Dates For Your Diary

Wed 4 Jan 2012. Forum closes for annual refurbishment. Volunteers welcome.
Thu 5 Jan. Volunteers assemble from 9 am  to re-paint and re-furbish the Forum.
Fri 20 Jan. Galleries re-open with previews of the  Lorrain Mailer exhibition in AF1 and Marie Stone’s photographs in AF2, 6.30-8.30pm. 

Stop Press

Call for Trustees for Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. The Forum has an ongoing need to find  trustees for the new Board of Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. This call is a separate one from our frequent calls for ‘volunteers’.  The Forum is looking for trustees to take up positions on the board to replace members of the Forum committee who have now been in place since the last Forum elections in July 2010. It is envisaged that at some point in Spring 2012, a new Board will have to be elected at the AGM. An ideal board will contain a cross section of persons, both professional and practical, who have been involved in artistic pursuits or who are ‘art lovers’. Persons with a legal or accounting background would be particularly welcome. We ask all members to give this their consideration over the New Year holiday and recommend candidates.
                               
      Auction at the Forum. The Forum holds its 2012 auction on Sat 11 Feb at 2.30 pm. Exhibition of lots for auction will run from Sat 4 – Sat 11 Feb.  Richard Fryer is not expected to be available in February and we are looking for someone to be ‘auctioneer’ for the afternoon.  Also, we remind you that this is the one occasion in the year when the Forum gets to keep all the money from sales, and it forms an important part of our funding. This is an appeal for you to look out a donation(s).
Hand-in day is Wed 1 Feb and the Private View will be Fri 3 Feb.
 

 South East Open Studios The annual Open Studios event takes place in 2012, from 1-17 June. Membership is open to all artists and makers in Kent and East Sussex and includes entry on the SEOS website and in the annual full colour printed guide. Further details are available online at www.seos-art.org

The Lyn Painter-Stainers Prize. The 2012 award is now open to all. Its purpose is to encourage creative representational painting and promote draughtmanship.  First Prize will be £15,000 with five Runners-up Prizes of £1,500 each and a Young Artist Award of £2,500. Deadline for regional submissionsis 12 Feb 2012. All enquiries and entry forms/labels etc are available from the organisers on 01372  462190 or www.painter-stainers.org.
 

The following comments and suggestions were also made: 
• More details need to be added concerning use of the credit card machine.
 • All forms used and referred to should be added as appendices.
 • The location of the Panic Button in AF1 and HAF 2 . 
• More detail on key handling process for HAF 1.
 • A synopsis of exhibition information comprising artists’ statements to help with any enquiries to stewards. 
• A statement on insurance liability should also be included in the The Handbook. Other stewarding issues:
• Reinvestigate door between galleries*.
 • Investigate intercome between galleries*. 
• Ensure toilets are available in HAF 2.
• Kettle, cups and tea and coffee making facilities to be installed behind curtain in HAF 2. 
• Circulate a list of jobs including ‘one offs’ under headings of type. 
• Review policies on common browser and card sales*.
It was agreed that a number of areas marked *  would need referral up to the executive committee as it was beyond the remit of this meeting to commit extra resources or to change policy. 

It was agreed that committee members present would take this as feedback. Finally a quite long discussion was had about how the views of volunteers might be better represented  to the Executive Committee and a number of ideas were floated, such as a Comments Box or procedure via electronic referral of ideas and suggestions or copied to the Volunteers Organiser who would monitor them and ensure feedback was received from the Committee.; also formal representation of volunteer stewards on the committee*.

Other issues raised included HAF to consider ‘workshops’ to develop the skills and knowledge of volunteers; and also perhaps raise small amounts of money *. That  ’split shifts’ between HAF 1 and 2 should be considered as this would break the monotony that can exist, as well as relieve the isolation of those stewarding in HAF 2. That we still need more volunteers and this need should be promoted via the newsletter.

Finally, it was agreed that the meeting was a good idea and should be continued on a quarterly basis, this to be reviewed after say, six months.  John Shanks was elected to circulate notes as well as arrange the daste of the next meeting.

Current Exhibitions 

Volunteers Show.  Over 30 Forum members who have volunteered their help and expertise throughout the year are exhibiting their artistic works AF2 until 4 Jan.
Work by artists is now featured on the Forum website. See http://www.hastingsartsforum.co.uk/volunteers-show-2/

Chris Roskell, Jo Welsh and Ian Welsh. ”Londoners in Sussex“. A bold and intriguing exhibition of paintings, etchings and assemblages from these three Hastings newcomers will also be on view until 4 Jan.

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Lorrain Mailer. ”Yellow is a Colour” . Lorrain, a member from Tunbridge Wells will be exhibiting in AF 1 from 19-31 Jan 2012. 

About Lorrain. Originally from a graphic/corporate background, Lorrain’s Foundation was at the University of Brighton followed by a BA in Graphics from Middlesex University and a CAM certificate from the London Institute of Marketing.  At present she is putting together a print/textile portfolio of cartoon work in Hackney at the East London Printmakers while starting a new body of work (hopefully to be seen at the Forum October 2012) and  updating her website www.lorrainmailer.com.  Meanwhile you can see some of her more recent work on Facebook or Saatchi online.

Selected by Dexter Dalwood (nominated for the Turner prize 2010) at the Creekside Open 2011 for “Seepage on the Seabed”. 
As an emerging artist, Lorrain Mailer has only been exhibiting since August 2009, yet she has managed to exhibit twice in Brick Lane, in numerous venues and galleries in the south east of England, held a 50-piece show at Terebenthine, Berck sur mer in northern France and currently has some of her hubcaps on tour in the USA.  
 
She has been described as “A truly expressive abstract painter.  Her art is energetic, displays spontaneity, imaginative, endlessly creative which has poignancy and wit.  Using mixed media & found items she is unafraid to tell her story and expresses her inner narrative with both subtlety and strength.  Lorrain’s work is about the value of things as she sees them and not as we may wish to.  The subject matter is complicated and challenging under the bright, fun and lively surface.  The communication can be unsettling or reawaken personal narratives, or submerged trauma, which on reflection we know deep inside us to ring true.”

Marie Stone. ”Photographic Art”. in AF2 from 19 Jan 2012.  Well respected photographer for Madame Tussaud’s in London, Marie is an expert high profile celebrity snapper. In this exhibition she will have an opportunity to display her personal work.

Spring Exhibition. This is a different take on the Forum’s more familiar Jack-in-the-Green exhibition. We are pleased to announce that Laetitia Yhap and Amanda Jobson will curate an exhibition in both galleries from 25 April – 9 May using Dylan Thomas’  ”Green Fuse” for inspiration:
 

 You can read the original on.http://www.fen.bilkent.edu.tr/~tanatar/theforce.htm.  It is intended to link the Isobel Blackman Centre gallery space in the Old Town with the Forum via selected pubs thereby creating an art trail.  Participants are invited to submit their names to  info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk headed . “For  Laetitia Yhap”.
 Entries can cover a wide interpretation of ‘Jack’ 
and themes on Spring Awakening……  

Bidding for Exhibitions. The Forum is calling for bids to fill gaps in late February; also in AF1 for early March; and in AF2 in late March. 

Exhibitions Elsewhere

Serena Thirkell will be exhibiting her sculptural works in: ‘The Garden of Forgotten Engineers Smiths & Bicycles’  at  Worthing Museum & Art Gallery from 21 Jan – 5 May 2012; Tues – Sat 10 – 5. Chapel Road, Worthing, BN11 1HP. Tel: 01903 221447. Forum members are welcome to attend the preview on Sat 21 Jan 2012, 2-4pm.

Members announcements

Dave Arnold posts : Several new titles by Dave Arnold have been published since September:
‘Houdini of Love’, love poetry and verse.  ISBN 1 897825 13 7. ‘
Life Drawings’,  B&W Drawings (19).   ISBN  1 897825 234.
‘Throwing the toys out of the pram..’ Poetry and verse. and colour prints. ISBN 1 897825 15 3.
‘Zen Aura Haiku poems’,  B&W booklet with illustrations. ISBN 897825 15 3.
‘Zen Haiku‘, LE compilation. B&W booklet with illustrations ISBN 1 897825 27 7.
‘Zen Haiku’, Haiku poems. B&W booklet with illustrations  ISBN 1 897825 18 8. ‘Abracadabra’, Magical poems B&W booklet with i.lustrations ISBN 1 897825 16 1.
‘Love is the Law , Love thy Land’, B&W Booklet with illustrations ISBN 897825 34 X. ‘In this Place’, B&W booklet with photos. IBSN 1 897825 32 3. For further info see http://www.wix.com/davearnold/arnoldart.

Film

Thurs 12 Jan.  ’Dreams of a Life’  2011, is Carol Morley’s quest to discover how 38 year old, vivacious Joyce Vincent lay dead and undiscovered on her sofa in a North London bedsit for three years in 2003. 90 mins.

Poetry

Next meeting of the Forum Poets will be Sat 7 Jan at 3pm, 21a Hill Street, (next to St Clements Church).
All poetic inspirations welcome; But we do have a theme if the Muse is seasonally sluggish:
“If Music Be the Food of Love”.

Dates For Your Diary

Sat 17 Dec. 3-6pm in AF 1. Meet the Artists: Londoners Chris, Jo and Ian will be on hand with wine and nibbles and will be happy to discuss their work.
Thurs 22 Dec.  Get in nostalgic mood for Christmas with this week’s film: ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. See Film.
Fri 23 Dec at 2 pm. Forum closes for the Christmas break.
Tue 27 Dec at 11 am. Forum re-opens as usual.
Sat 31 Dec. Next Forum Bulletin: this is the last before Christmas. 
Wed 4 Jan 2012. Forum closes for annual refurbishment.
Fri 20 Jan. Previews for Lorrain Mailer in AF1 and Marie Stone in AF2, 6.30-8.30pm. 

Stop Press

Call for Trustees for Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. The Forum has an ongoing need to find  trustees for the new Board of Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. This call is a separate one from our frequent calls for ‘volunteers’.  The Forum is looking for trustees to take up positions on the board to replace members of the Forum committee who have now been in place since the last Forum elections in July 2010. It is envisaged that at some point in Spring 2012, a new Board will have to be elected at the AGM. An ideal board will contain a cross section of persons, both professional and practical, who have been involved in artistic pursuits or who are ‘art lovers’. Persons with a legal or accounting background would be particularly welcome. We ask all members to give this their consideration over the Christmas / New Year holiday and recommend candidates.

St Leonards ‘Seaside Strip’ Christmas. Don’t forget the Forum and its neighbours along the seaside strip are offering a last chance to do some quality late night Christmas shopping  by opening until 7 pm on Thursday, Dec 22.

Auction at the Forum. The forum holds its 2012 auction on Sat 11 Feb at 2.30 pm. Exhibition of lots for auction will run from Sat 4 – Sat 11 Feb.  Richard Fryer is not expected to be available in February and we are looking for someone to be ‘auctioneer’ for the afternoon.  Also, we remind you that this is the one occasion in the year when the Forum gets to keep all the money from sales, and it forms an important part of our funding. This is an appeal for you to look out a donation(s).
Hand-in day is Wed 1 Feb and the Private View will be Fri 3 Feb. 

 South East Open Studios DISCOUNTED MEMBERSHIP The annual Open Studios event takes place in 2012, from 1-17 June. Membership is open to all artists and makers in Kent and East Sussex and includes entry on the SEOS website and in the annual full colour printed guide. The membership fee is discounted to just £95 for all applications received before Christmas. Further details are available online at www.seos-art.org
 Current Exhibitions 

Volunteers Show.  AF2 from 16 Dec – 4 Jan: a plethora of talent from the Forum members who have volunteered their services throughout the year.

Chris Roskell, Jo Welsh and Ian Welsh. ”Londoners in Sussex“. Paintings, Etchings and Assemblages. Dec 16 – 4 Jan. Chris Roskell, Ian Welsh and Ian’s wife Jo Welsh, all recently moved to Hastings from London, have created a bold and colourful exhibition in AF1. Ian, Jo and Ian are currently establishing two studios in the former old bakery in Mount Pleasant Road.

