Lino Cut Workshop at Winterbourne

I ran a workshop today at Winterbourne in the Old Tool Shed and had some lovely folks attend. We were looking at the Kelmscott Chaucer borders, the plaster details in the house and, using plants from the garden as inspiration, we created some unique lino cuts.

We started by looking at the honeysuckle design that runs along the length of the hall. Everyone transferred that on to lino and then cut it using their own interpretation.

Then, after a trip round the garden, everyone came up with their own designs.

Highbury Hall

I went to Highbury Hall today for the Heritage Open Weekend. Fantastic gothic detail with plants and birds used as decorative features throughout. The marquetry was particularly notable.

Margaret Nettlefold would have been familiar with all this detail, as it was built for her uncle Joseph Chamberlain.

There will be a print based on Margaret's diary entry about a ball at the Nettlefold's house. In the absence of any photographic record of that house, I am considering setting the ball at Highbury. The hall would be a good backdrop to an image of Margaret and John dancing.

Events at Winterbourne

On Thursday I did an evening talk at Winterbourne about my current project. I also have a workshop coming up on October 16th. We will be looking at the plasterwork decorations in the house, linking them to the border details in the Kelmscott books and producing some lino cuts inspired by the gardens.

The plaster details are the work of George Bankart (1866-1929) who was born in Leicester and worked with Ernest Gimson, who introduced him to William Morris. In 1899 he moved to Bromsgrove and for the next seven years worked with the Bromsgrove Guild.

Port Of Spain Botanical Gardens, Trinidad

In January 1907 Margaret sailed for the West Indies. One of the most detailed entries in her diary during the two months she was there, was of her visit to the Port Of Spain Botanical Gardens in Trinidad. She listed specimens that she saw, including rubber trees, spices, oranges, exotic fruits, bamboos and palms.

Contemporary photos of the gardens show formal borders and beds, but this wont necessarily make the most interesting detail for the finished print.

I would like to use aspects of the current Winterbourne Botanic gardens to portray the background imagery for this next print. The Continental beds could be a possibility, but I think the Gilbert Orchid House will give me the most material for visual references.