Posts by Paul Vater

On a studio visit to see sculptor Rachael Long as we prepared for our showcase - A FINE BALANCE - 6 weeks ago, we were fascinated to learn more about a scheme that she and her family have been involved with on their farm land that lies to the south of Norwich. She explained that they had been working with Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) since 2010.

We are delighted to be able to take orders for some unique ceramic pieces from North Norfolk based ceramic artist, Laura Huston. Take a look at her ceramics in our home collection .We are delighted to be able to take orders for some unique ceramic pieces from North Norfolk based ceramic artist, Laura Huston. Take a look at her ceramics in our home collection .

Rachael Long is an award-winning artist with many public commissions across the UK including "Lifeboat Horse" at Wells next to the Sea. We are delighted to be showcasing her smaller sculptures of horses and deer in our current online showroom.

Amidst this current crisis we are all trying to find a positive way forward. Whether you, your friends and family are working from home or just trying to catch up with family matters, we hope our e-newsletters will help make things during this extraordinary time feel just a little bit better. Join our mailing list to keep in touch as we reveal more about our showcase online.

As some of you will already know, our showcase #finebalance will not open at Houghton Hall until this current health crisis has abated. However you can still support our artists by viewing and buying their work online to nurture the cultural talent across our region.

Read more here about C&C who have worked together for the past 5 years to bring artists and makers to a wider audience. Contemporary and Country (C&C) brings together the organisational talents of curator Paul Barratt and designer Paul Vater.

Our designer-makers create beautiful decorative furniture, soft furnishings and objects for the home using a diverse range of materials, often natural, associated with the eastern region. From basket weaving, seashells and furniture, to hand-turned wood and textiles.

There are a number of local sculptors we are showcasing in our online showroom. Each artist has chosen a medium through which to express their particular point of view. From stone, forged iron, steel and aluminium to wood, textiles, glass and lead.

As we move into 2020 we invite you to take another look at the wonderful collections we have put together covering the artforms of painting, print, sculpture, drawing, photography and design for the home.

More to come later this month but we begin with a look at WORKS ON PAPER

We have added new paintings to our collection for 2020. Take a look at works from artists from across the eastern region. Each captures the splendour of the natural landscape, the beauty of coastal reaches, open fields, fens and woodland, employing traditional painting techniques in figurative and abstract styles, including oil, watercolours and acrylic paints.

Join us at Art Fair East - St Andrews Hall, Norwich. From 29 Nov to 1 Dec 2019 (PV on 28 Nov) See website for opening times and details of all the exhibitors we will be showcasing at this event. Drop an email via the website if you want to come to the Private View on Thursday 28 November (6pm-9pm)

We are showcasing a number of artists and makers - old and new - at Art Fair East this November at St Andrews Hall, Norwich. Let us know if you would like to attend the Private View on Thursday 28 November by sending an email via our website. Art Fair East closes on Sunday 1 December

Don’t miss the Henry Moore exhibition at Houghton Hall that ends tomorrow, Sunday 29 September. Come and pick up a work by local artists, designers and makers. Huge thank you to our sponsors including Norfolk Cottages, ArtOffice, Cheffins and Original Travel and of course for the support of Lord and Lady Cholmondeley and their staff for making this all possible.

Nicholas Serota talks more about this in his article published in The Guardian newspaper, dated August 26. We have always looked at promoting the contemporary and country based artists and makers across the eastern region.

Each of the works for the home we are currently exhibiting in our pop up in the stables at Houghton Hall is unique and shows that in order to have something beautiful, handmade for the home you needn't necessarily spend a fortune.

Still life, nature morte: the image of a fruit just before it tips to rot, roses plucked at the height of their blossoming. The refrain “still life” gradually acquires another meaning — “not yet, still here". Take a look at these paintings by Joceline Wickham - Norwich based artist.

We are delighted to be offering new works for sale by Norwich based artist Molly Thomson. Painting for Molly is a process of construction, reconfiguration, application, observation and assessment. It is a process she repeats until the point is reached when each individual painting achieves a balance between its painted surface and object presence.

