Dorset Art Weeks Local Guide

DAW2021

Sherborne Artist Guide

Mark Pender

DAW Producer, Megan Dunford offers here a small selection of participating artists local to Sherborne. With the ups and downs, lefts and rights, changing moods and rules, it is well worth checking the DAW website or app for the latest opening information before travelling to any venues.

____________________________ Venue 186 Mark and Miranda Pender An airy studio tucked away in a delightful walled garden.

Mark offers an eclectic selection of oils and acrylics, inspired by music, myth and fairy-tale.

Miranda works in a variety of media to create lively, colourful collage paintings: quirkily stylised representations of animals, plants, fossils and labyrinths, brilliantly embellished with metallics and gems.

Both artists put an emphasis on fun in their work. They have framed and unframed originals, plus a great selection of cards for sale.

Abbots Fee, Greenhill, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4EP 01935 815497 07896 354616 info@mirandapender.com mirandapender.com

____________________________ Venue 31 Pearl Gatehouse Artist’s working studio with gallery exhibiting paintings in oil and multimedia with drawing studies. Seascapes and wide Dorset landscapes with a feel of fresh air and sense of freedom. Recent restrictions have led to a discovery of new sources for inspiration; a desire to celebrate the rich colour of a briefly flowering peony, pops of colour in a winter garden and the poetic, fragile

Pearl Gatehouse

Miranda Pender

Martin Dickson Anne-Louise Bellis

beauty of imperfections. Much to see. Wide range of prices and sizes.

Moreys, Melbury Road, Yetminster, near Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6LX 01935 873888 07901 734330 Pearlgatehouse@yahoo.com pearlgatehouse.co.uk

____________________________ Venue 57 Anne-Louise Bellis and Martin Dickson Anne-Louise: Landscape, seascape and abstract paintings inspired by the coastline, skies and countryside of Dorset.

Martin: Unique ceramics for interiors and gardens, ranging from delicate, polished porcelain, through hand-built sculptural vessels, to planters, sundials and fountains.

Pieces are made from a range of variously-textured, high-fired clay bodies and are most often angular and geometric, emphasising the interplay of form and surface.

Beautiful period barn studio and exhibition space.

The Old Cow Shed Studio, Manor Farm, Glanvilles Wootton, Dorset DT9 5PZ Anne-Louise 07970 797748 albellis@btinternet.com theoldcowshedstudio.co.uk Martin 07732 601086 martindicksonceramics@gmail.com martindicksonceramics.co.uk

____________________________ Venue 116 Martin Galbavy Martin’s Elm Yard Gallery has evolved from the initial interest of a 6-metre World War I soldier, created from scrap metal, to a great interest in many of his sculptures. Dorset Forge and Fabrication have regularly featured on the TV programme Scrap Kings.

Martin Galbavy Pickle & Stitch

Victoria Jardine Mark Megilley

Elm Yard, Three Elms, North Wootton, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5JW 01935 508281 07950 337576 elmyardgallery@gmail.com

____________________________ Venue 48 Glenwood Studios Established Dorset makers, Liz Walsh and Victoria Jardine have teamed up with portrait and lifestyle photographer, Katharine Davies, and figurative painter, Rebecca Stanley, to produce an artfully woven display of willow sculpture, studio ceramics, portraiture and still life. Against a backdrop of their work throughout the studios and garden, Victoria will be demonstrating how she makes her hand-built ceramics, while Liz will be showing visitors the willow weaving techniques she has developed. Katharine will be exhibiting her portraits of local artists and makers and, weather permitting, offering half hour portrait sessions in the gardens. Visit Instagram page @glenwood_studios.

Glenwood Studios, Glenwood House, Longburton, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5PG 01963 210211 07812 952691 victoriajardine@hotmail.co.uk victoriajardine.com

____________________________ Venue 254 Mark Megilley and Pickle & Stitch Mark Megilley’s photography meanders between autobiography and fiction, subtly exploring notions of memory, family and history. His work considers the fragility of life, the flow of time and the narrative potential of objects.

Pickle and Stitch jewellery pieces are mostly multi-sensory; they incorporate touch, sight and sound. A fascination with the reflective, the shiny and the sparkly enables links to the ocean, nature, eternity, and unity to be explored. The ‘circle’ or ‘the round’ and its interlocking potential feature heavily in his work.

