Aesthetip september2013

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ISSUE 4: SEPTEMBER 2013


WELCOME Autumn is just around the corner and it’s without doubt the team behind Aesthetip’s favourite time of year. This issue we‘ve come over ’all refreshed’ raring to go and start the new season with a bang. Influenced by a sporty feel of new routines and changes for the better. I feel a walk with your dog or a run clears the creative mind and puts you on track. With new contributors this month from a young student photographer, an out door sports section, to even a vegetable features in the lifestyle section. This is our biggest issue to date! We can’t believe we are working on issue 4 already and we can’t thank our supporters enough! If you would like to get in touch please send us a message at: aesthetip@gmal.com We hope you enjoy reading our magazine, issue 4 September, it has been a pleasure! — Emma

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FRONT COVER / EMMA GRIFFIN


CONTRIBUTORS EMMA GRIFFIN / PHOTOGRAPHER & EDITOR STEVE KENYON / DEPUTY EDITOR CAROLINE PEDLER / ILLUSTRATION COLUMNIST ALISON BALLARD / VINTAGE FASHION COLUMNIST SYLVIA MCKIDDIE / BAKING CHARLOTTE DAVIS / Curators DIARY COLUMNIST MEGAN SHARP / GIRL IN THE CITY COLUMNIST DALE POINTON / OUTDOOR SPORTS TIFFANY FRIEND / VEGETABLE PATCH & CRAFTS LAURA PARSONS / EVENTS, REVIEWS & WRITER CHRIS THOMAS / CREATIVE APPS DAISY RICKMAN / STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY COLUMNIST FAYE DOBINSON / ARTIST LOU TONKIN / TEXTILE ARTIST NAT RIGBY / RECYCLING

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PHOTOGRAPHER / ROBERT SOWDEN MODEL / HOLLY TURTON www.facebook.com/robertsowdenphotography

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PHOTOGRAPHER / ROBERT SOWDEN MODEL / HOLLY TURTON

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www.facebook.com/ robertsowdenphotography SEPTEMBER


INSPIRATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR THE CREATIVE SOUL

CONTENTS 08 — Girl in the city 10 — ARTIST OF THE MONTH 20 — artist spotlight / faye dobinson 28 — illustration / caroline pedler 32 — a curators diary / charlotte davis 34 — event calendar 36 — ma fine art 38 — photographer / dale pointon 44 — daisy rickman / photography student 46 — Vintage / alison ballard 50 — lexie sport 56 — spotlight / wild pony 62 — designer maker / lily pickles 68 — A day in the life... 70 — recycling / nat rigby 72 — outdoors / dale pointon 76 — favourite stop 78 — in the veg patch / tiffany friend 80 — cyanotype / tiffany friend 82 — short story / laura parsons 84 — top 3 finds 88 — creative apps / chris thomas 92 — spotlight / suzanne williams 96 — on the beach 100 — Reviews 104 — Pennyboarding 108 — studio bites / sylvia mckiddie

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GIRL IN THE CITY megan sharp

This week I hit the streets of Truro to see where you should be eating, what you should be wearing and even made a little DIY fashion re-vamp! Enjoy!

Now working on a winter menu, it is definitely worth popping in to see what they have to offer!

10 Duke St, Truro TR1 2QE

Fancy a spot of lunch in Truro but not sure where to get a quick, healthy, veggie friendly feast? You obviously have yet to discover the Duke Street Sandwich Deli. Located on the corner of Duke Street this is my go to place for a good work lunch! They even open early for those of you who can’t escape work! You can pick between a large selection of sandwiches and panini’s (meat and veggie friendly) or you can have a salad box created right in front of you. If you’re extra fussy, like me, just speak to the friendly staff and they’ll happily make you a unique sandwich just to your liking! This sandwich deli uses fresh produce which has been locally sourced and tastes delicious.

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MUSIC IN THE CITY: Meet the talented Helen, Accordionist, Pianist and teacher. helen.spear@gmail.com


WHAT YOU SHOULD BE WEARING; STUDDED SKIRT DIY: Ever wanted to revamp your wardrobe but not sure where to start? Leather (or pleather) is a great style piece at the moment; it can give your outfit a bit of an edge and can make you feel a little sexier than your every day cotton blend (or is that just my opinion?). One of the big looks next season is ‘Rebel’ so I’ve come up with this quick DIY tutorial for you to punk up your wardrobe! All you need is a leather skirt and some flat head studs. Before you start, set up your work space and make a pattern plan! You’re now ready to put in your studs! Do them one by one – use a ruler or a coin if needed – and make sure that you secure them really tightly or else they will fall off. Give the skirt a bit of a shake to make sure no pins fall off and that’s it! Team it with a bright vest to keep it funky or make it pretty with a lace knit top! Please follow my blog to keep up to date with what I am doing. www.lovehummingbird.blogspot.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY / MEGAN SHARPE

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ARTIST OF THE MONTH

ILKER CINAREL We caught up with Ilker on a sunny morning in late August at his home where he also has a second small studio space that overlooks St Ives town and harbour with clear long reaching views out to sea and towards Gwithian. Ilker is a multi faceted artist, born and raised in Turkey, he has lived and immersed himself in other countries before settling in St Ives; a place he had aspired to be for many years before.

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Whilst preparing for and during the shoot we had a chat about where he is at creatively, the direction in which his artistic vision takes him, and how the past has shaped him as a creative.

Originally having a background in sculpture, and an established career in the fashion houses of Paris, Ilker eventually went on to study painting gaining an MA from Falmouth University. Not wishing to limit his creative output solely to one medium; painting, performance, video and installation are all utilised to explore ideas with the output negated by the process and its natural metamorphosis. Now residing in St Ives as a source of spiritual placement and for the artistic heritage, Ilker stated that he is not here to draw direct reference from the area.


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WHY AM I HERE AND WHAT I AM DOING?

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Performance is an ideal vehicle for Ilker to display concepts and feelings in a very visual way with the process almost becoming more important than the end result, these multi media and sensory performances can be repeated or changed to reflect the location or to be in context to the audience. Its an ideal way to tell the whole story, acting out the idea and making it more visual, giving more of the narrative to the viewer. In a sense he is sharing an experience. The work created is mainly autobiographical both personally and politically, drawing from life experiences and documenting the past, capturing the truth and the history, the roles we play in society and the performances we play out everyday. As a stranger living in England he has a distorted take on life experiences here which certainly has a conceptual influence on the work with the bigger question – Why am I here and what am I doing? resonating through his thought processes.

A PERFORMANCE PIECE Test Bed Gallery - London Batersea 14

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Living in other countries has had no direct influence on his creative output, its more a case of the creativity being ideas driven with the ultimate medium being chosen specifically to suit the idea, with no direct drive or urge to have to paint or create in a specific way. The medium is secondary to the creative process - the desire to express the idea is prevalent. The concept is often explored through a variety of materials and methods which is ever evolving until Ilker is satisfied with the results. The fashion side of his background can influence materials to some degree, however it is the strategies employed by fashion houses and how they carry there branding across mediums that are more interesting to the artist - it’s not however the positioning of the companies.

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There are similar motives and patterns that repeat through Iker’s work, both human rights and homosexual rights are incredibly important to the artist and manifest visually in many forms both directly and in an abstract manner. Human sexuality, authority and institutionalisation also play a huge part in the narratives running throughout. We got the sense that although having money is a necessity, Ilker is striving for a profound spiritual success which appears to be his ultimate goal. Dark places are often a place of refuge for artists and a drawn on heavily for narratives and themes, however Iker finished our discussion with the question Are you going to stay in a dark space or move on?

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To keep up to date with this unique artist and to see more of his recent work, please visit www.ilkercinarel.com http://ilkercinarel. blogspot.co.uk/ Twitter: @ILKERCINAREL


INTERVIEW / STEVE KENYON PHOTOGRAPHY / EMMA GRIFFIN - GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

FAYE DOBINSON — A Short Space In Time

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We caught up with the emerging art Faye Dobinson to ask her about her time spent in Porthmeor studios in St Ives. To be granted the first shorter term tenancy earlier this year at the renowned and renovated Porthmeor studios in St Ives was at once terrifying and wonderful, as all the best things in life appear to be. There was the artistic lineage- those that had gone before. There was the current calibre of those artists established at the studios: high. And then there was the room itself. Mind blowingly beautiful with a soul all its own. And all these facets of the situation,on some level, scared me.

I trusted that my work and my practice, tending to be preoccupied with response to space and place, would be a means to untangle the scribble of emotions and associations that I had surrounding the studio. And so I made art, approaching the few months I had as a residency: an empty space and time to slowly embed myself in and interrogate with my practice. To see how it would assert itself and show itself through the work I made. What was unexpected was how the space made me interrogate myself and the decisions I made. It enabled me to begin to deconstruct the ideas I had built up about myself and get rid of those things that didn’t serve me anymore. SEPTEMBER

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I had initially decided to make work around the male nude - as far from seascapes as I could get. Some were beautiful, I was proud of many...and intriguingly, all were very small: on a very domestic scale.

