Cotswolds

Cots = sheep's shelters
Wolds = hills

Driving around Cotswolds, one can understand where the name came from. Gentle hills and sheep, horses and other animals everywhere around. What is also charming and makes this place so enchanting are the villages.

Bibury is said to be the most beautiful place in Cotswolds and looking at this and the picture above, I can easily say that they are right. If only there were not the tourists (one of them was me - oops) this place would be even more charming.

Just look at the roofs and the stonework. And we were lucky with the weather as well. Simply beautiful.


Before arriving to Bibury, we had to stop in Burford, a gateway to Cotswolds. Apart from admiring the picturesque village, we also visited the church which is some 900 years old.

Apparently, you can really recognise the age of such structures by simply looking at the towers. It is the one on the left, the one with the flat roof, that dates the church as far back as c.1175 (or so we were told). The tower on the right, the one with the spiky roof, is much 'younger' (though I think it is still pretty old anyway).

Whenever I come to a church I have to admire the windows, the vaults and the complexity and wisdom with which they were built. People had to be so clever to achieve such beauty.


We visited few more villages before reaching the finale of our trip, Stratford upon Avon. Yes, the birthplace of William Shakespeare (also a place where he died in between living in London).

What you can see here is a close-up of William Shakespeare's birthplace revealing the original section of the building.

Displayed behind a sheet of glass, yet again I have to admire the skill and knowledge of craftsmen of that time.

And this building is still standing, some 450 years later...





What I also remember about this place are the exteriors of the buildings around as you can see in the selection underneath. So eye-catching, so visually pleasing.

I would say, Cotswolds is a place worth visiting. There are some hidden gems in England but Cotswolds is not even hidden. It is there in the open. I am glad I have finally seen it all with my own eyes. We spent one day traveling from one village to another, stopping for lunch (trout that they claimed was caught just before we ordered the meal) and scones (proper English ones with jam and clotted cream) at teatime. If you ever come to England, I have just recommended a place for you. This is a must.

Tangled

Yes, I have finally managed to visit Tate Britain and see the 'Picasso & Modern British Art' exhibition on show until 15 July 2012. My plan for last week, yet again, did not happen so I am rather proud that I have done it one week later. Despite the fact that there was a lot to read (each image and each room had an explanation), there was also a lot to see (as you might imagine - it is Pablo Picasso after all).

Duncan Grant, Wyndham Lewis, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, Graham Sutherland and David Hockney are the listed British artists whose work have been influenced one way or another by Pablo Picasso. Each of these seven artists have their work on display alongside Picasso's work and I must say, one can see very clearly the connections and from where the artists drew.

As I looked and read and was soaking as much as possible I finally approached 'Guernica' (its B&W reproduction to be precise) displayed together with a few preparation studies for the iconic painting.

I have seen this image in books and magazines before but nothing could have prepared me for the emotion that shot through my body when I saw such a big image (even though it was only a B&W reproduction). The twisted human and animal bodies, the despair in their faces, the suffering; I could almost hear their cries. No wonder 'Guernica' is recognised throughout the world.

When leaving the Tate and still full of emotions, I sat down by its side for a bit of a rest realising that it is the time of a year when the trees are cut down and getting ready for further re-growth. And so I took a few pictures. One of these is above. What is great is that you can see the structure. What I can also see here are the twisted branches as if in pain and this is the Guernica influence on me. Yet, all is so neat, even beautiful; especially during sunset, wouldn't you say? Kx

View from my window

After a rainy dull day yesterday I was pleased to wake up into a sunny morning today. Such was my joy that instead of sitting down to my breakfast, I grabbed my camera and took few shots from my window.

This image beautifully captures the garden in front of my windows in half sun - half shadow mode.

The shadow just about touches the base of the centre tree and the flower island is halved slightly off centre. However, all is balanced by the long shadows thrown across into the sunny half. The perfection - imperfection touch.


Talking about perfection -
imperfection, this is a relief decorating a building opposite.

Being in quite a need of repair, I love to observe this kind of decay. The signature of time on façades shapes our history making sure that we appreciate and won't forget such skill.

To bring more colours into today's post, there is one more picture to share with you. This row of chimneys simply asked to be photographed. Being on top of the same building as above, they fully drew my attention.

The striking reds sitting on a white base with the blue background, all touched by a morning sun could not be left unnoticed.



In fact, all these were waining for the focus of the camera, wouldn't you say?

Randolph & Byron Music

Yesterday evening, I found myself in a delightful company of my friends at the National Theatre enjoying a gig by Randolph & Byron Music (pictured above). It was exactly a year ago when I went to see them performing at the Royal Albert Hall (as a part of the 'Ignite' free lunchtime concerts that are organised at the Café Consort at the Hall).

There was a lot of motion in a rhythm by the duo as well as the audience. As you can see, there was also enough twitching on my part. As a result, I captured quite interesting images (like this one), wouldn't you say?

Randolph & Byron Music is a fusion of Spanish guitar and Caribbean vocals. If you can imagine both separately, combine them together and the richness of sound created is amazing.

I found myself closing my eyes at which point it was hard to believe that only two people can accomplish all this. The skill with which Byron Johnston plays the guitar completed with the vocals of Randolph Matthews made this more than enjoyable evening.

Yes, I believe I have become a fan.

Maker's Guild at V&A

What you are looking at is a rather bitten picture of The Royal Albert Hall. As I was approaching it on Friday evening all I could see was the contrast of its colours with the darkness around. Being on my way home from the Victoria & Albert Museum I felt a bit creative and took this shot. Slightly skewed, this image makes me squinter my eyes and see the contrast even more.

In case you wonder why I was at the V&A in the evening, I persuaded education there. This was the second time I visited its Sackler Centre for a talk on, this time, The Economic and Social Value of Making. Without checking my notes, what I remember is that as long as a designer/maker collaborates with other fields (scientists, medical teams,...) and manages to create a successful product, both economic and social values would emboss themselves in the process and outcome. Of course, a funding from the government would help and I guess this is when the collaboration comes in. Basically, the emphasis was put on social interaction within various fields. What a lesson for me.

The previous talk was about bringing technology to textile making.

Here a special solar (not LED) thread was developed and mixed and woven into a scarf. Usually not visible, its trick becomes obvious when a flashlight hits it. The scarf becomes luminous. Its implication would find use in, for example, road safety. What a great idea, what a design.

Again, a maker's skill collaborates with technological knowledge here.

Most of all, all the speakers/designers/makers showed a high commitment and believe in their work. They talked in such a way that I would almost believe that as long as you use your knowledge and skill in whatever you are doing and are (preferably) able to make a living out of it, you are fine. You even support the economy. It is true though, that we need to take pride in whatever we are doing. The enjoyment will come with it.

Which leaves me with something David Hockney, an influential artist of the 20th century (and now) said: 'You can teach craft but you cannot teach poetry.' My personal experience from Uni was the other way round. We were taught how to think but not much on the skill front. Although there were professionals from various fields, there was simply not much time to learn the skills. Which is why I am here with 'kpDeco' exploring my own skills and interests now. And what an enjoyable experience this has been so far. Kx