Dates for your Diary….
Sun 16 Oct: 11-5 Dani Humberstone will be painting in AF 2. See Stop Press.
Fri 21 Oct: 6.30-8.30pm Private View of  ’Configurations’ – an exhibition featuring Juanita Homan, Rose Miller and Nicky Urling Clarke. See Forthcoming Exhibitions for further details.
Mon 24 Oct:  7pm at AF1 ‘Adventure and Romance in St Leonards!’  lecture on local author Rider Haggard -see Members’ Announcements.
Tues 25 Oct: 6.00-8.00pm Presentation of Stuart Griffiths’ forthcoming book: ‘The Myth of the Airborne Warrior’ at AF1.
Thurs 27 Oct:  7.00 for 7.45pm ’Black Power Mixtape’ – the chance to see a re-discovered documentary tape recording the civil rights movement. See Film below.

Stop Press….

Dani Humberstone is bringing her easel and paints to AF 2 on Sun 16 Oct. Dani is stewarding the exhibition “11 artists at the Arts Forum” all day between 11am to 5 pm and will be pleased to talk and discuss her work with viewers. Many will know Dani from the art supplies shop she runs in Wadhurst.. with a studio at the back of her shop. 

George Kelvie was operated on in Eastbourne Hospital last week and is recovering well. George is in Sovereign Ward and is hoping to be released next week. Sandra says all the news is positive and that George is happy to receive visits in the afternoon. Visiting hours are 2 – 8pm.
 
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 cake available. Cost of the evening will be £3.50 per session. Knitting ‘knights’ (male wielders of the needles) are particularly welcome; the Tea Rooms’ own David and Philip recently appeared in a feature on men who knit last weekend in the Independent on Sunday.

Hastings Arts Forum agreed to transfer all assets and liabilities from the “Hastings Arts Forum” to “Hastings Arts Forum Ltd” at a Special General Meeting held in the Forum on Sat 8 Oct. The meeting approved  the motion by 70 votes to nil with one abstention. This exceeded the required majority of 66.6%. Figures were also produced showing an operating loss of £898.76 for the Financial Year Jan-Dec 2010 and an operating surplus of £2,951.26 for the first nine months of 2011.

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

Current Exhibitions…

“11 Artists at the Hastings Arts Forum”  until 18 Oct 2011, curated by Clare Winchester, an RA exhibitor this year,  Clare has assembled 11 artists from Kent, London and Sussex for  two weeks in both galleries.  Kathleen Fox, Cameron Foye, Dani Humberstone, Alex Leadbeater, Corinne Lucas, John Napier, Gavin Roweth, Will Taylor, Alison Trask,  Andrew Whamond and Clare Winchester are the artists. This exhibition, billed as “exciting and vibrant “, has attracted a lot of interest and displays a variety of sculptures, prints and a range of paintings up to a size of 6 ft x 5ft.

Forthcoming 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 are keeping their 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 are attracting some high praise. 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″. Photo Hub Group: www.photohubgroup.blogspot.com.

Ray McChrystal, 27 Oct- 1 Nov, one man show in AF1.

Artist Statement :  ”I went to Bristol Polytechnic and studied Fine Art in the seventies. Since then I have moved around a creative career including prop-building for theatre, film and tv, teaching, interior design, etc., but through all these changes I have always painted and exhibited. Recently I went to Camberwell School of Art to do an MA in Paper Conservation so I am now conserving and restoring works of art on paper.

This coincided with a situation where I had to move out of my painting studio in St Leonards, effectively losing the space needed for an oil painting based output. Faced with a long period of waiting, I decided to start working in watercolour, and so three years later I work entirely on location and exclusively in watercolour on paper. My intense work as a Paper Conservator has had a direct effect on my work as an artist and vice versa.”

 Exhibitions Elsewhere...Lorrain Mailer is holding a solo show called ‘Landfill (art)’ — described as funny, intriguing, and poignant visual statements on 14 – 20 Oct at the Nucleus Arts Gallery, 272 High Street, Chatham ME4 4BP. Further details on: www.nucleus-arts.com  or Tel: 01634 812 108. The exhibition will be open Mon – Sat 9-5pm (Closed Sun) admission FREE.
 *Print out this bulletin to claim from the cafe your FREE complimentary coffee/beverage.   

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.

Philip and David of the Marina Post Office Tea Rooms post: Friday night will be fondue night on 4 Nov, 9 Dec, and 6 Jan…£20 per head for three courses; bring your own wine or beer, no corkage. And looking ahead to the festive season: the Tea Rooms are offering the chance to enjoy a traditional Christmas meal with good food and a relaxed friendly atmosphere: Christmas Day is £55 per head (five courses) plus a gift; Boxing Day £35 per head (buffet party) plus gift. Food allergies catered for; not suitable for  children under 12. Check it out on www.postofficetearooms.com/xmasmenus. 

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. 

I’ve got a ‘concept’ !
Whatever shall I do with it?
Why ! The Turner Prize, that’s what.
Its tricky. But aanything goes.
Elaine Short.   

                    

 

 

                                    info@www.hastingsartsforum.co.uk

Dates for your diary

Fri 7 Oct.         6.30-8.30pm Private View of  ’11 Artists at Hastings Arts Forum’. See details
                         in Current Exhibitions. 
Sat 8 Oct.       10.30am. Special General Meeting in AF1 to disband the Hastings Arts Forum and transfer its
                          assets to Hastings Arts Forum Ltd.
                          1100. Kid’s Film Show at Christchurch Centre, London Rd, 
Thur 13 Oct.   7.00 for 7.45pm. Film: ‘The First Grader’. Details in Film.
Fri 21 Oct.       6.30-8.30pm Private View of Juanita Homan, Rose Miller and Nicky Urling Clark in AF1.
                          See Forthcoming Exhibitions.

Stop Press…

Special General Meeting. The SGM, set for 10.30am on Sat 8 Oct in the Forum needs your support. We need to transfer the assets and liabilities of Hastings Arts Forum to Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. This is an important meeting essential in the process of activating our charity status and we need a minimum of  around 50 members so please make the effort to attend. If absolutely impossible, then you may appoint another member, who is attending, as proxy for your vote. Please send in your form with your name and address together with the name and address of your proxy. Attendance ought not to be for longer than 30 minutes.

Call for artists !!!  The Forum’s Exhibitions Committee is planning a series of ‘Themed’ exhibitions to be shown during the second half of 2012 from July to December. 
The first two themes are firstly: Self Portraits; and secondly: Surrealism. 
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 (although 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 Nov 2011.
Tel: 01424 201636 or email info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk  marked “For The Exhibitions Committee”.

The Sid Beynon memorial mosaic and plaque were unveiled by the Mayor of Hastings on Saturday morning 1 October 2011. A small group of Forum members and  Sid’s family gathered for the occasion in bright, sunny and warm weather and later retired to Relax Cafe. The mosaic may take some time to ‘weather’ and show its natural colours. A small group of children was given some mosaic – making instruction by Jamie Stapeley and Mary Dawson.

Congratulations to Catherine Kemp on being awarded a £10,000 grant for Telling Stories: Margate; (Private View 7 – 9pm Friday 7th October).  Hastings artist, and Forum member, Cathryn Kemp has received a grant of £10,000 from ACE, (Arts Council England), for Telling Stories – the exhibition she’s organised and curated. This will allow the show to expand to include seven Hastings and seven Margate artists who together will spearhead the Coastal Currents festival 2012. The Hastings artists are Alexander Brattell,  Dawn Cole, Sinéid Codd,  Martin Everett,  Cathryn Kemp,  Louise Kenward  and Lucinda Wells. The exhibition all kicks off with a live performance by Hastings dance artist Yumino Seki.

Philip Bray and David Wishingsky of the Old Post Office Tearooms (they of the knitted cakes in the window fame) and  our close neighbours, will be featured in the “Independent on Sunday”  this week-end, 9 Oct, in an article on “Men Knitting”..

Loraine Mailer has entered her illustration  ”Went to Sea” into Saatchi’s Drawing Showdown Fall 2011 –  she asks for your vote and voting has now started!!! It is one vote per person per day until Tue 18 Oct: place your voles on -   http://www.saatchionline.com/showdown/view/showdown/8/artist/90516

Current  Exhibitions 

“11 Artists at the Hastings Arts Forum” 6 – 18 Oct 2011, curated by Clare Winchester, an RA exhibitor this year,  She has assembled 11 artists from Kent, London and Sussex for  two weeks in both galleries.  Kathleen Fox, Cameron Foye, Dani Humberstone, Alex Leadbeater, Corrine Lucas, John Napier, Gavin Roweth, Will Taylor, Alison Trask,  Andrew Whamond and Clare Winchester are the artists. This exhibition is billed as “exciting and vibrant ” and displays a number of sculptures, prints and a range of paintings up to a size of 6 ft x 5ft.

Derek Treacher continues his one man show of prints in AF4.(The Forum at the Azur). 

Forthcoming Exhibitions

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

Nicky writes ” I  like to work from the object.  The image is figurative but takes form in an instinctive or ‘intuitive’ manner.  My interest in exploring the physical qualities of the paint prevails.“

Juanita comments: “De Kooning regarded ‘Abstract Art’ as a wonderful, unsure atmosphere of reflection’ – a poetic frame where an artist could practise his intuition. I work in oil and in this series of quasi-abstract paintings I work intuitively using freely associated imagery.  I find my inspiration in Nature, poetry, photography, other painters, especially contemporary ones (ie. Bacon, De Kooning and Diebernkorn). I have made extensive studies of the rich paraphernalia of the Stade for these paintings and hope that the experience will seep through and enrich – my own personal mythology to create an ambiguous biomorphic imagery. My major concerns in painting continue to be aesthetic ones – texture and treatment, pigment, space. plane and boundary.

Rose’s poem about her art:
Image making.
Take the elements, the starting point, the subject.
Worry it, work it, find the fit,
Or pull it apart.
Obliterate.
Then slowly restart.
Tracking traces in a new configuration.
It’s getting closer now, emerging,
Form fitting expression,
Relentless disclosure.
Present.

Photohub Group, 20 Oct – 1 Nov, in AF2 . The Hastings based photographic group are keeping their 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 are attracting some high praise. 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″. Photo Hub Group. www.photohubgroup.blogspot.com.

Ray McChrystal, 27 Oct – 1 Nov in AF1. 

“Continuum - A sense of Place” 3 – 15 Nov in AF1

Ian Francis- Paintings in AF2

Exhibitions Elsewhere…

Steven Bullen will be holding his very first solo photography exhibition later this month in the Dragon Bar, Hastings. All twenty photographs in the exhibition will be for sale, in limited-edition runs of twenty prints each. Details on: www.stevenbullenphotography.com.

Members’ Announcements..

Grace Lau of Phothub Group posts.  Stuart Griffiths gives a presentation on his forthcoming new book:  ‘The Myth of the Airborne Warrior’ on Tues 25 October, 6pm – 8pm at Hastings Art Forum.
 
Entry: free for Phg members/£3 for non-members. Wine will be available.
Please email: gl@gracelau.plus.com by 18 Oct  to reserve your place.

Stuart Griffiths began taking photographs whilst serving as a British paratrooper in Northern Ireland in the late 1980s that evoked the fear and frustration felt by the young soldiers; he started to question the validity of the British Army’s position: “The pride of being a Paratrooper after time turned to self-questioning, this turned to self-loathing”. The eventual outcome is an intensely personal account of the trauma and personal conflict he experienced, powerfully expressed in his photographs and his newly published book The Myth of the Airborne Warrior. http://www.photoworks.org.uk/programme/publications/the-myth-of-the-airborne-warrior

His work on injured veterans ‘Closer‘ won the 2010 Brighton Photo Fringe Open and in the same year Stuart was awarded a grant by the National Media Museum.  The documentary film ‘Isolation‘ about his personal work was released in 2009 at the Edinburgh film festival.  He continues to work on self-initiated photography projects and for national and international titles.
                                                                                               

Mark Fisher posts : I have a few places left on the following days at my studio in Sedlescombe.
Monday 10th October. Figure/life drawing theory and practice for beginners- £20 for day course.
Monday 17th October. Figure/life drawing theory and practice for beginners with a model- £25 for day course.
Both days are from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Bring a packed lunch.
Ring Mark on 01424 871605 or email mark@markfisherart.co.uk

Nigel Sales posts: I am starting up week-end courses for anyone with an interest in carving stone. Classes will be held in my workshop and will consist of a maximum of four students. Stone, tools. daily transportation.  between the Forum and my workshop, are provided. After moving to St Leonards, I have come out of retirement to resume work and offer my experience. This is a great opportunity to learn the basic technical and practical skills in this ancient and fascinating craft of direct stone carving. For further information contact me on  tel : 0740 735 7301 or  email ns.stncarver@gmail.com

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.
  
Film…

Thurs 13 Oct:   ”The First Grader” – a film directed by Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl, Bleak House) from a script by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (The Chronicles of Narnia, Nights in Rodanthe, Kit Kittridge),  is a heart warming and inspiring true story of one man’s fight for what he believes is his right in order to overcome the burdens of his past. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education.
 
In a small, remote mountain top primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school: he is Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life. Moved by his passionate plea, head teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), supports his struggle to gain admission and together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don’t want to waste a precious school place on such an old man. Full of vitality and humour, the film explores the remarkable relationships Maruge builds with his classmates some eighty years his junior and the shocking untold story of British colonial rule 50 years earlier where Maruge had fought to his cost for the freedom of his country.

Thurs 27  Oct: ‘Black Power Mixtape’ 1967-1975 1hr 40mins - Lost in an archive in Sweden for 30 years, The 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.

Poetry…

The Poetry Group met on Sat 1 Oct at 5 pm. The theme was “A Bob Dylan Song” and ten members attended. Below is a poem performed by Sue Coates.

“Love is only a Four letter Word”

Love is only a four letter word
At least it used to be, 
Now reduced to only three.
L….U….V

Reduced in other ways than this,
Letters are out of sight,
Only a text so utterly trite : 
C U 2nite.

On the front of his T-shirt I see
“I am your perfect date.”
Oh yes? I think. Thirty years too young 
For a four letter, French letter, red letter day.
But nice legs (for a man)
So I study them as he passes by,
But on his back is written
“I’ll be gone in the morning !”
With an exclamation mark
As though it is in any way funny.

Love for me is a whole dictionary,
Some words we know,
Some words are new,
And some we never meet.