‘BACK TO FRONT’ I was in the largest space I had ever inhabited as an artist and was making the most domestic sized work I had ever made. And I knew I had come up against myself: I could feel my visual vocabulary wanting to spread its wings, and I could feel how I limited myself so often. I had just never known it so clearly before. To work in that studio was to enter the play of the cosmos and the cosmic: ‘to immeasurably extend myself into time and space’. To have a sense of the vast that I had never had before. A sense of limitless possibilities. And so I started taking risks. I knew the room was unpacking itself with me, around me and within me. I looked to the floor, fascinated with what it must have seen and absorbed.

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I noted a larger gap in the floorboards and filled it with gold paint, therefore getting to know its volume- an intimate detail of the room. I threaded tape from each existing nail in the wall to the next, creating patterns and highlighting an unseen relationship between them all. I watched visitors sweep from the door over to the window, exclaiming upon the qualities of light to be found in St Ives. And so I painted half the room black, to disrupt this relationship with the light. I bolted a substantial branch from the wall, obstructing even further visitors progress though the room.


‘Short space of time’

‘Soft structure’

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My last 6 weeks were spent collaborating with friend and artist Jesse Leroy Smith and we let the room work through us, which led to the creation of an 8’ by 16’ painting straight onto the wall. A piece specifically of that space and time. Our final act was to paint over the piece, knowing it remained somewhere under layers of forgiving white paint, realising that the room was about unlocking and opening: about process and less about product. The 5 months at Porthmeor were one of the happiest times of my life.

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‘The Necklace’ / Faye Dobinson and Jesse Leroy Smith


Faye will have work on show in the upcoming ’Suspended Sentences‘ exhibition in Newlyn - visual responses to the work of writer and poet Simon Armitage.

Email: fayedobinson@me.com Blog: www.fayedobinson.com Web: www.fayedobinsonart.com

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ARTISTs WORK / MORWENNA MORRISON

Initially my work started as a response to my friends’ life stories. It seemed you only had to ask and have the patience to listen to uncover the most extraordinary experiences, many from childhood which resonated throughout their lives. Much of my art draws reference from childhood. From these beginnings I now see my work as an analysis of today’s social, psychological and political issues.

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My practice has a strong narrative thrust, drawing in part from a rich fund of iconic imagery found on the internet. I use bold images and bright colour, combined with complex compositions, to create conceptually layered pieces. Each work invites a closer association with the nuances of meaning expressed through both the overall effect of the painting and the often disturbing proximity of the innocent and the sinister. My paintings are large, proportion plays an important role as toys and other objects take on a greater significance when confronted on a more human scale.


‘Headin’ West’ reflects my interest in social issues; the intention is to convey loss and irreconcilable differences. www.morwennamorrison.com

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ILLUSTRATION

CAROLINE PEDLER

This month I wanted the work of an illustrator to be the main focus, rather than me going on about it. I’ve chosen a student who is fresh off the college blocks and already making her mark in the industry. Briony Cloke graduated from Plymouth College Of Art this year and was one of a few students chosen from the course to take part in the highly acclaimed New Designers in London. For me her work stands out not only because of its strength in composition and design, but the repeat patterns and application are sensitive and interesting. Each piece tells a story and intrigues you to look for more. Her work is strong and can therefore lend itself to large format prints and murals, but is sensitive enough for smaller formats such as books, cards and zines etc, so therefore not only versatile in its content but also in its application.

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I have had a brief experience of working with Briony as a student, when I was guest lecturer at Plymouth. It was course leader Mel Brown who recommended Briony as someone to watch. The imagery I was critiquing her on back then had a strong message and was bold rather than being just decorative. That work was about femininity and equality, and I could see it working as an editorial, or for the fashion industry mostly. So I’m really pleased to see that her work has moved on even further and I can see it working in a variety of products and book covers, and packaging, posters, editorials etc. It still has an important message behind it, but this time it is delivered in a more subtle and beautiful way. Very encouragingly, it is also driven from a sensitive and strong authorial core. Which I believe is the key to maintaining and fostering a strong and successful career in illustration. Good luck Briony! I am always looking for Cornish illustrators who offer something different, so to submit work to be considered for addition to the Illustration article, please send one example of your work and a link to your website, blog etc to carolinepedler@btinternet.com


So anyway, that’s enough from me, over to Briony and her work… A little bit about me, I’m Briony Cloke an Illustrator from Cornwall, where I still and always have lived. I love to draw, to paint and to create new exciting ideas in a traditional and contemporary style. I love working with pencil and combine this with simple digital techniques throughout most of my work. I’m constantly inspired by nature; animals, plants and their environment. One of my latest zines communicates deforestation and the impact this has on the animals and their natural habitat. I have been very lucky this year and received my first commission whilst studying Illustration at Plymouth College of Art with a company called ‘Cloud Nine Marshmallows’ where I illustrated packaging for a jar full of marshmallows! Soon after I then produced an Illustration for the beautiful ‘TinyPencil’ magazine which was great contemporary style. I love working with pencil and combine this with simple digital techniques throughout most of my work. I’m constantly inspired by nature; animals, plants and their environment. One of my latest zines communicates deforestation and the impact this has on the animals and their natural habitat. I have been very lucky this year and received my first commission whilst studying Illustration at Plymouth College of Art with a company called ‘Cloud Nine Marshmallows’ where I illustrated packaging for a jar full of marshmallows! Soon after I then produced an Illustration for the beautiful ‘TinyPencil’ magazine which was great fun! My work has been showcased at the notorious New Designers this year and I have also won a prize with 247 magazine! and at the minute I’m working on a commission for an illustrated letter M!

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You can find her most recent work here: http://cargocollective.com/brionycloke Tiny Pencil: http://tinypencil.com/summerzine-rising/ 30

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And on facebook for more up to date happenings: https://www.facebook.com/BrionyClokeIllustration


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A CURATORS DIARY CHARLOTTE DAVIS Anne Killigrew graces her presence at the Falmouth Carnival. The past month has been incredibly busy with Henri Lloyd Falmouth Week.. I dressed up as a 12ft high Anne Killigrew (1660 - 1685) for the carnival. This was in celebration of a recent acquisition for the Falmouth Art Gallery Collection. ‘Venus attired by The Graces’ is one of three paintings known in existence by the artist and poet. Throughout last week, the gallery launched an Incredible Edible Arty Week. We were the first museum in the country to run a full week of activities, where families could make edible artwork in the gallery spaces. We had an amazing time, making edible poetry with Sally Crabtree, decorating digestive biscuits and painting on slices of cake kindly donated by Courtyard Deli, Falmouth. For me, it was rewarding to see people of all ages giggling and enjoying making art in the gallery space. Where else could you do this?! During September, I will be installing ‘On The Beach... Falmouth’, a solo exhibition by Rowena Siorvanes at Courtyard Deli, Falmouth. This exhibition will explore the idiosyncrasies of beach goers, from September to November. One particular aspect of the show will be a ‘Studio Wall’ which will develop over the exhibition period. Please keep posted for next month’s issue where I will be interviewing Rowena.

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Cutting the Air

Collaborating with Ida Now moving on. I would like to introduce you to an artist who I have collaborating been with since January. We have been developing an exhibition concept which balances the practice of both artist and curator. Ida Ivanka Kubler is Bulgarian and currently lives and works in London. She also has studios in New York and Bulgaria. The Birth of an Idea The Birth of an Idea explores calculation, formation and colour. This series is evolving constantly from each version to the next as the Ida proceeds to complete her ambitious series of 100 editions. Each canvas contains a cluster of individually cut silk cocoons standing out from the canvas and consumed by a mass of bold colour contrast. Each version addresses a new set of equations of balance and tension, through the arrangement of the cocoons and selection of two contrasting colours.

