My abstract imagery likened broken glass, while the back-lighting activated the layers, created an interesting 2-D effect."

Clearly a 'rolling stone' Clare was keen to experience as much of life as she could over the next few years - moving back to London and selling her art on Saturday morning at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, being selected for an Art's Council Residency Digital Artist Placement at Waddesdon Church of England School in Buckinghamshire, then moving to Brighton to work part-time for the council while setting up a print studio and providing creative workshops at a former coach works along with other artists and performers. 

By 2011, hitting 30 and brimming with creative ideas, Clare felt the time was right to start her own business and by trial and error began designing silk crepe de chine scarves from her own original experimental artwork under the C F McEwan label.  

Clare's creative inspiration often starts with a walk and her camera and she describes the process in her Podcast '10,000 steps towards my colour palette'.

"Walking is the perfect way to collect new colour whilst boosting my mental brightness, inspiration and the motivation to get started.  I'm looking for five elements while on the move - Accidental colour, Material combinations, Light and shadow and Contrast." 

You might try to describe this technique as the trendy new meditation of ‘Mindfulness’ but I’m not sure that this is Clare’s style – it’s a little too self-conscious and forced. As Clare immerses herself into the space and her surroundings I imagine she’s an awe-inspired Dorothy stepping into Oz for the first time, what we see as mono, she sees as Technicolor. 

Clare explains:  "I collect accidental colour - unexpected new colours taken from urban or natural landscapes. Influenced by artists Eva Hesse, William Eggleston and William Christenberry, I look out for interesting material combinations that have beautiful, sculptural and textural qualities and an ephemeral instant - a brief experience or moment in time captured and translated."  

"I observe how a structure imposes itself in a space depending on the quality of light and look not only for the contrast in light but also for contrasting materials and textures. I enjoy finding infinite ways of photographing through layers as this is central to my whole practise and provides the tools to combine all my imagery, inspiring  me to create smaller and lighter objects back in the studio." 

Drawing, printmaking, hand stitching and simple marking are combined to create abstract and atmospheric imagery, with irregular shaped objects and surfaces being formed using paper, fabric and plastic.  Clare then photographs these textiles, objects and surfaces using a range of light sources and filters, exploring shadow, reflection and edge. The finished images are printed onto lightweight 100% silk crepe de chine squares (125cm x 125cm) creating beautiful abstract scarves sold in a range of boutiques and galleries across the UK and the USA. 

And what of the future, has this restless spirit found its true vocation and is she content with her current success? 

"I am very lucky as I love what I'm doing and I'm proud of my achievements to date.  It meant a lot to be one of four selected artists to create contemporary artworks for Dartford in 2016 and I've just launched my autumn/winter 2016 ‘The Cut-Out’ inspired collection and it’s already selling in well. 

I do think that I am creatively restless though - I’m keen to develop collaborations with other artists and designers and in the immediate future I’m taking some time off to travel.” 

Bearing in mind what Clare has achieved; one cannot doubt that whatever she does will continue to involve movement and her fascinating multi-tiered view of life.

For more information, visit Clare's website at www.cfmcewan.com

Article published in Dorset Life

To read article, please click here

Dorset Life - The Dorset magazine is an independently owned county magazine. Not part of a national publishing group Dorset Life is produced in Wareham by a small, dedicated team, all of whom live and work in Dorset.

Guest post on Selvedge Blog

I've just started helping out the Textile Society as their Press Officer and in this capacity, I've written a review of their London Antique Textile event, which has just been published on the Selvedge Blog.

Established in 1982 as an educational charity, the Textile Society raises money through its London and Manchester Antique Textile Fairs to help fund the Society's awards and bursaries.

Click here for more information about the Antique Textile event in April.

Click here to read my guest post for the Selvedge Blog.

Selvedge is a bi-monthly publication for interior textile and fashion designers.

Materials Matter

A review of the unique London Antique Textile Fair, Sunday 2nd October 2016 by Lucinda Merriman.

Stepping off a bustling King’s Road into Chelsea’s Victorian Town Hall and The Textile Society’s London Antique Textile Fair is like entering an Aladdin’s Cave – cool and calming and once your eyes have adjusted to the dazzle of the display; the outside world recedes for a few hours while you immerse yourself in everything material.

Threading your way between the multitude of stands bursting at the seams with fascinating fabrics in every form from all around The World, your senses are assailed with colour, form and texture – certainly a system is needed to make sure that nothing is left out or forgotten. 

For those ‘in the know’ and serious textile collectors, this show is simply one you can’t afford to miss – where else would you find such a diverse collection of fabric from the 18^th Century through to the 1970’s, pictorial embroidery, hats, preposterous Indonesian headdresses, shawls, exquisite vintage clothing, rugs, lovingly made quilts, bags, ribbons and fans? The choice is breathtaking!

Sue Richardson's stand

It’s not just the wide array of exhibitors that seduces but the experience and passion that feels palpable around the room - dealers don’t just sell but also share their knowledge, as there’s usually a back-story or history to their pieces.