Oystercatchers fly along a beach, and Swifts swoop over rooftops. Gannets fly fast over the sea and Redshanks call over the marshes. The Birdflight series of artistʼs books can each be made to commission, they are all individually hand painted no two will ever be quite the same. See more of Judith Ellis' work in our pop up at Houghton Hall until September 29

Christopher Marvell's works impose themselves as seemingly blunt facts, but on deeper reflection they initiate a subtle dialogue that cajoles us to contemplate not only the relationship between human and animal, but also between the human/animal archetype and the human/animal condition itself. We are showcasing his sculpture and drawings in our pop-up exhibition in the stables at Houghton Hall until 29 September 2019.

Colin Self attended the Royal College of Art (RCA) in the early sixties – as Pop Art emerged in London. He exhibited at the influential Robert Fraser Gallery, along side Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton and Clive Barker. He sees potential in the everyday objects that surround us and calls himself a ‘hunter’, seeking out connections between objects he has selected out from the detritus of mass consumption.

We are delighted to have featured in this great article on the contemporary art scene in the Eastern region - a snapshot of activities from Great Yarmouth, Waveney Valley sculpture park, through to Moore at Houghton Hall and our pop up in the stables, and finishing off in King's Lynn.

Educated at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford Pandora Mond has painted all of her adult life. She lived for many years on Exmoor before returning to her roots in Norfolk. We have a number of her framed works for sale during our "Festival" pop up at Houghton Hall. Open until September 29. Check opening times and charges to enter the Houghton Estate here.

These and more figurative ceramic pieces are a feature of our current pop up in the stables at Houghton Hall. As a sculptor, Suffolk-based Michael Wood's work is focused on the form and shape of the ancient pottery traditions, realised in a contemporary style using the ancient techniques of the hand built coil pot in stoneware, He works to achieve various textures and decorates with natural oxides, accentuated with contemporary glazes.

Bridget Heriz trained at Goldsmiths College and Ravensbourne College of Art and Design (1973-77), after which she returned to Suffolk to work at Clock House Fine Art Studios. She moved to Great Yarmouth in 2002. After a period working with traditional methods to evolve an earthy and spirited approach to figurative sculpture, Bridget has returned to experimenting with constructions using wire and card or balsa wood.

The Royal College of Art was the starting point for Brüer Tidman's long career as a figurative painter, with references to earlier art movements effortlessly rendered in his own rich visual language. One of the three notable Great Yarmouth based artists we are showcasing this year in FESTIVAL 2019.

We are showcasing the work of artists who employ paper cutting at the core of their practice. Both are Norwich based. Joni Smith bases her work on mapping and topography and has produced intricate cut town scapes of Wells, King's Lynn as well as Italy and Spain incorporating knotted ropes. Ruth Howes cuts paper plans of buildings - Holkham and Houghton Halls feature strongly and her cut schematic of the Houses of Parliament features paper figures jumping off the terrace into the Thames.

On this Easter weekend we are marvelling at the Henry Moore "Nature and Inspiration" now in its final stages of installation at Houghton Hall. We are busy building our exhibition featuring local artists in the stables, alongside this great event. With just 10 days left before we open to the public - on May 1st. We have been taking in works from exhibitors including the vital Kate Giles ... take a look.

Keron Beattie gained a First Class BA (Hons) in Contemporary Art and Design (2016) and a MA Fine Art with Distinction (2018) from Norwich University of the Arts (NUA). His work is concerned with drawing elements together, reversing fragmentation, remaking and bringing a sense of wholeness to disparate materials, changing or transforming them into objects that display their component parts without apology.

Trained at Central st Martins and privately with Francis Pratt, Linda Jamieson has exhibited in London and Norfolk and undertaken numerous commissions. This is her third inclusion at our pop-up at Houghton Hall Stables.

