Reflections on last year's activities

In 2013 the BBH Print Society members took part in several exhibitions

I thought for new members it would be particularly useful to provide some background to recent activities.

Hatfield House 
May Art & Craft Fair
For several years society members have been exhibiting, demonstrations  and running 
drop-in workshops in drypoint and collagraph.
These have always been popular with the visiting public, particularly on the weekends.

Unfortunately sales were disappointing and several days ended up as VERY DAMP 
experiences for the members manning the stalls, displays and workshops.
Kim and Peter put a huge amount of work in to setting up and coordinating these events (Thank you) but last year it was decided that BBH should look at alternative venues.

The real benefit for members was the opportunity to meet each other, discuss our work 
and really feel part of a tangible organisation in a bustling environment.

If you have any ideas or suggestions you would like to offer about venues and events for BBH members please get in touch with Kim.

Regards
Douglas

BBH Annual exhibition 2013

The BBH annual exhibition held in summer in Harpenden went off extremely well, many of you I know could not make it but we had 15 members who took part .

I was extremely grateful for this last minute slot, as you may all know we were let down by the Bedford Museum and were not allowed our  November slot which we has  previously  been guarantee two years ago when I booked it.

After a few desperate phone calls to try and get a replacement venue etc for the members,

it was after a phone call to Linda Warminger  of the H.V.A.F. who offered us the Southdown Room at their Summer exhibition in July in the Harpenden Public Hall .

 So after we talked about money and what they wanted from us, I felt it was too good an opportunity to miss. The H.V.A. F. is a lot bigger than us and has a good advertising budget and was prepared to get invitation printed at their own cost.

I suggested we linked it to the North Herts Samaritans( the charity Peter helps out a lot ) to do a fundraising link, taking advantage of their contact locally and their inter branch network.

 We offer 10% from sales on the Friday preview night , entrance fees and money from the random buckets . So after we had remove the button and foreign coins we raised £450 , not a huge amount but it was certainly thank fully received by the branch treasurer.

The whole exhibition  with the two room combined  worked out very large  with a big turnout from the H.V.A.F. members, making the two rooms very interesting for the many visitors who looked around.

The BBH members put on a splendid show of work with again a very good standard from all who took part, some established members and some new all mixed very well together .

We also did a meet the artists day on the Sunday and this was well receive by the visitors to the exhibition .

Kim 

Obsidian Art Gallery

During April 2013, several of the members of BBH took part in an exhibition, “The Art of Poetry” at Obsidian Art Gallery in Stoke Mandeville.  The exhibition asked artists and makers to create a piece of work inspired by a poem, and the resulting show was a wonderful variety, both in terms of styles and media, but also the poetry - from classics such as Keats, Yeats and Wordsworth to contemporary and self-penned poetry.  Printmaking was well represented with BBH members exhibiting including Alexandra Buckle, Annette Sykes, Bernie Griston, Diana Ashdown, Douglas Anderson, Kate Watkins and a section of work by Kim Major-George.

The poetry reading evening, held on 23^rd April - to coincide with Shakespeare’s birthday and World Book Night – was really well attended and a lovely evening with many of the artists reading from the poems. 

Obsidian Art published a book illustrated with a selection of work from the exhibition, which has completely sold out.

Following the success of the exhibition, Obsidian Art have announced that they will be repeating the theme for a similarly timed exhibition in the early Spring next year, with plans to publish another book to accompany the 2014 exhibition.  Entries are invited.  See their web site – www.obsidianart.co.uk – for more details or emailtrisha@obsidianart.co.uk.

Kind regards

Trisha

Trisha Woodcock
Obsidian Art, Layby Farm, Old Risborough Road, Stoke Mandeville, Bucks, HP22 5XJ
Tel : 01296 612150