A visit to… Johnsons Island

Regular readers will know that once upon a time I used to have a studio on an island.  I love my new studio, but I do miss the island quite a bit as it was such a unique space (plus it was nice to chinwag with like-minded souls).  I’ve been meaning to go back and visit but, you know what it’s like, I’ve just not got round to it.  This weekend I did finally go, as they were holding an Open Studio exhibition.

The weather was glorious, and the island’s beauty hasn’t diminished in the slightest.  There have been a few changes since I left, and there are quite a few new artists in residence now too which seems to have infused the island with new energy.

There’s a good balance between styles, and items on show this weekend range from the paintings and photographs you’d perhaps expect, to giant papier mache lamps and bicycle panniers.

My especial favourites were these…

Tara Winona’s latest series of paintings really appealed to me, the fluid lines and graceful feel are just beautiful.

This Curiosity Box by David Aldhouse was my absolute favourite of the day, but unfortunately this piece wasn’t on the exhibition pricelist so I wasn’t able to find out if it was within my budget!

The exhibition runs until 6pm today so if you’re in the area do go and check it out.  For more information on the artists in residence please visit the Brentford Gallery website.

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From island to garden…

I must apologise for the long gap between entries, but I’d like to tell you a story which will explain my absence:

Once upon a time there was an artist, and she worked on her sitting room floor.  After two years of this her osteopath lectured her almightily and told her to get herself a studio so she could sit at a desk and stop ruining her back.

So she did…

She was lucky enough to find an amazing studio space in a rickety building on an island.  It was quirky, inspiring, peaceful and very beautiful.  She absolutely loved it.

The artist worked in her studio for a year, but at the end of that year things changed at home, and following her father’s death she decided that she would like to spend more time closer to the home which she now shared solely with her mother.  It was a hard decision to make, but she thought long and hard and eventually decided to give up her island retreat and build a studio in her garden instead.

The garden had become a little neglected due to the sad events at home and was in desperate need of a revamp:

She worked hard for a month, putting in as much time as she could to get the garden, and her new studio, ready.  It was hard both physically and emotionally because the garden had been very much her father’s for the past couple of years, as the artist’s work had kept her too busy to care for it herself.  The old shed had been put up by her father, and the whole garden held many memories.  But grief is a strange thing, and people manage it in their own way.  The artist found that redesigning the garden and taking down the shed and pergola which her father had so lovingly built did not diminish the memories.  On the contrary, she found that everything she did took on a greater meaning as she wondered what her father would say if he were there.

It took a month, a lot of hard work (some of which was helped along by her partner, Matt), and at times a lot of swearing too (!) but the garden is finally almost ready.

It’s not quite finished.  There is still work to be done in the garden, and more things to move into the studio – but it’s almost there and it seemed like a good time to show and tell.

The End.

For more information on Johnsons Island, please visit
http://www.brentfordgallery.co.uk/

To see more photographs of Johnsons Island, as taken by the fabulous Katherine Palmer, please click here.

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