This exhibition proposal opens up ideas of intrigue and perception of architectural space, initiated by a physically engaging installation. Ida’s installation would present a series of canvases installed along walls, windows and hanging within the architectural space (from the ceiling and attached to customised hanging frames). Each artwork will accentuate structural directions within the space, through the positioning of objects, considered lighting and the physical composition of the cocoon clusters. We are currently submitting this proposal for consideration to varying London galleries and exploring potential to show in the Nordic countries. We just have to keep our fingers crossed and keep the concept open to development. To find out more about Ida’s artwork, you can view her website http://www.idaworkbox.com #ALineSeries Last month I initiated my first social media series called #ALineSeries which explores line and composition in the everyday routine. I have completed my first month. The ideas are still evolving and I still don’t know where it is going. It feels great to be out of my comfort zone and being open to change. Keep following #ALineSeries to see where this project goes... And a massive thank you to all of those who have ‘liked’ my instagram shots. A date for the diary. On 13-23 September, Falmouth will be hosting their second Splash festival. There will be a selection of exhibitions, public art projects and performances throughout the week. Keep your eyes our for POP UP ART, showcasing local practicing artists’ work in shop windows. For more information, check out www.falmouth.co.uk

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Event Calendar / September Over the summer Cornwall has once again proven itself to be a county of incredible creative depth by playing host to a vast range of inspirational, innovative and imaginative events in incomparable settings. This momentum continues all through September, so take note of this month’s not-to-bemissed events. Newlyn School of Art This iconic institution is offering creative souls of all ability levels the chance to get involved in an incredible selection of courses and benefit from the tutorage of totally unique talents. Classes to look out for in September include the two-day Colour and Abstraction Course with artist Gareth Edwards (7th-8th) the Paper and Charcoal Making Day run by Greg Humphries and Francesca Stella (14th) and the three-day Coast Painting Course, where students get to capture dramatic scenes in mixed media under the instruction of renowned contemporary painter Paul Lewin (25 — 27th). Newlyn School of Art has also scored an impressive coup in securing national literary treasure Simon Armitage on the evening of Tuesday 17th of September. Armitage will be giving the last mainland poetry reading of his troubadour’s journey from Minehead to Land’s End, and although this unique event is free to attend Armitage is literally singing for his supper (or reciting poetry for it at least) so audience contributions are more than welcome! Armitage’s nomadic tour of the South West is a follow up to his 2010 256 mile journey across the Pennine Way, which was immortalised in the emotive (and quite hilarious) memoir Walking Home.

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Although tickets for the event were snapped up quickly, don’t worry if you missed out as Aesthetip will be doing a spread about the Armitage evening in October’s issue! For more information about upcoming courses offered by the Newlyn School of Art go to http://www.newlynartschool.co.uk/ Newlyn Art Gallery – New Road, Newlyn John Newling’s Ecologies of Value exhibition, a series of provocative works challenging the place of money and religion in society, will remain at Newlyn Art Gallery until September 14th. The selection of paintings, drawings and installations (including a cash machine reproduction) will really appeal to questioning minds. Archaeology in Reverse, a presentation of Andy Harper’s critically-acclaimed borderless paintings will be in place until the 28th, as will an intimate showing of Noami Frears smaller, personal pieces in Newlyn Art Gallery’s Picture Room. The Exchange – Princes Street, Penzance As September comes to an end The Exchange is transforming into The False Memory Archive – AR Hopwood’s touring exhibition exploring the fallible and tangible qualities of memory. The thought provoking pieces included in the selection have been created in collaboration with a variety of scientific and artistic minds, and the public is encouraged to get involved by depositing their own ‘false’ memories into the archive at www.falsememoryarchive.com For more information about exhibitions and events being held at Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange please visit http://www.newlynartgallery.co.uk/


Millennium – Street an Pol, St Ives

Tate St Ives – Porthmeor Beach, St Ives

After the success of 2011’s Storm exhibition (also at Millennium) contemporary artist Sax Impey is back with The Light and the Veil, running from 30th August to the 1st of October. The light, airy, almost stark atmosphere of Millennium is perfectly suited to Impey’s striking tonal images, so if you haven’t seen his work before this is the perfect introduction.

This leading gallery’s stunning Summer Exhibition, entioned in our August calendar, will be running until the 29th of September. So if you weren’t able to check out the exciting and eclectic range of displays last month (including the bold juxtaposition of Barbara Hepworth sculptures and Linder collages) be sure to pay Tate St Ives a visit in the weeks ahead. Furthermore, from 13:00 on the 25th of September Tate St Ives’ Exhibition and Displays Curator Laura Smith will be leading a special guided tour of this year’s summer exhibition, providing an expert insight into a thrilling exhibit.

Cornwall Contemporary – Chapel Street, Penzance From the 7th to the 20th of September Cornwall Contemporary is devoting its wall space to the unmistakable talents of expressive artist Neil Pinkett. In a series of paintings we’re invited to explore the fells around Coniston, Cumbria through Pinkett’s eyes and forceful palette knife impressions. Although much of the subject matter tackled in this selection may be a departure from Pinkett’s renowned seascapes, as always the draw of his work is in the raw presentation of unhindered natural elements. The Belgrave – 22 Fore Street, St Ives The Belgrave’s Summer Exhibition gave us a dazzling array of cross-discipline contemporary art to sink our teeth into, but in September the gallery is all about beautiful simplicity. In homage to the Frost dynasty the Belgrave is devoting each month of the autumn to a different generation of this legendary family. September, from the 7th to the 23rd, belongs to Luke Frost – Anthony’s son, Terry’s grandson and a man redefining a great artistic legacy. In a series of works titled ‘Volts’ Luke challenges viewer’s spatial awareness with his explorations of precision composition and colour and gets the Frost season off to a flying start.

Other notable events in the Tate St Ives calendar include Talking Art on the 7th of September, a specialist event where visually impaired art lovers are able to enjoy vivid audio descriptions of displayed works and participate in inspirational activities, and the gallery’s Super Sunday, a fantastically creative family day out running from 11:00 am on the 15th of September. Barbara Hepworth fans may also want to clear their schedules on the 19th as Tate St Ives is holding an informative and enjoyable hour long walk and talk in the Cornish icon’s subtropical gardens under the guidance of Head Gardener Chris Green. Finally, on the 27th there’s an event night owls are sure to love as the gallery hosts another of its hugely popular Late at Tate evenings. From 18:00 onwards visitors can gain free entry to Tate St Ives exhibits, explore the fascinating range of displays, sample excellent food and drink and get involved in some lively discussions. There are also tickets available for a fantastic wine tasting event being held on the same evening. For £25 participants will get to sample ten classic fine wines from Tate Britain’s illustrious cellars under the guidance of Tate sommelier Hamish Anderson – a deliciously decadent way to spend a Friday night.

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MA FINE ART show / falmouth university by frances walsh September is the season for final shows of work by graduating Masters students at Falmouth University. In this issue, Aesthetip features the work of five of the MA Fine Art: Contemporary Practice graduates - Annabel Harris, James Kinder, Laura Menzies and Frances Walsh – who describe their work in their own words. The MA Fine Art show at Lamorva House runs 3 – 7 September, alongside shows by students from MA Art & Environment, Curatorial practice and Illustration: Authorial Practice. Rob Gawthrop, Course Leader, explains ‘The MA Fine Art Contemporary Practice show is primarily a group exhibition by nine individual artists. It is also the culmination of an intensive year of practical and theoretical enquiry. The work is diverse in terms of the forms it takes and the concerns it seeks to engage with. The show raises questions and gives a sensory experience as contemporary art practice should’.

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Katri Pakkaari MA Show installation (2013)

Laura Menzies Flux (2013), mixed media on canvas My paintings operate as a personal register of marks formed from constructs of memory, emotion and indirect references to place. They suggest a world that we all encounter visually or sensationally, and are imbued with a strong sense of time, depth and ambiguity. Many of the influences are located on the edge of consciousness and gradually seep in as the images slowly evolve.

The work is beneath the surface, revealing the silent and wretched side of life. Using traditional methods of sculpture with video and sound, I aspire to create tensions between the constituent parts to achieve a slightly twisted reality. My work is dealing closely with humanity, and that which is never said out loud.


Annabel Harris

James Kinder

Frances Walsh

The work pays attention to a sense of displacement from motherland or the native, and looks at our relationship with the language of land.

Detail from Rearrangement 433 (2013)

The Tanks (2013), digital photograph

The silence of things, the time of things, the stillness of things, the everchanging variety of things, the organic rhythm of things, the signs of things, the coming from nowhere and constant change of things, the phenomena of things intrigue me. I observe the slow disintegration of recognisable things. The chance change of individuality and its unpredictability, its sadness and its glory.

My work utilises video projection to explore the space of reception; the relationships between interior space, projected image, screen and viewer. In ‘The Tanks’, repeated, moving images build a visual narrative, enabling the viewer to construct an understanding of the subject through their own experience and interpretation of the work.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.falmouth.ac.uk/ ma-show-2013 http://srbest.wordpress.com/ http://lauramenzies.co.uk/ http://katripaakkari.co.uk/ index.html http://cargocollective.com/ franceswalsh jameskinder59@gmail.com

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PHOTOGRAPHER / dale pointon

How did you get into photography?

What equipment do you use?