© Sue Coates

 

 

Dates For Your Diary…

Sat 1 Oct.    11.45am. Mayor of Hastings unveils the Forum’s memorial to Sid Beynon.
                       5 pm. Poetry Group meets. Focus on ” Art”" and / or “Bob Dylan” – See under “Poetry” below.
Tue 4 Oct.    6.00 – 7.30pm in AF1. Film premiere -Rachel and Anita Lever film —  “You are not taking pictures of me, are you?” See under “Current Exhibitions” below.
Fri 7 Oct.      6.30-8.30pm Private View of  ’11 Artists at Hastings Arts Forum’. See details in “Forthcoming Exhibitions”. 
Sat 8 Oct.    10.30am. Special General Meeting in AF1 to disband the Hastings Arts Forum and transfer its assets to Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. 

Stop Press…

****Special General Meeting. The SGM, set for 10.30am on Sat 8 Oct in the Forum needs your support. We need to transfer the assets and liabilities of Hastings Arts Forum to Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. This is an important meeting essential in the process of activating our charity status and we need a minimum of  around 50 members so please make the effort to attend. If absolutely impossible, then you may appoint another member, who is attending, as proxy for your vote. Please send in your form with your name and address together with the name and address of your proxy. Attendance ought not to be for longer than 30 minutes.

Alex Leadbeater is co-ordinating a series of workshops this month and next – see under Members Announcements below.

Volunteers.  John Shanks has agreed to organise the HAF volunteers’ roster. The roster has been a ‘problem’ area for some time and the butt of many remarks. We hope that a fresh and single pair of hands, unencumbered by other Forum duties, may lead to more regular staffing in the Forum. It is understood that not all members can volunteer for a regular solo slot – though of course this is desirable from a Forum viewpoint.  John plans to organise training periods for those who volunteer and put the employment of volunteers on a more professional basis. John has a background of working with voluntary organisations in  Glasgow, mainly in and with the public sector. 
 
John, however, is exploring the idea that two or three members group together to sponsor a Morning (11am – 2pm) or an Afternoon (2 – 4pm ) slot and thereby guarantee coverage on a regular basis.  Without volunteers, the Forum can not exist; so if you have a mind to volunteer, please contact us – even if you have previously volunteered and not had an acknowledgement. In the next few weeks, John is ringing round or emailing those members who have indicated in the past a willingness to help.
John will also welcome a commitment from others. email : info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk marked “For John Shanks”. Thanks to everyone who has already responded.

Nigel Sales intends to run a week-end course for stone carvers in his new studio, near Hailsham. Transport and tools provided. Nigel has worked on the restoration of the Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey. See under “Members Announcements”.

Sid  Beynon Memorial.  The Mayor of Hastings has kindly agreed to unveil the Forum’s memorial to Sid Beynon on Saturday morning, 1 Oct at 11.45am. It is also planned to follow the opening with a children’s stone gathering and mosaic-making (weather dependent ). If you know any children between 6 –  12 years old who want to attend, please let us know beforehand. The mosaic is ready to go into the ground thanks to Mike Williams and Juliette Dodd and volunteers who have been working with Jamie Stapely, creator of beach mosaics with Sid over the last 20 years. See pics of the mosaic being made on the website http://www.hastingsartsforum.co.uk/the-sid-beynon-memorial-mosaic/#more-4568 

Current Exhibitions…

“Mothers, Memories and Consequences ” in AF1. 22 Sep – 4 Oct. Three women members: Elisabeth Lewis, Felicia Cronin and Rachel Lever explore their thoughts on consumerism, personal history and mother-daughter relationships in a variety of media.Film on Tue 4 Oct. “You’re not taking pictures of me, are you?”  Anita Lever’s memorial show at the Arts Forum closes with a new, touching and funny film about her life, writing and art, and living it up in Hastings (an emotional re-visit to places, venues and times we won’t see again). There is time to see the show, have a drink and a chat, and watch the film. 6.00 -7.30pm, 4 Oct 2011 at Hastings Arts Forum. Kathleen Dawson  Exhibition in AF2. 22 Oct – 4 Oct. “Where are We?”    Kathleen is a painter producing small mixed media collage and paint works inspiring larger paintings in oil or acrylic. “My work is rooted in landscape, predominantly urban, and I try to capture a sense of the spirit of place. I draw on my previous experience as a systems developer specialising in map-based systems, also in my interest in geography and history”. . Forthcoming Exhibitions… “11 Artists at the Hastings Arts Forum” 6 – 18 Oct 2011, curated by Clare Winchester, an RA exhibitor this year,  She has assembled  11 artists from Kent, London and Sussex for  two weeks in both galleries.   Kathleen Fox, Cameron Foye, Dani Humberstone, Alex Leadbeater, Corrine Lucas, John Napier, Gavin Roweth, Will Taylor, Alison Trask,  Andrew Whamond and Clare Winchester are the artists. This exhibition is billed as “exciting and vibrant “. There are a number of sculptures, prints and a range of paintings up to a size of 6 ft x 5ft. Juanita Homan, Rose Miller and Nikki Urling Clark, 20 – 25 Oct,  in AF1. Photohub Group. 20 Oct – 1 Nov in AF2. The Hastings based photographic group are keeping their 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 are attracting some high praise. 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″.                                               Ray McChrystal in AF1, 27 Oct – 1 Nov.  Exhibitions Elsewhere…  Fiona Pienkowska is in The Old Post Office( Marina Seaside strip, opposite Azur). Exhibiting seaside pics.   Members Announcements…. Nigel Sales posts: I am starting up week-end courses for anyone with an interest in carving stone. Classes will be held in my workshop and will consist of a maximum of four students. Stone, tools. daily transportation.  between the Forum and my workshop, are provided. After moving to St Leonards, I have come out of retirement to resume work and offer my experience. This is a great opportunity to learn the basic technical and practical skills in this ancient and fascinating craft of direct stone carving. For further information contact me on  tel : 0740 735 7301 or  email ns.stcarver@gmail.com Judith Shaw posts: I am looking for a studio to rent in St Leonards – please contact me on 07909 612564 or  email me at judith@judithshaw.info  Silas Machakaire posts: I want to make contact with others in the general Hastings / St Leonards area with a view to forming an Elizabeth Fry Society. Anyone interested should contact me on  musopero65@gmail.com. Prompted by a family friend, Stephen Grellet, Fry visited Newgate prison in London where the conditions she saw there horrified her. The women’s section was overcrowded with women and children, some of whom had not even received a trial. They did their own cooking and washing in the small cells where they slept on straw. Elizabeth Fry wrote in the book: Prisons in Scotland and the North of England, that she actually stayed the night in some of the cells and even invited nobility to come and stay and see for themselves the conditions prisoners lived in. Her kindness helped her gain the friendship of the prisoners and they began to try to improve their conditions for themselves. Elizabeth helped found the Association for the Reformation of the Female Prisoners in Newgate and was a significant motivator in penal reform for women.  Geraldine Franklin posts: I am offering two new art groups in October: Art for the Fun of it - at the Quaker Hall, Albert Road, Bexhill, starting in October on Tuesdays. An Introduction to Art Therapy - at the Natural Fitness Centre, Eastbourne on Sat 15 Oct from 2.00-3.30. Cost: £10.00.  Tel: 07759110072 for more details or email www.geraldinefranklin.co.uk. Erica Smith posts: The Hastings Creatives email list is developing a web-based directory of local creatives. Make an entry or access members on:  http://hastingscreatives.co.uk/. Alex Leadbeater  posts I am running co-ordinating workshops - Workshops at The Muse Lets get started…These are just a taste of what’s coming. More specialised book workshops will run in Nov.   Skill Share Sessions Mondays  2 – 4pm (2 hours) Saturdays 2 – 4pm (2 hours) Drop in sessions £5 including some materials   These are some of the workshops planned for the next month. Small groups, maximum 8 people Advance booking essential!   Tuesday4 Oct 2 – 4pm (2 hours) Claire Buckley  Funky Book Cover taster session using recycled materials, fabric, embroidery £15 including some materials    Wednesday 12 Oct 1 – 4pm (3 hours) “No Stitch” books Helen Hunt £15 including materials    Wednesday 19 Oct 1 – 4pm (3 hours) Helen Hunt “Japanese Stab Stitch” books £15 including materials    Sunday 6 Nov 10 – 3pm (5hours) Claire Buckley  Funky Book Cover – A whole day to make a completed project using recycled materials, fabric, embroidery £30 including some materials Film… St Leonards Film Soc will meet again on Thurs 13 Oct with two films supporting Black History. Films start 7.45pm (doors open at 7pm). £2.50 members / £3.50 non-members. Details as follows: Thurs 13 Oct:   ”The First Grader” — a film directed by Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl, Bleak House) from a script by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (The Chronicles of Narnia, Nights in Rodanthe, Kit Kittridge),  is a heart warming and inspiring true story of one man’s fight for what he believes is his right in order to overcome the burdens of his past. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education.   In a small, remote mountain top primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school: he is Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life.   Moved by his passionate plea, head teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), supports his struggle to gain admission and together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don’t want to waste a precious school place on such an old man. Full of vitality and humour, the film explores the remarkable relationships Maruge builds with his classmates some eighty years his junior and the shocking untold story of British colonial rule 50 years earlier where Maruge had fought to his cost for the freedom of his country.                                                                            Poetry…  Sat 1 Oct. The next meeting of the Poetry Group will be in the Arts Forum at 5pm. Wendy Oxlade has suggested that we write some lines based on a Bob Dylan song. So if anything suggests itself to you — a-blowin’ in the wind along the promenade; while you are a-lyin’ across your big brass bed at home; or in town as you duck down the alleyway…do jot it down and bring it along to share.

 

 

Dates For Your Diary…

Fri 23 Sept.   Private view in AF1, “Mothers, Memories and Consequences”. Mixed media installations from three women artists: Elizabeth Lewis, Rachel Lever and Felicia Cronin.
                        Private View in AF2,  ”Where are we now?”. Paintings by Kathleen Dawson.
24/25 Sept.   New paintings by Jeremy Bear – see below:  Exhibitions Elsewhere.
Fri 30 Sept/ Sat 1 Oct. Call for entries: New English Art Club at the Mall Galleries 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD. Tel: 020 7930 6844. Info and download entry forms on: info@mallgalleries.org.uk.
Sat 1 Oct.     11.45am. Mayor of Hastings unveils the Forum’s memorial to Sid Beynon on the lower promenade near Azur.
Sat 8 Oct.     10.30am. Special General Meeting in AF1 to disband the Hastings Arts Forum and transfer its assets to Hastings Arts Forum Ltd.
Thur13 Oct.  St Leonards Film Soc: details to be announced. 

Stop  Press…

Call for Artists  The Forum’s Exhibitions Committee is planning a series of ‘Themed’ exhibitions to be shown during the second half of 2012 from July to December. 
The first two themes are firstly: Self Portraits; and secondly: Surrealism. 
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 (although 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 Nov 2011.
Tel: 01424 201636 or email info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk  marked “For The Exhibitions Committee”.
 
Robin Thompson. It was great to see Robin and Margaret, members from Sissinghurst,  visit the Forum last Sunday to view the Projectart Works exhibition on which Robin had previously helped. Robin is recovering from treatment for bowel cancer and is now pronounced clear. He is looking forward to picking up from where he left off earlier this year.

Current Exhibitions 

“Mothers, Memories and Consequences ” in AF1. 22 Sept – 4 Oct. Three women members: Elisabeth Lewis, Felicia Cronin and Rachel Lever muse on consumer sustainability and mother-daughter relationships in three intriguing art installations.

“Where are we?”  – Kathleen Dawson  is a painter producing small mixed media collage and paint works inspiring larger paintings in oil or acrylic.
 ”My work incorporates imagery drawn from maps, photographs, aerial views, magazines and newspapers. I might try to depict a sense of the history and future of a location, or use images from the media to provoke a critique of our culture. I cultivate a sense of ambiguity; I don’t have an answer, just a sense that life is difficult and complex but with a lot to offer.” 

 

Forthcoming Exhibitions
Configurations 20 – 25 Oct. Three SoCo artists at the Arts Forum: Juanita Homan, Rose Miller and Nicki Urling Clark.  Private view will be  21 Oct. 6:30 – 8:30pm.

Exhibitions Elsewhere

Sarah Flack is holding an open studio on 24 & 25 Sept from 11am – 4pm at 824 The Ridge, St. Leonards; you can view more of her artwork exhibited at her neighbouring pub: The Harrow Inn. More info onhttp://sjflack.wordpress.com or contact her on sj-flack-art@talk21.com.

Romney Marsh Churches. Each year village churches in Romney Marsh host art exhibitions. Five churches are open this week-end between 1 – 5pm. Churches participating are Lydd, Ivychurch, Newchurch, Burwash and Old Romney. For further info see http://www.artinromneymarsh.org.uk/

Fenya Sharkey (who curated the ‘Drawing’ Exhibition in AF2 in June this year has been working in Care Homes in Eastbourne  introducing various art disciplines to residents with advanced stages of dementia. . Eastbourne Central Library is now showing examples of this work. IT runs until 10 October. Fenya is running a two-day educational programme next week-end.

Jeff Stancliffe has an exhibition at the Dragon Bar in George Street, running till the 4 Oct. Jeff, who works mainly in acrylics, has previously exhibited in London, but this is his first exhibition in Hastings.

Members Announcements 
 
Anna Keiller posts:
If you would like to get your hands dirty and play with clay, then you are most welcome to join one of my workshops in Dudley Road. Find out what goodies are planned for this autumn on: http://annakeiller.com/workshops/workshop-diary/. Alternatively, if there are 4-5 of you who would like to come as a group, either as a one-off or to pursue a project, then please contact me and I’ll be happy to help. Tel: 07722171818  or email www.annakeiller.com.

 Photo Hub posts:
Stuart Griffiths is giving a presentation on his forthcoming new book: The Myth of the Airbourne Warrior on Tues 25 October, 6pm – 8pm at Hastings Arts Forum.
Entry: free for Phg members/£3 for non-members. Wine will be available.
Please email: gl@gracelau.plus.com by  18 Oct to reserve your place.
 
Stuart Griffiths began taking photographs whilst serving as a British paratrooper in Northern Ireland in the late 1980s.  During his service, Stuart’s photographs often evoked the fear and frustration felt by the young soldiers; and he started to question the validity of the British Army’s position: “The pride of being a Paratrooper after time turned to self-questioning, this turned to self-loathing.”
 
The eventual outcome is an intensely personal account of the trauma and personal conflict he experienced, powerfully expressed in his photographs and his newly published book: The Myth of the Airborne Warrior.http://www.photoworks.org.uk/programme/publications/the-myth-of-the-airborne-warrior. His work on injured veterans ‘Closer‘ won the 2010 Brighton Photo Fringe Open; and in the same year, Stuart was awarded a grant by the National Media Museum. The documentary film: ‘Isolation‘ about his personal work, was released in 2009 at the Edinburgh film festival.  He continues to work on self-initiated photography projects and for national and international titles. Book early on gl@gracelau.plus.com. 

