Fat Tuesday Kloof

questions and answers with Coral and Di on Saturday the 17th December 2011 at 10.30am

 

PLEASE NOTE WE ARE CLOSED ON

26 DECEMBER 2011 AND 2 JANUARY 2012

THE GALLERY IS CLOSED ON THURS 15 DEC 2011 FOR A PRIVATE FUNCTION BUT THE SHOP IS OPEN AS USUAL.

 

TRADING HOURS

MON - FRI 8AM - 4.30PM

SAT & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 9AM - 2PM

We have a private function in the gallery all day. Please dont choose today to pop in and see the latest exhibition. The shop is open as usual and the gallery will be back to normal tomorrow (Sat 10 Dec). So sorry if this messes with your plans.

Lifelines is a collaborative exhibition by Coral Spencer and Di van Wyk.

Both artists have drawn their inspiration from past photographs and memories to  form the two ribbons of artwork that run the length of the gallery.
The images are nostalgic and emotive.

What is also interesting is how the two dialogues compliment each other.Prices vary according to size.

The opening reception is at 6pm Monday the 5th of December 2011

We had a fabulous day with Tina Bester yesterday. She came to sign her newest book "Celebrate" and meet our wonderful customers. Melany made the eats from recipes in Tina's book and Xavier took the photographs.

Thanks to Caryn from Quivertree Publishers who joined us and arranged the media.

Join us on Saturday the 19th of November 2011 at 10am for a walk about with artists's Sue Whitmore and Anne Cleveland. They will walk through the exhibition chatting about their technique and explaining the thoughts behind the artworks.

It is also Fat Tuesday's 4th birthday so we will be enjoying some cake and champagne too!

Opening Tuesday 15 November 2011 at 6pm with a walk about on Saturday 19 November 2011 at 10am

Sue Whitmore and Anne Cleveland are having a combined exhibition but with 2 titles.
Each artist will use a seperate wall to present their paintings.

 Carpe Diem by Sue Whitmore

Watching your child grow up brings with it a rollercoaster of emotions – emotions that are stronger and deeper than one would ever have imagined. It also opens your eyes to things that, we as adults, tend to forget as we prioritize, organize and structure our lives. As an only child, my son has always surrounded himself with friends, keeping our home alive with kids, noise and laughter. As I grow older and hopefully wiser, I have started to notice the incredible value of innocence, of seizing the moment and living it with the abandonment of pure unfettered enthusiasm. Hence the theme of this exhibition” Carpe Diem”.

It all started with a few random sketches of Matthew and his friends at the beach and progressed to more and more time filled with capturing moments in their lives. Thinking about “seizing the moment”, I started to notice so many more instances of this “joie de vivre” in life. People of all ages have times that lift them from the mundane and elevate the moment to one of uncomplicated happiness. Even the joy of inhaling the scents of the early morning in the garden and picking a random bunch of flowers to drench your home with that sweetness. I once read what I believe to be inspirational words on how to be an artist and I have kept these words to remind myself when I forget. I believe we should all live our lives like this so read on and consider freeing up your responsibilities to capture the moments out there.

“HOW TO BE AN ARTIST”

Stay loose, learn to watch snails, plant gardens, make friends with freedom and uncertainty, look forward to dreams, cry during movies, swing as high as you can on a swing by moonlight, refuse to be “responsible”, do it for love, smell the flowers, take lots of naps, give money away, do it now the money will follow, believe in magic, laugh a lot, celebrate every gorgeous moment, take moonbaths, have wild imaginings, giggle with children, listen to old people, open up, dive in, be free, bless yourself, drive away fear, play with everything, entertain your inner child, get wet, hug trees, write love letters and CARPE DIEM.

Painting for this exhibition has not only been an artistic journey, it has also been a journey of incredible awareness to those moments in life that make our souls sing and our hearts peaceful. I hope that you will enjoy the art as much as I enjoyed creating it.

 

CONSERVATION OF WETLANDS by Anne Cleveland

 

Habitat of Waterbirds

My deep interest in birds started when I was a child in England. Many people feed birds there, especially in the snowy winter months when food is scarce, and many varieties of bird become very tame. The different species have distinct characters and their antics fascinated me as a child.

Here in South Africa there are a much greater variety of species, ranging in nature from shy and retiring, to flamboyant players in the theatre of life.

Conservationists have in recent time started working closely with farmers to try to avoid the extinction of species through poisoning, and they are having some success.

A most noticeable example has been in the southern Drakensberg. Early this month I saw a very large flock of over 40 crowned cranes performing their mating dances in harvested maize land and it was evident that farmers in this area are using less pesticides and helping to re-establish the balance of nature. These Crowned Cranes, on the highly endangered list, are becoming far more prevalent in this area of the Drakensberg.

I have made a small collection of paintings of waterbirds, to share my interest and also to highlight certain characteristics.

 

Just arrived from the UK - Roger la Borde Jubilee Tea Towels and Aprons. we just love the quality and vibrant colour.

We have had a lot of interest in the classes but it seems when we get to the swings few people are able
to make the dates we offer or just dont pitch if something better comes up.
You can imagine our frustration in trying to keep teachers and students happy. Never mind keeping the cake fresh!

With this in mind we have decided to restrict the classes to 3 months of the year. Quite possibly April, May and June 2012.
We will still be offering the following:

• Creative Writing
• Bookmaking
• Cartooning
• Watercolour painting
• Fun Clay Sculpture
• Photography
• Paper Making
• Google Sketch Up
• Blogging
• Wet felting

If any of these appeal to you and you are keen to try a class during those months then send us an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it