When I was 16 I started an advanced art and design course, however after getting massively bored of drawing a chair put on top of a table for several weeks I decided to pack it in and start A-levels instead, this was where I began doing photography. I realised that with a camera I could capture exactly what I wanted through a single click instead of spending hours upon hours drawing a fine art piece. Digital didn’t exist back when I started and back then every shot you took counted, not like today when you can take the risk of taking hundreds of shots and only pick out a few, but I’m not complaining.

At the moment just my old D80 and D90 with a 28-200mm, 14mm fish eye and my trusty 50mm manual focus (old school). Some studio flashes and a Nikon speed flash.

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What appeals to you photographically what draws you to the images you take? What appeals to me photographically? I would say images that portray art. I’m not a huge fan of the standard portrait or glamour shots. What inspires your ideas? I look at other photographers around the world and see what they are achieving and then I try to strive to their level. Describe the process you go through to turn your ideas into the final image? What tips would you give to people that are starting out? I look around and get inspiration f rom others and then try and portray the influence they give me in my own idea. You have to remember there really isn’t many ideas left in the world that haven’t been done already so taking inspiration from others is fine, Just try to not copy because that’s naughty!

After getting the idea I usually aim to find a model to do the shoot with but sometimes a model gets in touch with me and then I have to work out an idea to suit that person. So now I have to turn my idea into reality, arrange a make up artist, sometimes clothing and then sort out my lighting and backdrop for the shoot. Now the shoot, for me the image is in my head but it can take me a while and a few poses to get to what I am really after but when I do I know I’ve got it. After the shoot its time to roam through my images and work out which ones are my favourite. After picking my best few, I work on the editing to produce the final images.

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My tips would be to try every genre from landscape to portrait to commercial because you never know which one you will like the most, Then once you do find the one don’t be afraid to experiment. The best photographers are the ones who push the boundaries. Which three qualities do you think a person needs to become a good photographer? A good eye is essential, you have to see things around you that normally people don’t see. Be patient, Rome wasn’t built in a day and you won’t be the best photographer in the world in a day also. Don’t be afraid to experiment, you will become much better that way. What are you most proud of? My kids, they mean the world to me. What’s next for you? University it’s been a long time since I was educated in photography and a lot has changed. I’m eager to learn more. www.facebook.com/ dalepointonphotographer

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DALE POINTON

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DAISY RICKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT Growing up in Cornwall in an artistic household, has undoubtedly had a significant impact on my love for creativity and the different means in which I now express myself. Currently studying my A-Levels in Film, Photography, and Art, I feel it is important to break out from the system which tries to constrict you if you want to pursue your dreams in doing what you love. My fascination of eccentric characters is something that runs through the inspiration for a lot of my work, and I find that the people of whom I am surrounded by in Penwith are a catalyst to my creativity. Through my photographic work I have started to explore these characters through documentation of their artistic expression, deriving out of relationships between family and friends.

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Recently I was fortunate enough to see Mark Kermode present Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Plaza, Truro, and I can honestly say it was the most fascinating cinematic experience of my life. Not only did seeing the film on such a screen enhance why 2001 is such a masterpiece, but this was actually being projected from a 35mm print given to the Plaza by the Stanley Kubrick Estate! Fascinated by the use of celluloid through the means of photography and film, I was lucky enough to meet the projectionist himself and during the intermission saw how the complex array of machinery worked, realizing the skill and knowledge involved in what use to be a common practice in pre-digital cinemas. Mark is embarking on a programme of similar screenings at the Plaza on celluloid film throughout the year in order to keep the practice of 35mm projection alive and thus passing it on to future generations.

Following on from these experimentations, lately I have been involved in some local musical events such as the open-mic nights in Zennor and St. Just. Playing traditional blues numbers, Tom on bass and Mark on guitar, Two Geezer’s and a Double Bass’s next stop will be on the 13th of September at Newlyn’s Art Exhibition Suspended Sentences.

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vintage column writer alison ballard

So this month we have been looking at all things Vintage! Lisa and I have taken a trip down memory lane to a brand new vintage shop which has just opened in Newquay and features a range of fabulous interiors and toys from a bygone era.

I have achieved quite an impressive collection over the years which I am still very fond of. I also used to collect Royal Mint coins and chocolate branded mugs – typically, the ones you get free with Easter eggs.

Proper Retro is the lifelong passion of Rod & Brenda Harrison, who have spent many years collecting iconic pieces mainly from the 1950s, 60s and 70s for their own home. We met up with them in the shop based on the site of the Old Bakery in Crantock Street to find out more:

Brenda: I love the nostalgia and history that our collection has. Seeing things that my grandparents used to own and use. I love it when people bring in their children and have that same reaction, reminiscing and explaining that’s what their parents or grandparents had and used when they were young. Fashion and technology changes so quickly but it’s funny that everything comes back around as we rebel against the modern world.

Why did you decide to open the shop? We have collected vintage homewares and other items for many years, we’d use things in the house for a while then find something better to replace it with but didn’t want to part with anything. The collection soon began to fill the spare room, the shed, the garage and then a storage unit so we decided rather than storing it away we’d turn our hobby into a business to share our fantastic finds with everyone else! Why Newquay? We live in Newquay so the location of the shop is perfect for us. There’s nothing similar nearby so we feel that we’re offering something a bit different. Why a Vintage Shop? Rod: My love for collecting started when I was a young lad, living close to the Robertson’s Jam Factory in Droylsden (up North!). I’d find their broken jars outside the factory, remove the tokens off the labels and take them in to collect a free Golly pin badge.

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What are your favourite products in the shop? There are so many and it changes constantly but if we have to choose: Rod: The 1960s Golly chair is my favourite item at the moment. For me, collecting the Golly is where it all started. Brenda: The Servis Twin tub washing machine is my favourite. It reminds me of helping my mum do the washing as a child and I remember being so pleased when I got my own when we got married! What are your aspirations for the future of the shop? We just aim to see how it goes for the first 12 months. We’re certainly receiving some lovely feedback about the shop and the items we have for sale are very interesting so we can only hope to improve it further with a view to expanding in future.


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Will you be branching out to stock more products? There’s always something new available in the shop. It’s like an ever changing museum! We’ll continue with homewares, furniture, toys and collectables but are looking to introduce some clothing and accessory items in the coming weeks. The shop is certainly worth a visit to, there are many great items for sale and some careful consideration has been put into the displays of products. Many items are still boxed and sealed in perfect condition. Alongside the toys and homewares, Rod and Brenda have a number of household products and food products contained full and perfect in their boxes, including an unopened box of chocolates from the 1930’s and various packages of tea and washing powder from the 50’s – 70’s. The shop is located at: The Old Bakery, Rear of 33 Crantock Street, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1JJ and is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am — 4pm. Products can also be viewed on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ ProperRetro where delivery can also be arranged.

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Photography / Lisa Parkinson / Kernow Dream Photography


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LEXIE sport We were lucky to photograph a new range from Lexie Sports during Aug. Those of you who are new to this brand, Lexie Sports is sportswear designs inspired by the beauty of the athletic female form, combining fashion aesthetics with performance aware attributes. Our model Mellissa loved how the leggings fitted and she just adored the outfits. Here is an interview with Lily Rice the owner and designer from Lexie Sports. Please tell us how you started your brand after graduating? After graduation I was commissioned by the Sri Lankan Design Festival to produce a catwalk sportswear collection for them, so spent 4 months in a factory working on a ten outfit collection. After this I was headhunted by Umbro and worked in Manchester on Premier League kits for a year but I really wanted to work on women’s sportswear and there wasn’t much of this.

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I decided to leave and on a complete whim applied to a BBC3 show that was being advertised. The show was ‘Be your own boss’ sort of an entrepreneur Dragons Den with Richard Reed from innocent smoothies. I entered, got through, and eventually got investment from Richard! The show was aired this time last year and since then I’ve been working really hard on Lexie!. We love how you are a female designer who designs for women and with designs they aren’t just about fashion; they actually are about performance as well. Can you tell us do you test your garments? I studied Performance Sportswear Design at Falmouth University so I approach all my designs from a performance angle. I’ve always participated in sports from football to running and boxing so I have first hand experience that I apply and am able to test samples. We also have Lexie girls. Kick ass women who participate in sport and wear our gear. Believe me they’d let me know if something wasn’t right!


Do you follow the fashion trends when you are designing? Just because something performs doesn’t mean it can’t be aesthetically pleasing. That being said I don’t think Lexie needs to follow catwalk trends. I think strongly about the female body and consider how the garments would work in a woman’s wardrobe. No one wants a bundle of hideous lycra to work out in! How does it feel to be recognised as one of the future 50’s top young entrepreneurs? Awards are great and it was a real honor but I still have oceans of knowledge to learn. It’s probably the funniest aspect of owning your own business, learning new things and making up solutions quickly! How was your pop-up store in London during Aug? The Pop was our official launch and we were really lucky to have our first ‘store’ on the Kings Road in London. I’ve worked a lot of retail in my time so to be selling my designs to the public was really enjoyable!

