Cathy at Chelsea

Last day at Chelsea and the sun's out - hooray!

If you visit, stop by and see my sister's sculpture - Cathy Hart and all her creatures! Saw lots of people stopping and smiling when I visited on Weds. She's had her best ever show at Chelsea this year.

Well done Cathy!

Chelsea Colours 3

Loved the artisan retreats at Chelsea but my absolute favourite this year has to be jeweller and anthropologist Pippa Small's - complete with afternoon tea laid out, golden tree and friendly people to chat to.

                                                              A gorgeous gem of a retreat!

Chelsea Colours part 2

Looking around the Chelsea Flower Show on Wednesday evening, I loved the artisan gardens, and especially the Japanese artisan garden with running water and oval frames in the walls. Designer, Kazuyuki Ishihara, won the Best Artisan Garden and a Gold Medal for An Alcove (Tokonoma) Garden.  

Japanese artisan garden at Chelsea

It reminds me of the circle shape I see in gates and doors when in China. This is my favourite gate from a local park near where I lived in Kunming. Very serene. 

Entrance to the park in Kunming

I also liked this miniature mountainous landscape recreated in the Great Pavilion at Chelsea, full of my favourite flowers, the orchid.

Chelsea Colours

Aren't these colours are just good for the soul? 

Chelsea Flower Show 2013......more to follow!

Cloud Leopard

I finally saw the stunning Cloud Leopard by Nahoko Kojima in Craft Central's new gallery this week.

I loved seeing the whole piece, suspended from the ceiling, having only seen glimpses of it in pictures on the net. It is so intricately cut out, delicate and is simply a breath-taking work of art. 

It reminds me of the work of the paper cut-out artists I met in Kunming, though I haven't seen any on this scale before, and so beautifully presented.

Nahoko Kojima's new work, The Polar Bear, will be unveiled at the Jerwood Makers Open 2013. It is entitled, Byaku, a Japanese word meaning White in English. It is hand cut using only one white sheet of Japanese Washi Paper. 

If you are interested in knowing more about this traditional Japanese method of paper making, I can recommend Nancy Broadbent Casserly's book on Washi. She spoke about its history at the Daiwa Institute a couple of months ago and it was an interesting introduction to Washi. 

Dulwich Open House, Baroque the Streets

Brilliant talent unleashed at Court Lane Private View for Dulwich Festival, particularly with the superb street dance and catwalk show. Favourites were Lisa E Moss's jewellery, meeting graffiti artist 'Agent Provocateur',  part of Baroque the Streets, and Cathy Hart's sculpture (of course!).

Liked the Stik graffiti on drainpipe!

     

graffiti for Baroque the Streets

Pepys' first Cup of Tee

I like this extract from Samuel Pepys diary, 1660, which I came across recently......

September 25th

To the office, where Sir W Batten, Collonel Slingsby, and I sat a while; ... And afterwards did send for a Cupp of Tee (a China drink) of which I never had drank before

Apparently it is one of the first references to drinking tea in England - it must have been a real luxury considering the cost and length of time it took transporting tea from the Far East. It was only drunk by the fashionably rich in England for the next 100 or so years.

 Chinese porcelain and a Yixing teapot

Britain has since become the country with the largest per capita tea consumers in the world.


I like this Dutch Golden Age painting by artist Roestraten (1627-1698) showing a Chinese tea set used in Europe. 

Orchids and Ryantown

This time last week I was in Columbia Road Flower Market to see a venue for an Autumn Show I will be in. I have two lovely orchids from the Flower Market which are surviving (so far!).

 I managed to get to the marvellous Ryantown which I've wanted to see for ages now. I purchased a couple of books - one has already been forwarded to a friend. In the shop I was admiring the little muslin square with Rob Ryan quote, and then I realised it's a  little flyer advertising Ryantown Studio at Chelsea.

I was really glad to hear they will be in Chelsea Flower Show this year with 'Rob's Retreat'.
Just a couple of weeks to go now - my sister Cathy Hart's sculpture is almost ready now for her stand at Chelsea. Can't wait to see it all in place for her second year there.
I know I'm lucky to actually have a ticket for it :)

1707 Wine Bar

Meeting up just before closing time at Fortnum & Masons last night turned out to be the best decision I made all day.

We met in the new luxury jewellery room, of course, and with 5 minutes to go, had a quick look around the top floors. We wanted to go in to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon but  it was closing and they suggested we try the Wine Bar on the lower ground floor. I liked the light and airy colours of the Tea Salon - duck-egg blue, pale wood and flashes of red in the little posies on the tables - plus there's a stunning Steinway grand..... 

We took time to admire the new design and layout of the shop as we descended, looking down the levels through spirals. My friend worked for the company which designed it and he approves. 

After checking out the champagnes on the lower ground floor - love the weighty name 'Jeroboam' for an over the top enormous bottle- we decided to try a carafe of  Rioja in the award-winning 1707 Wine Bar. As we had arrived too late for prepared food, we had the most delicious snacks, including salted almonds which are apparently one of the best anti-ageing foods: it's up there with red wine and dark chocolate ..... mmmm, shouldn't be too difficult keeping the ageing process at bay then? 

It felt great to be tucked away in the wine bar, knowing the rest of Fortnums was closed. Quality time, wine, snacks and tip top service. We left via a stylish back entrance which took us through The Fountain Restaurant (will have no problem thinking of a special occasion for a reservation there) and outside to Jermyne Street. 

The Fountain Restaurant

Walking along Piccadilly, we passed the wonderful Itsu, which I just love. From a little stall outside the shop we bought delicious half price salmon, rice and edamame beans and pots of fruit for our Sunday lunch. 

This week I've had curry on Brick Lane (accidently over-ordered but then had the most delicious food for the next day), dinner at the V&A and we're off to Brunswick House next week for the first time. Can't wait. 

 Isn't London just a great place to live?

Banking in China

Another great Friday night atmosphere at the V&A - 'David Bowie is....... '

Loved the red carpet into the gardens, with 'paparazzi' at the ready, Bowie music blasting. Needless to say, we just slipped off the red carpet quietly and were glad to see a more extroverted poser in front of us take the limelight with flair. Great fun!

But looking around the galleries, our attention was caught by these tiny silver place card holders from the 1930's, from Chengdu.  The little figure on the left carries a bamboo stick with two baskets on either end with the word 'bank' written in mandarin. Is this how money was transported in the past? 

Asia House Fair

A wonderful afternoon was spent in Asia House hearing a Tea Master from China Life tell us about Tea. After tasting a few teas, I bought my favourite tea which is Silk Oolong - have been enjoying  its 'creamy milk and mango flavours' every day for the past two weeks. Love it.

I need to find out about more about my Puer Tea Cake - a gift given to me in 2008. Apparently it will improve with age, like a good wine.

Puer Tea Cake and cover 

Now looking forward to checking out China Life's stylish 1920's Shanghai Tea Bar in Camden.....

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Dior pop up shop

Call in to Harrods to see Dior's London window display and pop up shop - shoes travelling on red buses, handbags bobbing around in the Thames under Tower Bridge:)