Both Galleries will be closed  for annual re-furbishment from 4-18 Jan 2012. 
Volunteers required: send us an email offering your services if you are interested.
 painters, seamstresses, tea-makers wanted…..  
 
 
Forthcoming Exhibitions

Lorrain Mailer. ”Yellow is a Colour” . Lorrain from Tunbridge Wells will be exhibiting in AF 1 from 19-31 Jan 2012. 

Marie Stone. “Photographic Art”. in AF2 from  Jan 2012. Marie worked for two years at Madame Tussauds getting to meet a host of well-known faces including the Dalai Lama, Joanna Lumley, Tony Blair, Linford Christie, Hugh Grant, Pierce Brosnan and Lenny Kravitz. Throughout her time at Tussauds, Marie had also been building up her own portrait and wedding business and after two years took the bold step to start out by herself. So keen on not losing Marie’s abilities, Madame Tussauds kept Marie as their main photographer on a freelance basis, a role she still has today, sending her around the world to photograph such high profile celebrities as Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams.
                            
 Spring Exhibition. We are also pleased to announce that Laetitia Yhap and Amanda Jobson intend to curate an exhibition based on Jack-in-the-Green in both galleries from 25 April – 9 May. Ideas so far include linking St Leonards with Hastings Old Town by involving a gallery space in the Old Town and creating a trail. Participants are invited to submit their names to  info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk headed “For Jack-in-the-Green”. Entries can cover a wide interpretation of ‘Jack’ themes. Jack in essence, is about Spring Awakening.   
Bidding for Exhibitions. The Forum is calling for bids to fill gaps in late February; also in AF1 for early March; in AF2 in late March. 

Exhibitions Elsewhere

Burton Gallery. Three interesting local artists and Forum members are still showing at the Burton Gallery through December: 
Robin Holtom, John Lipsham and David Reeve. Open: Friday – Monday 11 -5 pm. 
The Burton Gallery, 5 Marine Court, St.Leonards-on-Sea. TN38 0DX.  Tel: 01424 719817  www.theburtongallery.co.uk.
                                           

Members Announcements

Hastings Pier Support Group is holding a meeting at 4-6 pm at the White Rock Theatre on Fri 16 Dec. Catch up with developments in the fight to resuscitate Hastings Pier. Suuporters are invited to meet for coffee with the trustees at the Pier and White Rock Trust. Further details from: lesley@hpwrt.co.uk or 07913664163.

Film

St Leonards Film Soc is showing a Christmas classic in AF1:
                            
on 22 Dec, sit back and wallow in the wonderful ’Its a Wonderful Life!’ 

Poetry

Next meeting of the Forum Poets will be Sat 7 Jan at 3pm, 21a Hill Street, (next to St Clements Church).
The theme for those that seek one will be: “If Music Be the Food of Love”… 
                                            
                           “Lonely Heart seeks tasty geezer….
                         …For the freezer..”

    ….AND A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR MEMBERS!!!
 
                                        The next issue of the Bulletin is Sat 31 Dec 11

Dates For Your Diary

Mon 12 Dec. Buchanan Group looks at Yeats’ Poetry. See under Members Announcements. 
Thu 15 Dec. Late night opening, until 7 pm along the St Leonards seaside strip.
Fri 16 Dec. Update on Hastings Pier. See Members Announcements.
Fri 16 Dec. Private View 6.30 – 8.30pm “Londoners in Sussex” in AF1; “Volunteers Show” in AF2.
Sat 17 Dec. 3-6pm in AF 1. Meet the Artists: Londoners Chris, Jo and Ian will be on hand with wine and nibbles and will be happy to discuss their work.

Stop Press

Call for Trustees for Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. The Forum has an ongoing need to find  trustees for the new Board of Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. This call is a separate one from our frequent calls for ‘volunteers’.  The Forum is looking for trustees to take up positions on the board to replace members of the Forum committee who have now been in place since the last Forum elections in July 2010. It is envisaged that at some point in Spring 2012, a new Board will have to be elected at the AGM. An ideal board will contain a cross section of persons, both professional and practical, who have been involved in artistic pursuits or who are ‘art lovers’. Persons with a legal or accounting background would be particularly welcome. We ask all members to give this their consideration over the Christmas / New Year holiday and recommend candidates.

St Leonards ‘Seaside Strip’ Christmas. The Forum and its neighbours along the seaside strip are offering the chance to do some quality late night Christmas shopping and carousing by opening until 7 pm on Thursdays, Dec 15 and 22. Don’t forget: you don’t get wet under the Colonnade! 

Current Exhibition 

Creative Christmas 2011 in both galleries until 11 Dec still has plenty of  artistic works and creative goodies by local artists and artisans. Curated by Angela Childs, there is a wonderful array of lighting, jewellery, glassware, ceramics, textiles, novelties, accessories and even recycled wooden trees, robins, felting and painting. All available to buy with prices starting at just a few £s. 

Note to Exhibitors with Creative Christmas 2011. 
The Forum will remain open on Tuesday, 13 December until 7 pm for exhibitors with Creative Christmas to collect unsold items.
Please ensure that you collect your unsold items by Wednesday, 12:00. We can not take any responsibility for any items left with us after 12:00, 14 Dec 2011. 

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Volunteers Show.  AF2 from 16 Dec – 4 Jan. Free entry to all who have been volunteers this year. Hand-in date will be 14 Dec before 14:00.

Chris Roskell, Jo Welsh and Ian Welsh. ”Londoners in Sussex“. Paintings, Etchings and Assemblages . 
Dec 16 – 4 Jan. Chris Roskell, Ian Welsh and Ian’s wife Jo Welsh, who have all recently moved to Hastings from London, will exhibit a fascinating range of techniques and styles in this tripart show. Ian, Jo and Ian are currently establishing two studios in the former old bakery in Mount Pleasant Road. 

Both Galleries will be closed  for annual re-furbishment from 4-18 Jan 2012. 
Volunteers required: send us an email offering your services if you are interested.

2012 Exhibitions. The Forum’s exhibitions calendar for 2012 previews on Fri 20 Jan with two artists exhibiting in Hastings for the first time. In AF1 Lorrain Mailer, an artist from Tunbridge Wells and  well known throughout the South East exhibits “Yellow is the Colour “. while in AF2, Marie Stone, a photographer, who travels the World  for Madame Tussauds,  exhibits photographic studies she has taken throughout her career.  Marie is accustomed to taking hundreds of photographs for each subject she is commissioned for and through this, has honed her skills to an incredible degree. The two exhibitions will be followed by the annual Forum Auctionfrom 1 – 15 Feb, when artist members are invited to donate an item to the Forum for auction. This is the one occasion in the year when the Forum gets to keep the entire proceeds of a sale and it forms a valuable part of the Forum’s income.
 
We are also pleased to announce that Laetitia Yhap and Amanda Jobson intend to curate an exhibition based on Jack-in-the-Green in both galleries from 25 April – 9 May. Ideas so far include linking St Leonards with Hastings Old Town by involving a gallery space in the Old Town and creating a trail. Participants are invited to submit their names to  info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk headed “For Jack-in-the-Green”. Entries can cover a wide interpretation of ‘Jack’ themes. Jack in essence, is about Spring Awakening.   

Bidding for Exhibitions. The Forum is calling for bids to fill gaps in late February; also in AF1 for early March; in AF2 in late March. 

Exhibitions Elsewhere

Burton Gallery. Three interesting local artists and Forum members are still showing at the Burton Gallery through December: 
Robin Holtom, John Lipsham and David Reeve. Open: Friday – Monday 11 -5 pm. 
The Burton Gallery, 5 Marine Court, St.Leonards-on-Sea. TN38 0DX.  Tel: 01424 719817  www.theburtongallery.co.uk.

Penny Hobson will also be exhibiting her art this month only a few doors down at The Post Office Tearooms, 40A Marina, St Leonards.

Members Announcements

Buchanan Book Group will meet on Mon 12 Dec for a discussion of selected poems by W.B.Yeats.
Further details, including list of poems they hope to cover, please contact rosemiller9@gmail.com

Hastings Pier Support Group is holding a meeting at 4-6 pm at the White Rock Theatre on Fri 16 Dec. Catch up with developments in the fight to resuscitate Hastings Pier. Suuporters are invited to meet for coffee with the trustees at the Pier and White Rock Trust. Further details from: lesley@hpwrt.co.uk or 07913664163.

Marybeth Haas posts: a reminder that Ecstatic Trance Dance, a moving meditation, will be on 14 Dec at the Performing Arts Studio, (room signposted 1.029), Sussex Coast College, Station Plaza. Please sign in at reception on arrival. 
Times: Doors Open 19:00;  Begins 19:15, Finish 21:00, Building closes 21:15. 
More info: www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance or call 01424 460477.

Film

St Leonards Film Soc has the following seasonal screening coming up in AF1:

22 Dec. ’Its a Wonderful Life!’… a classic gem.

Poetry

Nine members met in AF1 on Sat 3 Dec to pronounce their poems on the theme of ‘Revenge’. Next meeting wil be Sat 7 Jan at 3pm; venue by kind courtesy of  Sue Coates will be 21a Hill Street, (next to St Clements Church).
The theme will be: “If Music Be the Food of Love”… although poets are welcome to follow their own muse!

            Revenge                                      Revenge at the Forum

“Revenge is a dish that can be eaten cold”                       So, Tony….   
So the Italian Mafia hold.                                                      I don’t know him well:
A somewhat dispassionate stance                                    I hear he’s a poet,
If you give them a glance.                                                     Can see he’s 
                                                                                                          Quiet, polite and finely boned.
It must mean more than postponing a meal.                But…”a prophet, a preacher,
For Honour upheld is part of the deal.                          And a problem when he’s stoned”-
So rather than the hot heat of rage                                     Unlike Christofferson,  
(As no offence will be erased).                                             I cannot tell.
                                                                                                           But there is one thing I can be sure:       
Delaying the punishment would add more savour    That whenlast month he took the floor
Thus do some men’s minds labour.                                   To dissect in verse his fellow
                                                                                                         Lady poets all asunder…. 
Elaine Short.November 2011                                    He really made a dreadful blunder:
                                                                                                         Not only did he risk their terrible 
                                                                                                         Literary retribution;
                                                                                                         His final poetic contribution
                                                                                                         Was a gaff!
                                                                                                         For now at his local supermarket caff,
                                                                                                        Sat in poet mode,
                                                                                                        Munching on breakfast, brunch or a burrito:
                                                                                                      He’s no longer incognito.
                                                                                                       Tony – you can hide all you are able,
                                                                                                       But they will seek you out
                                                                                                      And join your table;
                                                                                                       And before a morsel can approach your lips..
                                                                                                     They’ll steal your pen,
                                                                                                        Sup your tea and pinch your chips.
                                            
                                                                                    Yvonne Rees.December 2011

Courses

 Exploring Drawing. In the New Year 2012, David Noble LCAD,BA Hons, ATC, will be running 10 Tuesday drawing sessions near Rye on the following dates:   
Jan 10, 17, 24, 31, Feb 7, then Feb 28, Mar 6, 13, 20, 27. (9.30am – 1.00pm)
4 day course will cost £95
6 day course will cost £140
10 day course will cost £230
Extra days by arrangement will cost £24 each.
To find out more, or reserve a place, please ring David on 01424 882367 or email: david@heronryhouse.plus.com.

Dates For Your Diary

Fri 2 Dec. Private View 6.30-8.30pm AF1 & 2 ‘Creative Christmas 2011‘ annual art and craft show.
Fri 2 Dec. Preview 6-8.30pm Burton Gallery Christmas Exhibition. See Exhibitions Elsewhere.
Fri 2 Dec. The Forum and its neighbours along the seaside strip are joining together to switch on
Christmas lights together with a late night opening (’til 7 pm). See Stop Press. 
Sat /Sun 3 and 4  Dec. Brenda Hartill open studio at Udimore 11 – 4. New embossed watercolours
and Christmas goodies. See www.brendahartill.com
Sat / Sun 3 and 4 Dec. Tony Wynne and Mark Fisher are welcoming guests this weekend at Sedlescombe
. See Members’ Announcements.
Thu 8 Dec. Late night opening, until 7 pm along the St Leonards seaside strip

Stop Press

David Noble is offering instruction courses in Drawing for the New Year. See detail at the end
of this bulletin.