Format Print Studio, Unit 5, Higher Barn, Holt Mill, Melbury Osmond, Dorset DT2 0XL 07377 262025 markmegilley@gmail.com pickleandstitchhandmade@gmail.com markmegilley.viewbook.com

____________________________ Venue 169 Graham Church From a mind a little off-centre of predictable comes a wealth of unique rustic designs, sculptures and practical items for home and garden. Driftwood, copper, twisted branches, rusty metal, found objects – reused and recycled,

James Budden

Graham Church Corrina Cooper

cards and paintings.

Providence Place, Holnest, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6HA 01963 210579 church938@btinternet.com 93 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LS 07887 538313 jamesbudden@btinternet.com jamesbudden.co.uk

____________________________ Venue 50 James Budden ____________________________ Venue 287 Corrina Cooper creative bubble has formed. One that grasps the concept of ‘the everyday’, fractures thought geometrically but still clutches to reality. O’Keefe meeting Gilbert & George and creating a Vorticist offshoot.

Portraits, figures, still-life and Combining lockdown-restrictions and landscape in oils, pastel and charcoal. the confines of a flat; an unintentional EVOLVER_SHERBORNE_TIMES:Layout 1 16/04/2021 21:12 Page 1 The Artist Studio, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AA corrinacooper@outlook.com corrinacooper.co.uk

EVOLVER

THE FREE WESSEX ARTS AND CULTURE GUIDE

Returning in May alongside our new initiative the DORSET ART WEEKS MAGAZINE 2021 to arts venues, galleries, art shops, cafés, libraries and tourist information centres (etc) throughout Bristol, Bath, Dorset, East Devon, Somerset and West Wiltshire evolver.org.uk

A THIRD HELPING

Massimiliano Mannella, General Manager, The Clockspire

Image: Food Story Media

Right now, our main focus is recovery. We simply want to get back to the position we were at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, which was a very successful moment for us, and we’re aiming to bounce back to this as soon as physically possible.

Like many in a variety of sectors, but particularly in hospitality, we will continue to adapt to whatever is thrown at us – like we did in March 2020 – even more so now with an impending third reopening. We’ll be opening our arms and doors, once more, with enhanced safety measures to ensure guests can feel safe whilst with us – whether for a cocktail in the mezzanine bar or dining in our award-winning restaurant, your comfort and safety is paramount and important to us. We appreciate that, for many, learning to socialise happily again, is a big step after such a year, so we have done our utmost to consider the whole guest experience.

We’ve tried to be creative in staying connected with our customers and balancing the mental well-being of our team as much as possible. The novelty of staying at home was short-lived for many and we wanted to fill the ‘social void’ caused by lockdown. So, we launched a ‘finish-at-home’ dining concept, Clockspire at Home, and, after a successful response to the initial Valentine’s menu, we offered weekly changing menus to bring a taste of the Clockspire to our guests and the local community but also to motivate and support our team, giving them something to focus on besides the pandemic. The response was really encouraging, and the support shown filled us with positive energy, which we could all use a bit of right now.

Luke’s spring menu will be full of vibrant ingredients, interesting combinations and deep flavours. In fact, he has spent a lot of time with his team foraging from the Jurassic coast to the surrounding areas, gathering many seasonal ingredients that help to make up the Clockspire experience.

The pandemic has given us time to reflect on the importance of the entire Clockspire ‘network’, which includes the owners of the business, our team, the suppliers, and our guests. It is important we communicate and support each other. We are very focused on our team members – engaging with them and checking in on them, the importance of mental health is paramount.

It has been a while since the whole team has been together in one place. Although, we’ve have used the time ‘behind closed doors’ to organise virtual wine, beer and spirits training to feed their minds and the teams have been busy producing ideas for dishes and drinks that we can’t wait for you to try. This creative connection has been an important part of our ‘road to recovery’.

Great food and attentive service will be the most important factors to help us recover post-COVID; we are all social animals and gathering is part of our nature. It is now our job to deliver what we have been working towards, all our training and new ideas, to do what we do best.

We can’t wait to start the journey, together, and share more memorable moments.

THE CAKE WHISPERER Val Stones

CHEESE AND ONION TARTS

Image: Katharine Davies

This is a recipe that didn’t exist until 7th April 2021, not because I have never made it before, but because I have never written down the recipe – it has simply been in my head for fifty years. I learned to make this recipe from my mum-in-law, more than 50 years ago, it was called ‘cheese flan’, as in Yorkshire we made flans not quiches, but I prefer to call them tarts. This pastry can be made ahead of time and keeps in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The tarts are ideal served hot or cold and are particularly good to take on a picnic.