Sarah Flack posts:
Drawing & Painting classes start from the week beginning 26 Sept, at Rye, Hastings, Bexhill & Eastbourne. http://sjflack.wordpress.com or contact her on sj-flack-art@talk21.com

Caroline Macey posts.
I have organised a Saturday life drawing session at the Ore centre, Old London rd. 
We have two female models posing, for two hours, starting at midday on Sat 1st Oct.
We have free parking and a lovely cafe. All abilities welcome.
Booking is essential and it keeps costs down. The price is only £10 if you book.£14 on the day.
For more details and any queries please email cmacey@beamingmail.com.

Film…

St Leonards Film Soc will meet again on Thurs 29 Sept. Films start 7.45pm (doors open at 7pm)
£2.50 members / £3.50 non-members. Details as follows:

“Young Hearts Run Free” (12A) + Skype Q&A with director.
Continuing our support of good, new British Cinema whenever possible, we’re showing this first feature from Northumbrian, Andy Mark Simpson. A coming-of-age drama of romance and teenage angst set against the social and political backdrop of a violent miners’ strike, ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ is an uplifting and soulful mix of 1970s style, warm-hearted romance and gritty social drama.

IIN October two films will celebrate Black History

Thu 13 October. THE FIRST GRADER
 
Directed by Justin Chadwick (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL/BLEAK HOUSE) from a script by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, KIT KITTRIDGE), THE FIRST GRADER is a heart warming and inspiring true story of one man’s fight for what he believes is his right in order to overcome the burdens of his past. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education.
 
SYNOPSIS
In a small, remote mountain top primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school.  He is Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life.  He fought for the liberation of his country and now feels he must have the chance of an education so long denied – even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside six-year-olds.
 
Moved by his passionate plea, head teacherJane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), supports his struggle to gain admission and together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don’t want to waste a precious school place on such an old man.
Full of vitality and humour, the film explores the remarkable relationships Maruge builds with his classmates some eighty years his junior. Through Maruge’s journey, we are taken back to the shocking untold story of British colonial rule 50 years earlier where Maruge fought for the freedom of his country, eventually ending up in the extreme and harsh conditions of the British detention camps. 

Poetry…

The next meeting of the Poetry Group will be Sat 1 Oct at 5pm. Wendy Oxlade has suggested that we write some lines based on a Bob Dylan song. So if anything suggests itself to you – a-blowin’ in the wind- along our recently storm-lashed sea-front…or at home whilst – a-layin’ across that big brass bed – do jot it down and bring it along. 

Rose Miller has written the following lines inspired by her forthcoming exhibition, Configurations, which she is holding jointly with Juanita Homan and  Nickki Urling Clark in the Arts Forum on 20 Oct.

Image making.
Take the elements, the starting point, the subject.
Worry it, work it, find the fit,
Or pull it apart.
Obliterate.
Then slowly restart.
Tracking traces in a new configuration.
It’s getting closer now, emerging,
Form fitting expression,
Relentless disclosure.
Present. 

“Mothers, Memories and Consequences ” in AF1. 22 Sept – 4 Oct. Three women members: Elisabeth Lewis, Felicia Cronin and Rachel Lever muse on consumer sustainability and mother-daughter relationships in three intriguing art installations.

“Where are we?”  – Kathleen Dawson  is a painter producing small mixed media collage and paint works inspiring larger paintings in oil or acrylic.
 ”My work incorporates imagery drawn from maps, photographs, aerial views, magazines and newspapers. I might try to depict a sense of the history and future of a location, or use images from the media to provoke a critique of our culture. I cultivate a sense of ambiguity; I don’t have an answer, just a sense that life is difficult and complex but with a lot to offer.”

 

Forthcoming Exhibitions
Configurations 20 – 25 Oct. Three SoCo artists at the Arts Forum: Juanita Homan, Rose Miller and Nicki Urling Clark.  Private view will be  21 Oct. 6:30 – 8:30pm.

Exhibitions Elsewhere

Sarah Flack is holding an open studio on 24 & 25 Sept from 11am – 4pm at 824 The Ridge, St. Leonards; you can view more of her artwork exhibited at her neighbouring pub: The Harrow Inn. More info onhttp://sjflack.wordpress.com or contact her on sj-flack-art@talk21.com.

Romney Marsh Churches. Each year village churches in Romney Marsh host art exhibitions. Five churches are open this week-end between 1 – 5pm. Churches participating are Lydd, Ivychurch, Newchurch, Burwash and Old Romney. For further info see http://www.artinromneymarsh.org.uk/

Fenya Sharkey (who curated the ‘Drawing’ Exhibition in AF2 in June this year has been working in Care Homes in Eastbourne  introducing various art disciplines to residents with advanced stages of dementia. . Eastbourne Central Library is now showing examples of this work. IT runs until 10 October. Fenya is running a two-day educational programme next week-end.

Jeff Stancliffe has an exhibition at the Dragon Bar in George Street, running till the 4 Oct. Jeff, who works mainly in acrylics, has previously exhibited in London, but this is his first exhibition in Hastings.

Members Announcements 
 
Anna Keiller posts:
If you would like to get your hands dirty and play with clay, then you are most welcome to join one of my workshops in Dudley Road. Find out what goodies are planned for this autumn on: http://annakeiller.com/workshops/workshop-diary/. Alternatively, if there are 4-5 of you who would like to come as a group, either as a one-off or to pursue a project, then please contact me and I’ll be happy to help. Tel: 07722171818  or email www.annakeiller.com.

 Photo Hub posts:
Stuart Griffiths is giving a presentation on his forthcoming new book: The Myth of the Airbourne Warrior on Tues 25 October, 6pm – 8pm at Hastings Arts Forum.
Entry: free for Phg members/£3 for non-members. Wine will be available.
Please email: gl@gracelau.plus.com by  18 Oct to reserve your place.
 
Stuart Griffiths began taking photographs whilst serving as a British paratrooper in Northern Ireland in the late 1980s.  During his service, Stuart’s photographs often evoked the fear and frustration felt by the young soldiers; and he started to question the validity of the British Army’s position: “The pride of being a Paratrooper after time turned to self-questioning, this turned to self-loathing.”
 
The eventual outcome is an intensely personal account of the trauma and personal conflict he experienced, powerfully expressed in his photographs and his newly published book: The Myth of the Airborne Warrior.http://www.photoworks.org.uk/programme/publications/the-myth-of-the-airborne-warrior. His work on injured veterans ‘Closer‘ won the 2010 Brighton Photo Fringe Open; and in the same year, Stuart was awarded a grant by the National Media Museum. The documentary film: ‘Isolation‘ about his personal work, was released in 2009 at the Edinburgh film festival.  He continues to work on self-initiated photography projects and for national and international titles. Book early on gl@gracelau.plus.com. 

Sarah Flack posts:
Drawing & Painting classes start from the week beginning 26 Sept, at Rye, Hastings, Bexhill & Eastbourne. http://sjflack.wordpress.com or contact her on sj-flack-art@talk21.com

Caroline Macey posts.
I have organised a Saturday life drawing session at the Ore centre, Old London rd. 
We have two female models posing, for two hours, starting at midday on Sat 1st Oct.
We have free parking and a lovely cafe. All abilities welcome.
Booking is essential and it keeps costs down. The price is only £10 if you book.£14 on the day.
For more details and any queries please email cmacey@beamingmail.com.

Film…

St Leonards Film Soc will meet again on Thurs 29 Sept. Films start 7.45pm (doors open at 7pm)
£2.50 members / £3.50 non-members. Details as follows:

“Young Hearts Run Free” (12A) + Skype Q&A with director.
Continuing our support of good, new British Cinema whenever possible, we’re showing this first feature from Northumbrian, Andy Mark Simpson. A coming-of-age drama of romance and teenage angst set against the social and political backdrop of a violent miners’ strike, ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ is an uplifting and soulful mix of 1970s style, warm-hearted romance and gritty social drama.

IIN October two films will celebrate Black History

Thu 13 October. THE FIRST GRADER
 
Directed by Justin Chadwick (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL/BLEAK HOUSE) from a script by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, KIT KITTRIDGE), THE FIRST GRADER is a heart warming and inspiring true story of one man’s fight for what he believes is his right in order to overcome the burdens of his past. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education.
 
SYNOPSIS
In a small, remote mountain top primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school.  He is Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life.  He fought for the liberation of his country and now feels he must have the chance of an education so long denied – even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside six-year-olds.
 
Moved by his passionate plea, head teacherJane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), supports his struggle to gain admission and together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don’t want to waste a precious school place on such an old man.
Full of vitality and humour, the film explores the remarkable relationships Maruge builds with his classmates some eighty years his junior. Through Maruge’s journey, we are taken back to the shocking untold story of British colonial rule 50 years earlier where Maruge fought for the freedom of his country, eventually ending up in the extreme and harsh conditions of the British detention camps. 

Poetry…

The next meeting of the Poetry Group will be Sat 1 Oct at 5pm. Wendy Oxlade has suggested that we write some lines based on a Bob Dylan song. So if anything suggests itself to you – a-blowin’ in the wind- along our recently storm-lashed sea-front…or at home whilst – a-layin’ across that big brass bed – do jot it down and bring it along. 

Rose Miller has written the following lines inspired by her forthcoming exhibition, Configurations, which she is holding jointly with Juanita Homan and  Nickki Urling Clark in the Arts Forum on 20 Oct.

Image making.
Take the elements, the starting point, the subject.
Worry it, work it, find the fit,
Or pull it apart.
Obliterate.
Then slowly restart.
Tracking traces in a new configuration.
It’s getting closer now, emerging,
Form fitting expression,
Relentless disclosure.
Present.

 

 

Dates For Your Diary…

Fri 16 Sep.  Gallery Event. 6.30 – 8.30pm: to coincide with the Projectart Works exhibition, artist-filmmaker  Andrew Kötting will conduct an event exploring the work in the exhibition in collaboration with the artists and Kate Adams.
Fri 23 Sep. Private view in AF1, “Mothers, Memories and Consequences”. Mixed media from three women artists: Elizabeth Lewis, Rachel Lever and Felicia Cronin.
                     Private View in AF2,  ”Where are we now?”. Paintings by Kathleen Dawson.
24 / 25 Sep. New paintings by Jeremy Bear – see  ”Exhibitions Elsewhere”
Sat 1 Oct.  11.45am. Mayor of Hastings unveils the Forum’s memorial to Sid Beynon.
Sat 8 Oct.  10.30am. Special General Meeting in AF1 to disband the Hastings Arts Forum and transfer its assets to Hastings Arts Forum Ltd. 

Stop Press…

Special General Meeting. The SGM, set for Sat 8 Oct in the Forum needs your support. This is an important meeting  in the process of activating our charity status 

Volunteers.  John Shanks has agreed to organise the volunteers’ roster. The roster has been a ‘problem’ area for some time and the butt of many remarks. We hope that a fresh and single pair of hands, unencumbered by other Forum duties, may lead to more regular staffing in the Forum. It is understood that not all members can volunteer for a regular solo slot – though this is desirable from a Forum viewpoint.  

John, however,  is exploring the idea that two or three members group together to sponsor a Morning (11 – 2 ) or an Afternoon (2 – 4 ) slot and thereby guarantee coverage on a regular basis.  Without volunteers, the Forum can not exist, so if you have a mind to volunteer, please contact us – even if you have previously volunteered and not had an acknowledgement.

In the next few weeks, John will be ringing round or emailing those members who have indicated in the past a willingness to help.

John will also welcome a commitment from others. email : info@hastingsartsforum.co.uk and mark “For John Shanks”

Nigel Sales intends to run a week-end course for stone carvers in his new studio, near Hailsham. Transport and tools provided. Nigel has worked on the restoration of Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey. See under Members Announcements.

Sid  Beynon Memorial.  The Mayor of Hastings has kindly agreed to unveil the Forum’s memorial to Sid Beynon on Saturday morning, 1 Oct at 11.45am. It is also planned to follow the opening with a children’s stone gathering and mosaic-making (weather dependent ). If you know any children between 6 –  12 years old who want to attend, please let us know beforehand. The mosaic is ready to go into the ground.

Mike Williams and Juliette Dodd worked with Jamie Stapely, who  created beach mosaics with Sid over the last 20 years. See pics of the mosaic being made on the website http://www.hastingsartsforum.co.uk/the-sid-beynon-memorial-mosaic/#more-4568 

Cosi fan Tutte. Under ‘Music’, we offer a review of ‘Cosi fan Tutte’ written by a professional critic.

Bob Dylan.. Can you write lines inspired by a Bob Dylan song? If so, see below under “Poetry”

Current Exhibitions…
Projectart Works presents “Heroes, Dreams and Visions”.  8 – 20 Sep in both galleries. This year’s exhibition will highlight exceptional new works created by individuals with severe neurological impairments. Projectart Works  aims to encourage those with severe learning disabilities to develop their artistic skills, and mentors them over an extended period towards mounting an exhibition which is the culmination of a year’s work.

This year, seven individuals have produced a significant and surprising body of work, their showcase revealing very distinct approaches developed through intensive studio practice alongside an artist mentor in Projectart Works’ pioneering ‘mentoring studios’.  