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PHOTOGRAPHY / EMMA GRIFFIN - GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY MODEL / MELISSA LOMAX MAKEUP & HAIR / SALLY ORCHARD

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What for you is exciting in sports fashion now? I think it’s generally a really exciting time for women in sport, which has a great knock on effect. The ethos being Lexie is all about getting more girls into sport and having them become passionate and enthused about it, to keep them participating as women. We’re seeing more role models for these girls in the public eye, which is brilliant. Who is your ideal client? Lexie is designed for any female who kicks ass no matter her sport. We already have some great fans with TV presenter Cherry Healey and Skins actress Kaya Scodelario wearing our kit. What have you got planned for 2014? 2014 will see us launch our next collection and hopefully see Lexie stocked in some more great retailers. We currently sell online exclusively through www. youngbritishdesigners.com which is a huge honor, and I’d love to add a high street store to this. The collection has received rave reviews from female athletes with 14 x Ladies World Thai Boxing Champion Julie Kitchen stating – “ I was really, really impressed (with the Lexie collection), all the fabrics are really soft you can tell they will be comfy to train in and the mesh is great to help your body breathe”.

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More information online at www.lexiesport.co.uk. Contact: lily@lexiesport.co.uk

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SPOTlight / wild pony

45 Arwenack Street Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3JH 56

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We have the pleasure recently to work alongside a clothing shop called Wild Pony. A stylish looking store based in the heart of Falmouth, stocking vintage and urban apparel for men and women. Whenever we have been in the store it’s always busy with a mixture of clients buying. The store offers great prices and there is even a sale rail outside with unbelievable low priced goodies! If you visit Falmouth make sure you pop into Wild Pony. Some of the items they stock in Wild Pony: – N ewly tailored ‘classics’ including Harrington, Parka & Wax Jackets – American Vintage – L arge Range of Vintage Levis 501’s and Denim Jackets – Reworked Vintage Items – Brixton – The Quiet Life – Faux Furs – 80s & 90s Converse All Stars – Vintage Adidas Sneakers http://wild-pony.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY / EMMA GRIFFIN - GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY MODELS / ROLAND BRAY, LOWENNA MURLEY, RUTH U’REN MAKE UP ARTIST / NEILA DAWES HAIR STYLIST / ALANA RICKARD SEPTEMBER

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How did your business come about? Just a hobby really. I’ve been making things since I can remember! A few years back I decided to share a stall with a friend at a local carnival, and it just went from there. It was a hobby for a while, then as it became more productive I registered it as part time employment, and piggy-backed it onto my day job. It’s only been more recently that I’ve cranked it up, and now it’s my full time occupation! There are times I can’t keep up with it, I’ve got really busy! When you are getting creative where do you go to get inspired? Ooo, good question...I often find myself thinking of new ideas in bizarre places, no where particular....sometimes I’ll be driving, or maybe in that half asleep phase before bed. I’m quite a thinker, so things whizz around in my head..I’ve always got a little note pad with me - it gets filled up pretty quickly! I love browsing online and meeting other makers, it’s always a challenge to find something new, that’s not too similar to anyone else, and that isn’t too easy to replicate either. I find that I can often be really hard to judge how well something will do - some of my most popular lines were only ever an experiment and have flourished and become really popular, and others that I have worked and worked on, never really got much attention.

What has been the hardest part of setting up your own business? Uncertainty! Although because I didn’t set it up as a business from the very beginning, I didn’t have that ‘diving straight in’ scariness that a lot of people would experience with a new business. Ptfp grew in its own little way into what it is now, it developed as I did, and in some ways I have led it, but in many ways it has guided me onto the path I’m now taking. There are always uncertain moments when you are the one responsible for a business, and as much as being a designer and creator is great fun, and a massive luxury...you also have to be your own boss, financial manager, PR, PA, HR, secretary, Liaison officer, IT guru, social media expert, blogger, photographer, editor, distributor, stock manager, ordering supervisor, cleaner, cashier, retail personal and finally.... product development manager! In there somewhere you might find the time to design and create too! Being in charge of every aspect of a business is scary, and I’m totally self taught!

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BEING CREATIVE IS A LIFESTYLE

Being self-employed isn’t easy, what’s been your proudest moment so far? Wow that’s a really hard question! I can’t really pin point a specific moment, but I have moments when I feel really excited about my business. Sometimes I do have to take a step back and really enjoy what I’ve created, and remind myself that I created it!! It’s easy to get carried away in the day to day stuff, and hear people say nice things about my stall, but sometimes you do have to take stock and let your self actually take on board what is around you!

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In my really busy periods, when I’m churning out stock somewhat robotically, it’s a proud moment when I realise that the reason I’m busy is because people want to buy my things! That’s pretty cool too. I love it when people tell me that they are keeping one of my cards to frame... that’s probably my favourite thing to hear! What is your favourite item you design and make? Another hard question! The most design work goes into my custom orders. I love doing these and they are really good fun, but very time consuming, and this is often where I can feel that my time isn’t being financed well, but I try and keep a light attitude to the time: money ratio to keep my artist head on, other wise you’d get so bogged down by the business logistics!

My custom orders are for personalised cards, pictures and books. I get a lot of orders for these online, especially hen books, and these are my most lucrative sellers on Folksy and Etsy. This is an example of a product taking me by surprise... I opened my online shops to sell jewellery, but the ‘paper goods’ really took off! My stall and wholesale items don’t really reflect my online shops, and vice Versa, it’s almost like my business has 2 parts! But I love them both...the jewellery keeps me really busy and brings in my largest income, but the cards and books keep my artist flare ticking over.


Sometimes I spend over an hour on one card that I am receiving just a few quid for, but I’ve loved making it, so I just have to say ce la vie, and enjoy the fact that I have such a great job! How important to you is your studio?

I couldn’t be without my studio! Being able to lay out projects and leave them when I need to, rather than having to tidy up the table for dinner, is invaluable and I am incredibly fortunate and grateful to have this space to work in.

Immensely! I’ve only had my studio as long as I’ve been doing Ptfp full time and I’m lucky to have it in my home! Prior to this I worked off a tray on my lap on the sofa when we lived in a very small flat. There’s no way my business could have grown as much as it has done in the past year working like that! Ptfp has more than tripled in productivity in the last year....

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Describe your studio space to us please? I love my studio! It’s my little heaven, filled with everything I love. The first thing I bought for my studio was my red spotty chair which I found in a furniture revamp shop, while we were working on our house. When we moved in, I was able to create my little space and make it my own. It would take you all day to count the polka dots in my studio (and in my home, and wardrobe) some would say it’s an obsession...

I like to call it a lifestyle choice. I have everything I need at arms length, and I’m obsessively organised, so with my work desk in the middle, I have everything labelled and co-ordinated so that it is in a logical order. I can find everything I need and know exactly where everything is! I have an old wardrobe full of all my packing and stall stuff, and sets of shelves - one where all my materials live, and the other where my stock lives...in little boxes of course.

On the surfaces are always projects and works in progress, usually all laid out on one of my many spotty trays. I do my photography by the window with lots of natural light, on a old box stool and use a nice piece of spotty fabric as my background. My gorgeous little cat dolly quite likes to sit on it though! I love my studio space, it’s light, colourful and it keeps me inspired. I spend more time in there than anywhere else, so it’s great that it such a lovely space...I usually have a nice smelly candle on the burn too!

Website / www.ptfpickle.co.uk Facebook / www.facebook.com/PrettyThingsFromPickle Folksy / www.folksy.com/shop/ptfp Etsy / www.etsy.com/shops/ptfp I’m also on Instagram, twitter, and pintrest.

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PHOTOGRAPHY / EMMA GRIFFIN - Griffin photography


“ I HAVE SUCH A GOOD JOB!”

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A DAY IN THE LIFE... My name is Lou Tonkin & I am a textile artist & printmaker from Cornwall. As an artist I work mostly with textilesI print, collage & re-work them into artworks or as items of clothing. Giving a woollen item which has quality & character an extended life has endless pleasures for me. I do this with lots of different techniques, sometimes felting or lino & screen-printing & sometimes stitching or collaging to build up the layers & depth. I spend a lot of time outside everyday ‘nature grazing’ & this is a day in my life.... I’m always up early because of both my natural rhythm & out of necessity to get stuff done. I’m not just an artist, I’m also a mother of three small children so this is the only time I get to organize myself properly & get a bit of peace & quiet at the same time. I’m an outside girl, so as early as we can in the morning we are out, I love it in my garden & amongst my vegetable patch- I might see a blackbird caught in mid-blackcurrant theft dash out from my currant bushes or spend some time looking at the lace forming on my broccoli leaves, I know this is actually just naughty little caterpillars chomping their way through but I can never quite bring myself to remove them. Always a trip down to the beach at the bottom of the road, our dog is ancient so it can take some time, but all the better for me as I get more time to ‘inspiration graze’ the hedgerows. This takes longer than you might imagine- our little village (snuck away on the south coast of Cornwall) is insanely friendly & hours can be spent chatting to people as we pass.

