ArtMANAC
Catharina Eden's costume creations
THE
ISSUE #3 2024
Louise Jackson Interior Design
the art of maximalism
Kat Bryan-Merrett's murals
freed from the frame
brides and bridgerton to wearable art
FRESH: ART FAIR
Regional goes national
the sargent story
Broadway Museum & Art Gallery
Brides and Bridgerton to wearable art
Freed from the frame
The art of maximalism
Joyous street art
Fresh: art fair outdoor sculpture park, cheltenham freshartfair.net @freshartfair
Inside Sargent's English garden idyll
@theartmanacmag
IN THIS ISSUE
Editor's letter
ssue #3 of The Artmanac feels like it’s bursting at the seams in the best possible way. Not only do we explore the lives and work of wonderful local artists including muralist Kat Bryan-Merrett, landscape painter Debbie Morris and street art advocates Tash Frootko and Danielle Morrison AKA ‘Danksy’, we also extend our focus to the Cotswolds’ wider creative scene. Stow-based Louise Jackson Interior Design has applied its talents to a reimagining of Ellenborough Park while designer Catharina Eden reveals her plans to make ‘wearable art’. She has previously collaborated with the extraordinarily talented classical pianist Christina McMaster of Lie down & Listen™ who featured in Nur Ilham’s watercolour on the cover of our first issue. I think there’s a good reason the phrase ‘the art of…’ can be applied so widely and it’s fitting we delve into the Broadway Colony of Creativity that John Singer Sargent was part of when he created 'Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose'. The Broadway Museum & Art Gallery brings this story brilliantly to life. There’s also news of the Fresh: Art Fair’s first London event, after many successful years in Cheltenham (don’t worry, it’s still coming to The Centaur next spring too). We hear from its founder and Paragon Gallery owner Eleanor Wardle. Many thanks to Paragon Gallery, too, for the front cover ‘Swimming Lesson II’ by Iryna Yermolova. Keep in touch with us @theartmanacmag Emma Bovill, Editor
Editor's Letter
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Fresh: Art Fair goes national
Colour Me
'THE TWO POETS' - by PJ CROOK paragongallery.co.uk @theparagongallery
ince its launch in 2017 the Fresh: Art Fair has made a name for itself as a destination art fair, with 50 galleries landing at The Centaur building at Cheltenham Racecourse every April for a long weekend of original art that aims to embody the effervescence of its name. Founded by the owners of Paragon Gallery in Cheltenham, Fresh: has always benefited from first-hand experience of art fair exhibiting. As it prepares for its first event at Alexandra Palace in London in January 2025, visitors and exhibitors alike can look forward to an expertly curated show. ‘We always planned to expand to London and are excited to be launching in the capital at Alexandra Palace,’ says Fresh: founder Eleanor Wardle. ‘It’s a lovely venue, it’s iconic and in the most amazing setting.’ Fresh: will take over the West Hall at ‘Ally Pally’ with 75 exhibiting galleries. ‘It’s a purpose-built venue and has parking which is a massive bonus in London,’ reveals Eleanor. ‘We also have an art packing service on site.’ Fresh: at Alexandra Palace will include an indoor sculpture display building on the success of the outdoor sculpture park element in Cheltenham. ‘We welcomed 6,000 art enthusiasts to The Centaur in 2024 and can expect even more visitors at Alexandra Palace,’ says Eleanor. ‘A lot of our regular exhibitors, who trust our art fair knowledge, wanted us to do a fair in London and we’re also looking to expand elsewhere in the UK in the future.’ When asked about the rationale behind the event’s winter timing, Eleanor is quick to point out the pros of a post-Christmas fair. ‘Buying art isn’t seasonal,’ she argues. ‘In January people are available and galleries are available.’ Fresh: at Alexandra Palace promises to bring a boost of colour to counteract any ‘Blue Monday’ hangovers. For early bird ticket offers and the latest Fresh: Art Fair news sign up to their mailing list. freshartfair.net @freshartfair
FresH: Art Fair goes national
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Musings on art
loucestershire has strong links with street art. Banksy’s ‘Spy Booth’, drawing provocative reference to the government listening service GCHQ, controversially appeared on a Grade II listed building in Cheltenham a decade ago before ironically becoming listed itself. Later removed from the town centre house, it’s still being spoken about, spawning prints and pieces emulating Banksy’s style around the regency town. The now annual Cheltenham Paint Festival is a popular part of the area’s cultural fabric, a welcome segue between events on the established Cheltenham Festivals programme, and other local towns are getting in on the act. Stroud Paint Festival had its inaugural event in July 2024 with a focus on art and community and was supported by Stroud Town Council. The ability of street art to prompt a coming together, both in its creation and its reception (whether viewed deliberately or by happy accident) is one of its defining features. The recent reimagining of Gloucester’s Tredworth High Street led by artist Tash Frootko is the latest of the Rainbow Street Projects to use art to inject positivity and creativity into the city centre. The publicly funded Tredworth High Street initiative incorporated collaborative workshops, engagement activities and