There will be an artist talk on Fri 16 Sept at 6.30pm; and to coincide with the exhibition, artist-filmmaker Andrew Kötting will explore Projectart Works’ radical approach to the professional development of artists with complex needs in conversation with Projectart Works director, Kate Adams. The works and an accompanying illustrated catalogue will be on sale at the galleries and online at www.projectartworks.org.  Forthcoming Exhibitions… “Mothers, Memories and Consequences ” in AF1. 22 Sep – 4 Oct. Three women members: Elisabeth Lewis, Felicia Cronin and Rachel Lever muse on mother-daughter relationships.         © Elizabeth Lewis.’                                                     Felicia Cronin                      © Rachel Lever    Grundschule Herdecke (3)’                                      Untitled Elisabeth Lewis writes: “In my little book I am telling remembered stories as a very young child in Germany, which I have often done before and when people have said to me, you should write them down. “It was during the days of the Second World War; I can date one of my earliest memories exactly from this circumstance. My mother, uncle and grandfather were going on a trip without me, when the postman arrived with an official letter for my uncle. He was called up by the army. England had declared war on Germany. It was September 1939. I was four years old. “I have been an admirer; have been very interested in the French artist Sophie Calle ever since I saw her exhibition at the Camden Arts Centre in Hampstead London.. I was particularly delighted at the sight of the glass cases displaying 10 years of birthday presents she had received from her friends. Celebrating birthdays, giving presents, even present wrapping has been an important part of my life since childhood. Some people think this is a sign of an inordinate desire to be loved, or worse a ruse for manipulating people. Well, some people will spoil the best of intentions. “The visual material accompanying the text is mainly based on photographs from two photo albums I inherited from my mother and the few artefacts that survived in my possession in spite of moving to another country.  I still have the little dress I wore in the picture with my cousins, when I must have been about four years old. The picture shown above is my grandmother’s Rauchverzehrer, the painting I did of painting I did of my classroom, when I was at my Primary School and the illustrated postcards from Opa, my grandfather.”  Felicia Cronin writes: “A Patchwork for life – to have or not to have, this is the question. “My photo images are allegorical, they represent a desire to evaluate what is happening to our ecology as we rush to find solutions to the key issues of global warming and an ever increasing population. “As we wake up to the condition of our world, where so often there is too much or too little and it costs that we transport ourselves, our food, our manufactured goods and our rubbish  around the world – the balance is slim.  We have the choice to nurture or to destroy by continuing to feed our insatiable hunger for resources. “It’s personal, it’s individual; it’s complex and it’s huge; and we may easily be deceived by what is ‘good for growth’ or what is ‘economically viable’.  It makes all the difference when each aspect of human activity has its consequences elsewhere. “Mark Twain said water was ‘worth fighting for’ and, even in this country, precious water is being diverted and becomes unavailable to the next person. “Optimism may flourish for our world if those people with real empirical knowledge and understanding are given the chance and the support to work together in seeking solutions.  And not only they but each one of us! “In the patchwork form, I want to reflect the interdependency of all the elements that make our world and determine our future such as climate, resources, technology agriculture, and last but not least, politics.”  Rachel Lever writes: “Anita and Rachel Lever – My mum Anita and I were often seen together as a double act at Hastings art shows, music gigs, walking the seafront and living it up at parties. And we both sporadically engaged in art ourselves. “Anita is no longer with us, having died in May. Her coffin was plastered with colourful abstract details from her own work. The original pieces were delicate drawings, which I had scanned, cropped and colour-saturated in 2005 to make a hypnotic and beautiful short video. “This exhibition shows all three versions: the video, the whole drawings, and the bright and brilliant details. On the evening of Tues 4 Oct the show will close with the first showing of my film of Anita’s life, times, and philosophy.” Kathleen Dawson  Exhibition in AF2. 22 Oct – 4 Oct. “Where are We?”  Kathleen is a painter producing small mixed media collage and paint works inspiring larger paintings in oil or acrylic. “My work is rooted in landscape, predominantly urban, and I try to capture a sense of the spirit of place. I draw on my previous experience as a systems developer specialising in map-based systems, also in my interest in geography and history. “My work incorporates imagery drawn from maps, photographs, aerial views, magazines and newspapers. I might try to depict a sense of the history and future of a location, or use images from the media to provoke a critique of our culture. I cultivate a sense of ambiguity; I don’t have an answer, just a sense that life is difficult and complex but with a lot to offer.”   Kathleen feels a kinship with the barely recognisable but clearly land-inspired work of artists such as Peter Lanyon and Per Kirkeby, but as a painter with an interest in the contemporary scene is by no means closed to wider influences. She escaped from the office a few years ago and has spent the intervening period studying, currently for an MA in Fine and Applied Art at Canterbury Christ Church University.This is her first solo show.    “11 Artists at the Hastings Arts Forum” 6 – 18 Oct 2011, curated by Clare Winchester. Clare, an RA exhibitor this year,  has assembled a group of 11 local artists from Kent, London and Sussex for a two week show in both galleries.   Kathleen Fox, Cameron Foye, Dani Humberstone, Alex Leadbeater, Corrine Lucas, John Napier, Gavin Roweth, Will Taylor, Alison Trask, Andrew Whamond and Clare Winchester are the artists. This exhibition is billed as “exciting and vibrant “. There are a number of sculptures and a range of paintings up to 6 ft x 5ft. Juanita Homan, Rose Miller and Nikki Urling Clark , 20 – 25 Oct,  in AF1. Photohub Group. 20Oct – 1 Nov in AF2. This is a Hastings photographic group keeping their 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 are attracting some high praise. 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″.    Ray McChrystal in AF1, 27 Oct – 1 Nov.  Exhibitions Elsewhere… Jeremy Bear is showing new paintings at the Chiddingly Festival, including some vibrant Indian street scenes inspried by recent travels to Kolkata, as well as many marine subjects in his Chiddingly Festival exhibition.  The exhibion is at The Room, Blackboys Inn, Blackboys, Lewes Road TN22 5LG  ( 01825 890283)   The exhibition is open on 24 and 25 Sept and 1 and 2 Oct –  11am to 5pm.  Battle Art Trail.From 17-25 Sep 2011  According to the ‘blurb’   “….Battle High Street and the adjoining twittens are playing host to more than 20 installations and artworks that together form a trail through the centre of Battle. The theme of the trail is The World Turned Upside Down, and hope that .. this series of site-specific works encourage you to take a fresh look at your surroundings, and  to see the ordinary in new light – and to smile! At the core of the trail are works by commissioned artists, including Annabel Tilley, Reem Acason, Patrick Burton, Louise Kenward, Svetlana K-Lie and Joanna Kerr. These are interspersed with projects by emerging artists from Sussex Coast College and local groups including the Hastings and Bexhill NAS Group, Battle Knit and Knatter Group and the Traveller Education Team, Children’s Services. Further info available from www.battlearts.co.uk or our page on Facebook.. Wendy Oxlade is exhibiting at the Gill Gallery during September.   Ian Francis is exhibiting at the Coast Cafe, Kings Road, St Leonards throughout September. Fiona Pienkowska is in The Old Post Office( Marina Seaside strip, opposite Azur). Exhibiting seaside pics.     Members Announcements…. Nigel Sales posts: I am starting up week-end courses for anyone with an interest in carving stone. Classes will be held in my workshop and will consist of a maximum of four students. Stone, tools. daily transportation.  between the Forum and my workshop, are provided. After moving to St Leonards , I have come out of retirement to resume work and offer my experience. This is a great opportunity to learn the basic technical and practical skills in this ancient and fascinating craft of direct stone carving. For further information contact me on  tel : 0740 735 7301 or  email : ns.stcarver@gmail.com Buchanan Book Group. Rose Miller posts: The theme is Irish Literature this year, and our discussions will include works by Anne Enright, Colm Toibin, Sebastian Barry, J.M. Synge and of course, James Joyce. Mon 19 Sep  we will be discussing Two Lives by William Trevor.  Buchanan Book Group is a discussion based book group led by tutor Rose Miller (M.Phil. literature). All welcome — the only requirement is an urge to read! The group meets once per month on Mondays: 2:00 – 4:00pm at a home in St. Leonards (contact rosemiller9@gmail.com for details). Still only £5 per session if you sign up for blocks of four sessions. Otherwise £6 for one off/occasional.   Wendy Oxlade posts : Drawing Classes at INSPIRE, 34 Robertson Street. Life drawing Thursdays 10.30 -12.45 @  £7. Also 1.30-3.45  @ £7.  Book both classes for £12.  Juliette Dodd posts: Mountfield Community Arts, specialist classes start on Tues 13 Sep.           Tuesdays:         Portraits with Juliette @ 10.00 – 12.30.                                        Watercolours with Barbara Valentine @ 1.00 – 3.30.           Wednesdays:   Mixed Media Wednesdays @ 10.00 – 12.30.                                       Miniatures   @ 1.00 – 3.30. Beginners welcome. For more info: juliettedodd@wordpress.com                                        or Tel: 01424 424010 (Juliette) 01424 838264 Erica Smith posts: The Hastings Creatives email list has just launched a web-based directory of local creatives. Make an entry or access members on:  http://hastingscreatives.co.uk/ Film… St Leonards Film Soc will meet again on Thurs 29 Sept. Films start 7.45pm (doors open at 7pm) £2.50 members / £3.50 non-members. Details as follows: “Young Hearts Run Free” (12A) + Skype Q&A with director Continuing our support of good, new British Cinema whenever possible we’re continuing to do so with this first feature from Northumbrian, Andy Mark Simpson. A coming-of-age drama of romance and teenage angst set against the social and political backdrop of a violent miners’ strike, ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ is an uplifting and soulful mix of 1970s style, warm-hearted romance and gritty social drama. Music… Elizabeth Forbes writes: “Jenny Miller’s interesting production of Così fan tutte, given by The Complete Singer at St Mary in the Castle on 11 Sept, was based on the production she directed for Longborough Festival Opera earlier this year, and used the sets and costumes from LFO. Mozart’s score was adapted for two violins, cello, clarinet, flute and piano, the last named played by the musical director Lesley Anne Sammons, who kept amazingly good ensemble. The six singers were students or young professionals who had covered their characters at Longborough. The enjoyable performance was sung in Italian, with the English translation beamed on the central bit of scenery: an excellent solution. “Da Ponte’s libretto for Così fan tutte, with its tale of two sisters who fall for each other’s (thinly disguised) boy friends, is cynical in the extreme, but Mozart’s music is full of genuine emotion. Jenny Miller illustrates this paradox clearly; the girls always believe, if only momentarily, the feelings they express, while one of the young men (the tenor) does too. But the other (the baritone) does not. At the end they go back to their original partners, but by no means is everyone happy. Jenny Miller ensures that the action, in no way as complicated on stage as the synopsis in the programme would suggest, is taken with the proper seriousness – the fact that much of the action is very amusing  makes that commitment all the more necessary.                                                                            Poetry…  The next meeting of the Poetry Group will be Sat 1 Oct at 5pm. Wendy Oxlade has suggested that we write some lines based on a Bob Dylan song. So if anything suggests itself to you – a-blowin’ in the wind- along our recently storm-lashed sea-front…do jot it down and bring it along.  As encouragement, Wendy offers the following lines, Title   ” Times they are a changin”’ ”             A man of constant sorrow           and the ugliest girl in the world           are love sick           and fixing to die             all they really wanna do           is be friends           as dogs run free           a hard rain falls              an idiot wind changes all            they marry **            have ten kids            and live happily ever after!             **the last 3 lines are not Bob Dylan songs and reflect the title.      Wendy

 

 