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I try to squeeze work in whenever I can, some days are more productive than others but my day is always brought together by little people with tummies like clocks. I have been told I’m like Annie Light, Laurie Lee’s mother, described beautifully by Lee in Cider with Rosie“She was after all, a country girl; disordered, hysterical, loving. She was muddled and mischievous as a chimney jackdaw, she made her nest of rags & jewels, was happy in the sunlight, squawked loudly at danger, pried and was insatiably curious, forgot when to eat or ate all day, and sang when sunsets were red. She lived by the easy laws of the hedgerow, loved the world, and made no plans, had a quick & holy eye for natural wonders and couldn’t have kept a neat house for her life” I actually take this as quite a compliment.


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RECYCLING / NAT RIGBY

A lot of people, when they think of the word recycling and its history, often refer back to the ‘make do and mend’ ethos that emerged during the Second World War. This of course influences all sub-cultures of recycling and none more so than the Punk movement. The Punk movement which was pioneered by Malcolm Maclaren and classic British Punk band the Sex Pistols were central to this DIY ethic that not only encompassed the style of music but also influenced fashion through to today. In 1976 Malcolm Maclaren and his then girlfriend Vivienne Westwood changed the name of their clothes shop in Kings Road to ‘SEX’. This innovative shop sold all manner of clothing never seen before in society: parachute shirts, bondage trousers and PVC wear being just some of the delights on offer. Not only did it offer clothes for young people looking to rebel against the doldrums of their mundane existence but also offered somewhere to hang out with likeminded individuals.

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Teenagers of the time started to experiment with their clothes, incorporating the make do and mend ideology. They were embracing their tired

and worn garments and re-creating them into something more exciting which expressed something more about their personality. Vivienne Westwood, credits Johnny Rotten as the first British punk to rip his shirt, and Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious as the first to use safety pins. Siouxsie Sioux famously wore bin bags and safety pins as earrings. In art, the Situationistinfluenced graphics of Sex Pistols artist Jamie Reid embraced anarchist imagery mainly for its shock and with a tongue in cheek undertone. Iconic images were collaged over the top with newspaper print ransom style ripped letters. Also at this point a new style of Comic art was emerging embracing the anti hero. A whole new breed of imagery was emerging through art, clothing, style and music. This recycled ethic has formed the undertone of the last few decades with it gaining in popularity throughout the last decade. Artists and crafters have been turning their attentions towards their materials with an emphasis on eco-friendly. Recycling and upcycling have become buzzwords across the handmade community.


The way that the punk era influences today’s artists and crafters is in the materials being transformed, and the witty and anarchistic message that each artwork or objects offers. This tongue in cheek and very British attitude towards art and crafts can be seen in many galleries and gift shops across the UK and particularly in Cornwall. At Thrashion Ltd, where we push the boundaries of what can be made out of an old recycled skateboard deck, we are always inspired by the creative similarities in our Cornish contemporaries.

Thrashion vs Tinyhands Textiles bag by Thrashion Ltd www.thrashion.com image © Steve Tanner

Driftwood houses by Kirsty Elson www.kirstyelsondesigns.co.uk/

Recycled plastic bottle necklaces by Rebecca Crawford www.myspacefruit.com image © Steve Tanner Recycled paper lampshade by Stephanie Wheeler of Naturally Heartfelt www.naturallyheartfelt.co.uk/

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OUTDOORS / DALE POINTON

Bouldering with mats to climbing multi pitches on the Cornish sea cliffs, Climbing is a lifestyle, a passion, an addiction to challenge. Everyone on my journey through climbing has always had some form of goal or reason why they climb. Some people climb because its just a fun way to keep fit, others do it because of the sense of achievement you gain. From the small little’ns to older beginners to the experienced climber, climbing is capable for everyone. You don’t have to do things past you limits and you don’t even need to go high if your afraid of heights. The Cornish sea cliffs are classed as the best sea cliffs to climb in the world, they are fantastic to climb and the views are spectacular, however if you don’t feel up for starting your journey outside then why not head indoors to some of the great indoor climbing centres around such as Granite Planet in Penryn or the Barn in Tavistock, both designed for beginners to the advanced climber.

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So no matter whether your a lone rider or a great big family, why not have a go and who knows you might be climbing Everest real soon.


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FAVOURITE

STOP

“Henry’s Campsite The Lizard Helston Cornwall TR12 7NX

Tel: 01326 290596 www.henryscampsite.co.uk

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HENRYS CAMPSITE

This amazing campsite is situated on the Lizard in Cornwall. With a spectacular sea view and sunsets, at the top the valley within a couple of minutes walk from the village centre and ten minutes walk to the coastal paths.

The site has character with ducks and chickens running loose, sea views and lots of friendly people. The perfect place to stop off for a family break. It also has all you need for your stay, you can even hire a brazier and of course they sell logs for a good old bonfire and the making of smores.


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In THE VEG PATCH / TIFFANY FRIEND

Hello to all readers! I am Tiffany, a mummy to two beautiful daughters, a partner, daughter, daughter in law, sister, sister in law, granddaughter, auntie, friend and pet owner!! I could go on but that is a basic background of things that make me smile.

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Alongside these lovely people my background is photography, I have a burning passion for creativity in any concept, or medium. I hate things going to waste, so recycling and using old things for new purposes is big at our home. Music is my muse, and gets my ideas going! in fact right now i am listening to a little David Bowie, an artist i got used to as a child, my father always played his LPs, thanks dad! ....but the feeling of growing or creating comes a pretty close second!


I look forward to showing you all what I’m up to over the coming months. This month I am showing you my vegetable patch. It has been somewhere I relax and have enjoyed for many years with my grandmother. At our patch we are already reaping the rewards of hard work, we have potatoes on the table for dinner, we have plentiful runner beans for sharing, chard is taller than the dog, and the beetroot is huge!

Tip for this month is: To get the most from your potato crop, cut the flowers off and then absolutely soak the ground, personally we put a sprinkler in the middle and leave it on for a while, you will get a bigger more succulent crop of potatoes.

PHOTOGRAPHY / TIFFANY FRIEND

Next month making chutney with our fallen apples!

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CYANOTYPE / TIFFANY FRIEND

Cyanotype was invented by Sir John Herschel in 1842, also known as Blueprint. I had great joy of attending a workshop with ShutterPod that I booked for my summer school students and I loved that every single person came out with a completely different piece of art and more importantly a huge smile from what they had achieved. Cyanotype is a fairly simple process. The chemicals need to be handled with care, particularly if mixing from powder form, so it may be best to do a workshop first or use pre-coated ‘solar/sun paper’ especially with small children. It is pretty environmentally friendly as the end solution washed away is just iron salts. Although it is a simple process, it can be made very complex by mixing other processes with it and/or toning the prints. It can also be used on any natural material such as cotton, wood or leather. Before you start, get all the items you need together. A book named ‘Blueprint to Cyanotypes’ was advised for newcomers to this process, this book lists processes, instructions and safety etc. Please use the following as a guide only. Before you start, get all the items you need together.

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You can buy premixed chemicals off ebay, amazon or from silverprint directly but you can mix them yourself but you need to find out exact measurements from silverprint photographic supplies, you can also buy the whole kit from there. Alongside the chemicals you will also need the following. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Water (distilled if possible) Scale or measuring spoons Measuring jug 3 glass containers if you are mixing ingredients Plastic spoons Face mask (DIY style) Goggles if mixing yourself Rubber gloves Apron or old shirt Newspaper to cover work surface Cleaning cloth Brushes or coating rod Clothes pegs (plastic) Washing line or rope (plastic) Art paper or fabric for coating Glass or a contact print frame Sunshine or a UV light source

In Octobers issue I will be interviewing Josie from ShutterPod, Cyanotype is one of the Pods specialisms and a big part of its workshops. We will be telling you about next years exciting projects too so look out for it.