Sue Richardson from gallery 196 explains: “I’ve been going to India for 30 years. Originally I was sent over as a weave designer and became interested and started to buy beautiful old textiles that I could afford. Now I sell vintage textiles from Gujarat in India, Syria, Pakistan and Peru. People there don't have very much and can't afford expensive fabrics, so they tend to use whatever comes to hand - thread-bare saris, different coloured threads - there's an amazing amount of creativity and lack of inhibition, which creates a freedom to lovingly create beautiful objects."

But it’s Liz Evans from repropattern who sells mid-Century British textiles from the 1950 – 1970’s who most succinctly sums up a textile dealers take on things: “We are the warp and weft of life.”

Liz Evan's stand

Established in 1982 as an educational charity, The Textile Society raises money through this event and their Manchester Fair in April to help fund the Society’s awards and bursaries for students, museums, archives, historians, PhD candidates, craft workers, designers, curators and conservators.

Dr Brenda King, Chair of The Textile Society for 7 years concisely distills the Society’s work: “Supporting students through our bursary awards is extremely important to us, the money we make from this and the Manchester event helps us support the future through the past.”

Centre stage, fittingly raised above the stallholders, were some of this year’s bursary award winners and Bath Spa University graduate Charlotte Street who took The Lucienne Day Award for innovative interior textiles with her stunning trompe-l'oeil imagery. 

Lucienne Day award winner Charlotte Street

A shell-shocked but delighted Charlotte told me: “I was amazed to receive this completely unexpected award – it’s wonderful to receive this recognition of a job well done, it means a lot to me that people like it and the award will open doors for this collection and my future.” 

There were 7 bursary student winners: Lorna Jewitt, Anna Duthie, Sally Cooke, Antonio Castro, Katy Welsh, Alice Richardson-Payne and Jemma Pratt.

Lorna Jewitt from the Leeds College of Art received a post-graduate student award for her artworks inspired by her part-time work cataloguing at the Sunny Bank Mills’ Archive in West Yorkshire. Central to her theme seems to be the humble paperclip and Lorna explains why:

“Through cleaning and cataloguing cards, we remove and throw away hundreds of paperclips and other detritus, which made me wonder about the person who originally clipped them onto the card and how we decide which items are preserved while others are being brushed away. I wanted to make a connection or memory to that person and place – to try and capture that ephemeral moment. This award is very exciting, surprising and lovely and will help me with the material costs for my final M.A. show.”

Whatever you were looking for, this show was sure to have it and more besides - amateur or professional, student or designer - there is something for everyone.  

With business brisk and collectors happy; there’s sure to be many more shows to come, but before that next year’s Antique Textile Fair in Manchester on Sunday 30^th April is set to be a very special event as it celebrates its 25^th Anniversary while coinciding with the Centenary of Lucienne Day’s birth who was the Society’s first president and created the prestigious Lucienne Day Award.

The Textile Society has lots of exciting things planned to celebrate these two momentous occasions in collaboration with Lucienne’s daughter Paula Day and the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.textilesociety.org.uk/events/ and http://www.textilesociety.org.uk/

29th ‘Art for Youth London’ affordable art fair held at the Mall Galleries raises funds and profile of 105-year old charity.

Steel Sketch No.2 in steel and wood by Guy Haddon-Grant.

An annual affordable exhibition, ‘Art for Youth London’ not only acts as an important showcase for budding and established contemporary artists but raises substantial funds for national charity UK Youth.

Established in 1911, UK Youth is one of the best kept secrets in the charity sector taking a low profile while working tirelessly to help over 700,000 young people every year to take control of their lives.

This year’s 29^th event on Wednesday 14th September and Thursday 15th September 2016, buzzed with people who had come to view over 1,000 artworks from around 130 artists.  The diversity and quality of work ranging from paintings and ceramics through to sculpture and jewellery was astounding and the range of prices, £200 - £5,000 meant that there’s something for everyone.

'Travelling Light' in bronze and steel by Arabella Brooke.

Matt Lent, Director of Partnerships & Policy was at the event representing the charity and said: “’Art for Youth London’ is our biggest fund raiser of the year and through it we have incredibly raised over

2 million pounds since it began; without it we couldn’t offer the help and support that we do.”

Diana Brooks committee member and founder of the event presented a prize sponsored by The Wates Foundation for the best artist aged under 35 years.  This year The Wates Foundation Diana Brooks Prize went to Jake Barker, who's monochrome projects are centred around human welfare or wildlife conservation.

Diana explained why she had chosen Jake: "I can't describe how much it means to help a young artist to get established,  When I first set up this event 29 years ago it was all about helping young artists as well as raising money for the charity.  This year I've chosen an incredibly talented young artist called Jake Barker who is only 20 years of age, is self-taught with no formal training and this money (£1,000) will help him on his way from here on."

Artworks by award winner Jake Barker.

For more information about 'Art for Youth London' visit http://www.artforyouth.com/ 

To donate or find out more about UK Youth visit http://www.ukyouth.org/ and The Wates Foundation at http://www.watesfoundation.org.uk/