Kate Guyon. We regret to hear of the death of Forum member, Kate Guyon. Kate, who is believed
to be in her late twenties / early thirties collapsed in Bar Blue while out with friends.

Beccy Lofts. The many friends of Beccy Lofts and her mother, Jean, and partner, David Murphy will want
to send best wishes to Beccy in the Marsden Hospital. London, where she is undergoing treatment.

St Leonards ‘Seaside Strip’ Christmas. The Forum and its neighbours along the seaside strip are joining
together on Fri 2 Dec to switch on Christmas lights together with a late night opening (til 7 pm) on Fri 2 Dec.
A grant from the Council for £500 is being matched by businesses and traders. During December, there
will also be three late night openings until 7 pm on Thursdays, Dec  8, 15 and 22.

Dance. Liberate yourself through  dance. Two Forum members, Marybeth Haas and Janet Harding,  are
offering separate dance sessions this month. See members announcements

Towner Art Gallery calls for East Sussex artists to submit work for the 2012 open exhibition,
24 Mar – 29 Apr. For more info go to www.townereastbourne.org.uk or call Eastbourne 434667.

South East Open Studios. (SEOS). Forum member, Mark Fisher, is an East Sussex and area
co-ordinator for SEOS, 2012. Open Studios programme will run for two weeks between Fri 1 – Sunday,
17 June 2012. If you register your interest on-line before 25 Dec 2011, you will be eligible for a £95 entry
fee, otherwise, the fee is £105.00. To enter the open studio programme, you need to register with
Felicity Flutter, overall co-ordinator by 31 Jan . See www.seos-art.org . Participation gives you access to
a brochure with 30,000 copies distributed across the south-east. SEOS claims to originate over 20,000
visits to artists’ studios.
Current Exhibition 

Creative Christmas 2011 runs in both galleries from 2-11 Dec offering the chance to browse and
purchase works by local artists and artisans. Curated by Angela Childs, choose gifts or indulge
yourself  from a treasure trove of  jewellery, glassware, ceramics, textiles, novelties, accessories,
felting, painting and recycled wood Christmas trees. Prices start at just a few £s. 
                
Forthcoming Exhibitions

Volunteers Show.  AF 2 from 16 Dec – 4 Jan. Free entry to all who have been volunteers this year. Hand-in
date will be 15 Dec.

Chris Roskell, Jo Welsh and Ian Welsh. ”Londoners in Sussex“. Paintings, Etchings and Assemblages . 
Dec 16 – 4 Jan. Chris, Ian Welsh and Ian’s wife Jo Welsh have all recently moved to Hastings and are
establishing two studios in an old factory in the town. Ian Welsh makes observations of water and has
been working on this theme for over 25 years. His paintings use a layering process using acrylic lacquers. 
Jo Welsh makes assemblages and etchings. She has had numerous exhibitions and is represented in
and has worked in his studio at Parndon Mill for several years. Chris studied fine art in the sixties and
early seventies, a time when the whole validity of painting was hotly debated. Indeed his work towards
the end of his time at art school moved away from conventional painting towards performance when he
worked with dancers from The London Contemporary Dance. Since then Chris has spent time carrying out
specialist decorating commissions on site, using his craft skills as a painter, as well as developing fine
art painting in the studio. 

Both Galleries will be closed  for annual re-furbishment from 4-18 Jan 2012. Volunteers required: painters,
cleaners, tea-makers, brow-wipers, seamstresses !!

Exhibitions Elsewhere

Burton Gallery. Three interesting local artists and Forum members will be showing at the Burton Gallery
this December: Robin Holtom, John Lipsham and David Reeve. Co-inciding with Degas dancers at the
Royal Academy will be Robin Holtom’s own studies of dancers, continuing his current theme of the
exploration of  movement and the female form. Figures move fluidly in space, often echoed by their own
reflections, painted in colours which reflect the influence of the artist’s sojourns in Spain and Italy.
Artist David Reeve never disappoints with his jewel-like Old Town views, and in this exhibition we will also
see a more subdued palette, as his expert eye tackles such subjects as Dungeness and the Marine Court
building itself. John Lipsham continues to explore the hinterland between the representational and the
abstract, with a growing understanding of his subject.  In his new work he again uses colour and form to
create arresting images which strike a chord within, and leave a lasting effect in the mind of the viewer.
The Burton Gallery Christmas Exhibition, from December 2nd – December 18th.   Preview Friday 2nd
December, 6 – 8.30 pm. Open: Friday – Monday 11 -5 pm.  The Burton Gallery, 5 Marine Court,
St.Leonards-on-Sea. TN38 0DX.  Tel: 01424 719817  www.theburtongallery.co.uk

Penny Hobson will be exhibiting her art through December at The Post Office Tearooms, 40A Marina, St Leonards.

Members Announcements

Marybeth Haas posts: a reminder that Ecstatic Trance Dance, a moving meditation, will be on  14 Dec at
the Performing Arts Studio, (room signposted 1.029), Sussex Coast College, Station Plaza. Please sign in
at reception on arrival. Times: Doors Open 19:00;  Begins 19:15, Finish 21:00, Building closes 21:15. More
info: www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance or call 01424 460477.

Earthbeat is a free form dance session/class – no steps to learn, great music from many different genres
and undeniably dancey. This is a lovely supportive group: no onlookers just fellow dancers. All movement
is at your own pace with a flowing start and meditative end – a really uplifting way to get your body moving.
Why not join the last session of 2011 –  a great way to get a little fitter for the party season? Wed 7 Nov,
7-10pm at Sussex Coast College, Room 1029, Station Plaza, Hastings. Cost £8. Please sign in at
reception and head for the first floor: The Performance Dance Studio. Bring comfortable clothes and water.
For more information, ring Janet Harding on 01424 773097.

Mark Fisher and Antony Wynne, have a Christmas Open Studio on Sat /Sun, 3/4 Dec at 10 -4pm. The open
studio will be at “The Den”, Meadow Lane, Seddlescombe. Cards, painings, stained glass, garden art and
more. A glass of mulled wine will greet you.

Film

St Leonards Film Soc has the following screenings coming up in AF 1:

6 Dec. ’Rare Exports : A Christmas Tale’ set in the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains.
22 Dec. ’Its a Wonderful Life!’..a classic gem.

Music

Elizabeth Forbes reviews The Celebrity Gala Concert at St Mary in the Castle on Sunday 27 November came
in two parts: the first half was contributed by members of Barefoot Opera (in whose aid the concert was being
given). A duet and a trio from Cosìfan tuttewere both enjoyable and well directed by Jenny Miller, but the best
and most dramatic excerpt from a Mozart opera was Sesto’s aria, “Parto, parto” from La clemenza di Tito,
sung by Aino Konkka with clarinet obbligato played by Andrew Sparling. There was also a silent Vitellio to listen
to her lover in the person of Krysia Mansfield, who herself sang two items, by Tippett and Borodin. Andrew
Sparling also voiced an attractive, little known song by Ravel; he is very nearly as good a singer as he is a
clarinettist, and that is high praise indeed. The excellent pianist was Nancy Cooley.
The second half of the concert was given by soprano Elizabeth Connell, who was accompanied by Stephen
Rose. She announced her own programme, each aria preceded by several minutes of talk. Miss Connell
made her debut at Wexford as Varvara in Janáĉek’s Katya Kabanova, a performance I vividly remember
though it was quite a long time ago . One virtue she has not lost since those early days is a complete lack
of fear in attack; that was magnificently displayed in Lady Macbeth’s aria “La luce langue” from Verdi’sMacbeth,
while “Dich, teure Halle”, Elisabeth’s greeting to the Hall of Song in Wagner’s Tannhäuser, was also properly
dramatic. Some business with a number of funny hats amused the audience, few of whom were lucky enough
to share my memories of a great artist.
ELIZABETH FORBES  
Elizabeth Forbes was formerly opera critic for the “Financial Times” and a director on the board of “Opera”
magazine. Currently, she writes obituaries for “The Independent”  and reviews  opera for Whittakers Almanac.

Poetry

Join the Poetry Group for pistols drawn on Sat Dec 3, at 5pm, where tantalisingly the theme will be ‘Revenge’.

“Curses!! I’m guessing those Arts Forum poets    
Didn’t really like my verses..”

Courses

 Exploring Drawing In the New Year 2012, I will be running 10 Tuesday drawing sessions on the following dates:   
Jan 10^th, 17^th, 24^th, 31^st, Feb 7^th, then Feb 28^th, Mar 6^th, 13^th, 20^th, 27^th. 
(9.30am – 1.00pm) I believe that 4 drawing sessions (preferably consecutive) is the minimum amount of time
(14 hours) needed to make real progress with a drawing, especially if your drawing experience is limited, and
I would recommend 6 sessions (again preferably consecutive) if at all possible.  Therefore it is necessary to
commit to a 4 session minimum booking although it may be possible to accommodate the dates
non – consecutively depending on the course numbers.
 
4 day course will cost £95
6 day course will cost £140
10 day course will cost £230
Extra days by arrangement will cost £24 each.
 
I have to ask for full payment in advance, in order to establish a place on a course and assist in planning.  If you
would like to find out more, or reserve a place, please ring me on 01424 882367 or email: 
david@heronryhouse.plus.com    I will then send more specific details about schedules, materials, location etc.  
The courses take place in a rural location near Rye.
 
 The aim of these drawing courses is to equip participants with the knowledge of fundamental drawing skills so
they can accurately represent the visual world in two dimensions.  By acquiring the skill to draw you are actuall
heightening your visual awareness.  The more you discover you can see, the more you want to draw.  Drawing
can become a life enhancing activity.  Participants are encouraged to think of drawing more as an acquirable
skill than an art form.  
 
The course tutor, David Noble, trained atthe Byam Shaw School of Drawing and Painting, London (LCAD),
the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Department of Fine Art (BA Hons) and the Institute of Education,
London University (ATC).

Dates For Your DiarySat 26 Nov.  Sewing Machine course with Claire Buckley: see Members’ Announcements.
Sun 27 Nov.  Elizabeth Connell, internationally famed soprano will give a concert at St Mary-in-the-Castle, 6pm. See Music.
Mon 28 Nov. 7 for 7.30.  Burton Society AGM in AF 1. See Members Announcements
Fri 2 Dec.      6.30 – late. Forum’s Creative Christmas 2011 arts and crafts show, curated by Angela Childs.
                       5 – 7. Christmas lights and late night shopping along St Leonards Seaside strip.  
Sat / Sun 3/4 Dec. Christmas Open Studios. Mark Fisher (paintings) and Anthony Wynne (glass)have an ‘open studio’ in SeddlescombeSee under Members Annouincements.
Thu 8 Dec.    Late night shopping til 7 pm along ‘the seaside strip’ – also 15 Dec and 22 Dec.
                                                
Stop PressTowner Art Gallery calls for East Sussex artists to submit work for the 2012 open exhibition, 24 Mar – 29 Apr. For more info go to www.townereastbourne.org.uk or call Eastbourne 434667.

South East Open Studios. (SEOS). Forum member, Mark Fisher, is an East Sussex and area co-ordinator for SEOS, 2012. Open Studios programme will run for two weeks between Fri 1 – Sunday, 17 June 2012. If you register your interest on-line before 25 Dec 2011, you will be eligible for a £95 entry fee, otherwise, the fee is £105.00. To enter the open studio programme, you need to register with Felicity Flutter, overall co-ordinator by 31 Jan . See www.seos-art.org . Participation gives you access to a brochure with 30,000 copies didtributed across the south-east. SEOS claims to originate over 20,000 visits to artists’ studios.