competitions, making a subversive genre an immersive experience while celebrating the diverse identity of the county capital. The result lives up to the project’s ambition to be an outdoor art gallery to compliment other West Country examples such as the Glastonbury Mural Art Trail. Is it too much to ask for street art to make its way further into the picturesque Cotswolds? While the Cotswold Hare Trail featuring colourful five-foot high sculptures peppering local villages proved hugely successful, the honey-coloured exposed stonework of the local vernacular, in comparison to the rendered terrace walls of bigger centres, which almost cry out to be canvases, is less conducive to large-scale art. Not to mention the AONB status. Maybe the approach adopted by artist Danielle Morrison, also known as ‘Danksy’, could be the way forward. Danksy was commissioned in 2024 by business-led body Cheltenham BID to enliven utility boxes in the town. Artworks depicting Cheltenham Races and a wildflower scene can be found on the High Street, where they have added colour and interest to otherwise unremarkable urban infrastructure and attracted positive attention. ‘In an ideal world we’d all be surrounded by colourful scenery living within a huge art canvas,’ says Tash in her documentary ‘Painting The Rainbow City’. ‘My thinking is that I want to create something visually beautiful to ravish the eye and lift up the soul.’ When an artist sums up the potential of street art so succinctly, there’s really no need to paraphrase. tashfrootko.com / @tashfrootko danksymurals.com / @danksy_murals
Miss Teal in action at the cheltenham paint festival PHOTO COURTESY OF INSPIRING CITY @erika.rosendale
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editor's
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAULINE ROBERTS
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andscape artist Debbie Morris, who is related to artist’s model and embroiderer Jane Burden and the Arts and Crafts textile designer William Morris, is bringing her own unique creativity to a solo show at Broadway Contemporary Art gallery this autumn. Debbie’s exhibition ‘Land & Sea’, which runs from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 October 2024, encapsulates her twin loves of the Cotswold hills and Cornish coast. Born in Cirencester, Debbie has lived in the Cotswolds all her life and regularly visits Kelmscott Manor, the former home of Jane and William, for inspiration. ‘I always feel a sense of belonging there, especially in the gardens and along the riverbank were the willows grow,’ explains Debbie. ‘There is a wonderful portrait of Jane Morris by Dante Gabriel Rossetti hanging there and my husband always comments on the family resemblance. Knowing that I’m a distant relative to the Morris family is such a huge honour and privilege.’ A prolific artist in her own right, Debbie paints religiously every day responding to the Cotswolds countryside. ‘Although I find myself within the landscape every day, I never take it for granted,’ she says. ‘I never tire of its beauty. The colours, the textures and, above all, the feeling I get from it amazes me every time I put my brush or palette knife to canvas.’ Debbie works in acrylic using layers to reflect the complexity of the natural environment. She enjoys the contrast the sea brings to her life in the Cotswolds. ‘I immediately feel an overwhelming sense of calmness whenever I’m near it,’ she attests. ‘This extends to painting it too. Having a sea picture in one’s home, I believe, not only reminds us of its power and its beauty, but also provides us a with a sense of wellbeing.’ Just a stone’s throw from Broadway Tower which William Morris used as a country retreat, Broadway Contemporary Art has been representing Debbie since April 2024 and she will be painting at the gallery over both weekend days of her October exhibition. The gallery regularly invites its featured artists to create on site, providing a deeper connection to the artworks on display. ‘I was initially approached by Debbie for representation of her work which has turned out to be a very successful partnership,’ enthuses Gary Thompson, director of Broadway Contemporary Art. ‘As a new gallery in Broadway and the Cotswolds, my premise has always been to support local artists along with offering affordable art to all demographics.’ broadwaycontemporary.co.uk @broadwaycontemporaryart @debbiemorris_art
art in the blood
'warm skies' - by debbie morris @debbiemorris_art
art news
inside sargent's english garden idyll
'carnation, lily, lily, rose' - by john singer sargent photo courtesy of tate www.broadwaymeseum.org.uk @broadwaymuseumandartgallery
