Moving recently to the medieval city of Salisbury, located in the county of Wiltshire, United Kingdom has been extraordinary. The city is home to the Salisbury Cathedral which boasts the tallest spire in the country, the world's oldest working clock and the best surviving copy (one of four) of the Magna Carta. The cathedral is over 755 years old and appears in several of John Constable's landscape paintings.
Salisbury also enjoys a strong artistic community with numerous galleries and an art's centre in the city centre and many, many artist studios within the county covering everything from textiles to ceramics, jewellery, painting, sculpting, metal and woodwork. I have yet to find quilters but I am relentlessly continuing my search. This weekend was the first Contemporary Craft & Heritage Fayre held within the Cathedral grounds. I dragged my husband along and we enjoyed several dozen artist's work, as well as demonstrations, talks and of course, afternoon tea. He actually had a good time!
It certainly got the creative juices flowing! Unfortunately, I don't have my sewing machine back from getting it's service yet (the first thing I did when I arrived) but I did bring a few materials with me in my suitcase (everything else was sent by sea freight and not arriving until the end of the month - patience, my dear, patience) so I can still do a few things by hand. At the Fayre, there were several felt artists producing amazing work using both the needle and wet felting methods, so I was able to extend my rather limited knowledge of the craft. I was so impressed, I signed up for a 10 week course here at the Salisbury Art Centre starting later this month!
One of the felt artists, Rose Hatcher, produces exquisite wall panels using the wet felting technique. You can check out her gallery at: rosehatcher.co.uk and the local artist who I am doing the course with is: www.suziegutteridge.com, also producing wonderful work.
Having moved from a large studio space in Thailand, I will no doubt find it challenging working in a smaller space here in Salisbury, however, I feel it may make me work in a more organised, tidy way...or then again, who am I kidding, probably not! We shall have to see how that idea pans out. It will no doubt encourage me to be more inventive with the smaller space I have, or encourage us (or rather, me) to find a larger place to live. Anyway, I am enjoying exploring this new place and meeting all of its many wonderfully creative people...and please, hurry up with my machine!
Until next time, stay happy and stay creative :)
Amanda Sievers
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