Volunteers with Computer Skills. Volunteer forumites with computer skills and an interest in networking are being sought for the Forum’s IT/ web content team; we are sad to hear that Danny Mooney is taking a break from the current team. We are interested in meeting people who have at least some basic html skills, an eye for design and importantly a willingness to learn. The website uses WordPress blogging platform and we have FaceBook and Twitter interests to look after.The team meets once a week for an hour or two, or as required. Tea-making skills and an interest in quality biscuits essential.

St Leonards ‘SeasideStrip’ Christmas. The Forum and its neighbours along the seaside strip are joining together on Fri 2 Dec to switch on Christmas lights together with a late night opening (til 7 pm) on Fri 2 Dec. A grant from the Council for £500 is being matched by businesses and traders. During December, there will also be three late night openings until 7 pm on Thursdays, Dec  8, 15 and 22.

Dorothea Huntrods : ”On behalf of the Exhibitions Committee and as the curator of the Open Forum Self-Portraits exhibition scheduled for next year, I’d like to thank all the artists who have registered their interest in the two themed exhibitions, Self Portraits and Surrealism,  planned for 2012. We have had a very reassuring response but there is still room for more! Especially from all those energetic surrealist artists out there who’ve yet to take up the challenge! Please let the Forum know by the end of the year, so that we can plan ahead.

Booking Exhibitions. Please note there are currently vacancies for selected dates in 2012. There are also two one-week slots as follows: 21 – 28 March 2012 in AF1; and 18 -25 July in AF2. As always, apart from the two dates mentioned, priority will always be given to requests for two-week shows. Bids should be made direct to the Forum on (01424) 201636 or email info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk marking your message: “For the Exhibitions Committee”

Studio space - still available !!  We have received the following information about studio space. Lovely affordable studio space to let in St Leonards, to share with two other creative professionals.
Would suit designer/illustrator. For more info please contact : Eleanor on 07786 960140 or Georgina on 07958 611910

Storytelling. The closing event of Hastings’ new Storytelling Festival was held on Sun 20 Nov in AF 1 with Hilary Watkins of Ragbagarts and colourful troubadour Ben Fairlight spinning songs and yarns around the Festival theme of ‘The Sea of Life’.
       
Nina Pearce’s ‘Bebe’ opens on the Kings Road. Check out Nina’s new shop, ‘Bebe’, opening across the road from the Gill Gallery in Kings Road, St  Leonards on 1 Dec. She also expects the Gill Gallery to be fully operational by then.

Current Exhibitions…
                                                                                                                                           
Splashback ! 17 – 29 Nov in AF 1. “Amazing diversity of talent!” and “refreshing” is the visitor reaction to a wide variety of exhibits including oil & acrylic paintings, ceramics, bronze, glass, photography, textiles and many interesting forms of mixed media exhibited by The Splash! Group which comprises Tony Allen, Jennie Bayntun, Lynne Bingham, Rob Daniel, Gina Lelliott, Jean Lofts, Robin Muckle, Nick Pilcher, Nick Rowland, Catherine Smart, Suzie Smith and Susan Watts. Many visitors to the exhibition have asked whether Lynne Bingham made the tiny figures displayed in some of her works (shown in the ‘detail’ below). Lynne is happy to admit that she gets these figures from the internet, and ‘yes’ they ARE plastic. The beads are genuine abacus beads, which she collects and paints.

Jessica Levine. 17 – 29 Nov in AF 2.  Jessica is a member from Kent, who exhibits widely throughout the southeast. She is mainly a self taught artist specialising in abstract collages and abstract paintings. Her collages have been selling well since the start of the exhibition.

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Creative Christmas.  AF 1 and 2.  From 2 – 13 Dec. Curated by Angela Childs. Crafts and paintings for Christmas in both Galleries.              

 Angela Childs curates her third Christmas craft show at the Forum. This is the Forum’s main opportunity to exhibit crafts, but will feature both paintings and craft items including many from local artists and artisans. 

Volunteers Show.  AF 2 from 16 Dec – 4 Jan. Free entry to all who have been volunteers this year. Hand-in date will be 15 Dec.

Chris Roskell, Jo Welsh and Ian Welsh. ”Londoners in Sussex“. Paintings, Etchings and Assemblages . Dec 16 – 4 Jan.

Chris, Ian Welsh and Ian’s wife Jo Welsh have all recently moved to Hastings and are establishing two studios in an old factory in the town.

Ian Welsh makes observations of water and has been working on this theme for over 25 years. His paintings use a layering process using acrylic lacquers. Ian has a degree in painting from Chelsea as well as Post Graduate degrees in Printmaking and Sculpture. He was Head of Foundation in Norwich, Head of Painting in Bergen, Norway and Head of Printmaking at Chelsea. His work is in public and private collections including the V&A, Barclays Wealth and Deutsche Bank and in international collections including Scandinavia.

Jo Welsh makes assemblages and etchings. She has had numerous exhibitions and is represented in many public and private collections including Farley Farm, the home of the Surrealists; the Penrose Collection at Chiddingly. Jo has also taught at Norwich, Chelsea and Bergen and is currently teaching for the Corporation of London. She has work in public and private collections in the UK and Scandinavia.

Chris Roskell formerly lived in Harlow where he went to school and has worked in his studio at Parndon Mill for several years. Chris studied fine art in the sixties and early seventies, a time when the whole validity of painting was hotly debated. Indeed his work towards the end of his time at art school moved away from conventional painting towards performance when he worked with dancers from The London Contemporary Dance. Since then Chris has spent time carrying out specialist decorating commissions on site, using his craft skills as a painter, as well as developing fine art painting in the studio. Chris Roskell was a student when Ian Welsh taught him at Harlow.

Both Galleries will be closed  for annual re-furbishment from 4-18 Jan 2012. Volunteers required: painters, cleaners, tea-makers, brow-wipers, seamstresses !!

Exhibitions Elsewhere

 Masquerade.  SoCo + Photohub Group in St Mary-in-the-Castle will exhibit  ‘Portrait as Performance’  until 18 Dec. SoCo (South Coast Artists) make a welcome return to St Mary in the Castle in Hastings this month in a new collaborative art exhibition by members of SoCo (South Coast Artists) and PhG (Photo Hub Group). Masquerade promises an exciting alternative to tradition. The eighteen participating artists have been invited to freely interpret their concept of ‘portrait’ with ‘alternative’ and ‘edgy’ artworks inspired by the concepts of dressing up, theatrical tableaux, alter-egos and portraits that address historic or cultural identities/stereotypes. 
 
With contributions from painters, photographers, makers, dancers and singers, the show promises a variety of new refreshing work. ‘Masquerade‘offers a thought-provoking re-invention of ‘the portrait’. Open Thurs-Sat: 11-3: Sun: 12–3).  For more information please visit www.soco.org.uk<http://www.soco.org.uk>; www.phghastings.co.uk<http://www.phghastings.co.uk>; www.photohubgroup.blogspot.com<http://www.photohubgroup.blogspot.com>  

 Projectart Works. Stade Hall. “Heroes, Dreams and Visions“. only till 26 November. 11 – 4 daily.
Comments on this exhibition when shown at the Forum included ’some moments of genius’  ; ’something magical is going on here’. If  you missed the exhibition at Hastings Arts Forum, here’s a last chance to see a significant body of exceptional work by seven participants on our pioneering mentoring studios programme. ‘Heroes, Dreams and Visions’ celebrates the joy and challenge of image-making. 
  
Members’ Announcements..
  
Claire Buckley posts: Sat 26 Nov, 10.00-4.00 at The Old Bakery Studios, St Leonards on Sea there will be a ‘Get to know your Sewing Machine‘ workshop with Claire Buckley. Do you have a sewing machine sitting at home unloved and ignored? Come for the day and find out just how useful your sewing machine can be! £30 (please bring your sewing machine). If you are interested but cannot make this day, get in touch with Claire as she will be repeating the workshops. Claire is an experienced textile artist, author and qualified teacher with an MA Visual Arts (Tapestry and Textile Arts) from West Dean College, Chichester; she is the author of `Start to Embroider’. Claire will be teaching a wide range of textile techniques using an inspiring array of materials including tapestry, hand and machine embroidery and felting.The courses she runs have small numbers so she can give lots of individual help and is happy to create bespoke classes to fit whatever the class wants to learn. There will be tea and cakes. Contact Claire for more information on 07771456291.

Wendy  Oxlade posts: Drawing Class at Inspire, Robertson St, Hastings: Life Drawing Class Thursdays 10.30-12.30; cost £7; from 1.30-3.30 £7; or both sessions £12.

Mark Fisher and Antony Wynne, have a Christmas Open Studio on Sat /Sun, 3/4 Dec at 10 -4pm. The open studio will be at “The Den”, Meadow Lane, Seddlescombe. Cards, painings, stained glass, garden art and more. A glass of mulled wine will greet you.

Burton Society AGM and lecture.  ‘what are those pointy things over there?’ A talk on pyramids by Stephen Gray, architect
Decimus Burton designed his father’s St Leonards pyramid to evade (allegedly) the eastern curse, ‘May jackasses sit on your father’s grave’.  A nice family tradition, but the genesis of the idea perhaps lay more in the fact that Decimus’s brother, James Haliburton, was an accomplished Egyptologist.
The Giza Pyramids and the Kushite and Meroitice pyramids in the Sudan will also be discussed, and some theories explored of a landscape-inspired genesis for Egyptian architectural forms.
Date:     Monday 28 November, 2011 at 7 for 7.30.
Venue:   HASTINGS ARTS FORUM . Following the Annual General Meeting. Admission:    £4  (£2 for Members)       

Film…..

St Leonards Film Soc has the following screenings coming up in AF 1:
6 Dec. ’Rare Exports : A Christmas Tale’ set in the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains.
22 Dec. ’Its a Wonderful Life!’..a classic gem.

Music….

Sun 27 Nov. 6 pm. Elizabeth Connell, internationally famed soprano will give a concert at St Mary -in-the-Castle. Alan Privett posts: 
‘ Not to be missed, the word famous dramatic soprano will be performing in Hastings for one night only at a gala concert in St Mary in the Castle. Miss Connell will be singing from the roles which led to her international fame as a great operatic artist. Miss Connell will be accompanied on the piano by her regular concert partner Peter Rose. The evening will also include performances from acclaimed singers of the newly formed Barefoot Opera Company, which is directed by Jenny Miller and includes the mezzo soprano Krysia Mansfield who recently performed at the Hastings Museum. Barefoot Opera recently performed their version of Alcina at the London Arcola Grimeborn Opera Festival. Ms Miller has, for the past three years, delighted Hastings audiences by directing sensational fully staged operas in the dramatic setting of St Mary in the Castle. This forthcoming concert with Elizabeth Connell looks set to be another sparkling event. Tickets are most reasonably priced at £12.50 – call 01424 432 985 to secure your seat for what promises to be a winter evening of superlative musical entertainment.

Poetry…

The-Pen-is- Mightier-than  the-Sword as they say….so unsheath your Parker
and join the poets in AF 2 on 4 Dec at 5pm where
the theme this month is ‘Revenge’.                                                                        
  “Quick! Tell me what you think of my poetry….”  

Dates For Your Diary        

Fri 11 Nov. 6-8pm Private View and book launch of ‘Rooms For Ideas’ at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery. SeeExhibitions Elswhere.
Fri 11 Nov. Projectart Works previews “Heroes, Dreams and Visions” ,at the Stade. Hall  See Exhibitions Elsewhere 
Fri 11 Nov. 6 – 8.30. Private View for Hastings Independent Photographers in Number One Cafe, corner of London Rd / Grand Parade,SLOS.
Sat 12 Nov. 2pm come and meet the artist Ian Francis in AF2 where he will be happy to discuss the works in his current exhibition.
Fri 18 Nov.  6.30-8.30pm Private View for ‘Splashback‘ AF1 and Jessica Levine in AF2.
Sat 19 Nov.  3pm  in AF2  Jess Levine will give a demonstration on Collage. See Members’ Announcements.
Sun 20 Nov. 5.30pm. Closing event of the Hastings Storytelling Festival: Hilary Watson of Ragbagarts and Ben Fairlight’s Songstory in AF1.
Mon 21 Nov. 2 – 4. Buchanan Book Group reads ‘Translations’. See Members’ Announcements

For Self Portraits and the Surrealism Exhibitions, a non-refundable fee of £20.00 will be required from individual entrants which will allow each entrant to submit four pieces to their chosen exhibition. We propose to sell ‘off the wall’and refill empty spaces from the four submissions, not hung, but kept in reserve for this purpose. The thinking behind this is that the more exposure an artwork gets , the greater the chance of catching the eye of a purchaser.