We are grateful to Norfolk Cottages for their generous sponsorship this year. As with our previous events, we have secured supported that are recognized businesses with interests in raising their profile in the arts at this level. Read on to see more about ArtOffice and Cheffins who have also come on board to make this event happen.

We are all set to showcase the work of Cambridgeshire-based kinetic sculptor Andrew Jones. his work relies on mainly linear elements balanced and articulated to move simply in the wind, light or strong. When visiting Houghton Hall this year you will find some of Andrew's kinetic sculptures in the walled garden.

Debby Besford has been recording the changing yet enduring face of Great Yarmouth. She was born in Yarmouth and has recently been given exclusive access to document the ever changing face(s) of the town's Pleasure Beach.

Jonathan Clarke was born in 1961 in Suffolk, UK, where he continues to work today. At the age of 16 he took up an apprenticeship with his father, the sculptor Geoffrey Clarke (RA). He has works on commissions across the country including Colchester, Ely Cathedral, St James' Square, London and Southwell Minster.

Ruth Howes is taking part in FESTIVAL this year. Her paper cuts are made with an absolute economy of materials and an intricate cutting process. The results are finely detailed and deftly finished.

We are delighted to be showing a selection of work by Norwich resident Colin Self. As Calvin Winner observed: ‘Perhaps the most striking element of Self’s art is that his entire output remains remarkably current and contemporary. His concerns are our concerns, and he continues to reveal and expose art as the essence of life.’

Earlier this week we went on a road trip. The treat ahead of us was a visit to 4 of the ‘Yarmouth 5’ artists in their studios in the docklands of Great Yarmouth. Here are some images of their stunning work.

Take a look at our "Collection Guides". If you have someone who is particularly difficult to buy for, a Norfolk by Design Gift Voucher may be the answer - our Gift Vouchers are redeemable online or at our forthcoming pop up events throughout 2019.

The best part of our job is when we get to visit the artists, makers and designers we showcase as part of our series of pop up events.We recently had a chance to look at the work of Kate Giles who we are showing in our upcoming “Beach House Bazaar” in Brancaster (November 15-18)

Lorraine Bewick has taken tried and tested techniques in the tradition of figurative landscape painting and applied them to her own perspective of the English landscape. Based in North Norfolk her interest in interpreting Norfolk’s expansive skies and coastal reaches as liminal space treads a path mapped out by acknowledged masters of the genre, such as John Robert Cozens and JMW Turner.

Amanda Sutton is one of the artists we are showcasing in Ordinary Worlds, an exhibition of six women artists who share a common interest in representing landscape and interpreting the topographic in their work – each artist shows how we might compose landscape to suit our outlook rather than merely reflect upon a visual likeness or land use. Between them, what they depict is anything but ordinary.

Linda Jamieson was born and spent her childhood in Norfolk. She was trained at St. Martins school of Art, and studied further at Heatherlys and with Francis Pratt in France and Norfolk. She worked for many years in the field of textile design in London, France and Italy, and also as a consultant for interior design. She now divides her time between her studios in Norfolk and London and has also exhibited in both places.

Our forthcoming pop up exhibition, Ordinary Worlds, at Creake Abbey will show a selection of new and recent paintings and works on paper by six Norfolk artists, from 10 to 23 August, 2018. Andrea Girling studied fine art at Norwich University of the Arts and gained MA in 2016. Her practice addresses concerns relating to the increasing pace of technology and its impact on humankind. Girling’s research is a process-led (thinking through making) enquiry into the relationships and dualities of the fast and slow, machine and handmade, digital and analogue.

We are thrilled to be able to show Pandora Mond's latest and larger canvases including her new exoplanet series, resulting from Pandora's collaboration with the Astrophysics Department of Exeter University - giving shape, colour and form to  data collected from their observations of astronomical phenomenon lying beyond the visual reach of our known universe.

Joni Smith is one of six women artists we are showcasing at Creake Abbey (August 10-23) entitled "Ordinary Worlds". This is an exhibition of six women artists who share a common interest in representing landscape and interpreting the topographic in their work – each artist shows how we might compose landscape to suit our outlook rather than merely reflect upon a visual likeness or land use. Between them, what they depict is anything but ordinary.