This recipe makes one large family tart serves 8, or 6 individual tartlets. Preparation time 1 hour Baking time 25-40 min

What you will need Either a large flan/quiche tin or 6 individual flan/quiche tins – greased well. If making the individual tartlets, use a large, round pastry cutter. Finally, a baking sheet.

Ingredients

For the pastry

250g plain flour 125g butter, cubed ¼ tsp fine sea salt 1 medium egg, lightly beaten 40-50ml chilled water

For the filling

250g cheddar cheese, grated 2 medium onions, finely chopped 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tbsp olive oil A knob of butter – the size of a walnut 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped 3 tbsp cold mashed potato 6 medium eggs, lightly beaten ¼ tsp pimento (red pepper powder) ½ tsp powdered English mustard ½ tsp fine sea salt 6-12 twists of freshly ground black pepper 8 fl oz fresh cream 12-15 cherry tomatoes, cut in half to decorate

Method 1 Set the oven for 190C fan, 230C, 450F, gas 7-8 2 To make the pastry, place the flour and salt in a large bowl, add the cubed butter and lightly rub the butter into the mixture, until it resembles breadcrumbs. 3 Make a well in the middle of the mixture, then pour in the egg and 40ml water – sufficient to bind the pastry into a firm dough. Add a little more water, if needed. 4 Turn onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead for 20 turns to make smooth. Flatten the pastry to the size of a saucer, wrap in film and chill for 20 minutes. 5 Add the oil and butter to a frying pan, along with the finely chopped onions, shallots and garlic.

Gently heat and stir the mixture until the onions are translucent. Set aside and allow to cool slightly. 6 Grease the flan tins of choice. 7 Remove the pastry from the fridge, allow it to come to room temperature for about 5 minutes. 8 Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin (either roll out one large circle or 6 smaller ones). Tip - If making the large flan, fold the circle of pastry in half and then quarters. Place the folded pastry into the flan tin and open out carefully and press gently into the tin.

9 With a fork, mark the base(s) evenly as this will help the pastry to remain flat. Place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. 10 Using the rolling pin on the edge of the flan tin(s), roll across the top to trim away the spare pastry. 11 Place the baking sheet in the oven to heat up, whilst you make the filling. 12 To make the filling, place the potato in a bowl and break up. Add the eggs, cheese, pimento, mustard, salt, pepper, cream and chives. Stir well, and add the onion mixture. Stir well again, until all combined. 13 Pour the mixture into the flan tin(s). 14 Decorate the tops with the cherry tomatoes. 15 Place the flans on the pre-heated baking sheet and bake, on the middle shelf, for 15 minutes, then turn down to 160C, until golden on the top – usually about a further 10-15 minutes for the individual tarts and 25 minutes for a large tart. 16 The cheese mixture should be firm and set when taken out of the oven and a little risen. As they cool, they will settle down a little. 17 Leave for 10 minutes, before removing from the flan tins, and place on a cooling rack. 18 When cool, these tarts can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge, or frozen for up to 3 months.

You can serve hot, if you wish.

FORCED RHUBARB FRANGIPANE TARTLET WITH CRÈME ANGLAISE

Sasha Matkevich & Jack Smith, The Green

Image: Clint Randall

We love rhubarb at The Green and especially towards the end of season, when it becomes more affordable and more pungent in flavour. The tartness from the rhubarb balances well with the sweetness of the frangipane, making for a very tasty dessert.

Ingredients For the pastry 15g icing sugar 200g plain flour 100g unsalted butter (cubed & cold) 1 egg

For the frangipane 175g unsalted butter 6 eggs 200g caster sugar 150g ground almonds 40g cornflour 1tsp baking powder 250g rhubarb

For the crème anglaise 3 egg yolks 60g caster sugar 1 vanilla pod 700ml whipping cream 700ml milk

Method 1 For the pastry, sift the flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl, then add the butter and

begin mixing with your hands, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Crack the egg and knead until you have a cohesive dough. Clingfilm it and set aside in the fridge for half an hour. 2 To make the frangipane, beat the butter and sugar together in a mixer until smooth, continue mixing and add the eggs. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients and fold until incorporated. 3 Lightly butter your tartlet cases. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it on a floured work surface until it’s 3cm thick. Line your pastry cases with the pastry dough, cover with parchment and baking beans, then cook for 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

While the pastry is cooking, cut your rhubarb into 1cm thick pieces. 4 Once the pastry is out of the oven, remove the baking beans and parchment, then evenly distribute the frangipane mixture into the pastries. Arrange the rhubarb on top of the frangipane tarts and return to the oven for a further 25 minutes at 180 degrees. Once cooked, set aside. 5 Whilst the pastries are resting, make the crème anglaise. Add the milk, cream and vanilla to a heavy-based pan and bring to 90 degrees. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale. Slowly add the liquid to the egg yolks and then return the custard to the pan and cook on a low heat until thick. 6 Remove pastries from their cases and serve immediately with the crème anglaise. Enjoy!