Dorothea Huntrods stated: ”On behalf of the Exhibitions Committee and as the curator of the Open Forum Self-Portraits exhibition scheduled for next year, I’d like to thank all the artists who have registered their interest in the two themed exhibitions planned for 2012. We have had a very reassuring response but there is still room for more! Especially from all those energetic surrealist artists out there who’ve yet to take up the challenge! Please let the Forum know by the end of November so that we can plan ahead.

Booking Exhibitions. Please note there are currently vacancies for selected dates in 2012. There are also two one-week slots as follows: 21 – 28 March 2012 in AF1; and 18 -25 July in AF2. As always, apart from the two dates mentioned, priority will always be given to requests for two-week shows. Bids should be made direct to the Forum on (01424) 201636 or email info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk marking your message: “For the Exhibitions Committee”

Come and Stitch at the Forum: Sat 12 Nov, 12- 3pm. The artists from Studio 21 under the banner “Continuum” would be happy if you would join them in the Gallery and add to an ever-growing piece of work. Enjoy a glass of wine and sit for a while and stitch. Don’t worry if you haven’t sewn before, just come and join in! Everyone has a memory that evokes a particular thought, time or location: a special sense of place. We hope that their collaborative work Continuum will inspire you to add your own marks and stitches to this exciting project. www.studio21textileart.co.uk/.
       
Workers Education Association. Sat 12 Nov. “DÉGAS – Picturing Movement”  is the theme of a talk by well-known art historian and practicing artist, Bryan Davies in St Matthews Centre, London Road, St Leonards on Sea. Bryan will explore Dégas’ paintings of dancers and horses in movement – which grew from the artist’s awareness of the new technologies of photography and film. This WEA lecture is timed to coincide with the current Royal Academy Exhibition. 10am to 1pm. £8 payable at the door. All enquiries to Joan Pugh 01424-444686.

Helen Hunt is running three bookmaking workshops before Christmas. Make your own gifts. See Members Announcements.

Alastair Fairley , a past Chairman of  the Hastings Arts Forum — and his vibrant home in Hastings are featured extensively in the November issue of glossy lifestyle magazine Wealden Times. As well as a fascinating glimpse into Alastair’s colourful life, there is a chance to see the impressive mural gracing his courtyard by local artist Linda King. Alastair currently has a touring exhibition dedicated to his father, former ITN  Science Editor Peter Fairley: Man on the Moon. See for yourself at www.manonthemoon.org.uk  andwww.wealdentimes.co.uk. To find a copy of Wealden Times which is free of charge, ring freephone 0800 294 9011. There is an article on Alastair’s house andan interview. Below is an excerpt from the inteview.

 Talking about the De La Warr  Alastair goes on to say “It inspired me that perhaps we could achieve the same sort of thing in Hastings. I had already setup the Hastings Art Forum to help develop the town’s burgeoning arts scene. Through that, I landed the role of chairing the town’s Strategic Partnership and campaigned for culture to be taken more seriously here. It was amazing when the Jerwood Foundation became interested in us – I think they could see the potential, so they invested in the town. Their new Gallery on The Stade should be completed next year which will be fantastic. I think it shows what you can achieve if you try…”
Current Exhibitions…
                                                                                                                                           
Continuum – A Sense of Place. 15 artists from across the south-east will continue to exhibit in AF 1 until 15 Nov. This exhibition is a collaborative project by Studio 21 featuring a group of textile and mixed media artists, whose aim is to push the boundaries of traditional expectations in textiles. All members of the group are graduates of the Higher Ed. Diploma in Stitched Textiles at Bucks New University. See their website:http://www.studio21textileart.co.uk/. 

Exhibiting members include Arnarjeet Nandhra, Anne Froggatt, Annette Collinge, Dawn Thorne, Debbie Lyddon, Jacky Russell, Jill Flower, Judy Drysdale, Lynda Gleave, Liz Heywood, Marion Glover, Mary Morris, Samantha Harvey, Sandra Meech and Susan Chapman. Although items are not for sale, this has been a very well received exhibition with comments in the book including: “Quite extraordinary..”; “Absolutely wonderful…”; “New and exciting..”. 

Ian Francis MA: Paintings and Drawings in AF 2. Ian’s explosion of colourful abstracted ideas will also continue until 15 Nov. “I have never been so moved by a painting”, was the comment of young art buyer, Louie who returned to the exhibition to purchase Ian’s ‘Gentle Warrior’ (below, left) this week. There will be an opportunity to walk around the exhibition on Saturday 12 at 2pm with the artist and discuss the thinking and philosophy behind the paintings and drawings in this one-man show including ‘Along the Sparkling River’ (below, right).

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Splashback ! 17 – 29 Nov in AF 1. The Splash! is a group of 12 artists who return to the Forum with new work. A wide range of exhibits will be shown including oil & acrylic paintings, ceramics, bronze, glass, photography, textiles and many interesting forms of mixed media. The Splash! Group comprises Tony Allen, Jennie Bayntun, Lynne Bingham, Rob Daniel, Gina Lelliott, Jean Lofts, Robin Muckle, Nick Pilcher, Nick Rowland, Catherine Smart, Suzie Smith and Susan Watts.

Jessica Levine. 17 – 29 Nov in AF 2.  Jessica is a member from Kent, who exhibits widely throughout the southeast

Jessica is mainly a self taught artist specialising in abstract collages and abstract paintings. She is passionate about colour and texture and enjoys making “satisfying compositions”. She has exhibited quite widely in the UK and intends to develop her artistic skills further through her work for the Hastings Art Forum.  

“Creative Christmas“.  AF 1 and 2.  4 – 14 Dec. Curated by Angela Childs. Both Galleries.
Volunteers Show.  AF 1 from 16 Dec – 4 Jan. Free entry to all who have been volunteers this year. Hand-in 15 Dec.
Chris Roskell, Jo Welsh and Ian Welsh. ”Londoners in Sussex“. Paintings, Etchings and Assemblages.

Exhibitions Elsewhere

 Projectart Works. Stade Hall. “Heroes, Dreams and Visions“. 12 – 26 November. 11 – 4 daily

Comments on this exhibition when shown at the Forum included ’some moments of genius’  ; ’something magical is going on here’

If  you missed the exhibition at Hastings Arts Forum, here’s another chance to see a significant body of exceptional work by 7 participants on our pioneering mentoring studios programme. Heroes, Dreams and Visions celebrates the joy and challenge of image-making. From iconic paintings of film and television heroes to a magical series of brightly coloured still lives, the works will be wide-ranging in approach, style and execution.

Hastings Independent Photographers.  Tue 8 Nov -2 Dec. Includes Annette Barton, Emma Bryant, Debbie Gregory, Lin Gregory, Barry Reid and Tina Reid.

The Line Up: are holding an exhibition of contemporary jewellery and book launch at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, 11 Nov 2011 to 19 Feb 2012.   ‘Rooms for Ideas‘ is inspired by the permanent collection at the Gallery and will be officially opened by Councillor Kim Forward, Mayor of Hastings at 6.30m on Fri 11 Nov. This will be a family event with live music provided by The Lucky Ones and a pay bar. The Line Up are: Jennifer Kidd, Susanne Freytag, Paula Thittichai, Amy Madge, Maxime Wareham, Wendy-Sarah Pacey, Julie Tucker-Williams and Jo McAllister.

Members’ Announcements…

Marilyn Edwards posts: Art and Craft Sale and exhibition. Sat 19 Nov, 10.30am to 4pm  at St John’s Church, Pevensey Road, St Leonard’s on Sea.

Rose Miller posts: Buchanan Book Group will read and discuss ‘Translations’, a play by Brian Friel on Mon 21 Nov, 2 – 4pm. Chaired/facilitated by Rose Miller. Some copies will be available for use during the session. Cost: £6  including refreshments. Contact rosemiller9@gmail.com - for further information; or ring 01424 443 164.

Wendy  Oxlade posts. Drawing Class. INSPIRE, Robertson St Hastings Life Drawing Class Thursdays 10.30-12.30 cost £7  1.30-3.30 £7  both sessions £12 :

Lorraine Ashley posts: a call for all artists near Westfield… I run a creative arts club in Westfield. Members have the opportunity to try their hand at a wide range of media. We can offer: painting and drawing, mosaic, ceramics, stained glass, fused glass, silk painting, batik etc.  Enamelling will be coming soon! Monthly membership of £25 entitles you to attend one or more weekly sessions. Single sessions are also available as is private tuition and one day workshops in any of the above.  The studio is amply supplied with glass and ceramic kilns, plenty of glass and mosaic cutters, paints, soldering irons, ceramic glazes etc. For more information please contact Lorraine on01424 753621 or 07810036038

Helen Hunt  is running a series of bookmaking classes at Alex Leadbeater’s studios in Harold Mews, Mercatoria. These can make ideal gifts over Christmas. The next bookmaking workshops are:– 
No previous experience necessary.

Helen Hunt. Gifts in the making.
 
Wed 16 Nov 1-4pm
Simple no-stitch bookmaking
 
Sun 4 Dec 1-4pm
Japanese stab-stitch bookmaking
 
Wed 7 Dec 1-4pm
Front-fastening bookmaking
 
All classes are run by Helen Hunt who is an experienced artist and teacher. Cost £15 including materials. 

Mary Dawson posts: ‘Women’s Voice’ are holding an International Children’s Day Event on 19 Nov, 11am—4pm at St Mary’s in the Castle. There will be Story Telling, Dance, Music, Play Activities, Raffle, Henna Art, Face Painting, Arts and Craft, Information Stalls and a Toy Swap. If you are interested in taking part or would like a stall please contact jtilbrook@hastings.gov.uk or 01424 451855. 

Marybeth Haas posts: a reminder that Ecstatic Trance Dance, a moving meditation, will be on 23 Nov and 14 Dec at the Performing Arts Studio, (room signposted 1.029), Sussex Coast College, Station Plaza. Please sign in at reception on arrival. Times: Doors Open 19:00;  Begins 19:15, Finish 21:00, Building closes 21:15. More info: www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance or call 01424 460477.

Jessica Levine posts: I will be demonstrating collage on Sat 19 Nov at 3 pm. All welcome. Paper and glue will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer.

Vanessa Fowler posts: on Wed nights between 7.00 – 9.00pm,  I have started evening classes for adults, all levels welcome at my gallery/shop/studio at 6 Marine Court. The groups are small, max six. At present making will be in terracotta allowing brightly coloured glazing. A short course of 8 hours costs £60, materials extra. Vanessa has been a tutor at the college for 22 years but has recently left to pursue her own business and art. Please check FB page: Adult Pottery Classes – St Leonards on Sea – Vanessa Fowler for further information; or contact vanessanfowler@yahoo.co.uk; or call 07732987643.
. 
Janet Harding posts: Earthbeat dance sessions continue in Room 1029 (Performing Arts Studio) on the 1st Floor at Sussex Coast College, Hastings. 16, 30 Nov and 7 Dec. Arrive 6.45pm to sign in at reception; dancing is 7-9pm. Bring water and wear comfortable clothes.

Dorothea Huntrods posts: On behalf of the Exhibitions Committee and as the curator of the Open Forum Self-Portraits exhibition scheduled for next year, I’d like to thank all the artists who have registered their interest in the two themed exhibitions planned for 2012. We have had a very reassuring response but there is still room for more! Especially from all those energetic surrealist artists out there who’ve yet to take up the challenge! Please let the Forum know by the end of November so that we can plan ahead.

Film….