f you want to admire John Singer Sargent’s 'Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose', the painting credited with making impressionism accepted in England, in the flesh, go to the Tate Britain. If you want to understand it, go to Broadway Museum & Art Gallery. Just a short walk from Farnham House and Russell House where the painting was created over two summers from 1885-6, using the plein air technique shared with Sargent by Monet, Broadway Museum & Art Gallery sets 'Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose' in the wider context of the community of artists involved in its evolution. Dubbed the ‘Broadway Colony of Creativity’ by the museum, there is an exhibition dedicated to Sargent and those he shared work and play with. These include Frank and Lily Millet, whose homes formed the backdrop to Sargent’s painting sessions, carried out exclusively at twilight, and Frederick Barnard, whose daughters ‘Dolly’ and ‘Polly’ modelled for Sargent. The exhibition explores the relationship between the artists, writers (including J. M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan), actors and musicians in the ‘Colony’ where Sargent found sanctuary after falling from grace following the showing of his (at the time) revealing painting ‘Madame X’ at the Paris Salon in 1884. Broadway would also prove to be a place of convalescence for Sargent after he sustained a head injury during a boating accident at Pangbourne shortly after his return to England in the aftermath of the Paris scandal. The sight of children lighting lanterns on the riverbank during the trip would become the inspiration for 'Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose'. The childhood innocence evoked by the painting (although Sargent’s young models weren’t always enthusiastic subjects and the pockets of their costumes allegedly had to be filled with placatory sweets) is explored in the museum’s interactive play zone. Children can pose before a mural recreation by artists Doug Eyre and Chris Rowlands surrounded by 3D lanterns. There is also a photo reproduction of the painting, an enlightening video featuring expert insights from Malcolm Rogers and the opportunity to page through Hugh Brewster’s Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose: The Story of a Painting. The book explores the role played by Frank and Lily’s daughter Kate, the original model for the painting. Sargent’s process for completing the large-scale piece, limiting himself to a short daily window to take advantage of the particular qualities of the evening light, would prove a marked coda in the lives and routines of the Millets and others. The biographer Edmund Gosse described Sargent’s energetic style, working against nature’s clock, as that of ‘the action of a wagtail’. Visitors to the museum can discover these illuminating details and speak to passionate volunteers whose local knowledge, particularly on the various homes inhabited by the Broadway creatives, and detailed research activities is a unique selling point. Conversations flow naturally and storytelling is evidently at the heart of the museum’s ethos. ‘The story of Sargent and ‘Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose’ is central to Broadway’s rich cultural heritage,’ says museum director Anona van Lewick. ‘It brings together art, wellbeing, humanity, collaboration and the process of taking notice of the beauty of nature all around us. Broadway has a way of bringing creativity out in all of us, as the 'Colony' artists discovered.’ ‘At Broadway Museum & Art Gallery we want to ignite the inner child in all of us and to broaden cultural horizons through encouraging exploration and enjoyment of art and history through engaging all of our senses,’ adds Anona. ‘Touch, smell and listen to the stories at Broadway Museum & Art Gallery and connect with this special area of the Cotswolds.’ ‘Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose’ was exhibited to mixed reviews at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1887 but was bought for the nation the same year through the Chantrey Bequest, with the support of fellow 'Colony' artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema. It is now one of the most admired paintings in the Tate Britain collection. Broadway Museum & Art Gallery was created in 2013 in the 17th century Tudor House, the former headquarters of antique furniture dealers H. W. Keil Ltd, with support from the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Broadway was a key staging post on the London to Worcester coaching route and the museum delves into the history of this early form of organised long-distance travel including the harsh realities involved and early time keeping. broadwaymuseum.org.uk @broadwaymuseumandartgallery
the Art of maximalism
detail in the de la bere court at ellenborough park jacksoninteriors.co.uk @jackson_interiors
istening to interiors expert Louise Jackson describe maximalism, it’s hard not to be an advocate of the design style. 'It’s experimental, playful, colourful, lived in.' Very much in vogue (and covered in Vogue), the key point is creating a naturally collated, collected effect, achieving in a matter of weeks the sense of a room that has been added to over many years. Curating atmosphere is what Louise Jackson Interior Design, the company Louise founded in 2013 after years in the interiors business, does best. Its bespoke interior design service is sought after in private homes across the Cotswolds and beyond, and it's now bringing its residential flare into the commercial setting of Ellenborough Park hotel on the outskirts of Cheltenham. Except of course, in many ways it’s not a commercial setting at all. Despite being commissioned to redesign the De La Bere Court, the largest space in the 5* luxury country house hotel, Louise recognises it’s the individuals who will use it that they need to pitch to. ‘The hotel’s clients are our clients,’ she explains. ‘We understand how people respond to their surroundings and our design process always keeps this in focus.’ The Louise Jackson Interior Design team are no strangers to a challenging brief. They brought an uplifting, vibrant look to the refurbishment of the ground floor of Lords of the Manor hotel in Upper Slaughter in 2019, channelling what Louise describes as a ‘grand tour vibe’. They approached the Ellenborough Park project with equal consideration of the unique needs and dimensions of the space. ‘Reimagining the De La Bere Court was no easy feat,’ admits Louise. ‘It’s a large capacity room which could be used as a wedding setting or a meeting room, so we knew we needed to balance the background with what might be going on in the foreground, including intimate photos or business presentations. It’s somewhere entertainment, work and dining all collide.’ The result is a complete overhaul of the De La Bere Court, replacing the minimalist exposed brickwork and monochrome paintwork with panelling and a mural wallpaper featuring a forest floor scene in soft gold tones, taking advantage of the natural light from the glass ceiling. Adding luxury in the small details, down to brass room signage and door touch plates, all contribute to the success of the overall aesthetic. ‘Guests are going to create long-lasting memories in the De La Bere Court,’ says Louise. ‘We wanted to emulate the romantic glow of the English countryside at sunset, creating an environment that was warm and serene,’ she adds. ‘We were mindful it needed to be impactful, yet still gentle so the space is versatile for other functions.’ ‘Ellenborough Park has a rich heritage and we chose a colour scheme to match with natural hues and earthy tones,’ enthuses Louise. ‘The bar adjoining the De La Bere Court features more dramatic lighting and pops of red and dark green to invoke a classic country feel for a destination within reach of the scenic Cotswolds villages, regency Cheltenham and the nearby racecourse.’ The results are a contemporary yet elegant setting which stands out in the competitive Cotswold wedding venue and events market. ‘The simple fact is you can’t please everyone,’ says Louise, who has an art history degree and for whom the visual is everything. ‘The secret in a multi-use space is to be neutral enough but still interesting, harnessing the potential of maximalism.’ jacksoninteriors.co.uk @jackson_interiors
FREED FROM THE FRAME
‘ve always painted since I was little, I used to drive my mum mad drawing on the walls.’ For an artist whose bespoke murals are now highly sought after, the childhood misdemeanour must now seem forgivable, if only in retrospect. It didn’t take Katherine Bryan-Merrett long to find her forte, she had her first paid job at just 14, decorating her friend’s mum’s bathroom with what she describes as a ‘psychedelic theme'. But life, as it so often does on a creative path, intervened, meaning Kat’s journey to full-time artist was something of a mosaic. She worked as an estate agent, developing her understanding of interiors and indulging her fascination for ‘people in spaces’ and for an aquarium building company in Weymouth on her way to becoming more heavily involved in the arts. ‘I learnt so much about colour painting cement,’ she recalls of her days immersed in an empty tank. Art was never far away. Previously based in Dorset, Kat had success painting portraits of sailors in Portland and was featured in the RFA’s Gunline magazine. She also co-founded the Portland Art Centre in 2010, which was covered in Great British Life, before funding for the initiative unfortunately later collapsed. She went on to run South West Art Workshops successfully for seven years, enabling opportunities for hundreds of artists. Having always preferred to paint at a large scale, she turned her attention to murals in 2019. Navigating the practical restrictions of life in a small cottage with young children during COVID-19, taking solace in drawing in her sketchbook, she emerged from the pandemic determined to go big or go home, and, arguably, with an even greater first-hand appreciation of how people respond to and behave in their home environment and the part that art can play. ‘What I love about doing murals is that it’s a melting pot,’ she explains. ‘You have to consider how someone wants to feel in a space, the light and shadows, the texture and tone of the brickwork, and distil it all down. I love doing colour matching to things that are already in the room.’ Add to this the multiple opinions and influences of couples or families, and the need for collaboration and an adaptable approach becomes clear. ‘Subjectivity is the essential of art,’ she adds. ‘It’s situational and site-specific,’ she continues. ‘It remains there and you leave.’ Kat is acutely aware of the vagaries of home ownership, that her creations might be adapted over time (as happened with a jungle design she painted when the house was later sold) and that they could feasibly be painted over. The process however still holds its allure. ‘I love the theatre of it and the speed of it,’ she says. ‘Murals give me such a sense of joy and freedom, painting at that scale, and each job is entirely different.’ Now based outside of Stroud, where she enjoys being within reach of Gallery Pangolin and Steve Russell Studios, Kat produces murals for both residential and commercial settings. She recently painted a series of portraits of members of the royal family directly onto the walls of the hallway of some luxury apartments, seeing her two artistic genres collide. Coincidentally she also received a commission from the Chairman of the Prince’s Trust International (now King’s Trust International), Shabir Randeree CBE, for a gift to commemorate the coronation of HRH King Charles III. Her first love however is working within homes. ‘You can’t beat the deep dive with a client,’ she affirms. Kat’s sensitive and people-centric approach (she used to ask for music playlists when painting memorial portraits in the past) and awareness of setting is a core part of her gift, as is the broad life experience she brings to her bespoke creations. ‘I arrived at this from 20 years’ spent as a portrait artist, art tutor, arts events director and a mum, realising how precious a home is. It just all boiled down to this – painting murals!’ katandowen.co.uk @katandowenmurals