Dates For Your Diary… Fri 9 Sep. Private View for Projectart Works.                   6 – 8. Burton Gallery. Book-signing “Sidney Little” by Richard Pollard. Richard will also read excerpts.  See under “Exhibitions Elsewhere” Sat 10 Sep – 16 Oct.  Stade Stories Photography Competition. Winning entries will be on display in the Fishermen’s Museum, Blue Reef Aquarium and Shipwreck Museum.  Sun 11 Sep.  Cosi fan Tutte. 7.45pm in St Mary-in-the-Castle. Nationally acclaimed production – see under ‘Music’. Tickets @ £12.00. Fri 16 Sep.  Gallery Event. 6.30 – 8.30pm:to coincide with the Projectart Works exhibition, artist-filmmaker Andrew Kötting will conduct an event exploring the work in the exhibition in collaboration with the artists and Kate Adams. Fri 23 Sep. Private view in AF1, “Mothers, Memories and Consequences ” Mixed media form three women artists, Elizabeth Lewis, Rachel Lever and Felicia Cronin.                      Private View in AF2,  ”Where are we now? “. Paintings by Kathleen Dawson Sat 1 Oct @ 1145. Mayor of Hastings unveils the Forum’s memorial to Sid Beynon. Sat 8 Oct @ 1030.. Special General Meetying in AF1 to disband the Hastings Arts Forum and transfer its assets to Hastings Arts Forum Ltd.   Stop Press… Sid  Beynon Memorial.  The Mayor of Hastings has kindly agreed to unveil the Forum’s memorial to Sid Beynon on Saturday morning, 1 Oct at 1145. It is also planned to follow the opening with a children’s stone gathering and mosaic making (weather dependent ).If you know any children up to 12 years who want to attend, please let us know beforehand. The mosaic is almost read6 to go into the ground.  Mike Williams and Juliette Dodd worked with Jamie Stapely, who  created beach mosaics with Sid over the last 20 years. See pics of the mosaic being made on the website http://www.hastingsartsforum.co.uk/the-sid-beynon-memorial-mosaic/#more-4568                       Geoff Beaghen ( 3Jun 1924 – 24 Aug 2011)  We learn with regret  the death of Geoff Beaghen, who was a respected force in the cultural life of Hastings. Geoff was the first Chairman of Hastings Arts, (founded in the 1980s and one of several organisations which led to the formation of the Forum in 2003). Geoff was also a leading figure in the restoration of St Mary-in-the-Castle. The family will welcome those who wish to remember Geoff, at the funeral service on Wednesday 14 Sep at 2pm in Hastings Crematorium and / or  afterwards at East  Hastings Sea Angling Association, opposite the Lifeboat House  (TN34 3DW).     Coast Cafe, Kings Rd, St Leonards is looking for artists who would like to exhibit in their space. Contact Trudy and Stacy on (01424) 200988.   HastingsCreatives directory. If you are creative, you should make sure you are on trhis list. For further info, see the post by Erica Smith in Members Announcements.  Cosi fan Tutte. Sunday 11th September.  At 7.45pm, Mozart’s opera Cosi fan Tutte will be presented at St Mary in the Castle by The Complete Singer who brought a stunning Don Giovanni here last year. Roles are played by young music students – tomorrow’s divas and stars.  Sales.  Sales have held up well in AF1, with Mike Bayley’s ceramics selling strongly ( 24 of 37 items); and Brian Oxley selling seven paintings ( out of 26 plus ‘browser’ items) during the two  weeks. Like it or not, consensus of opinion is that the reason for this success lies in it being ‘good work at affordable prices’ from artists who have not exhibited in the district before. Six sales from the total of 31 sales were to customers invited by the artists who were visiting the Forum for the first time, but the rest were to Forum members / customers and the general public.  Wonky WI.  The inaugural meeting of St Leonards and Hastings’ new Women’s Institute  branch, held in AF 1 on Tue 6 Sep, was a roaring success. Despite it being a wild, wet, windy evening, 70 women braved ‘thunder, lightning or rain’  to join in lively debate and ‘when the hurlyburly was done’ – enjoyed delicious refreshments courtesy of Plenty Provisions and Post Office Tea Rooms. President Lesley Greening Lassoff was thrilled by the response and is looking for a new, larger venue. Join the buzz on Facebook.. Many new members were signed up. see also the WWI’s new website at www.wonkywomensinstitute.co.uk.      Current Exhibitions…        Projectart Works presents “Heroes, Dreams and Visions”.  8 – 20 Sep in both galleries. This year’s exhibition will highlight exceptional new works created by individuals with severe neurological impairments. Projectart Works aims to encourage those with severe learning disabilities to develop their artistic skills, and mentors them over an extended period towards mounting an exhibition which is the culmination of a year’s work. This year, seven individuals have produced a significant and surprising body of work, their showcase revealing very distinct approaches developed through intensive studio practice alongside an artist mentor in Projectart Works’ pioneering ‘mentoring studios’.                                                                                                  There will be an artist talk on Fri 16 Sept at 6.30pm; and to coincide with the exhibition, artist-filmmaker Andrew Kötting will explore Projectart Works’ radical approach to the professional development of artists with complex needs in conversation with Projectart Works director, Kate Adams. The works and an accompanying illustrated catalogue will be on sale at the galleries and online at www.projectartworks.org.  Forthcoming Exhibitions…   “Mothers, Memories and Consequences “.   in AF1. 22 Sep – 4 Oct. Three women members: Elizabeth Lewis, Felicia Cronin and Rachel Lever muse on mother-daughter relations. Kathleen Dawson in AF2. 22 Oct – 4 Oct. Exhibition: ‘Where are we?’  Kathleen is a painter producing small mixed media collage and paint works inspiring larger paintings in oil or acrylic. “My work is rooted in landscape, predominantly urban, and I try to capture a sense of the spirit of place. I draw on my previous experience as a systems developer specialising in map-based systems, also in my interest in geography and history. My work incorporates imagery drawn from maps, photographs, aerial views, magazines and newspapers. I might try to depict a sense of the history and future of a location, or use images from the media to provoke a critique of our culture. I cultivate a sense of ambiguity; I don’t have an answer, just a sense that life is difficult and complex but with a lot to offer”.  She feels a kinship with the barely recognisable but clearly land-inspired work of artists such as Peter Lanyon and Per Kirkeby, but as a painter with an interest in the contemporary scene is by no means closed to wider influences. Kathleen escaped from the office a few years ago and has spent the intervening period studying, currently for an MA in Fine and Applied Art at Canterbury Christ Church University.This is her first solo show.    “11 Artists at the Hastings Arts Forum“ 6 – 18 Oct 2011, curated by Clare Winchester. Clare, an RA exhibitor this year,  has assembled a group of 11 artists from Kent, London and Sussex for a two week show in both galleries.  Kathleen Fox. Cameron Foye,Dani Humberstone, Alex Leadbeater, Corrine Lucas, John Napier, Gavin Roweth, Will Taylor, Alison Trask, Andrew Whamond and Clare Winchester. This exhibition is billed as “exciting and vibrant “. There are a number of sculptures and a range of paintings up to 6 ft x 5ft.      Exhibitions Elswhere… Ian Francis  is exhibiting at the Coast Cafe, Kings Rd St Leonards  throughout September.     Burton Gallery. ‘Celebrating Concrete: A History of Marine Court and A Tribute to Sidney Little‘.    Sidney Little, Hastings Borough engineer in the 1930s,  ensured that Hastings was in the forefront of modern architecture. He used concrete, as did Marine Court, built 1937/38. Unfortunately, Little’s work was interrupted by the Second World War. Little’s existing projects include ‘Bottle Alley’ and the doubledecker promenade. There will be a book-signing on Fri 10 Sep from 6 – 8 by Richard Pollard, the author of a book on Little.  On 11 and12 Sep at 2pm, there will be a guided walk around the outside of Marine Court – meet outside the Azur, as part of English Heritage Open Day. Katherine Reekie  in The StablesTheatre and Art Gallery. “Attraction and Distraction“. 5 – 8 Sep. Careful of the opening hours !! 10.30am – 2pm and 6 – 8pm.     Fiona Pienkowska  in The Old Post Office( Marina Seaside strip, opposite Azur). Exhibiting seaside pics.      Coastal Currents. Forum members opening studios include       Artists Books and Workshops: Alex Leadbeater, Lynne Bingham, Helen Hunt, Cathryn Kemp, Sara Harris and Erica Smith.       Danny Mooney in McCarrons, Norman Road.       Georgina Chinnery, Geoff Parham in Mercatoria Business Centre, 100 -102 Norman Road.       Liz Blackborrow, 60 Norman Road.       Valerie May, 65 Norman Road.            Rhian Thomas ((Butlers Emporium, 70 George Street.       Ray McChrystal and Alex Leadbeater (in “Rarities” by the Pier Gates).       Mike Leale and John Shanks        Geoff Parham       Robin Holtom (Emily Johns, Pip Carpenter, Marie-Louise Miller, Victoria Kiff and Nigel Plumb       Shahriar Mazandi  using his eco-friendly home to exhibit on gangsters at 7, Cloudesley Rd       Lorna Hamilton-Brown , 47, Seddlescombe Rd South       Vanessa Fowler       Ian Francis, Coast Cafe, Kings Rd Showing at the Beach Huts in Bulverhtyhe and West St Leonards        Valerie Knapp in Hut #5       Claire fletcher and Peter Quinell, Hut #10       Andy Young, Hut #10       Denise Griffiths. Hut # 13       Barbara Williams in Hut #13 Showing at The Beacon        Kate Orr        Ben White        Mike Williams        Ruth Wurzburger Showing in Hastings and Eastwards        Ian David Baker         Zoom Groupat various locations        Annie Soudain       Tim Riddihough  Members Announcements…. Buchanan Book Group. Rose Miller posts:  The theme is Irish Literature this year, d our discussions will include works by Anne Enright, Colm Toibin, Sebastian Barry, J.M. Synge and of course, James Joyce. Mon 19 Sep 19th September, when we’ll be discussing Two Lives by William Trevor.     Buchanan Book Group is a discussion based book group led by tutor Rose Miller (M.Phil. literature). All welcome — the only requirement is an urge to read! We meet once per month on Mondays: 2:00 – 4:00pm at a home in St. Leonards (contactrosemiller9@gmail.com  for details). Still only £5 per session if you sign up for blocks of 4 sessions. Otherwise £6 for one off/occasional.     Floral Art.  Louise Crispin posts “Beautiful Plants by Skilful Artists”. 2011 Exhibition 10-17 Sep at KWT Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve  10 – 5 daily.  See a preview  at www.florum.co.uk    Juliette Dodd posts: Mountfield Community Arts, specialist classes start on Tues 13 Sep.            Tuesdays    Portraits with Juliette. Tuesdays @ 10.00 – 12.30.                                    Watercolours with Barbara Valentine @ 1.00 – 3.30.           Wednesdays  Mixed Media @ 10.00 – 12.30.                                     Miniatures   @ 1.00 – 3.30. Beginners welcome. For more info: juliettedodd@wordpress.com                                        or Tel: 01424 424010 (Juliette)                                                   01424 838264 Grace Lau posts:  Photo Hub Group is offering a series of six group mentoring sessions at the Stade Hall, commencing Monday Sept 5th, 7pm-9pm. Led by Martin Everett, photographer & tutor, working on his PhD, these sessions are 2-hrs fortnightly and the project aims to develop your photographic practice skills, supported by a peer group in critical discussion and presentation of your work in progress. Only £50, funding support from Arts Council. Enquiries email: manray41@yahoo.co.uk      Erica Smith posts: The Hastings Creatives email list has just launched a web-based directory of local creatives. Make an entry or access members on:  http://hastingscreatives.co.uk/   Sara Harris posts: Lots of reasons to potter around St Leonards this weekend… The ‘Musings’ project is based around a light-hearted little book I’ve written about life in St Leonards. I’ll be holding an Open Studio at 3 Stanhope Place, St Leonards from 11am with works by some of the ‘characters’ from the book. See if you can work out who’s who! Typographic glimpses of the book will be dotted around other Open Studios and venues in the area  – at The Muse in Mews Road, Studio VII in Shepherd Street, the Horse and Groom pub and South Lodge in St Leonards Gardens. Plus an audio installation in St Leonards Gardens, one of the Coastal Currents artist spotlights, whispers narrated passages from the book. See http://www.coastalcurrents.org.uk/whats-on/whispered-musings-by-sara-harris    Tricia Neve  has the following items for sale: 3kg bag of loose lavender; Rolls of pretty ribbon. Small frames. All low prices: Contact Tricia on 01424 200521     Anna Keiller posts :I’m running a series of ceramic workshops in the autumn featuring clay work, smoke firing and sprig mould making in plaster and I’m hoping the new projects may be of interest. This is the link http://annakeiller.com/workshops/workshop-diary/ And the workshops are:  Nicho workshop; Nichos are traditional Mexican shrines that were made to celebrate Saints and beloved family members. We are using the formula to make a modern version celebrating what is important to us such as Chickens, Love, Nature, Cats,and beloved family members. Dates: Sat 10 Sept 11-3pm; Sprig mould making and design, Saturday 17th Sept. 11-3pm Creating the Nicho using our sprig molds.Saturday  24 Sept 11-3pm decorating and glazing our Nicho. Each session cost £40 including all materials, firings, coffee, tea and cake. Bring a packed lunch! Group is small with max 6 people.   Film… St Leonards Film Soc  will start up again on Thursday 15 September. Films start 7.45pm (doors open at 7pm) £2.50 members / £3.50 non-members   Thurs 15 Sep in AF 1 The Economics Of Happiness + Q&A ‘The Economics of Happiness’ describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, an unholy alliance of governments and big business continues to promote globalization and the consolidation of corporate power. At the same time, people all over the world are resisting those policies, demanding a re-regulation of trade and finance—and, far from the old institutions of power, they’re starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re-build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localization. The film provides not only inspiration, but practical solutions. Via Campesina for example, is the largest social movement in the world, with more than 400 million members. A chorus of voices from six continents include Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, David Korten, Samdhong Rinpoche, Helena Norberg-Hodge, Michael Shuman, Zac Goldsmith and Keibo Oiwa. They tell us that climate change and peak oil give us little choice: we need to localise, to bring the economy home. The good news is that as we move in this direction we will begin not only to heal the earth but also to restore our own sense of well-being. ‘The Economics of Happiness’ challenges us to restore our faith in humanity, challenges us to believe that it is possible to build a better world. Thurs 29 Sep Young Hearts Run Free (12A) + Skype Q&A with director  Continuing our support of good, new British Cinema whenever possible we’re continuing to do so with this first feature from Northumbrian, Andy Mark Simpson. A coming-of-age drama of romance and teenage angst set against the social and political backdrop of a violent miners’ strike, ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ is an uplifting and soulful mix of 1970s style, warm-hearted romance and gritty social drama.     Music… ‘Cosi fan Tutte‘  St Mary-in-the-Castle. Sun 11 Sep at 7.45pm. Poetry…  The next meeting of the Poetry Group will be Sat 1 Oct at 5pm. Open subject.

 

 

Dates For Your Diary…

Sat 3 Sep.  Private View for Robin Holtom in 41b Marina, 3 – 9 pm. Robin is also exhibiting in AF2.                    
                     Vanessa Fowler and friends. From 11am, 6 Marine Court.                   
Sat 10 Sep – 16 Oct.  Stade Stories Photography Competition. Winning entries will be on display in the Fishermen’s Museum, Blue Reef Aquarium and Shipwreck Museum. 
Sun 11 Sep.  Cosi fan Tutte. 7.45pm in St Mary-in-the-Castle. Nationally acclaimed production – see under ‘Music’. Tickets @ £12.00.

Stop Press…

Sid  Beynon Memorial. It is planned that the mosaic on the Lower Promenade at the western end of the Azur Marina Pavilion should be in place by mid Septermber. Mike Williams and Juliette Dodd are working with Jamie Stapely, who used to create beach mosaics with Sid. 

Hastings Creatives directory.If you are creative, you should make sure you are on this list. For further info, see the post by Erica Smith in Members Announcements.

 Hastings Online Times is an e-arts information periodical. Erica Smith would like to hear from you , sooner than later, if you can help as a contributor or writer. Erica has recently taken this project on and wants some original thoughts and writing on a variety of topics, including ‘The Arts’.

Cosi fan Tutte. Sunday 11th September.  At 7.45pm, Mozart’s opera Cosi fan Tutte will be presented at St Mary in the Castle by The Complete Singer who brought a stunning Don Giovanni here last year. More details below.

Yvonne Dignon. Friends of Yvonne Dignon will be interested but saddened to hear that she is leaving Hastings to travel again. For the foreseeable future, she will be wwoofing ( World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.). Yvonne was secretary of the Forum in 2009 / 2010 and has since travelled around the world, more recently living in Hastings again. 

Sales    Sales have held up well in AF1, with Mike Bayley’s ceramics selling strongly (currently 20 of 37 items); and Brian Oxley selling five paintings.    

Current Exhibitions…

Brian Oxley and Mike Bayley  in AF1,  25 Aug – 6 Sep Brian (paintings) and Mike (ceramics ) exhibit in AF1. 

Michael Bayley. I attended Hornsey College of Art in the 1950s. My pots are handbuilt, fired to stoneware temperature and mostly unglazed. Decoration is an intrinsic part of the making, a number of different toned clays being laminated to produce the agate pattern. Arrangements of this, and further tone and texture sometimes including porcelain, are inlaid before construction.
I am influenced by forms, textures and rhythms found in nature, landscape in particular 
Fellow of the Crafts Potters Association of Great Britain.
Member of the Society of Designer-Craftsmen.
My pots have been exhibited in leading galleries in the UK and abroad; and are represented in the collections of a number of European Museums.
Brian Oxley. I have been teaching for 45 years in total –both full time (30 years) and concurrent Adult Education plus (post full time) Adult Ed. and demonstrations for The Artist Magazine; also art tutor, residential courses at Dedham Hall,  2002-2011.
Mixed Exhibitions:- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition; Hampshire Open; Alexandra Palace: “The Great British Art Show”; Whitstable Gallery; Long Melford Gallery, ; New Metropole Art Centre; Folkestone (several times); The Peche Gallery, Sandgate. SESE, The Grand, Folkestone, Alexander/Llewellen Gallery, London,
One man exhibition:-The Talent Store, Belgravia; Castle Arts, Canterbury; The Cube Gallery, Folkestone Collections – Private collections inEngland –also in Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, USA, Canada and Australia.
 