St Leonards Film Soc have the following screenings coming up in AF 1:

24 Nov. ‘Junkhearts’,  which had its premiere at the 2011 British Film Institute London Film Festival.  NB: The advertised screening of “Tomboy” (15) is postponed. 
6 Dec. “Rare Exports : A Christmas Tale” set in the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains.
22 Dec. “Its a Wonderful Life!”..a classic gem.

Poetry…

The Poetry Group will meet on Sat 4 Dec at 5 pm. The theme for this session will be ‘Revenge’ — although this may be interpreted as freely as you wish. As always, if this particular theme (or the chance to get back at fellow poet, Tony) doesn’t inspire you, do feel free to choose another subject that inspires you.  

Marybeth Haas posts: a reminder that Ecstatic Trance Dance, a moving meditation, will be on 23 Nov and 14 Dec at the Performing Arts Studio, (room signposted 1.029), Sussex Coast College, Station Plaza. Please sign in at reception on arrival. Times: Doors Open 19:00;  Begins 19:15, Finish 21:00, Building closes 21:15. More info: www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance or call 01424 460477.

Come my love
And have no fear.
Tongue-tasting, whitest dove.
Memories of my yesteryear,
Strike deep — then soar above!

If what you want is shared desire
Then come and tarry yet awhile.
My closeness, smells may yet inspire
Your touching, reaching, fetching smile.
Could be the match that kindles fire. Anon

Dates for your Diary….

Fri 4 Nov. 6.30-8.30pm. Private View: Ian Francis.
Sat 5 Nov.  12 – 3pm in AF2. Enjoy a glass of wine; learn to sew; learn about textiles as an art form. Details in Stop Press.  Continuum will repeat this next Sat 12 Nov.
Wed 9 Nov. 5.30 pm in AF1. Songstory by Ben Fairlight. Opening event of the Hastings Storytelling Festival. All events are free entry. See www.hastingsstoryfest.org.uk.
Thu 10 Nov. 7 for 7.45pm. Film in AF1. “Way of the Morris”.
Fri 11 Nov. 6-8pm Private View and book launch of ‘Rooms For Ideas‘ at Hastings Museum & Art Galler. See Exhibitions Elswhere..
Fri 11 Nov. 6 – 8.30. Private View  for Hastings Independent Photographers in Nimber One Cafe, corner of London Rd / Grand Parade,SLOS.
Sat 12 Nov. 2pm come and meet the artist Ian Francis in AF2.
Sat 19 Nov.  3pm  in AF2  Jess Levine will give a demonstration on Collage. See Members Announcements.
Sun 20 Nov. 5.30pm. Closing event of the Hastings Storytelling Festival: Hilary Watson of Ragbagarts and Ben Fairlight’s Songstory in AF1.

Stop Press….

CALL FOR ARTISTS
OPEN FORUM THEMED EXHIBITIONS: ‘SELF PORTRAITS’ and ‘SURREALISM’
The dates for these two exhibitions are as follow:
‘Self Portraits‘ 18 July – 1 August 2012 in AF1.
‘Surrealism‘ 12 – 26 September 2012 in AF2 .
 
Any members who haven’t responded yet: remember the Forum is inviting entries in a variety of styles and media including drawing, painting, printmaking, collage etc. For these two exhibitions, however, we are not looking for sculpture (this could be a theme later on) nor photography, video art or multi media installations. These will be selling exhibitions, They will be individually curated and the submissions selected by a team of experts at the beginning of 2012 – the date to be announced. To participate in either one or both exhibitions, please let the Forum know by 30 November 2011. Tel: 01424 201636 or email info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk marked ‘For The Exhibitions Committee’. For each exhibition, a non-refundable fee of £20 will be required from individual entrants. This will allow four pieces of work per exhibition per fee.

This will be a ’sell off the wall’ exhibition with empty spaces being refilled with artworks held in reserve for this purpose. ‘Self Portraits’ will need to be handed in at the Forum between 11-14 July 2012; entries for ‘Surrealism’ between 5-7 Sept 2012. See also Dorothea’s post below.

Come and Stitch at the Forum: Sat 5 Nov and Sat 12 Nov, 12- 3pm. The artists from Studio 21 under the banner “Continuum” would be happy if you would join them in the Gallery and add to an ever-growing piece of work. Enjoy a glass of wine and sit for a while and stitch. Don’t worry if you haven’t sewn before, just come and join in! Everyone has a memory that evokes a particular thought, time or location: a special sense of place. We hope that our collaborative work Continuum will inspire you to add your own marks and stitches to this exciting project. www.studio21textileart.co.uk/.

Forum Sales. Sales have continued well for paintings. Ray McChrystal sold nine paintings in a price range of £84 – £380 during last week’s exhibition in AF 1. Ray sold two pictures on an instalment plan, which may not have happened in the absence of an  instalment plan. The Forum normally expects a deposit of 25% with terms agreede by the purchaser and the artist.

Booking Exhibitions. Please note there are currently vacancies for selected dates in 2012. There are also two one-week slots as follows: 21 – 28 March 2012 in AF1; and 18 -25 July in AF2. As always, apart from the two dates mentioned, priority will always be given to requests for two-week shows. Bids should be made direct to the Forum on (01424) 201636 or email info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk marking your message . ”For the Exhibitions Committee”
       
Workers Education Association. “DÉGAS – Picturing Movement”  is the theme of a talk by well-known art historian and practicing artist, Bryan Davies in St Matthews Centre, London Road, St Leonards on Sat 12 Nov. Bryan will explore Dégas’ paintings of dancers and horses in movement – which grew from the artist’s awareness of the new technologies of photography and film. This WEA lecture is timed to coincide with the current Royal Academy Exhibition. 10am to 1pm. £8 payable at the door. All enquiries to Joan Pugh 01424-444686

Current Exhibitions…
                                                                                                                                           
Continuum – A Sense of Place. 15 artists from across the south-east will be exhibiting in AF 1 from 3 Nov – 15 Nov. This exhibition is a collaborative project by Studio 21 featuring a group of textile and mixed media artists, whose aim is to push the boundaries of traditional expectations in textiles. All members of the group are graduates of the Higher Ed. Diploma in Stitched Textiles at Bucks New University.
 
Whereas many think of embroidery as ‘women stitching and decorating a piece of cloth’ – this group has developed the medium as an art form in its own right. They use a variety of materials, including wire, plastic and paper in the construction of their work, some of which give a strong 3-D effect. See their website:  http://www.studio21textileart.co.uk/. The group has many recognised international artists in the textile field and who teach and exhibit in the UK and abroad. Several have written books, which are regarded as benchmarks. They come together to exhibit regularly and their last exhibition was at the NEC,Birmingham in August 2011.

Exhibiting members include Arnarjeet Nandhra, Anne Froggatt, Annette Collinge, Dawn Thorne, Debbie Lyddon, Jacky Russell, Jill Flower, Judy Drysdale, Lynda Gleave, Liz Heywood, Marion Glover, Mary Morris, Samantha Harvey, Sandra Meech and Susan Chapman.
Ian Francis MA: Paintings and Drawings in AF 2, from 3 Nov – 15 Nov; preview 6.30-8.30pm on 4 Nov. Ian describes his one-man show as: “A riot of colour to help your firework celebrations to go off with a bang!” He goes on to explain: “A friend of mine said that these works reminded him of firework wrappers from the 60s and 70s. That was not what was on my mind at the time that I made them, but there is definitely a nod to the aesthetics of that time.

“The sea moving, wind and light, ships on the horizon, anatomical drawings, snippets of conversation, song lyrics, news items and random thoughts all act as triggers for my work. A joust begins between what is visualised in my imagination and what takes place on the canvas or paper. The melding of the two, a process that takes place somewhere between conscious thought and selflessness, creates the work. The work then has a life of its own, its identity defined by the person viewing it”.

Ian will be doing a gallery talk on Sat 12 Nov at 2pm. If you’re interested in meeting the artist and finding out more about his work, come along for an informal discussion.

        
Forthcoming Exhibitions

Splashback!  17 – 29 Nov in AF 1. The Splash! is a group of 12 artists who return to the Forum with new work. A wide range of exhibits will be shown including oil & acrylic paintings, ceramics, bronze, glass, photography, textiles and many interesting forms of mixed media. The Splash! Group comprises Tony Allen, Jennie Bayntun, Lynne Bingham, Rob Daniel, Gina Lelliott, Jean Lofts, Robin Muckle, Nick Pilcher, Nick Rowland, Catherine Smart, Suzie Smith and Susan Watts.

Jessica Levine. 17 – 29 Nov in AF 2.  Jessica is a member from Kent, who exhibits widely throughout the southeast.

Exhibitions Elsewhere

Alan Wright. “Light and Life”.  Alan’s stained glass, drawings and paintings
will be on show at The Isabel Blackman Centre, Winding St ,
Hastings Old Town. Mon – Fri, 9 – 5.
Sat / Sun 10 – 2pm. Private View Tue 1 Nov, 6 – 8pm.

Hastings Independent Photographers.  Tue 8 Nov -2 Dec. Includes Annette Barton, Emma Bryant, Debbie Gregory, Lin Gregory, Barry Reid and Tina Reid.

The Line Up: is holding an exhibition of contemporary jewellery and book launch at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, 11 Nov 2011 to 19 Feb 2012.   ‘Rooms for Ideas‘ is inspired by the permanent collection at the Gallery and will be officially opened by Councillor Kim Forward, Mayor of Hastings at 6.30m on Fri 11 Nov. This will be a family event with live music provided by The Lucky Ones and a pay bar. The Line Up is :  Jennifer Kidd, Susanne Freytag, Paula Thittichai, Amy Madge, Maxime Wareham, Wendy-Sarah Pacey, Julie Tucker-Williams and Jo McAllister.
Victoria Kiff.  “Prints 2006-2007″ until 1 Dec at Netil House, Westgate Street, London E8 3KL. For further information: www.victoriakiff.weebly.com.
 
Members’ Announcements…

Marybeth Haas posts: a reminder that Ecstatic Trance Dance, a moving meditation, starts again from: Weds 26 Oct; then on 9 & 23 Nov, 14 Dec. Performing Arts Studio, (room signposted 1.029), Sussex Coast College, Station Plaza. Please sign in at reception on arrival. Times: Doors Open 19:00;  Begins 19:15, Finish 21:00, Building closes 21:15. More info: www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance or call 01424 460477.

Vanessa Fowler posts: on Wed nights between 7.00 – 9.00pm,  Vanessa Fowler has started evening classes for adults, all levels welcome at her gallery/shop/studio at 6 Marine Court. At present there are four students. The groups are small, max six. At present making will be in terracotta allowing brightly coloured glazing. A short course of 8 hours costs £60, materials extra. Vanessa has been a tutor at the college for 22 years but has recently left to pursue her own business and art. Please check FB page: Adult Pottery Classes – St Leonards on Sea – Vanessa Fowler for further information; or contact vanessanfowler@yahoo.co.uk; or call 07732987643.

Dorothea Huntrods posts: On behalf of the Exhibitions Committee and as the curator of the Open Forum Self-Portraits exhibition scheduled for next year, I’d like to thank all the artists who have registered their interest in the two themed exhibitions planned for 2012. We have had a very reassuring response but there is still room for more! Especially from all those energetic surrealist artists out there who’ve yet to take up the challenge! Please let the Forum know by the end of November so that we can plan ahead. Curator of the ‘Surrealism’ exhibition will be announced later.

Film….

Thu 10 Nov.  7 for 7.45pm in AF 1. St Leonards Film Soc are showing “Way of the Morris”. (12 A). In this heartfelt tribute to his agrarian roots, “Way of the Morris”  follows award-winning filmmaker, Tim Planter, on a journey from the English village green to the killing fields of the Somme, as he searches for a connection with the much-maligned native dance traditions that run deep in his blood. Featuring contributions from singer-songwriter, Billy Bragg and from Chris Leslie. Future films include:
24 Nov. “JUNKHEARTS”,  which had its premiere at the 2011 British Film Instittute London Film Festival.  The advertised screening of “Tomboy” (15) is postponed to 
6
Poetry…

The Poetry Group will meet on Sat 5 Nov at 4 pm – note the earlier time this month. The theme for this session will be ‘Fire’ in recognition of Bonfire Night – although this may be interpreted as freely as you wish. As always, if this particular theme doesn’t ‘fire you up’, do feel free to choose another subject that inspires you. 
          