PHOTOGRAPHY / TIFFANY FRIEND

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Tea Parties — A short story / Laura Parsons Annabelle Smith had been an awkward child. She was always slight for her age, so slight she was often overlooked. And when people did notice her it was only to see that her eyes were too big, her nose was too small and her teeth stuck out just that bit too much. She had a stutter and some children, delighting in their own cruelty, would only speak to her so they could hear it. The other children were crueller still, and didn’t speak to her at all. Annabelle Smith had been a lonely child. But her mother had promised that as she got older she would grow out of her nervousness and everyone would see how wonderful she was. Everyone would see her sweetness and her kindness. Then she would have friends. Annabelle’s mother promised that one day she would have friends. That was all Annabelle had ever wanted. She didn’t want a lot of friends. She didn’t want the prettiest friends, or the smartest friends or the funniest friends. She just wanted friends. A friend would have done. Her mother tried to be her friend. Tried her best to make her feel special, loved and not so terribly, horribly alone. They used to have tea parties together. Annabelle would bring all her dolls and they would drink tea, sometimes real and sometimes pretend, and they would eat little cakes with pink icing and Annabelle would almost be happy for a while.

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Her mother promised that when she got older Annabelle would have friends. Her mother lied. Annabelle got older and older and the friends she was so desperately hoping for never came. She tried to make friends. She tried to make friends by fitting in. By trying so hard to fit in. She wore the right clothes and bought the right makeup and worked on improving her stutter until she could say whole sentences without pause. Her mother was so proud. No one else noticed. Annabelle slowly came to realise that being looked through for so long had drained her, to the point where she was merely a shadow cast by other people’s lives. Only her mother made any effort to see her. Only her mother found anything to like in what she saw. After Annabelle left school she got a job in an office. She was efficient and punctual and ignored. Her colleagues were polite of course. They’d nod at her in the morning, smile sometimes. Occasionally ask if she fancied a cake when someone was doing a bun-run. But she often thought that if she didn’t turn up one day no one would really notice the difference until the work began to pile up. The pain of knowing that she wasn’t appreciated or valued wasn’t as blunt or consuming as it used to be though. Annabelle got older, and Annabelle’s mother got sick. They carried on having tea parties, grown up ones now with real tea all the time and nice sandwiches as well as cake. They carried on having tea parties until Annabelle’s mother became as lifeless as her tattered dolls.


Every night after work Annabelle would go into the kitchen and set the table. She would lay out a freshly ironed table cloth, get out the best china, make sandwiches, arrange them in neat points and brew the tea. Once the tea was poured and the food was dished out Annabelle would talk about her day, her dwindling hopes and dreams for the future. She would talk about the man she had a crush on at the office, the shoes she wasn’t sure she should buy or the book she had been reading in her lunch break. As the night drew on the room would darken but she never thought to turn on the light. Before she went to bed she would throw away the cold cups of tea and the dry and curling sandwiches left by the friends who had never arrived.

As Annabelle poured out the tea and talked about her day she realised with a flush of pleasure that her kitchen was quite crowded now. As the evening progressed she used her recently discovered laugh, tried out a few jokes and was happy.

But everyone has a turning point in their lives. Annabelle’s came with a simple knock on the door. Behind the jaunty knock was a woman selling Tupperware. Annabelle didn’t need Tupperware but the woman was bouncy, smiley and a little pushy so she invited her inside anyway.

Annabelle talked to a policeman that week about some recent and worrying disappearances. The conversation didn’t last long and he soon went off to talk to her neighbour, immediately forgetting about the mousy, stuttering woman who had no useful information to share.

That night Annabelle went to sleep with a warm feeling in her chest. She had finally learnt how to make friends.

After closing the door Annabelle went to the kitchen. As she smiled at the people she knew would be her friends for the rest of her life she began to prepare her tea party.

Once she had made one friend Annabelle found it easier to make others. Now, after all the empty years following the death of her mother, when Annabelle held a tea party she wasn’t alone at the table. It made her heart swell and the years of isolation seem distant.

That night, before she went to bed, Annabelle threw away the cold cups of tea and the dry and curling sandwiches that had been left by the friends who were still sat at her table. The Tupperware lady, the emergency plumber, the woman collecting for charity and the little girl who’d lost her cat were watching her with unblinking eyes. Listening to her with unhearing ears. Reaching out to her with cold, stiff hands.

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That’s so

FABULOUS OUR TOP 3 FABULOUS FINDS

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Brooches / Pretty Things By Pickle www.ptfpickle.co.uk/ ÂŁ5.00

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Headband / Starburst 86

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Turban / Holly Young ÂŁ230.00 www.hollyyoungboutique.com SEPTEMBER

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creative apps / chris thomas

In the last issue of Aesthetip I looked at the potential of creative apps and how many of those which could be dismissed as childish tech -toys are actually well worth a second look. Previously I explored the idea of stereographic photos, which manipulate a 360º image around a central point to produce small worlds floating in space.

This month I’ve discovered another great little (free!) app which gives you the opportunity to miniaturise your world. This clever little package simply blurs out the top and bottom of the image to give the illusion of a very narrow depth of field, thereby giving the impression that the subject is relatively small. In this way you can produce images which challenge perceptions of space and give subjects an unsettling model-village edge. This style of manipulation is called tilt shift and is a technique being used more and more in films and high end photo production. It can now be achieved (albeit in a relatively basic form) on your phone. This, like last month’s app, inspired me to get out there and find the right location for the shot. A good height above the subject is required (in order to give the impression of craning over a model) but other than that it is simply a case of trial and error. Frustratingly there is often an awful lot of error at first, however this does make capturing a good shot very rewarding! These are a few I have created in the past month but tweet me with yours, I would love to take a look! Chris Thomas @christhomas39

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Photography / Anthony Greenwood Photography Hair / Tori Prescott, inkFish Hair and Beauty Makeup / Chloe Jade Gilbert Model / Roland Bray SEPTEMBER

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SPOTLIGHT SUZANNE WILLIAMS Suzanne Williams is an artist who runs her own gallery, Four Crows in Porthleven, Cornwall. We catch up with her and find out a little more. We understand that you studied a Fine Art Degree at Falmouth University and you graduated in 2011, can you tell us how it has helped you in your career now?

Four Crows 3 Commercial Road, Harbourside, Porthleven, TR13 9JD www.fourcrowsgallery.co.uk

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Yes I studied for my degree in Fine Art in Falmouth, it was hard work and took me 7 years to complete as it was part time and I was working and bringing up my family. It was a fantastic experience that enabled me to meet some amazing people that will remain friends forever.


Just being in that environment with so many like minded creative people (students and tutors) made me see the world in a whole new way, and the added bonus of some exciting trips to several different countries broadened my knowledge of art around the world. What made you decide to open up an art gallery? After graduating I felt very unsure of which path to take, it was a strange feeling of suddenly being out there on your own in the ‘big scary art world’. I knew that I wanted to continue painting and experimenting and hopefully sell some work at some point but didn’t have the confidence I needed to go and sell myself and my work! To start with I thought the best way forward would be to find a studio with other artists so that i could enjoy the creative flow that comes from a group of artists that work together. Unfortunately studio space around Porthleven is very rare and there was nothing around so I had to change my plans. I decided that opening a small gallery would be something that I would find interesting and then I could sell my own work as well as that of others. As fate would have it, a small shop became available not far from my home, which strangely I had once owned as a hair salon when I was in my 20’s. I thought that must be a good omen so went for it!!

Do you stock local or national artists in your gallery? All the paintings and prints that are hung on the wall are either my own work or other local artists. The other items that I exhibit such as ceramics, jewellery, textiles and glass are a mixture of local and nationwide artists.

Each artist is carefully selected to present an unusual eclectic collection that sits well together. I don’t think I would be able to achieve this if I just used local artists as I want the gallery to be unlike others in the area and reflect my taste and personality. What have you learnt from having your own business? Running my own business has taught me lots of practical things such as book keeping and running the shop on a day to day basis, but has also given me a confidence in myself and my work, which is worth all the hard work!

Are there any negatives? The only negative thing I can think of is the lack of time I get to spend in my studio, but hopefully the winter months will give me chance to do that. Tell us what you think about the art scene locally? There is a great local art scene, I don’t get much time to get out to exhibitions in the summer months but I try to keep up with what’s going on via the Internet. Porthleven and the surrounding area is home to a large number of professional and amateur artists and the village it’s self has many studios and galleries. The Lifeboat studio is a fantastic gallery space that is available to rent all year round for exhibitions and courses, there have been a couple of good shows there this year from local and international artists. Do you feel that Cornwall has a lot of talented designer makers? Cornwall is a thriving mass of creative artists and designers. The light and the amazing scenery draws people in from all over the world to create and make beautiful things. I have been amazed since opening the gallery how many people that I have known for years suddenly come to me with amazing things that they have made or designed and I didn’t know about their talents.

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I feel very lucky ,firstly that I can spend my days surrounded by beautiful handcrafted goods, and secondly that I live in such a beautiful creative environment. What are you most excited about? I am excited about the future, Four Crows relocated to a new premises on the Harbour front in April this year so I am now able to include lots more exciting work from different artists, and I am able to exhibit some of my bigger paintings which is great as I do like to paint big!

