News from Brent artist Mary Pritchard

Portrait from A Stitch in Time

Good to hear from Mary Pritchard, who worked with us on A Stitch in Time in Brent. Mary took photographs of the women involved in creating a giant wall hanging which went on display in Willesden Green.  We're still working on embroidery and needlework - and over the years have kept up a blog ....

Here's Mary's news:

"JUNE 17-19th
This year is the biennial Queens Park Open Gardens/Studios which is a lovely event where it will be possible to combine visiting lots of local gardens and art studios on Sunday 19th June 1-6pm. My studio/garden will also be open on the evening of Friday 17th, 6-9pm and Saturday 18th June from 1-6pm when one will be able to sample some of Ray’s sangria (hopefully in the sunshine!)

If you fancy a trip down to the seaside……

JUNE 28th - JULY10th
FOUR STATES, 4 MINDS: An American Journey
A group show at Hastings Arts Forum PRIVATE VIEW Saturday 2nd July 2-5pm
General opening times, Tuesday - Sunday 11-5pm.


In September last year I travelled with three others through some of the most beautiful States in the USA: Utah, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Although we all had the same experience, we all responded in different ways and made our own interpretations. The exhibition should be very varied and reflect these personal interests.
Work from :-
Quentin Ball, (photography), will concentrate on his ongoing project about 'The Great Divide’, a ‘watershed’ that runs all through the western states of the US. http://www.quentinball.com
Jean Davey Winter, (photography and mixed media paintings) will be showing work relating to her ongoing exploration of journeys and the land.
http://www.axisweb.org/artist/jeandaveywinter
Mary Pritchard, (photography, ceramics and artist’s books). I will be showing some ceramic ‘landscape’ sculptures inspired by the extraordinary territory through which we travelled, aswell as photographs and artist’s books.
http://www.marypritchard.net
Tony Wallis, (photography), images of Yellowstone National Park with all its variety of extraordinary geological features.
http://www.tonywallisphotography.com "

Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo: a portrait of two towns by Monica Alcazar

Good to have an update from Monica Alcazar about her photography project in Mexico - Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo- Double Vision.  Monica produced films of our project Stitch in Harrow - interviewing the Royal School of Needlework tutor Rosa Martyn, who was working with us, and also women creating embroidery.

Monica's work in Mexico looks at two small neighbouring towns on a stretch of coastline in the state of Guerroro - Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. Though close, they are worlds apart - separated by what Monica describes as an 'Upstairs-Downstairs' relationship. Ixtapa is the ritzy resort town; Zihuatanejo is where the workers live. Some examples of Monica's photos giving a glimpse of the different life styles are up on her blog. The rest will be on display at an exhibition in 2014.

Funding for this was raised via KickStart - a great way to generate interest as well as financial backing. If you want to support the project, you have the choice of donating at different levels. At each level, you are offered various incentives. Wish I could have afforded £200 - as in return for that you get a real bumper offering in exchange:

"An A3 (approx. 12x16 inch.) Giclee print on Hahnemuhle 310gsm paper from the project. You choose from a special set of ten images. A credit on the book. An invitation to the private view of the exhibition in London in 2014. My grandma's personal recipe for guacamole. And a lifetime credit in the exhibitions of the project. PLUS: A huge thank you from me, the Double Vision blog, the screensaver and the postcards."

Very tempted by the idea of the guacamole recipe....