Have you seen the Damien Hirst exhibition at Houghton Hall yet? This is the last weekend to catch it. We are open alongside with our pop up of 40+ local #artists #designers and #craftspeople - we will reopen on the 18th July but only open Wed, Thurs and Sundays until July 29th (11am to 5pm)

Our forthcoming Pop-Up exhibition, Ordinary Worlds, at Creake Abbey will show a selection of new and recent paintings and works on paper by six Norfolk artists, from 10 to 23 August, 2018.

Our pop-up is now open and we are welcoming visitors with an array of works from designers, artists and craftspeople from across Norfolk and the wider eastern region. See full details of opening times and entrance fees at houghtonhall.com. We hope to see you soon - come visit a wonderful shop with a glorious exhibition by Damien Hirst attached!

Our designer-makers create beautiful decorative furniture, soft furnishings and objects for the home using a diverse range of materials, often natural, associated with the eastern region. From seashells, hand-turned wood and ceramics, to wool, seaweed and glass. Here we are highlighting those among our exhibitors who create the most beautiful vessels for the home.

Just over a month to go before we open our pop up shop in the Stables at Houghton Hall from Sunday 25 March, ending 29 July 2018. We will feature a selection of new work by 40+ of Norfolk’s finest craftspeople and artists from across generations, a few from the wider area of East Anglia – many showing with us for the first time. It will coincide with the Damien Hirst exhibition (March 25 – July 15, 2018).

We are showing four works by the late Margaret Mellis at our Houghton Hall pop-up event this year. She concluded a productive artistic career based in Suffolk, where she brought order to chaos in her playful assemblages. Before her death in 2009, Damien Hirst, an early admirer of her work remarked in 2001, “Why hasn’t someone noticed Margaret Mellis’ contribution to British art?” On this evidence it is time the British art establishment addressed his challenge.

Have you seen the meticulous wood turning of Tim Plunkett lately? With a BSc in Environmental Science and involvement in direct action opposing the destruction of ancient forests and cultures, it is important to Tim that all his work is made from locally sourced wood. Entirely self taught through trial (and often painful error) he strives to produce elegant, functional pieces with graceful uncluttered lines, for the kitchen and table.

Dan Meek, is a Norfolk based stone carver and letter cutter and is acclaimed for his memorials, commemorative plaques and ground-breaking conceptual sculptures. We showcased Dan's work at our recent Pop-Up event at Houghton Hall where his work sold very well. He continues to produce sculptural pieces and we hope to be showing more of his work in upcoming events in 2018.

Thank you to Anna Harvey, The Telegraph's Timeless Style columnist and ex-Deputy Editor of British Vogue who recommended us in her column this week entitled "What women really want for Christmas" Take a look at our Christmas gift ideas, order now and receive your purchases in good time for Christmas.

A number of artists, designers and craftspeople are joining with us to show their work as part of our Online Shop in the lead up to Christmas. We have makers producing innovative and beautiful lighting, textiles, glassware and paintings. There are many artworks and crafted items for all budgets.

We were delighted to get a mention by Monica Vinader in her interview with the Financial Times – How To Spend It Magazine. In the piece Monica mentions her love of all things Norfolk and our summer pop up at Houghton Hall gets her endorsement! The portrait of Monica taken by Anna Huix is taken in front of the stables and main house at Houghton Hall with the tree stump of Richard Long's White Deer Circle peaking out fo the ground behind her.

When our pop-up closes in the stables at Houghton Hall on Saturday 30 September, we will have completed eighty days. In those eighty days we have welcomed upwards of 16,000 visitors and sold artworks and designed pieces by over 48 local artists, designers and craftspeople from all across Norfolk. Don't miss your chance to purchase one of these wonderful treasures!