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photo courtesy OF red maple photography
he penny dropped, and it dropped hard,' says designer Catharina Eden, recalling the moment when, devouring episodes of TV drama Bridgerton during the COVID-19 pandemic and unable to go to her Cotswolds dressmaking studio, she made the wholesale mental leap from fashion to costume. In fact, costume has always played a role in her life, from the ‘drawings of dramatic outfits’ she produced as a child, to the borderline rebellious approach she brought to her foundation fashion studies at Central Saint Martins and subsequent BA in her native Finland. Both were courses where, she describes, she ‘didn’t fit’ and she had to fight for her dress compositions to be accepted. Watching the smash hit Netflix series reminded Catharina, who had developed a successful career as an independent designer, building her own clothing line after working for Ben de Lisi and Alexander McQueen, that her true passion lay in clothing’s potential for storytelling beyond the immediacy of its visual impact. Having been commissioned to make 200 costumes for the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony and become a sought-after designer for the fashion desk photoshoots of major publications including The Daily Mail, Catharina’s realised this was a world she wanted to become immersed in. ‘I recognised I identified a garment through a lens,’ she explains. Securing, in her mind serendipitously but in reality thanks to her talent and hard work, a job on the set of the second season of Bridgerton, spending long hours from ‘needle up to needle down’ creating principal costumes, was a turning point. ‘You have to be meticulous, to a science degree, and create perfection to the fraction of a millimetre,’ she reveals. ‘It changed my life, it was immense.’ Prior to the Bridgerton epiphany and experience, Catharina had been channelling her energies into highly personalised and bespoke bridal wear and outfit commissions, including for Cheltenham Races. She would encourage her clients to dive deep into their personality and advocate that ‘quirky is good’. Her Burford studio would introduce her to Christina McMaster, a pianist, composer and founder of Lie down & ListenTM, which reimagines the way we encounter classical music. Having both adopted the Cotswolds as their home after moving from London, Catharina and Christina would find friendship and a shared productivity in their invigorating surroundings. Both based in Castles Yard behind Burford’s main high street, Catharina often found herself sewing to the soundtrack of Christina’s piano playing and the pair would come to share ‘impromptu amazing chats about life’. Their creative worlds would intertwine in a series of outfits for Christina’s classical music performances and a photoshoot. All Catharina’s experiences to date have led her to lean into the costume direction she is now taking, which she says will focus on wearable art. ‘I need to figure the mechanics of it out,’ she admits. ‘I’m planning one-off, 3D, oversized but intricate additions to wear over a dress, to elevate and transform it.’ Iris van Herpen, whose sculptural haute couture has been exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, has been a key influence. ‘The high street no longer wants a watered-down version of the catwalk,’ Catharina attests. ‘Even when someone asks for a super simple dress, they still want a twist.’ She plans to use white and ivory tones, but with a love of nature in her fibres from her upbringing in Finland and an attitude that ‘no path is the wrong way, however windy’, it’s perhaps not unreasonable to expect the unexpected from Catharina. ‘I’m not waiting for a commission; I’m going to make something just the way I like it and hope that people find connections with the pieces.’ Catharina is delighting in the dots that naturally join in the serenity of the Cotswolds. Having moved from Burford to a home studio to balance the busy juggle as a parent, she has since run an embroidery workshop at creative hub Atelier8 in Stow-on-the-Wold and is not ruling out another collaboration with Christina. ‘She’s the ideal person to wear my creations,’ she enthuses. Inspiration is also cropping up, quite literally, at every turn. ‘I’m such a geek, I pull to the side of the road to take videos of swaying wheat,’ she laughs. ‘Moving to the Cotswolds was the best thing,’ she adds. ‘The people here are like minded, they’re creative and flourish in the countryside.’ As Catharina finds her next steps on the windy path, we await what she’ll make next. my-eden.co.uk @catharinaeden_costume @liedownandlisten
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'Picnic phonograph' - by william thomas coolioart.com @coolioart
COLOUR ME