                   Fire
             Those reliant on prayer,                     
             Beware:
             Worms don’t care
             Whom they’re sent
             For dinner;
            And prior
            To judgement:
            Fire
            Burns equally
            Saint
            And sinner.                     © Aidan

Dates for your Diary….

Sat 29 Oct. ” Light and Life” – new exhibition of glass, drawings and paintings by Alan Wright – see Exhibitions Elsewhere. Private View will be Tue 1 Nov, 5 – 8 pm.
Tue 1 Nov. Gill Gallery re-opens. See Stop Press.
Fri 4 Nov. Private View of new Ian Francis exhibition in AF2
Sat 5 Nov.  12 – 3pm in AF2. Enjoy a glass of wine; learn to sew; learn about textiles as an art form. Details in Stop Press.  Continuum will repeat this on Sat 12 Nov
Wed 9 Nov. 5.30 pm in AF1. Songstory by Ben Fairlight. Opening event of the Hastings Storytelling Festival. All events are free entry. Seewww.hastingsstoryfest.org.uk.
Sat 19 Nov.  3pm  in AF2  Jess Levine will give a demonstration on Collage.. See Members Announcements.
Sun 20 Nov. 5.30pm. Closing event of the Hastings Storytelling Festival: Hilary Watson of Ragbagarts and Ben Fairlight’s Songstory in AF1.

Stop Press….

CALL FOR ARTISTS
OPEN FORUM THEMED EXHIBITIONS: ‘SELF PORTRAITS’ and ‘SURREALISM’
The dates for these two exhibitions are as follow:
‘Self Portraits‘ 18 July – 1 August 2012 in AF1.
‘Surrealism‘ 12 – 26 September 2012 in AF2 .
 
Any members who haven’t responded yet: remember the Forum is inviting entries in a variety of styles and media including drawing, painting, printmaking, collage etc. For these two exhibitions, however, we are not looking for sculpture (this could be a theme later on) nor photography, video art or multi media installations. These will be selling exhibitions, They will be individually curated and the submissions selected by a team of experts at the beginning of 2012 – the date to be announced. To participate in either one or both exhibitions, please let the Forum know by 30 November 2011. Tel: 01424 201636 or emailinfo@hastingsartsforum.co.uk marked ‘For The Exhibitions Committee’. The committee is open to other ideas for themed shows. Please let us hear them.

Sales. For those interested in tracking sales, we have had fairly constant success recently in the face of a general economic downturn. We do not have a scientific way of identifying what makes a successful sale. For what it is worth, the purchaser has to think it is both ‘good’ and ‘good value’ and of course, affordable and something that he/she can identify with.
“11 Artists at the Forum” sold 7 items ranging from £100 – £1,200.  ”Configurations” last week sold 8 across the range of £100 – £380.  
Ray McChrystal has asked that we advertise his work this week as available for sale by instalments . By the time of his private view, Ray had secured four sales. For an instalment plan, the Forum asks 25% of the total as a deposit and then the rest is up to the artist and the customer to agree.

Come and Stitch at the Forum: Sat 5 Nov – Sat 12 Nov 12- 3pm. The artists from Studio 21 under the banner “Continuum” would be happy if you would join them in AF2 and add to an ever-growing piece of work. Enjoy a glass of wine and sit for a while and stitch. Don’t worry if you haven’t sewn before, just come and join in! Everyone has a memory that evokes a particular thought, time or location: a special sense of place. We hope that our collaborative work Continuum will inspire you to add your own marks and stitches to this exciting project. http://www.studio21textileart.co.uk/
Arts Council England (ACE). The Arts Council has emailed us the latest bulletin from the Council:
generally, the tone of their message is gently encouraging and all is not doom. We include some interesting links below. NB: in the jobs link, a few posts may be suitable to Hastings members, but it is also a good example of what follows on from successful funding bids. Anyone encouraged to bid for ACE funding should remember that engaging the local community – preferably ‘hands-on’ – rates high with ACE.  See www.artsjobs.org.uk/?dm;  www.artscouncil.org.uk/our-work/grants-arts-first-time-dance-applicant-gets-green-light.

If you want to receive a copy of  the ACE list yourself – go towww.artscouncil.org.uk/utilities/newsletter

Gill Gallery. Nina Pearce tells us that she is expanding the gallery into new ventures and is opening a new shop across the road called “BeeBe’s”. BeeBe’s will open on 1 Dec and will sell small objects for the home. Meanwhile Gill Gallery will keep operating as before. It will re-open on 1 Nov and operate Mon – Sat, with two half-day closures on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. 

“‘Kiwi” Mike. Many have commented on the new ’studio/workshop’ at the eastern end of Marine Court displaying Mike’s work — Mike has noticed a striking similarity between the mug shots issued by London and Manchester police in response to the recent riots in those cities, and the “hoodies”  painted by Rembrandt and others of the period. What do you think?

Ray McChrystal:  ’Overland, Overwater, Overlaid’  27 Oct- 1 Nov is the title of Ray’s one man watercolour show in AF1 from 27 Oct to 1 Nov.

Ray was at Bristol Polytechnic and studied Fine Art in the seventies. Since then he has moved around a creative career, including prop-building for theatre, film and tv, teaching and interior design; but under all these hats, he has always painted and exhibited. Recently he went to Camberwell School of Art to do an MA in Paper Conservation so is now committed to conserving and restoring works of art on paper.
This coincided with a situation where he had to move out of his painting studio in St Leonards, effectively losing the space needed for an oil painting based output. Faced with a long period of waiting, he decided instead to start working in watercolour, and so three years later, is working entirely on location and exclusively in watercolour on paper. Ray says: “My intense work as a Paper Conservator has had a direct effect on my work as an artist and vice versa.”

PhotoHub Group in AF2 : a review of the group by Alex Bratell, a lecturer in photography at Sussex Coast college. Alex is also a member of Phg. Every two years the Brighton Photo Biennial and the Brighton Photo Fringe provide a must see programme of exhibitions and events. Last year, the Brighton Photo Fringe included Hastings & St Leonards for the first time thanks to Photo hub group, an organisation conceived in 2009 by Andrew Moran, Lucy Bell and Grace Lau to encourage and co-ordinate photography in the Hastings area. It was a huge success and promises to be even more extensive and diverse in 2012.

Interim Show, continuing in AF 2 until 1 Nov, offers a glimpse of what to expect in Autumn 2012 from Brighton’s redheaded stepchild. Twenty five artists and photographers from Photo hub group’s growing membership exhibit works from projects in progress along with a short explanatory text. 

In an exhibition with so many participants and no theme, there is little chance of coherence. To be successful, the exhibition must use this as a strength. In this small town and its surrounding areas there is a stunning diversity of photographic practice and expertise which is growing all the time. Organisers Andrew Moran & Grace Lau have acknowledged this with a show that displays many of the permutations of contemporary photography in a single space. An array of thought, processes and materials are rescued from bewilderment by the authenticity of their visions and high production values.  This review is written by a participant in the exhibition so could not claim to be dispassionate or objective. But, it must be said, whether looking at Lin Gregory’s ’slow’ seascapes or Steve Rutter’s cyanotype nude printed on calico, AF 2 at the moment is a room in which to marvel at the range of expression offered by photography now.  Photo hub group welcomes new members at all levels of experience and from any mode of photography related practice, and anyone interested in participating in Brighton Photo Fringe Hastings events. For further information: http://www.phghastings.co.uk; http://www.photofringe.org; http://www.bpb.org.uk

 Forthcoming Exhibitions
.
Continuum – A Sense of Place. 15 artists from across the south-east will be exhibiting in AF 1 from 3 Nov – 15 Nov. This exhibition is a collaborative project by Studio 21 featuring a group of textile and mixed media artists, whose aim is to push the boundaries of traditional expectations in textiles. All members of the group are graduates of the Higher Ed. Diploma in Stitched Textiles at Bucks New University.
 
Whereas many think of embroidery as ‘women stitching and decorating a piece of cloth’ – this group has developed the medium as an art form in its own right. They use a variety of materials, including wire, plastic and paper in the construction of their work, some of which give a strong 3-D effect. See their website:  http://www.studio21textileart.co.uk/. The group has many recognised international artists in the textile field and who teach and exhibit in the UK and abroad. Several have written books, which are regarded as benchmarks. They come together to exhibit regularly and their last exhibition was at the NEC, Birmingham in August 2011.
Exhibiting members include Arnarjeet Nandhra, Anne Froggatt, Annette Collinge, Dawn Thorne, Debbie Lyddon, Jacky Russell, Jill Flower, Judy Drysdale, Lynda Gleave, Liz Heywood, Marion Glover, Mary Morris, Samantha Harvey, Sandra Meech and Susan Chapman

Ian Francis: Paintings and Drawings in AF 2, from 3 Nov – 15 Nov; preview 6.30-8.30pm 4 Nov

Ian Francis MA – Statement. A riot of colour to help your firework celebrations to go off with a bang.

A friend of mine said that these works reminded him of firework wrappers from the 60s and 70s.
That was not what was on my mind at the time that I made them but there is definitely a nod to the aesthetics of that time.
The sea moving, wind and light, ships on the horizon, anatomical drawings, snippets of conversation, song lyrics, news items and random thoughts all act as triggers for my work. A joust begins between what is visualised in my imagination and what takes place on the canvas or paper.
The melding of the two, a process that takes place somewhere between conscious thought and selflessness, creates the work. The work then has a life of its own, its identity defined by the person viewing it.
I will be doing a gallery talk on Saturday 12 November at 2pm. If you’re interested in finding out more about my work, come along for ad informal discussion.

Splashback!  17 – 29 Nov in AF 1
 
The Splash! group of 12 artists returns to the Forum with new work. A wide range of exhibits will be shown including oil & acrylic paintings, ceramics, bronze, glass, photography, textiles and many interesting forms of mixed media.
 
The Splash! Group comprises Tony Allen, Jennie Bayntun, Lynne Bingham, Rob Daniel, Gina Lelliott, Jean Lofts, Robin Muckle, Nick Pilcher, Nick Rowland, Catherine Smart, Suzie Smith and Susan Watts.

Jessica Levine in AF2 17 – 29 November. Jessica is a member from Kent, who exhibits widely throughout the Southeast. 

Exhibitions Elsewhere...

Alan Wright. ”Light and Life“. Stained glass, drawings and paintings at The Isabel Blackman Centre, Winding St , Hastings Old Town. Mon – Fri, 9 – 5. Sat / Sun 10 – 2pm. Private View Tue 1 Nov, 6 – 8pm.

Members’ Announcements

Marybeth Haas posts:a reminder that Ecstatic Trance Dance, a moving meditation, starts again from: Weds 26 October, then on 9 & 23 Nov, 14 Dec. Performing Arts Studio, (room signposted 1.029), First Floor (up the steps and to the left), Sussex Coast College, Station Plaza. Please sign in at reception on arrival. Times: Doors Open 19:00;  Begins 19:15, Finish 21:00, Building closes 21:15. More Info: www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance or call 01424 460477.

Jessica Levine will demonstrate collage on Sat 19 Nov at 3 pm. All welcome. Paper and glue will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer. Billed as ‘great fun’

Vanessa Fowler posts; On a Wednesday night between 7.00 – 9.00pm,  Vanessa Fowler has started evening classes for adults, all levels welcome at her gallery/shop/studio at 6 Marine Court. At present there are four students. The groups are small, max six. At present making will be in terracotta allowing brightly coloured glazing. A short course of 8 hours costs £60, materials extra. Vanessa has been a tutor at the college for 22 years but has recently left to pursue her own business and art. Please check FB page Adult Pottery Classes – St Leonards on Sea – Vanessa Fowler for further information or contact vanessanfowler@yahoo.co.uk or call 07732987643.