So far, I have usually worked objectively, sometimes rapidly completing a painting in a single visit  – at other times, developing the idea in several stages. For the Hastings Forum exhibition, I am showing landscapes, seascapes, aspects of our garden and still life paintings. Necessarily, I have mostly based my ideas close to home. Previously, I have spent a month at a time painting in Italy, France and Ireland but the majority of my ideas have naturally come from over 40 years living in Hythe and West Hythe — where we have a large garden and sheep in our field.

Robin Holtom. 1 – 6 Sep in AF2. Robin is showing portraits. During his exhibition, he will be offering free portraits for anyone who would like to sit for him. He will be in the gallery between 2pm and 5pm from Saturday through to Tuesday. 

Forthcoming Exhibitions…

Projectart Works presents “Heroes, Dreams and Visions”.  8 – 20 Sep in both galleries. This year’s exhibition will highlight exceptional new works created by individuals with severe neurological impairments. Projectart Works aims to encourage those with severe learning disabilities to develop their artistic skills, and mentors them over an extended period towards mounting an exhibition which is the culmination of a year’s work. This year, seven individuals have produced a significant and surprising body of work, their showcase revealing very distinct approaches developed through intensive studio practice alongside an artist mentor in Projectart Works’ pioneering ‘mentoring studios’.

There will be an artist talk on Fri 6 Sept at 6.30pm; and to coincide with the exhibition, artist-filmmaker Andrew Kotting will explore Projectart Works’ radical approach to the professional development of artists with complex needs in conversation with Projectart Works director, Kate Adams. The works and an accompanying illustrated catalogue will be on sale at the galleries and online at www.projectartworks.org. 

“Mothers, Memories and Consequences “.   in AF1. 22 Sep – 4 Oct. Three women members, Elizabeth Lewis, Felicia Cronin and Rachel Lever muse on mother-daughter relations.

Kathleen Dawson in AF2. 22 Oct – 4 Oct.

“11 Artists at the Hastings Arts Forum“ 6 – 18 Oct 2011, curated by Clare Winchester. Clare, an RA exhibitor this year,  has assembled a group of 11 artista from Kent, London and Sussex for a two week show in both galleries. 

Exhibitions Elsewhere…

Katherine Reekie in The StablesTheatre and Art Gallery. “Attraction and Distraction“. 5 – 8 Sep. Careful of the opening hours !! 10.30am – 2pm and 6 – 8pm.
Fiona Pienkowska in The Old Post Office( Marina Seaside strip, opposite Azur). Exhibiting seaside pics.

Coastal Currents. Forum members opening studios include
      Artists Books and Workshops: Alex Leadbeater, Lynne Bingham, Helen Hunt, Cathryn Kemp, Sara Harris and Erica Smith.
      Danny Mooney in McCarrons, Norman Road.
      Georgina Chinnery, Geoff Parham in Mercatoria Business Centre, 100 -102 Norman Road.
      Liz Blackborrow, 60 Norman Road.
      Valerie May, 65 Norman Road.      
      Bruce and Annie Rae, Charlotte and Harry Snook ( exhibiting in Lucy Bell’s Gallery, Norman Road until 9 Sep )   
      Rhian Thomas ((Butlers Emporium, 70 George Street.
      Ray McChrystal and Alex Leadbeater (in “Rarities” by the Pier Gates).
      Mike Leale and John Shanks 
      Geoff Parham
      Robin Holtom (also in AF2) Emily Johns, Pip Carpenter, Marie-Louise Miller, Victoria Kiff and Nigel Plumb in “Rarities” at 41b Marina.
      Shahriar Mazandi (in his eco friendly house) on the topic of gangsters.

      Lorna Hamiltin-Brownm, 47 Seddlescombe Rd South.
      Vanessa Fowler in Seaside Strip (Marine Court0
Showing at the Beach Huts in Bulverhtyhe and West St Leonards.

      Valerie Knapp in Hut #5
      Claire fletcher and Peter Quinell, Hut #10
      Andy Young, Hut#10
      Denise Griffiths. Hut # 13
     Barbara Williams Hut #13

Showing at The Beacon
       Kate Orr
       Ben White
       Mike Williams
       Ruth Wurzburger
Showing in Hastings and Eastwards
       Ian David Baker 
       Zoom Groupat various locations
       Annie soudain
      Tim Riddihough

Marije Rowling in Ashdon Gallery, Forest Row, 9 – 28 September.

Members Announcements….

Help !! Danny Mooney is looking for a studio in the St Leonards area.

Juliette Dodd posts
Mountfield Community Arts, specialist classes start on Tuesday, 13 September 
           Tuesdays.    Portraits with Juliette. Tuesdays @ 10.00 – 12.30. 
                                  Watercolours with Barbara Valentine @ 1.00 – 3.30.
          Wednesdays  Mixed Media @ 10.00 – 12.30.
                                    Miniatures   @ 1.00 – 3.30.
Beginners welcome. For more info: juliettedodd@wordpress.com 
                                      or Tel: 01424 424010 (Juliette)
                                                  01424 838264
Grace Lau posts: 
Photo Hub Group is offering a series of six group mentoring sessions at the Stade Hall, commencing Monday Sept 5th, 7pm-9pm.
Led by Martin Everett, photographer & tutor, working on his PhD, these sessions are 2-hrs fortnightly and the project aims to develop your photographic practice skills, supported by a peer group in critical discussion and presentation of your work in progress. Only £50, funding support from Arts Council.
Enquiries email: manray41@yahoo.co.uk 

Erica Smith posts:
The Hastings Creatives email list has just launched a web-based directory of local creatives.
Make an entry or access members on:  http://hastingscreatives.co.uk/

Sara Harris posts. Lots of reasons to potter around St Leonards this weekend and next… The ‘Musings’ project is based around a light-hearted little book I’ve written about life in St Leonards.
I’ll be holding an Open Studio at 3 Stanhope Place, St Leonards from 11am with works by some of the ‘characters’ from the book. See if you can work out who’s who!
Typographic glimpses of the book will be dotted around other Open Studios and venues in the area  – at The Muse in Mews Road, Studio VII in Shepherd Street, the Horse and Groom pub and South Lodge in St Leonards Gardens.
Plus an audio installation in St Leonards Gardens, one of the Coastal Currents artist spotlights, whispers narrated passages from the book. See http://www.coastalcurrents.org.uk/whats-on/whispered-musings-by-sara-harris
Everything’s happening this weekend and next from 11am. Plus lots of other Open Studios to visit in the area.
  
Rachel Hills wants members to be aware of the ‘Made by Hands’ movement. Follow the link below.
Rachel, a spinner herself, hopes to return to volunteering shortly, along with her wheel.
http://www.madebyhandsofbritain.com/blog

Tricia Neve has the following items for sale: 3kg bag of loose lavender,
Rolls of pretty ribbon. Small frames
All low prices: Contact Tricia on 01424 200521

Anna Keiller posts :
I’m running a series of ceramic workshops in the autumn featuring clay work, smoke firing and sprig mold making in plaster and I’m hoping the new projects may be of interest.
This is the link http://annakeiller.com/workshops/workshop-diary/
And the workshops are; Nicho workshop; Nichos are traditional Mexican shrines that were made to celebrate Saints and beloved family members. We are using the formula to make a modern version celebrating what is important to us such as Chickens, Love, Nature, Cats, beloved family members. Dates; Saturday 10th Sept 11-3pm; Sprig mold making and design, Saturday 17th Sept. 11-3pm Creating the Nicho using our sprig molds.Saturday  24 Sept 11-3pm decorating and glazing our Nicho. Each session cost £40 including all materials, firings, coffee, tea and cake. Bring a packed lunch! Group is small with max 6 people.   

Martin Weightman posts “I have a gig at Pissaros in Hastings, on Sunday 4th Sept, 1-3pm, 

Film…
St Leonards Film Soc will start up again on Thursday 15 September. Films start 7.45pm (doors open at 7pm)
£2.50 members / £3.50 non-members

Thurs 15 Sept in AF 1 The Economics Of Happiness + Q&A
‘The Economics of Happiness’ describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, an unholy alliance of governments and big business continues to promote globalization and the consolidation of corporate power. At the same time, people all over the world are resisting those policies, demanding a re-regulation of trade and finance—and, far from the old institutions of power, they’re starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re-build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localization.

The film provides not only inspiration, but practical solutions. Via Campesina for example, is the largest social movement in the world, with more than 400 million members. A chorus of voices from six continents include Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, David Korten, Samdhong Rinpoche, Helena Norberg-Hodge, Michael Shuman, Zac Goldsmith and Keibo Oiwa. They tell us that climate change and peak oil give us little choice: we need to localise, to bring the economy home. The good news is that as we move in this direction we will begin not only to heal the earth but also to restore our own sense of well-being. ‘The Economics of Happiness’ challenges us to restore our faith in humanity, challenges us to believe that it is possible to build a better world.

Thurs 29 Sept Young Hearts Run Free (12A) + Skype Q&A with director
 Continuing our support of good, new British Cinema whenever possible we’re continuing to do so with this first feature from Northumbrian, Andy Mark Simpson. A coming-of-age drama of romance and teenage angst set against the social and political backdrop of a violent miners’ strike, ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ is an uplifting and soulful mix of 1970s style, warm-hearted romance and gritty social drama.

Music…

Cosi fan Tutte.Jenny Miller’s production of Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte is coming to St Mary-in-the-Castle on Sunday 11 Sept @ 7.45pm.  Tickets are available by telephone (01424 )432985, or from St Mary in the Castle.
This is a production of which Hastings can be justifiably proud. Alan Privett and Jenny Miller have been Hastings residents for over 20 years and both have attained a national reputation in the opera world. Both Alan as a director, producing Wagner at the Longborough Summer Festival in Gloucester and Jenny,  as a singer and director.have the knack of extracting the essence of the opera and delivering it on a meagre budget.  Opera works on different levels, musically, theatrically  and visually  and both Jenny and Alan  achieve this mix on a minimal budget.  Hastings is privileged to see Jenny’s production of ‘Cosi’, which was shown at the Longborough Festival this year. The singers in the Hastings production are student understudies from Longborough, who will be tomorrow’s divas and stars.

Below is an assessment of Alan and Jenny by an opera critic, Elizabeth Forbes, formerly with the  Financial Times and ‘Opera‘ magazine, who writes:

” …Alan Privett and his wife Jenny Miller have lived in Hastings for more than 20 years. Alan is an opera director of great and varied experience, while Jenny is an opera singer, who is now a director as well. They first appeared on my radar in the 1980s, when they were both involved in Midsummer Opera, an outfit that performed in the back garden of a house in Ealing, London W5. Here, for just over a decade, Alan directed an opera each year, while Jenny sang in eight of them. Handel, Cavalli and Mozart were the favourite composers, and I heard Handel’s Atalanta, with Jenny (a mezzo at that time) singing Irene and his Agrippina, with Jenny in the title role. Other performances of particular interest were Cavalli’s Erismena, with Jenny as Idraspe (a trouser role) and Mozart’s Così fan tutte (Jenny sang Dorabella).
 
After Midsummer Opera folded, Alan and Jenny moved to Longborough Festival Opera in Gloucestershire, run by Martin and Lizzie Graham, whose ambition is to perform a complete cycle of Der Ring des Nibelungen in 2013, the bi-centenary of  Wagner’s birth. Alan, who became artistic director of LFO, began in 1998 with a production of Das Rheingold in the much-shortened version made by Graham Vick and Jonathan Dove for the City of Birmingham Touring Opera. Die Walküre followed in 1999, Siegfried in 2000 and Götterdämmerung in 2001, all with Jenny, now a dramatic soprano, as Brünnhilde. The mini-Ring was given complete in 2002. Meanwhile Alan was also directing other operas: Mozart’s Magic Flute, Puccini’s Tosca, with Jenny in the title role, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, with Jenny as the Witch, and Bizat’s Carmen.
 
In 2007 Alan directed the full version of Das Rheingold, benefitting greatly from his experience with the mini-Ring. In 2009 Jenny directed Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and the following year, his Don Giovanni, which was later given in Hastings. In 2011 she directed Così fan tutte, to be seen in Hastings this September. Meanwhile Alan had introduced the next two instalments of The Ring, Die Walküre (in which Jenny sang Siegrune, one of the Valkyries) and Siegfried, both of which were very successful. Alan’s ability to make the most complicated plot crystal clear is a huge asset, while his understanding of the characters has grown to a very high level. Now we have to wait until next year for the culmination, Götterdämmerung – The Twilight of the Gods.
 
In August this year Jenny initiated a new company, Barefoot Opera. Jenny, together with Polly Graham, directed Handels Alcina, re-imagined by Peter Foggitt, for the Grimeborn Opera Festival at the Arcola Theatre, Dalston, London E8. This was a mini-Alcina, with only two of the three acts, much cut, the performance lasting just over an hour with no interval. The “theatre” was a square space with audience on three sides; there was no scenery, just a few props, but excellent lighting by Alan. The seven singers were joined by a narrator, as the opera was sung in Italian, and the orchestra consisted of clarinet and accordion; both players sang in the ensembles. Everyone was barefoot. The performance was utterly rivetting, no one in the audience moved a muscle until the end. ELIZABETH  FORBES.
Poetry…
 
The next meeting of the Poetry Group will be Saturday 1 Oct at 5pm. Open subject. The last meeting on 20 Aug featured Elaine Short’s exhibition and the subject was: ‘Art’ 
The following two Haikus were read by Elaine Short:

ART & CRAFT

Twixt Art and Craft
With hand and mind combined.
Where’s the difference?

I’ve got a ‘concept’ !!
Whatever shall I do with it?
Why ! The Turner Prize, that’s what.
It’s tricky. But anything goes.

