Hi Everyone.

What a fabulous Art and Music Festival that was........brilliant from start to finish. THANK YOU TO ALL that came and supported the various artists and performances. Get the date in your diaries for next year, which as always will be the weekend before mid-summer.

‘Inspired by the Clun Valley’

An exhibition of oil paintings by Clun artist

David Henry

Black Mountain Chapel

19, 20, 21 June

11am to 4pm

David Henry is originally from Pembrokeshire. After teaching for many years, he retired to Clun where like many artists he has found inspiration for his paintings from the soft rolling landscape of the Shropshire hills and valleys. His style is loose and expressive in nature, working mainly in oils. He has exhibited both locally and nationally.

Come to meet David and see his new collection of landscape paintings in the unique setting of Black Mountain Chapel, Bettws y Crwyn SY7 8PJ



For more information 01588 640216 / 01588 641167

"I have always been a ‘planner’ both in my art practice and teaching life and a need for a three-day strategy for this last new course “Paper, Stones, Scissors’ is not any different. It is a culmination of my experiences and I wish to share my very favourite ways to find inspiration and a creative energy for making personal work."

Yes you heard correctly .....Mandy's LAST NEW COURSE

"Exploring paper qualities has its advantages. It is generally less expensive than cloth and there is a wide variety available to access easily. It also allows personalities to come through by making choices. My samples for the workshop have used old papers that I have collected over the years as well as my staple favourites like tracing and waxed. I can provide the papers for the course at a nominal cost if paper is not your ‘thing’. I bring also thirty plus types of thread for you to use throughout the course. Specialist cloth is available too."

What a treat to have specialist cloth, many different threads as as well as papers to use.

"Connections and relationships are so important to our thinking as textile artists. We look at something and can make associations and links within our visual memories. Within this course we will make links with our vocabulary of stitch and our knowledge of cloth. Familiar techniques may be used and seen in a different context. You may start developing stitch from the very first session. Or you may hang back whilst paper entertains you."

That sounds like a clear plan.

"We can also look at generic concepts rather than dwell on something very specific that can start to limit us. For example we may love tracing paper but actually we desire a need to explore transparency. Taking risks and creating opportunities through a cheaper material also has its advantages. We can sometimes be more productive and make choices as we take strengths in our work forward."

A great way to push ideas forward without too much expense.

"Teaching has always been made easier by having your own work challenges and passing ways of solving them on to students. Studio work has benefited from decision making, time management and limitations in the teaching environment.

I have said before that it is difficult to post images/conclusions about what we may produce before we have produced it!

So all I will give you as images, are my starting points. My fifteen objects and a pile of papers."

Might even do this exciting course myself!!!!

"Join me (Amanda) if you feel you want to push your textile practice further for the very last time with me as your tutor………and start collecting those personal objects that have a resonance with you."

Book HERE for a place on Amanda's last course at Moor Hall.