A MONTH ON THE PIG FARM

James Hull, The Story Pig

It’s been a month of dry weather. No rain, of any consequence, has fallen on us for weeks now; it’s cold but it’s dry. The pigs are happy outside – grazing or rooting. The ground has not a puddle anywhere to be seen. As I drive around, dust is flying again. For me, this is absolutely the best time of year.

Our garden is bursting into life, held back somewhat by the arctic cold winds that are blowing day after day, but I won’t complain about that. The little lavenders in their own field are showing signs of new life; tiny, new, dark green tips have appeared on the end of the silvery grey foliage of last year. Our Indian runner ducks spend a lot of their time racing up and down the rows looking for slugs on the grass, doing a good job for us. They have not read the rules on crossing the rows and race in between the plants – me watching, willing them not to tread on them and mostly they don’t.

We have re-seeded our grass field down at the farm; that’s the only thing that really needs the rain to help the seeds germinate. We have sown a pollen and nectar mix – not grown for high yields, but beauty. In high summer, it should be a heady mass of flowers and bees. We are going to cut winding paths through it for our café/shop visitors to wander through and enjoy.

Talking of our café… the plans are coming to fruition – slightly slower than we would like (that’s normal). Our tipi is now up – it’s a thing of absolute beauty – sitting majestically on the edge of our garden, waiting patiently for me to get the other bits finished. Today’s job is to build the toilets, a necessary part of having a cafe… apparently! The tipi has winged its way to us all the way from Sweden, so Charlotte is pleased with that!

So that we can record this time in our lives exactly in all our history, Charlotte is – today – going to get her haircut, for the first time in nearly a year, and the pubs have reopened – albeit outdoors only, so we’re shivering to the bone with a freezing cold pint of Guinness, wondering how much stamina we have to endure this new level of enjoyment we have only been able to dream of! But, a year on, and things seem to be better than this time a year ago, when we first entered this nightmare.

We are preparing for the first Sherborne market of the year and will surely see many of you that read this every month. It’s going to be exciting to be out and about and see lots of our customers again.

We can’t give an exact date for when we will be open here at the farm; it’s so close, but we are doing all the work ourselves, so, please, if you are on Instagram or Facebook, follow us to keep up with our news. Until then though, we are open every Saturday here, at Charlotte’s pop-up shop. We have our pork for sale and also do amazing coffee, courtesy of Paul at Off Grid Espresso, so come and say hello and see our progress!

thestorypig.co.uk

FURMINT

A VARIETY FULL OF SURPRISES David Copp

Istvan Szepsy (left) and David Copp in the Uragya vineyard, Tokaj

No-one seems to be absolutely sure about the origins of Furmint, the main variety used in making the great aszu wines of Tokaj. I have consulted Hungarian sources, Jancis Robinson’s Vines Grapes and Wines, The Oxford Companion to Wine, and also Dr Caroline Gilby MW, our leading expert on Hungarian wines. What follows is a short summary of my learning.

Istvan Szepsy thought it belonged to the Pontica group. Pontica is the Greek name that was once used to refer to the Black Sea, and since the Magyars lived in this region for some time before they finally settled in the Carpathian Basin, it is quite possible that they brought the variety with them. Others have suggested that the linguistic heritage of Furmint is Italian: ‘frumentum’ meant wheat – to which the golden Furmint grapes were likened.

Other sources tell me that the Walloons, nomadic pastoralists living in northern Italy, introduced Furmint to Tokaj when they helped to repopulate the region after the Mongol invasions of 1241-2. What is certain, however, is that over the centuries Furmint made its home in Tokaji’s volcanic soils. It clearly likes the warmth generated by the Great Hungarian Plain and the protection from cold northerly winds offered by the mighty Carpathians.