 

 

 

Dates For Your Diary… Sat 3 September. Vanessa Fowler and friends. From 11am, 6 Marine Court.Sid  Beynon Memorial. It is planned that the mosaic on the Lower Promenade at the Western end of the Azur Marina Pavilion should be in place by mid Septermber. Mike Williams and Juliette Dodd are working with Jamie Stapely, who used to create beach mosaics with Sid.  Yvonne Dignon. Friends of Yvonne Dignon will be interested but saddened to hear that she is leaving Hastings to travel again. For the foreseeable future, she will be wwoofing ( World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.). Yvonne was secretary of the Forum in 2009 / 2010 and has since travelled around the world, more recently living in Hastings again.  Beccy McCray - Congratulations to Beccy on her great idea of re-painting the CCTV towers along the sea front as sticks of rock – see image above. Erica Smith has launched a ‘Directory for Creatives’ in Hastings. There are already 35 entries on her listings. For those who are not aware, Erica runs an online discussion forum, which covers a wide selection of posts, views and comments on creative matters.  See under Members Announcements. Julie Willard has been selected for exhibition in Stade Stories in  September.                                Discounts. Members are reminded that they can benefit from 10% discounts on purchases from  Brookers, Norman Road Expressions, Kins Road on purchases of £10, with a card. Old Post Office  - on a meal Relax — on a meal. Correction. We published an image on our recent Preview notice, accredited to Brian Oxley – this image was one by Barbara Mullen. Our apologies to both.  Current Exhibitions… Brian Oxley and Mike Bayley  in AF1,  25 Aug – 6 Sep Brian (paintings) and Mike (ceramics ) exhibit in AF 1.  Michael Bayley.   I attended Hornsey College of Art in the 1950s. My pots are handbuilt, fired to stoneware temperature and mostly unglazed. Decoration is an intrinsic part of the making, a number of different toned clays being laminated to produce the agate pattern. Arrangements of this, and further tone and texture sometimes including porcelain, are inlaid before construction. I am influenced by forms, textures and rhythms found in nature, landscape in particular.   Fellow of the Crafts Potters Association of Great Britain. Member of the Society of Designer-Craftsmen. My pots have been exhibited in leading galleries in the UK and abroad; and are represented in the collections of a number of European Museums.   Brian Oxley.  I have been teaching for 45 years in total –both full time (30 years) and concurrent Adult Education plus (post full time) Adult Ed. and demonstrations for The Artist Magazine; also art tutor, residential courses at Dedham Hall,  2002-2011. Mixed Exhibitions:- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition; Hampshire Open; Alexandra Palace: “The Great British Art Show”; Whitstable Gallery; Long Melford Gallery, Suffolk; New Metropole Art Centre; Folkestone (several times); The Peche Gallery, Sandgate. SESE, The Grand, Folkestone, Alexander/Llewellen Gallery, London, etc.etc                             One man exhibition:-The Talent Store, Belgravia; Castle Arts, Canterbury; The Cube Gallery, Folkestone (retrospective exhibition).  Collections:- Private collections throughout England –also work in Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, USA, Canada and Australia.   So far, I have usually worked objectively, sometimes rapidly completing a painting in a single visit  – at other times, developing the idea in several stages. For the Hastings Forum exhibition, I am showing landscapes, seascapes, aspects of our garden and still life paintings. Necessarily, I have mostly based my ideas close to home. Previously, I have spent a month at a time painting in Italy, France and Ireland but the majority of my ideas have naturally come from over 40 years living in Hythe and West Hythe — where we have a large garden and sheep in our field. Sophie du Main in AF2, 18 – 30 Aug.  Sophie studied art at Goldsmiths, Ravensbourne and Brighton where she was awarded an MA. Colour and symbolism are the main drivers of her work, plus a fascination for the art of prehistory. Sophie currently lives in Hastings and St Leonards where she enjoys the unique creative environment of the town. Forthcoming Exhibitions… Robin Holtom. 1 – 6 Sep in AF2. Robin is showing portraits. During his exhibition, he will be offering free portraits for anyone who would like to sit for him. He will be in the gallery between 2pm and 5pm from Saturday through to Tuesday.  Projectart Works. presents “Heroes, Dreams and Visions”.  8 – 20 Sep in both galleries. There will be an artist talk on Fri16 Sep at 6.30 – 8.30. Projectart Works encourages those with severe learning disabilities to develop their artistic skills and mentors them over an extended period towards mounting an exhibition Members Announcements…. Help !! Danny Mooney is looking for a studio in the St Leonards area. Grace Lau posts:  Photo Hub Group is offering a series of six group mentoring sessions at the Stade Hall, commencing Monday Sept 5th, 7pm-9pm. Led by Martin Everett, photographer & tutor, working on his PhD, these sessions are 2-hrs fortnightly and the project aims to develop your photographic practice skills, supported by a peer group in critical discussion and presentation of your work in progress. Only £50, funding support from Arts Council. Enquiries email: manray41@yahoo.co.uk  Erica Smith posts: The Hastings Creatives email list has just launched a web-based directory of local creatives. There are already 35 entries, and it’s growing rapidly. http://hastingscreatives.co.uk/  All local fine artists are welcome to add their details. There is space for a SMALL graphic image to go with each listing. The size is a landscape shape of 225px wide by 165px high. So please upload a small landscape format jpeg when you create your directory entry.http://hastingscreatives.co.uk/create-a-listing/ There is also a ‘classifieds’ section, which already has some computer items for sale: http://hastingscreatives.co.uk/adverts/browse-categories/?category_id=6/Computers And there is a calendar of events with no events in it yet… so if you have a CREATIVE related event, try putting it in and lets see what happens! http://hastingscreatives.co.uk/add-event/  The entries need to be ‘approved’, so they won’t go on line immediately, but they will be added soon. Rachel Hills wants members to be aware of the ‘Made by Hands’ movement. Follow the link below. Rachel, a spinner herself, hopes to return to volunteering shortly, along with her wheel. http://www.madebyhandsofbritain.com/blog Tricia Neve has the following items for sale: 3kg bag of loose lavender, Rolls of pretty ribbon. Small frames All low prices: Contact Tricia on 01424 200521 Anna Keiller posts : I’m running a series of ceramic workshops in the autumn featuring clay work, smoke firing and sprig mold making in plaster and I’m hoping the new projects may be of interest. This is the link http://annakeiller.com/workshops/workshop-diary/ And the workshops are; Nicho workshop; Nichos are traditional Mexican shrines that were made to celebrate Saints and beloved family members. We are using the formula to make a modern version celebrating what is important to us such as Chickens, Love, Nature, Cats, beloved family members. Dates; Saturday 10th Sept 11-3pm; Sprig mold making and design, Saturday 17th Sept. 11-3pm Creating the Nicho using our sprig molds.Saturday  24 Sept 11-3pm decorating and glazing our Nicho. Each session cost £40 including all materials, firings, coffee, tea and cake. Bring a packed lunch! Group is small with max 6 people.    Martin Weightman posts “I have a gig at Pissaros in Hastings, on Sunday 4th Sept, 1-3pm,  Film… St Leonards Film Soc will start up again on Thursday 15 September. Venue and film are both to be announced. It is hoped to take advantage of the late summer weather to include some venues out of doors. Details next week.  Poetry…  The next meeting of the Poetry Group will be Saturday 1 October at 5pm. Open subject. The last meeting on 20 August featured Elaine Short’s exhibition and the subject was: Art. The following poem was read by John Davies. It is about a discovery of prehistoric drawings in the caves at Lascaux by two youngsters who kept it secret. Lascaux 12 September 1940   Tunnel air                    Scree                                 Darkness                                                    Blackness                                                               Naked flame                                         MASSIVE MASSING ANIMALS                                                                      Precise black outlines flow along curving surfaces.                                      Colours form and shade the shapes.                          Bull, horses and red deer gallop in the flickering light.                                               Imaginations Roar                                              Imagination Made Real  ©  John Davies 2011 Stop Press…

 

 

Dates For Your Diary

Fri 19 Aug     Two private views. “Elaine Short  - a retrospect ” in AF 1. Catering:Old Post Office. Jazz guitarist.
                                                            Sophie du Main in AF 2.
Fri 26 Aug     Private View for Brian Oxley (paintings) and Michael Bayley (ceramics). 6.30-8.30.
Sat 27 Aug    Spotlight (seafront launch of Coastal Currents month) www.coastalcurrents.org.uk for details.
Sun 28 Aug   Member Mark Selby and his Tea Chest Blues band are performing at Bar Blue 4-6pm.
Mon 6 Sep    Private View for Katherine Reekie at Stables Theatre.6 – 8. 

Stop Press….

Editor, Forum Bulletin. We have a need for a new editor of the Bulletin within the next few weeks. The Bulletin is currently  published weekly. If you think you have the necessary skill and time to do this, we would like to hear from you. It will involve working closely with our 6-man IT team,  currently Nick Weekes, Danny Mooney, Sophie Bradbury, Cathryn Kemp, Andrey Shipilov and Keiran Kerswell.

Sales. Sales held up well in the Forum’s two most recent exhibitions. Alexandra Leadbeater sold 5 pieces  and the Members’ Show sold 11 pieces 

Forum SGM: Change of Date. Several members have pointed out that Coastal Currents commitments in September make it an unsuitable month for a Special General Meeting. The new date is Sat 8 Oct at 10.45 in AF1.  The purpose of the meeting is to close down ‘Hastings Arts Forum” as a  necessary step towards activating our new charitable identity  ”Hastings Arts Forum Ltd” . Please put this in your diary as we will need a quorum of some 55 – 60 members. The meeting ought not to last more than 30 minutes. 

Browsers.  The arts committee would like members who have left artwork over the past few years for sale in the Forum browsers, to collect their work before 31 Aug.. It is proposed to put unclaimed artwork into a sale starting mid- September. Prices will be reduced by 50% of the marked price. This is a ‘Clearance Sale’ to make way for new artwork which will be on display in the browsers at the beginning of October.

For presentation and protection, all browserwork should be mounted (with an additional stiff backing board ) and wrapped in strong cellophane. Items will be booked in a new register and must be labelled with name, title, medium and price (incl 25% commission to the Forum ).
Following the last announcement asking members to collect their browser artwork, here at the Forum, by August 31.

Cathryn Kemp. Cathryn Kemp has been invited to manage the ’Artist in Residence’ project at St Mary-in-the-Castle for the forthcoming season. She is currently artist in resident for August 2011.

Rose Biela. Congratulations to Rose on having a picture accepted for Stade Stories in September.          

French Conversation in August is led by Pierre on Thursday afternoons, 2 – 5 pm. 

George Robertson. George Robertson,  ‘A Shetland Islander in Sussex’ is exhibiting in the ‘Hop Gallery’, Lewes until Sun 21 Aug. He hopes to see some Hastings friends.

Current Exhibitions…

Michael Short. ‘ Elaine Short - A Retrospective’.  Multiple mixed media, including textiles and paintings. Elaine celebrates her 75th year and has been a member of the Forum since 2006, when the present galleries were opened in Marina. Known chiefly for her weaving, Elaine is less well known for paintings.

After previous experience with painting and hand-made jewellery, Elaine turned to weaving and taught herself traditional hand-loom techniques, producing woven wall-hangings and rugs. She has found that this medium offers virtually unlimited creative possibilities, combining colour, form, texture and three-dimensional effects. Her designs range from pictorial landscapes and seascapes to abstract and decorative patterns derived from nature. She has been particularly inspired by the landscape and coastline of southern England, but believes that practically any subject or idea can be represented in woven art. Her materials consist of high-quality rug wool, linen and cotton warps, acrylic and other artificial and natural fibres, some of which are hand-dyed to produce colours not readily available from commercial sources. Her work has been shown in various group exhibitions, including the regional and national exhibitions of the Association of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, at Avebury, Lacock, Devizes, Wells, Bath, Oxford, Kendall and York; and she has also had solo exhibitions in Bradford-on-Avon and Rye. She now lives and works in St Leonards, where her studio has a wide view of the sea from which she derives so much inspiration.

Sophie du Main in AF2, 18 – 30 Aug.
          
Sophie studied art at Goldsmiths, Ravensbourne and Brighton where she was awarded an MA. Colour and symbolism are the main drivers of her work, plus a fascination for the art of prehistory. Sophie currently lives in Hastings and St Leonards where she enjoys the unique creative environment of the town.

Derek Treacher in Azur Marina Pavilion (AF 4). Prints of marine scenes on the staircase. Derek is primarily a printmaker, who works from his own photographs and drawings.

Forthcoming Exhibitions…

Brian Oxley and Mike Williams. , 25 Aug – 6 Sep Brian (paintings) and Mike (ceramics ) exhibit in AF 1. 

Michael Bayley. 
 I attended Hornsey College of Art in the 1950s. My pots are handbuilt, fired to stoneware temperature and mostly unglazed. Decoration is an intrinsic part of the making, a number of different toned clays being laminated to produce the agate pattern. Arrangements of this, and further tone and texture sometimes including porcelain, are inlaid before construction.
I am influenced by forms, textures and rhythms found in nature, landscape in particular.
 
Fellow of the Crafts Potters Association of Great Britain.
Member of the Society of Designer-Craftsmen.
My pots have been exhibited in leading galleries in the UK and abroad; and are represented in the collections of a number of European Museums.
 
Brian Oxley. 
I have been teaching for 45 years in total –both full time (30 years) and concurrent Adult Education plus (post full time) Adult Ed. and demonstrations for The Artist Magazin; also art tutor, residential courses at Dedham Hall,  2002-2011.
Mixed Exhibitions:- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition; Hampshire Open; Alexandra Palace: “The Great British Art Show”; Whitstable Gallery; Long Melford Gallery, Suffolk; New Metropole Art Centre; Folkestone (several times); The Peche Gallery, Sandgate. SESE, The Grand, Folkestone, Alexander/Llewellen Gallery, London, etc.etc                            
One man exhibition:-The Talent Store, Belgravia; Castle Arts, Canterbury; The Cube Gallery, Folkestone (retrospective exhibition). 
Collections:- Private collections throughout England –also work in Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, USA, Canada and Australia.
 
So far, I have usually worked objectively, sometimes rapidly completing a painting in a single visit  – at other times, developing the idea in several stages. For the Hastings Forum exhibition, I am showing landscapes, seascapes, aspects of our garden and still life paintings. Necessarily, I have mostly based my ideas close to home. Previously, I have spent a month at a time painting in Italy, France and Ireland but the majority of my ideas have naturally come from over 40 years living in Hythe and West Hythe (Romney Marsh) — where we have a large garden and sheep in our field.

Robin Holtom. 1 – 6 Sep in AF2. Robin is showing portraits. During his exhibition, he will be offering free portraits for anyone who would like to sit for him. He will be in the gallery between 2pm and 5pm from Saturday through to Tuesday. 

Projectart Works. Projectart Works encourages those with severe learning disabilities to develop their artistic skills and mentors them over an extended period towards mounting an exhibition.  

Exhibitions Elsewhere…

Mary Morris.  “ Waxed” is an exhibition by Mary, from now until 10 September in the Blackshed Gallery (from Hastings, turn right off the Robertsbridge by-pass). Layers of wax, paint, pigment and resin give an interesting and complex surface.

Cathryn Kemp. “In Memoriam“. Cathryn creates an experience in the crypt with dresses resembling wedding dresses and atmospheric music assembled by Nick Weekes. She is moved by the tale of young Victorian women sent down to the seaside as a cure for TB in Victorian times, many of whom were buried in the crypt. Many were young and never married.