This months edition of KL Magazine carries an interview with a new artist to arrive in the stables at Houghton Hall – Norwich based artist Paul P Smith. Having been painting for over thirty years we are exhibiting his highly detailed landscapes that tie in with events and experiences in his life. A self-taught artist with a career in psychiatric nursing behind him Paul has an extraordinary approach to painting that we hope visitors will enjoy seeing.

Shells with their accidental beauty, subtle colours, variety in shape and texture appealed to Carolyn Brookes Davies. Their endless ornamental possibilities have inspired her recent shell work we are showing during our pop up at Houghton Hall

We are showing the wonderful paintings and chalk pastel pictures of Cornelia FitzRoy at our pop-up at Houghton Hall. These memorable studies evoke many journeys along the lanes of Norfolk and capture the wonderful colourful landscapes that await those of us who momentarily find ourselves 'lost' among these beautiful lanes and byways.

Born in 1964, Fred Ingrams studied at Camberwell and St. Martins Schools of Art. He painted above the Coach & Horses pub in Soho for 10 years. In 1998 he moved to Norfolk where has spent the last seven years painting The Fens. We are offering 3 of his recent new works at Houghton Hall. (Photograph of Fred at work in the Fens © Pete Johnstone)

We are showing the work of Liz McGowan for the second time and are delighted to show works produced as part of her Will-A-Wix series. In addition we are also delighted to show more of her collaborative work completed with another Norfolk based environmental artist, Margie Britz.

We are pleased to be showing the photographic work of Debby Besford – an established professional photographer who lives in Norfolk with her family and works throughout the UK. Her work showcases a rich and diverse portfolio of images specializing in, Contemporary portraiture, Corporate and Editorial. Her images are beautifully composed with each of her subjects feeling at ease in front of the camera. There is a strong sense of trust and sensitivity between the photographer and her sitters.

We are presenting Toby Winteringham's work here at Houghton Hall for the summer. We have a wonderful range of trays and magazine holders for sale as well as some more bespoke pieces, in particular a console table made of ancient Bog Oak from the Fenland area of North Norfolk.

Maria Pavledis is interested in the qualities of fragility and destruction both in nature and in the printmaking process itself. She explores this in her unique drawings made with fire and smoke. She works with the dream-like world of fairy tale and narrative, including its darker and uncanny elements.

Shauna Richardson's new crochetdermy piece called "The Wolf and the Lamb" has been shortlisted for the prestigious John Ruskin prize 2017. Winners will be announced on Tuesday 20th June at the Millennium Gallery, Sheffield. The shortlist exhibition, Master of all Trades, will be on display from 21st June – 8th October 2017.

We opened our new exhibition in the stables to the public, Sunday 30 April. Houghton Hall opens between 11am to 5pm every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays,

As Houghton Hall prepares to open TheGuardian publishes an article about the opening of Richard Long's much anticipated exhibition in the grounds and house. We are delighted to be exhibiting the work of over 40 Norfolk artists and designers alongside.

We are proud to be opening our latest exhibition alongside one of the most important exhibitions by celebrated Turner Prize-winning British artist, Richard Long, opening on Sunday 30 April 2017 at Houghton Hall, North Norfolk.

Norfolk Country Cottages, who supported our last show in Field Dalling in 2016, have joined us again this year as co-sponsors for Norfolk by Design at Houghton Hall.

Our next pop-up event opens in the Stables at Houghton Hall this spring and continues throughout the summer. We will be featuring a selection of Norfolk’s finest artists and craftspeople to coincide with a solo exhibition by renowned British artist Richard Long located within the gardens and park.

We are pleased to confirm that our next event will take place at Houghton Hall this year. We will open an exhibition space in the Stables at Houghton Hall, home to the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

INTO THE WOODS

2-4 December, 2016

We are delighted to announce the dates for our forthcoming showcase of Norfolk’s finest artists, designer-makers and craftspeople. The exhibition is a pre-Christmas survey of work produced or sourced from Norfolk and the eastern region. Thank you to our sponsor, Norfolk Country Cottages.