Beauty & Fragility

August is drawing to a close, and what a wierd month it's been. It started with a much-needed holiday, and has ended in the chaos of pressure at work, preparations for Open Studios, and grief at the passing of a dear friend.

In the midst of all this I've managed to produce a painting. As it's impossible to paint anything properly without concentrating on it totally, for a few hours I've simply put my cares aside and wielded my brushes. And I've ended up with this - something totally unlike my usual style.

Somehow it seems fitting right now to reflect on how beautiful and fragile and precious life is. I hope this picture will help us all to do just that.


















butterfly
© Teresa Kirkpatrick 2009

Out and about with the HVAF

HVAF stall at Sunday's Farmers Market, Harpenden
© Teresa Kirkpatrick 2009

Half a dozen of us spent yesterday morning manning a stall at the Farmers Market in Harpenden to promote the Harpenden artists taking part in this year's Open Studios. This annual event, organised by the HVAF, takes place each September throughout Hertfordshire, and gives the general public the opportunity to visit artists in their studios (or other appropriate venues), discuss their work, and take a look at how the artists go about the process of producing art. The HVAF is a non-profitmaking charitable organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting the visual arts in and around Hertfordshire.

There are twenty-four Harpenden-based artists taking part this year: not just painters, but artists in glass, ceramics, jewellery and textiles. Five of us are exhibiting as "Artscape Arts" at Artscape, the local art supplies store in Southdown, throughout September, with Open Studios on selected days. Others are opening their homes or workshops for the event. The general public certainly responded well to our market stall yesterday; lots of people came over for a closer look and went away with a brochure. In fact we ran out of brochures, there was so much interest!

Further information on Herts Open Studios is available from http://www.hvaf.org.uk/