It was interesting to learn from Istvan Szepsy how Furmint established itself as the backbone for the aszu wines that brought Tokaji world renown: ‘It is a thin-skinned variety. Late autumn mists, followed by warm sunshine, create humidity, causing the skins to split, allowing grape juice to seep out.Then noble rot, which I can only describe as a miracle of nature, closes the breach and concentrates the sugars and fine organic acids within the grapes.’

The wonder of Tokaji Aszu is the superb balance of sugar and acidity which makes for long-lived wines of astonishing depth of flavour and concentration. No

wonder kings, queens, czars and princes loved its rich and subtle flavours, its balance and harmony, its healthgiving properties and, quite probably, its reputation as an aphrodisiac.

The London wine merchants Berry Brothers still hold a letter from one of their customers who, on his deathbed, had been given a glass of Tokaji Essencia, and recovered sufficiently to write to the company ordering a dozen more bottles of ‘the wine that unscrewed the nails from my coffin lid.’

Istvan Szepsy and Zoltan Demeter were the first modern Tokaji vintners to make a really fine Tokaji dry Furmint in 2000, when they produced a stunning wine from Kiralyudvar’s Uragya vineyard in Mád. My tasting notes at the time recorded: ‘Vibrant acidity, opulent pear and red apple flavours: rich mineral background. Length, intensity and complexity. Quite different from any other dry white wine I have ever tasted.’ . When I got back to the UK I poured it blind to a group of fellow wine writers. All conversation dried up.The look of concentration on my friends faces was memorable. Unsurprisingly, no-one could identify the grape or the source.

Word went around quickly and the wine sold out at the price of Premier Cru white burgundy. Yet there were critical voices in Tokaj: ‘We are famous for our aszu wines and we should stick to producing them.’ Twenty years on, the disapproving voices have been stilled and now all the major producers, as well as some influential smaller ones, produce fine dry Furmints.

Istvan Szepsy managed the Mád co-operative vineyards during the communist period and knows almost every inch of prime vineyard in the region. He considers the best sites for making dry Furmint are on the higher slopes. ‘Botrytis spreads upwards from the bottom of the hill,’ he says,‘and grapes at the top of the slope do not achieve the same level of botrytisaiton as those on the lower slopes.’

Szepsy is a world class wine maker and his wines are not cheap. But if you wish to start at the top have a look at his website (rather unhelpfully, a solid grasp of Hungarian is required). His son, also named Istvan, is a real chip off the old block with the same approach as his father. His superb wines from the St Tamas estate in Mád are available through Vineyards of Sherborne. Szepsy has always been a leader by example: a humble and modest one but he has reason to be proud of the result of his encouragement to others, particularly in his own village of Mád. There are now several superb winemakers producing dry Furmint, but I have restricted mention to a few that I know to be available in the UK.

For those new to the variety, I recommend starting with Sainsbury‘s Taste the Difference dry Furmint, made by Royal Tokaj at around £10, or Nobilis from the Wine Society at the same price. Nobilis is made by Sarolta Bardos, one of the very top women winemakers who, together with Judit Bott and Stephanie Berecz of Kikelet, combine to make 3Gracia, a superbly delicate yet magnificent variation on the theme. Zoltan Demeter, Attila Homonna and Samuel Tinon are three other smaller growers who make really distinctive world class dry Furmint.

Terroir has always been king in Tokaj. That’s why, in 1700, when demand for aszu wines was at its height, the leading Tokaji growers led by Prince Rakoczi classified their vineyards by their propensity to produce top quality botrytised grapes consistently. Since 2006, the Tokaji Wine Artisans Society has classified the best vineyards producing very fine dry wines. Each vineyard has its own personality and trying to express its personality is a demanding but immensely satisfying exercise.Tokaji dry Furmint is really worth trying, if you have not already done so…

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Weingut Günter & Regina Triebaumer Dry Furmint, Austria 750ml £16.75 Vineyards As a contrast to the original Hungarian style, you could try a dry Furmint from a top-class Austrian winery. Regina, who makes this wine with her husband Günter, is heavily involved in the official regulatory decision-making for Austrian wine, which has the strictest standards. Furmint was approved to be used for quality wine in Austria in 1987.

Weingut Günter & Regina Triebaumer dry Furmint is bright, fresh and aromatic – think ripe Williams pears, juicy pineapple and a bouquet of white blossom on the nose and palate. An interesting grape from a region that is a little different to the norm.

vineyardsofsherborne.co.uk