I am very proud of my personal collection at Four Crows and I am learning to take the knocks but I am very aware that you can’t please everybody all the time, but when you do and you get told that your gallery lovely it’s the best feeling in the world.

But the best bit is I have an ever changing sea view! Have you any exciting plans for your gallery in 2014? In 2014 during January and February I will not only be getting back in my studio to create some new work, but I will also holding some workshops in the gallery. The first one will be Cornish jeweller Sarah Drew who will be holding a beach find jewellery workshop. Then hopefully we will have Julia Crimmen local ceramicist and some painting and printing workshops too. (Details will be available on the Four Crows website or face book page) This will be a great way of sharing some skills and using the space in the quieter months. Have you any advice for anyone who would like to set up a gallery? My advice to anyone setting up a gallery would be to decide on your values and tastes, don’t be swayed into selling anything that your unsure about or that you wouldn’t buy yourself. Then be prepared to take some criticism and knocks but don’t take it personally, stay strong. There will be people that don’t get what you do or what you have created but there will be many more that do.

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https://www.facebook.com/FourCrowsGallery http://www.fourcrowsgallery.co.uk


PHOTOGRAPHY / EMMA GRIFFIN - GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY

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ON THE BEACH words and photography / emma griffin

COVERACK

Coverack on the southern edge of the Lizard Peninsula, is a small picturesque fishing village built on two sides of a spur of rock that juts out into the sea. Coverack has a large, sheltered, crescent shaped beach which is ideal for swimming and windsurfing

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REVIEWs book and music reviews by our readers and contributors The Mousehole Cat Strictly speaking, The Mousehole Cat is a children’s book, but it is one of an increasing number of that genre which adults can enjoy just as much as their mini-me. For starters, The Mousehole Cat’s award-winning illustrations give it a far broader appeal then might be immediately apparent, while its heartfelt narrative ensures that no bookshelf is truly complete without it. The story (which is supposedly based on a local legend) is set in the small Cornish village of Mousehole at a time when fishing was not only the area’s most important industry but an allencompassing way of life. The narrative arch is told from the perspective of aging moggy Mowzer and follows the courageous actions of her ‘pet’ Old Tom (any cat owners will undoubtedly appreciate this sentiment of ownership). During a particularly hard winter food becomes scarce as the storm cat lays in wait, preparing to strike down any fishermen attempting to leave the safety of the ‘Moushole’ – the local name for the village’s particularly narrow harbour mouth.

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Old Tom decides to risk his own life in order to save his neighbours and their families, setting sail in defiance of the deadly tempest. Mowzer (who is really quite fond of her pet, and doubts she could come across another who would know just where she likes to be tickled) goes with him to try and help calm the storm cat and ease Tom’s way. Whilst the narrative is compelling, it is undoubtedly Nicola Bayley’s distinctive illustration style which brings the text to life and elevates The Mousehole Cat beyond its children’s book classification. From powerfully evocative Cornish seascapes to detailed and emotive social scenes, Bayley captures mood, light and movement beautifully, and has received international acclaim for her mastery of colour palettes. The portrayal of the sea as a wild cat tamed by the kindness of a kindred spirit is immortalised in rich blues and greens with an almost luminous radiance, resulting in an unusual enamel-like finish. The distinctive charm and arresting subject matter of the colour plates Bayley contributed to The Mousehole Cat saw the text earn the title of Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards as well as the British Design Production Award on its first publication in 1991. Bayley’s memorable representations of a local fishing culture also helped to make The Mousehole Cat an iconic piece of Cornish fiction, beloved by children and adults alike.


This book is a captivating snapshot of Cornwall’s historic past and well worth a read, no matter what your age. Furthermore, with online shopping you don’t even need to take a relative’s child on a bookshop-jolly to have an excuse for buying it. By Laura Parsons

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REVIEWs book and music reviews by our readers and contributors

Blue Horyzon The great thing about following a local band (aside from convenient gig locations) is getting to celebrate in their triumphs. When they succeed you can say you were there at the beginning, and for one Cornish band success certainly seems to be on the Horyzon. Blue Horyzon started out as a four piece bluegrass band, but over the last few years the group has re-jigged its setup, redefined its sound and started to make some serious waves on the Folk Rock circuit. Current members Sam Wilson, Seb Wilson and Nathan Cole blend their vocals with guitar, double-base, and (believe it or not) banjo, to form a distinct sound with an incredible range. The three stringed instruments alternately work together in total harmony and interesting discord, ensuring that you’re often surprised by songs, and covers take on a life of their own. Although the boys make quite an impact on their own, Blue Horyzon does take on session players for larger performances to up the tempo and provide fresh energy.

You could describe them as the Cornwall’s answer to Mumford and Sons, but while both bands capitalise on an addictive mix of soulful and upbeat rhythms and are doing their bit to bring Folk Rock the attention it deserves, Blue Horyzon is more interested in carving a niche for itself then getting recognition through imitation. Despite several changes to the line up since the band formed in 2011 the group are going from strength to strength and possess the enviable ability to get even the most static or reluctant gig goers up, dancing and (by the end of the night) singing along. As well as playing at both low and high key gigs and festivals around the country, Blue Horyzon was recently interviewed by BBC Spotlight and has had the distinction of performing on Main Stage 2 at the internationally renowned Shrewsbury Folk Festival. Bearing in mind the amount of attention they’re starting to draw, you may want to check them out for yourself before ticket prices start shooting up! You can check out some of Blue Horyzon’s original tracks on YouTube and keep up with the latest happenings by following them on Twitter @bluehoryzon By Laura Parsons

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PENNY BOARDING WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMA GRIFFIN

I’m a mum of two and my kids have gone stir crazy over ‘the next latest trend’. Everywhere I go around Cornwall I am seeing more and more kids with them and what’s so nice is it seems it’s very popular with teenaged girls. What is it that’s getting kids and grown-ups alike so excited about? Penny boarding - plastic skateboards have made a fast comeback over the last year. These retro cruisers can be seen everywhere from skate parks to car parks, pavements to schoolyards.

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This craze is a retro classic from the 70’s and I can see why it’s so popular with the girls, with the range of colours you can get. A moulded plastic skateboard, mass produced in a rainbow of colours in the mid 1970’s, the children of the 70’s the board was a common sight and everyone’s garage was at some point. The magic has been recreated today with the likes of Penny board. My daughter and her friends wanted to meet up like a tribe and skate together with their Pennies. 13 teenagers turned up in a small village to share their tricks and love of their boards. So nice to see a group of young girls outdoors have sporty fun!


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VIDEO LINK: https://vimeo.com/72295024

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CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BISCUITS Hello my dears! Welcome to another Sylvia McKiddie recipe page. Well my dears, August has been a very busy month for me. So much to do in my garden and as if that was not enough, I have recently joined a Dog Agility Class with my beloved poodle Pola Poski and what amazing fun its been. It was recommended to me by my dearest friend Jean Botts. The last few classes has seen Sylvia rushing around posts, up and down slides and yes.. crawling along tubes with my darling Pola Poski. Its a good job I wear Jaeger, am still fit, and dare I say in the dog agility world, glamorous! This month’s recipe is a rather nice little biscuit you can take out with you anywhere. Its a Chocolate Caramel Biscuit and absolutely delicious.

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Method Preheat the oven to 180c/160c Fan, Gas 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Sift the flour and cocoa together. Beat the butter, vanilla and 125g of the sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the flour and stir. Once it’s too stiff to use the spoon, gather the mixture together with your hands, handling it as little as possible, to stop it becoming greasy. Shape into 32 small balls and put on the baking trays leaving a gap between each. Dip the prongs of a fork in cold water and press onto the biscuits to flatten them slightly and mark the tops.

Ingred ients. 250g s elf ra ising flour 40g co c o a powd 225g u er nsalte d butt plus 7 er sof 5g for t he fil tened, Few dr ling ops of vanill a extr 175g c act aster sugar 2tbsp whole milk 100g i cing s ugar

Bake for 15-17 minutes. Leave on the trays to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. For the buttercream filling, put the rest of the sugar in a pan with 3tbsp water and heat slowly until dissolved. Simmer, without stirring, until it is a rich caramel colour, watching it carefully all the time. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in 25g of the unsalted butter and the milk. Return to a gentle heat and stir until mixed. Leave until cold. Beat the remaining butter until soft, then stir in the icing sugar. Add the cold caramel mixture and beat well. Sandwich the biscuits together with the caramel butter cream. I hope you enjoy these little biscuits, such fun to make! Bye bye, until next month my dears. Sincerely yours Sylvia McKiddie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZmcXI07a9g

Photography / emma griffin - GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY

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Geometric Beauty / Amy Eaton Facebook.com/amyeatonart https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/eatonamy SEPTEMBER


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