Caroline Macey posts: a life drawing session will be running on Sat 5 Nov 11-11.30 with two models. Ore Centre. Cafe and Parking on site. For more details call 0792349 4415. 
   
Poetry…

The Poetry Group will meet on Sat 5 Nov at 4 pm – note the earlier time this month. The theme for this session will be ‘Fire’ in recognition of Bonfire Night – although this may be interpreted as freely as you wish. As always, if this particular theme doesn’t ‘fire you up’, do feel free to choose another subject that inspires you. 

                                     “C’mon Baby, like my ………”

                                A’am 65 next birthday, Ethel.
                                Gonna throw dose slippers on de fire,
                                Swap my cocoa for viagra, gal,
                                Den light that ole blue touchpaper
                                  And retire.

                             © Bob Zimmerframe 

Dates for your Diary….

Fri 21 Oct: 6.30-8.30pm Private View of  ’Configurations’ – a new exhibition in AF 1, featuring Juanita Homan, Rose Miller and Nicky Urling Clarke. 
Mon 24 Oct:  7pm at AF1 ‘Adventure and Romance in St Leonards!’  lecture on local author Rider Haggard -see Members’ Announcements.
Tue 25 Oct: 6.00-8.00pm Presentation of Stuart Griffiths’ forthcoming book: ‘The Myth of the Airborne Warrior’ at AF1.
Thu 27 Oct:  7.00 for 7.45pm ’Black Power Mixtape’ – the chance to see a re-discovered documentary tape

          ©  Ray McChrystal          recording  the civil rights movement. See Film below.
                                                      Fri 28 Oct: 6.30-8.30 Private View of Ray McChrystal’s one-man show in AF1.

Stop Press….

CALL FOR ARTISTS
OPEN FORUM THEMED EXHIBITIONS: ‘SELF PORTRAITS’ and ‘SURREALISM’
The dates for these two exhibitions are as follow:
‘Self Portraits‘ 18 July – 1 August 2012 in AF1.
‘Surrealism‘ 12 – 26 September 2012 in AF2 .
 
There has been a good response for entries to both these exhibitions but it would be interesting to have more artists taking up the challenge. As the dates are now in place, there should be time to produce much new work! To remind you of the submission details:
 
The Forum is looking for a variety of styles and media including drawing, painting, printmaking, collage etc. For these two exhibitions, however, we are not looking for sculpture (this could be a theme later on) nor photography, video art or multi media installations. These will be selling exhibitions, They will be individually curated and the submissions selected by a team of experts at the beginning of 2012 – the date to be   announced.
 
Would artists wishing to participate in either one or both exhibitions, please let the Forum know by 30 November 2011. Tel: 01424 201636 or email info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk marked ‘For The Exhibitions Committee’. The committee is open to other ideas for themed shows. Please let us hear them.

George Kelvie is at home again after an operation in Eastbourne Hospital for cancer. George is delighted to tell us that the news is good and after six weeks or so, he hopes to be back on his feet and volunteering.

 Knitting Bee for Thursdays: The Post Office Tea Rooms in St Leonards will open every Thursday at 6.30 – 8.30pm  for an evening of knitting. Expert knitters will be on hand to sort out any queries or knotty problems. Tea and (non-knitted)cake available. Cost of the evening will be £3.50 per session. Knitting ‘knights’ (male wielders of the needles) are particularly welcome.

Writers’ Course at Hastings Museum in November – see post by Maureen Connett in Member’s Announcements.

Current Exhibitions

Juanita Homan, Rose Miller and Nicky Urling Clark:  ‘Configurations’ 20 – 25 Oct,  in AF1.

‘Configurations‘ is a joint exhibition which combines the talents of Nicky  Urling Clark who likes to paint figuratively but ”in an instinctive or ‘intuitive’ manner”; Rose Miller’s ” form fitting expression”; and Juanita Homan’s “ambiguous biomorphic imagery”.   
   
Photohub Group, 20 Oct – 1 Nov, in AF2 . The Hastings based photographic group is keeping its skills honed for the Brighton Photo Biennial in Autumn 2012. Grace Lau and Andrew Moran lead this group through to high levels of achievement and it is attracting some high praise. Altogether 24 members are exhibiting. This show has a grant from the Arts Council and is billed as “An interim show….work in progress of members’ projects towards…. Autumn 2012″. Contact Photohub Group on: www.photohubgroup.blogspot.com.

Photohub Group is a coordination group for photographers in collaboration with the Brighton Photo Biennial Fringe photography festival. Initiated in late autumn 2009, the group (Phg), identified a photo-centric community. This group of creative practitioners formed the Hastings and St Leonard arm of the Brighton Photo Fringe. In the 2010 photo biennial they contributed sixteen shows and six talks to the BPF. Through working towards the 2012 Photo Biennial festival Phg, have been granted an award by Arts Council England to aid management of the transition between the 2010 and 2012 Biennial festivals.
 
Phg have used this funding to develop their mentoring programme run by Martin Everett and to support a book launch by Stuart Griffiths in collaboration with Photoworks, Brighton and the setting up of a group blog.
Phg have also funded materials for two photographic projects: one with disadvantaged young people in Hollington through Buzz, proposed by Amanda Jobson; and the other giving a voice to a sensitive health issue proposed by another Phg member.
 
Further mentoring, monthly seminars and a website are in train as well as a project including local school students. Further collaborations are being explored within
the group as we move into the 2012 Biennial festival year.

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Ray McChrystal:  ’Overland, Overwater, Overlaid’  27 Oct- 1 Nov is the title of Ray’s one man watercolour show in AF1 from 27 Oct to 1 Nov.
 Ray was at Bristol Polytechnic and studied Fine Art in the seventies. Since then he has moved around a creative career, including prop-building for theatre, film and tv, teaching and interior design; but under all these hats, he has always painted and exhibited. Recently he went to Camberwell School of Art to do an MA in Paper Conservation so is now committed to conserving and restoring works of art on paper.
This coincided with a situation where he had to move out of his painting studio in St Leonards, effectively losing the space needed for an oil painting based output. Faced with a long period of waiting, he decided instead to start working in watercolour, and so three years later, is working entirely on location and exclusively in watercolour on paper. Ray says: “My intense work as a Paper Conservator has had a direct effect on my work as an artist and vice versa.”
.
Continuum – A Sense of Place. 15 artists from across the south-east will be exhibiting in AF 1 from 3 Nov – 15 Nov. This exhibition is a collaborative project by Studio 21 featuring a group of textile and mixed media artists, whose aim is to push the boundaries of traditional expectations in textiles. All members of the group are graduates of the Higher Ed. Diploma in Stitched Textiles at Bucks New University.
 
Whereas many think of embroidery as ‘women stitching and decorating a piece of cloth’ – this group has developed the medium as an art form in its own right. They use a variety of materials, including wire, plastic and paper in the construction of their work, some of which give a strong 3-D effect. See their website:  http://www.studio21textileart.co.uk/. The group has many recognised international artists in the textile field and who teach and exhibit in the UK and abroad. Several have written books, which are regarded as benchmarks. They come together to exhibit regularly and their last exhibition was at the NEC, Birmingham in August 2011.
Exhibiting members include Arnarjeet Nandhra, Anne Froggatt, Annette Collinge, Dawn Thorne, Debbie Lyddon, Jacky Russell, Jill Flower, Judy Drysdale, Lynda Gleave, Liz Heywood, Marion Glover, Mary Morris, Samantha Harvey, Sandra Meech and Susan Chapman.

   
© Samantha Harvey                                 (detail)

An excerpt from the Studio 21 website about Samantha gives a fair example of what one may expect  from the group as a whole

“…Sam is interested in creating work to make you smile and look. Her current body of work explores the unexpected diversity, beauty and quirkiness of the fragile under-water gardens found at the edge of the sea in small stitched sculptures. Each individual piece is constructed from odds and ends such as milk bottle tops, vegetable bags, string, glow-in-the-dark threads, LEDs and wires...”

Ian Francis: Paintings and Drawings in AF 2, from 3 Nov – 15 Nov; preview 6.30-8.30pm 4 Nov.

         
         © Ian Francis

Exhibitions Elsewhere...

Laetitia Yhap is displaying a selection of her drawings and paintings in the Undercliff Cafe at Rock a Nore. and at Hastings Museum.

Members’ Announcements

Jane Metcalf posts: two Art Workshops led by Robin Holtom are being offered by local arts Charity, Shaping Voices of which I am co-founder. The workshops, free to anybody over 50 living in East Sussex, will be held in St Leonards-on-Sea on the 26th October and Bexhill on the 28th October. The workshops will explore self-expression and style through the media of pastels, water-based paints and clay; the day will be guided by the varying abilities and needs of the group. All materials will be provided and a small charge will be made on the day. Details of venues and how to book a place can be found on the Shaping Voices website:www.shapingvoices.org or by telephoning Caroline on 07836 738 820.

Maureen Connett posts: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery in Bohemia Road is holding a Life Writing and Literature Course called: ‘I Remember, I Remember’  for participants aged 55 plus. There will be three sessions offering an opportunity to write about your own (or someone else’s) life experience and to read from ‘Great Expectations’. This is billed as a course for those who enjoy reading from classic literature and would like to develop their own writing skills. It may also appeal to anyone interested in preparing a biographical account to pass on to their children or grandchildren
 
The course is free of charge and will be held on Tuesday mornings 10.30 -12.30 am; the dates will be: 8, 15 and 22 Nov 2011at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery. Registration is essential as numbers will be limited to ten. Apply to the Museum if you are interested.

Vanessa Fowler posts; On a Wednesday night between 7.00 – 9.00 Vanessa Fowler has started evening classes for adults, all levels welcome at her gallery/shop/studio at 6. Marine Court. At present there are 4 students. The groups are small, max 6. At present making will be in terracotta allowing brightly coloured glazing. A short course of 8 hours costs £60, materials extra. Vanessa has been a tutor at the college for 22 years but has recently left to pursue her own business and making. Please check FB page Adult Pottery Classes – St Leonards on Sea – Vanessa Fowler for further information or contact vanessanfowler@yahoo.co.uk or call 07732987643.

Liz Allen posts:  Adventure and Romance in St Leonards! …explore tales of savagery and necrophilia, masculine anxiety and coastal erosion via the life and writings of Rider Haggard, author of She and King Soloman’s Mines, who lived in North Lodge, St Leonards Gardens  Monday 24 October at 7.30, the Arts Forum. This is one of this year’s lecture series organised by Burtons’ St Leonards Society and will be presented by Dr Elizabeth Allen. £2 for members, £4 non-members to include a glass of wine. 
  
Film…

Thurs 27  Oct: ‘Black Power Mixtape’ 1967-1975. 1hr 40mins - Lost in an archive in Sweden for 30 years, ‘Black Power Mixtape’  is a compilation feature documentary film that displays the story of the African-American community between the years 1967-1975. Told with sparkling and beautiful footage as well as music by The Roots and Michael Jackson and singing by Erykah Badu, this is an amazing chart of the civil rights movement. Arts Forum. Doors open 7pm.

Poetry…

The Poetry Group will meet on Sat 5 Nov at 4 pm – note the earlier time this month. The theme for this session will be ‘Fire’ in recognition of Bonfire Night – although this may be interpreted as freely as you wish. As always, if this particular theme doesn’t ‘fire you up’, do feel free to choose another subject that inspires you. 

All Eyes Skywards
Ahh- the peppery, Proustian whiff of potassium sulphide;
The collapsing crackle of a fire at last alight;
As teeth clenched on the aching sweetness
Of cinder toffee,
Adults lumber like bears
Around the strangely unfamiliar garden
And mittened children dispel their fears
By clutching nearby trouser legs 
And shrieking with delight.
All eyes skywards.
Lips apart and faces bright:
Remember
Remember
Remember
My dear:
The flask of Laphroaig
And the blanket
If you intend to light MY fire
In the silent woods
In November
Tonight.
 
© YVONNE REES 2011