Art in Romney Marsh 2011. Six churches in Romney Marsh are once more combining to exhibit ‘art’ in their space. Brookland, Fairfield, Old Romney, Newchurch and Burmarsh open their doors at week-ends on 17/18 and 24/25 September and 1/2 and 8/9 October. The project is Lottery funded.

HastingsMuseum and Art Gallery. A retrospective exhibition of Len Shelley (1964 – 2010) and Angie Bitcliffe is open to the public from Sat 23 Jul – 23 Oct.

George Robertson   13 – 21 Aug in the Hop Gallery, Lewes.
 
Katherine Reekie. 5 Sep – 8 Oct. “Attraction and Distraction. Stables Theatre. (Note opening times 10 – 2 and 6 – 8, Mon – Sat).

Stade Stories 10 Sep – 16 Oct at the Fishermen’s Museum. George Kelvie and Rose Biela are among those selected for exhibition.

Members’ Announcements… 

Louisa Crispin posts:  Florum is a group which portrays floral images and has an exhibition at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. There are 63 invited artists  from 10 – 17 September. Open daily, 10 – 5. See Florum’s website at www.florum.co.uk

 Marybeth Haas  posts: Ecstatic Dance, a moving meditation, confirms its next meeting is at the Masonic Hall, St Leonards, East Ascent on Wednesday 17 Aug  7.45 – 9.30. Doors open at 7.30. See also  www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance 

Rachel Kruger, a recently joined member of the Forum, posts: We have moved to Bexhill from Langton Green and now have room for a purpose-built Studio, at least 5 metres, at the end of the garden. Here I will be able to set up the courses I have been so longing to do, and so many of you have asked me about. This will be started by the Autumn, so plenty of time to ask your friends and partners for vouchers as a Christmas gift for the one or 2 day courses in either Jewellery Making or Fused Glass! 

Mark Selby. Forum member, sculptor and band-leader is available for bookings with his ‘Tea-chest Band’ (remember the skiffle-board of the 1950s?). Performing at Bar Blue 28 Aug 4-6pm.

David Drey posts: I run an art class in Hastings. I’ve started the classes to offer anyone who may be interested in an inspiring and accessible entry into the world of drawing. The classes consist of both indoor studio sessions and working outdoors with sketchbooks. The classes run on Wednesdays from 10am-12 and 12.30 – 2.30 at the Ore Community Centre, 455 Old London Road. (More dates and times are planned) and are open to all abilities. For more information about the classes and to enquire about availability of places, contact David on 01424 440812, email info@hastingsartclasses.co.uk ; or visit www.hastingsartclasses.co.uk. 

Caroline Macey organises Life Drawing Sessions every Thursday 10 – 12 noon at Ore Community Centre. £7 at the door. Beginning on 7 July – evening sessions 7.30 – 9.30. Tel : 079 23 49 44 15.

Poetry…

The Poetry group next meets on Sat 20 Aug at 5 pm against the background of Elaine Short’s retrospective exhibition. The focus is on “Art”.

Below is a poem, “The Morvoren”,  read out at the meeting in May by Anne Rouse.

                        The Morvoren 

We’d searched long enough in the low-lit chapel,
when the morvoren swam to the air,
her arms raised, L-shaped over earth and sea,
her dark curves wet from gannet dives.
Ignore the wooden stare, the crudity:
on a ripple of tide follow the moroven.

A later hand has carved her oak gifts
into mirror, and ship, despoiling face, fruit, comb,
but our demoiselle of the glittering fish tail
is unabashed, and surges home, as green waves swell
with unseen fingers of alabaster, and pearl.

©  Anne Rouse.

 

 

Dates For your Diary…

Sat 13 Aug.   1 – 3pm. George Robertson invites members to a private view of his exhibition in Hop Gallery,  Lewes. George is also exhibiting in the current Members Show.
Wed 17 Aug. Members collect work from the second Members Show, between 10 – 1 pm. 
Fri 19 Aug.     Two private views. “Elaine Short  - a retrospect ” in AF 1.
                                                            Sophie du Main in AF 2.

Stop Press….

Congratulations to Alex Leadbeater and Penny Hobson on their star television performance on BBC South East on Thursday evening, 11 Aug..  Long- deserved recognition of Alex for her paintings ( the energy in those waves ) and Penny’s assemblages recognising form and colour in the ‘flotsam and jetsam’ along the beach as a result of Alex’s waves.  Hastings HAS talent.!!
   
Forum AGM: Change of Date. Several members have pointed out that Coastal Currents commitments in September make it an unsuitable month for an AGM. The new proposed date is Sat 8 Oct at 10.45 in AF1.  The purpose of the meeting is to close down ‘Hastings Arts Forum” as a  necessary step towards activating our new charitable identity  ”Hastings Arts Forum Ltd” . Please put this in your diary as we will need a quorum of some 55 – 60 members. The meeting ought not to last more than 30 minutes.

Browsers. Caroline Eaves has kindly catalogued artwork for the Forum browsers. The arts committee would like members who have left artwork over the past few years for sale in the Forum members’ browsers to collect before 31 Aug. Alternatively, they may choose to put their work into an auction later in the year. We also propose to put unclaimed artwork into this sale.
Following Caroline’s ’spring clean’, we will call for new artwork  to re-stock the browsers. For presentation and protection, all browserwork should be mounted (with an additional stiff backing board ) and wrapped in strong cellophane. Items will be booked in a new register and must be labelled with name, title, medium and price (incl 25% commission to the Forum ).

Members Gallery. This week we have trialled a new feature on the website. Xav Mooney photographed all exhibits from the second Members’ Show and put them up on the Forum website. There is quite a lot of work involved and it cannot be a regular feature. However, if any exhibitor has the necessary photographic and IT skills, please contact the gallery.  Click on http://www.hastingsartsforum.co.uk/aug2011m-z/.

Jill Howell. Congratulations to Jill Howell for being selected as one of three prizewinners in the “Yours to Share” photographic competition, held in the F-ish Gallery. Jill’s photograph was taken at Bonfire Night 2010 .
                                           
French Conversation in August is led by Pierre on Thursday afternoons, 2 – 5 pm. 

George Robertson. George Robertson,  ‘A Shetland Islander in Sussex’ is exhibiting in the ‘Hop Gallery’, Lewes Sat 13 – Sun 21 Aug. Private view Sat 13 at noon – 2pm. He hopes to see some Hastings friends. See members’ announcements.

Current Exhibitions…

 ” Ebb and Flow ”  - Alexandra  Leadbeater,  4 – 16 Aug in AF1.
‘Ebb and Flow’ is a series of paintings and prints inspired by the ocean and life in Hastings, from the frothy sea’s edge to the distant horizon. The nearest wave as it crashes or simply washes onshore provides an endless fascination of colour and form, existing as it does only for that unique moment.

Working with an energy like the wave itself, paint is applied to canvas or paper, by brushing, dripping or spraying. The nature of water-based paints allows re-working over several layers which may be finished in one session or several sessions. Sometimes the marks gather together in a crest, or seem to float like flotsam, across the surface.
The exhibition includes tiny watercolour paintings and boundless life-size waves, as well as prints and cards.
Alexandra studied at Bath Academy of Art and has a BA in Fine Art from Lancaster. Her first exhibition was selected by Adrian Henri for the Serpentine Summer Show in 1981, and since then she has shown in public and private galleries in the UK as well as Brazil, Lithuania, Florida, and has work in several private and corporate collections

Members’ Show ( M -  Z ) An image of all 73 entries into this Members Show is up on the Forum Website. Follow this link.http://www.hastingsartsforum.co.uk/aug2011m-z/. Thanks to Xav Mooney  for the photographs; and to Xav and Danny for putting them up on the website.
       
Forthcoming Exhibitions…

Michael Short. ‘ Elaine Short – A Retrospective’.  Multiple mixed media, including textiles and paintings. Elaine celebrates her 75th year and has been a member of the Forum since 2006, when the present galleries were opened in Marina. Known chiefly for her weaving, Elaine is less well known for paintings.

After previous experience with painting and hand-made jewellery, Elaine turned to weaving and taught herself traditional hand-loom techniques, producing woven wall-hangings and rugs. She has found that this medium offers virtually unlimited creative possibilities, combining colour, form, texture and three-dimensional effects. Her designs range from pictorial landscapes and seascapes to abstract and decorative patterns derived from nature. She has been particualarly inspired by the landscape and coastline of southern England, but believes that practically any subject or idea can be represented in woven art. Her materials consist of high-quality rug wool, linen and cotton warps, acrylic and other artificial and natural fibres, some of which are hand-dyed to produce colours not readily available from commercial sources. Her work has been shown in various group exhibitions, including the regional and national exhibitions of the Association of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, at Avebury, Lacock, Devizes, Wells, Bath, Oxford, Kendall and York, and she has also has solo exhibitions in Bradford-on-Avon and Rye. She now lives and works in St Leonards, where her studio has a wide view of the sea from which she derives so much inspiration.

Brian Oxley and Mike Bayley. , 25 Aug – 6 Sep Brian (paintings) and Mike (ceramics ) exhibit in AF 1. 
Michael Bayley. 

 I attended Hornsey College of Art in the 1950s. My pots are handbuilt, fired to stoneware temperature and mostly unglazed. Decoration is an intrinsic part of the making, a number of different toned clays being laminated to produce the agate pattern. Arrangements of this, and further tone and texture sometimes including porcelain, are inlaid before construction.

I am influenced by forms, textures and rhythms found in nature, landscape in particular.

Fellow of the Crafts Potters Association of Great Britain.

Member of the Society of Designer-Craftsmen.

My pots have been exhibited in leading galleries in the UK and abroad; and are represented in the collections of a number of European Museums.

Brian Oxley. Teaching:- 45 years in total –both full time (30 years) and concurrent Adult Education plus (post full time) Adult Ed. and demonstrations for The Artist Magazine. Art tutor, residential courses at Dedham Hall,  2002-2011.
Mixed Exhibitions:- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition; Hampshire Open; Alexandra Palace: “The Great British Art Show”; Whitstable Gallery; Long Melford Gallery,Suffolk; New Metropole Art Centre; Folkestone (several times); The Peche Gallery, Sandgate. SESE, The Grand, Folkestone, Alexander/Llewellen Gallery London, etc.etc                            
One man exhibition:-The Talent Store, Belgravia; Castle Arts, Canterbury; The Cube Gallery, Folkestone (retrospective exhibition). 
Collections:- Private collections throughout England –also work in Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, USA, Canada and Australia.
 
So far, I have usually worked objectively, sometimes rapidly completing a painting in a single visit  –other times, developing the idea in several stages. For the Hastings Forum exhibition, I am showing landscapes, seascapes, aspects of our garden and still life paintings. Necessarily, I have mostly based my ideas close to home. Previously, I have spent a month at a time painting in Italy, France and Ireland but the majority of my ideas have naturally come from over 40 years living in Hythe and West Hythe (Romney Marsh) — where we have a large garden and sheep in our field.

Sophie du Main in AF2, 18 – 30 Aug..

Robin Holtom. 1 – 6 Sep in AF2. Robin is showing portraits and in the afternoons, will be offering portraits of visitors to the gallery 

Projectart Works. Projectart Works encourages those with severe learning disabil;ities to develop their artistic skills and mentors them over an extended period towards moun ting an exhibition.  

Exhibitions Elsewhere…

Cathryn Kemp. “In Memoriam“. Cathryn creates an experience in the crypt with dresses resembling wedding dresses and atmospheric music assembled by Nick Weekes. She is moved by the tale of young Victorian women sent down to the seaside as a cure for TB in Victorian times, many of whom were buried in the crypt. Many were young and never married.

Art in Romney Marsh 2011. Six churches in Romney Marsh are once more combining to exhibit ‘art’ in their space. Brookland, Fairfield, Old Romney, Newchurch and Burmarsh open their doors at week-ends on 17/18 and 24/25 September and 1/2 and 8/9 October. The project is Lottery funded..

HastingsMuseum and Art Gallery. A retrospective exhibition of Len Shelley (1964 – 2010) and Angie Bitcliffe is open to the public from Sat 23 Jul – 23 Oct.

George Robertson   13 – 21 Aug in the Hop Gallery, Lewes.

Stade Stories 10 Sep – 16 Oct at the Fishermen’s Museum. George Kelvie is among those selected for exhibition

Members’ Announcements… 

 Marybeth Haas  posts: Ecstatic Dance, a moving meditation, confirms its next  meeting is at the Masonic Hall, St Leonards, East Ascent on Wednesday 17 Aug 7.45 – 9.30. Doors open at 7.30. See also  www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance 

Rachel Kruger, a recently joined member of the Forum, posts: We have moved to Bexhill from Langton Green and now have room for a purpose-built Studio, at least 5 metres, at the end of the garden. Here I will be able to set up the courses I have been so longing to do, and so many of you have asked me about. This will be started by the Autumn, so plenty of time to ask your friends and partners for vouchers as a Christmas gift for the one or 2 day courses in either Jewellery Making or Fused Glass! 

WANTED !!!  The Forum urgently requires a second-hand plans chest in good condition, Please contact us on (01424) 201636), or email with details.

Mark Selby. Forum member, sculptor and band-leader is available for bookings with his ‘Tea-chest band’ (remember the skiffle-board of the 1950s?)

David Drey posts: I run an art class in Hastings. I’ve started the classes to offer anyone who may be interested in an inspiring and accessible entry into the world of drawing. The classes consist of both indoor studio sessions and working outdoors with sketchbooks. The classes run on Wednesdays from 10am-12 and 12.30 – 2.30 at the Ore Community Centre, 455 Old London Road. (More dates and times are planned) and are open to all abilities. For more information about the classes and to enquire about availability of places, contact David on 01424 440812, email info@hastingsartclasses.co.uk ; or visit www.hastingsartclasses.co.uk. 

Caroline Macey organises Life Drawing Sessions every Thursday 10 – 12 noon at Ore Community Centre. £7 at the door. Beginning on 7 July – evening sessions 7.30 – 9.30. Tel : 079 23 49 44 15

Poetry…

The Poetry group next meets on Sat 20 Aug at 5 pm against the background of Elaine Short’s retrospective exhibition. The focus is on “Art”.

Below is a poem, “Go Fasta”,  read out at the meeting in May by Tony Frost.

           GO FASTA

If you really must go fasta,
If your ego needs a taster
Of excitement, check the damn brakes
Lest your trip becomes a waster
And what’s left of you thereafter
Needs the last rites from a pastor.

You may find that you’re no 
Mansell
But instead a flabbergaster
To the idle crowd, your brain-cells
All across the highway plastered
And, whilst Time remains the master,
Your short life has been disaster !

© Anthony Frost