Glass Show In Venice
By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
Published: Sunday, September 8, 1996
From:http://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/08/travel/glass-show-in-venice.html?sec=travel
(This event has already happened)
Venice will play host to ''Open Glass,'' the city's first international exhibition of contemporary glass art, from Sept. 12 to Nov. 10. The exhibition will feature the work of more than 100 contemporary glass artists from around the world, including Dale Chihuly from the United States, Stanislav Libensky from the Czech Republic, Bert Frijns from the Netherlands and Antoine Leperlier from France.
Venice has been known for centuries for its tradition of glass blowing, and it is to celebrate this art, passed on from generation to generation of master glass artists, that the municipal government conceived of the event to highlight the work of contemporary artists. The exhibition will become a biannual event alternating with the Biennale of Contemporary Art. An international jury will choose the best four pieces.
Most of the works, ranging from vases and small sculptures to large installations, will be displayed at the Ducal Palace, the Correr Museum and the Vetrario Museum on the island of Murano. Viewers will also be able to admire a number of installations by taking a boat up the Grand Canal.
Among the exhibits will be ''Chihuly Over Venice,'' Dale Chihuly's installation of a series of 15-foot high ''chandeliers'' that will be hung within palaces, courtyards and gardens visible from the Grand Canal. The Seattle-based Chihuly has spent over $1 million on the Venice project, involving over 300 people, including teams of glass blowers from three countries.
The Ducal Palace, Correr Museum and Vetrario Museum are open daily from 9 A.M. to 7 P.M. Tickets cost $9.30 and can be bought until one hour before closing. One ticket will allow admission to all three venues. Most of Mr. Chihuly's works will be visible only from outside the palaces where they will be installed, but some, like the one in the garden of the Guggenheim museum, can be viewed up close from inside. Information: (041) 2707717. ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
Photo: Dale Chihuly and one of the chandeliers of ''Chihuly Over Venice.'' (Russell Johnson)
Showing posts with label Textiles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Textiles. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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Helen's aim is high with fashionable leather work
10:00am Monday 24th November 2008
By Mike Pryce »
from: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/features/countrynews/lateststory/3871873.Helen_s_aim_is_high_with_fashionable_leather_work/
FASHION isn’t usually the first thing associated with shooting, but for Helen Leedham, the shooting industry is the catwalk for her business.
Because the 27-year-old from Cookley, near Kidderminster, has turned her training as a saddler into making bespoke leather items for high society or the Highlands.
Whether it’s for a day on the grouse moors or Pimms in a polo marquee on Smith’s Lawn, Helen’s work is catching the eye.
So much so, the Worcestershire entrepreneur has been chosen as one of the Countryside Alliance’s Shooting Stars, a national campaign that focuses on young people who have bucked the trend of youth exodus from the countryside because of their passion for the rural life and in particular the employment opportunities offered by the shooting industry.
Clare Rowson, Midlands regional director of the Countryside Alliance (CA), said: “The latest government figures show that 400,000 fewer young people live in the countryside now compared with 20 years ago.
“This worrying trend of rural emigration threatens the future diversity and sustainability of rural communities across England and Wales. But not every young person is leaving for life in the city, because some industries still play an important part in retaining young people in rural areas and shooting is a major one. It contributes £1.6 billion to the UK economy and supports around 70,000 jobs.”
Helen grew up with horses and country sports and decided on a career in saddlery. After completing a fine art degree at Bristol University, she set her sights on creating superior quality products for the saddlery and shooting industries.
She said: “I’ve used saddles and gun equipment all my life but I always thought designs could be improved, which is why I wanted to learn to make my own.”
Helen completed a course in bridle, saddle and harnessmaking at Walsall College, West Midlands. She is now a registered saddler and on her way to becoming a master saddler.
Her introduction to the shooting industry came through a teacher at the college, who was a patternmaker for the famous gun company Purdey.
Helen said: “The company needed hand-stitching completed for cartridge bags and I was one of the students given the chance to demonstrate my skills.”
This experience was the platform from which Helen launched her career. She now works part-time for the prestigious Westley Richards gun company in Birmingham and has also started her own business, Helen Leedham Bespoke Saddlery Products.
She produces a range of standard leather shooting accessories such as gunslips and game bags, but from timeto- time gets unusual requests such as a recent one for a gunslip made from alligator skin. While this is not your average order, clients are still willing to pay up to £5,000 for a custom-made accessory and then there are her stylish handbags, purses and wallets.
Based in a workshop at the back of her father’s house in Cookley, Helen’s typical week involves working on her orders and saddlery repairs in addition to commuting to Birmingham for her work at Westley Richards.
She said: “My working life is quite hectic but I get a huge amount of job satisfaction.
There’s nothing like seeing a customer’s face light-up when they see their new bespoke product.”
Helen’s reputation for quality is spreading, but she admits marketing her business relies on word of mouth because she doesn’t have the resources available to let larger firms know about her work.
She said: “I’ve made good contacts with local shoots, but the best advertising comes from the shooters themselves, who often travel about the country and are asked where they bought their latest purchases.”
Helen is backing the Countryside Alliance in its campaign for more affordable rural housing because she believes cottage industries like her own are often more viable in rural areas.
“House prices are out of reach at the moment but I’m hoping my business success gives me the income to be able to buy one day,” she added.
However, with the shooting season well underway Helen is looking forward to creating more masterpieces for an industry that allows her to live and work where her heart is – in rural Worcestershire.
Helen's aim is high with fashionable leather work
10:00am Monday 24th November 2008
By Mike Pryce »
from: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/features/countrynews/lateststory/3871873.Helen_s_aim_is_high_with_fashionable_leather_work/
FASHION isn’t usually the first thing associated with shooting, but for Helen Leedham, the shooting industry is the catwalk for her business.
Because the 27-year-old from Cookley, near Kidderminster, has turned her training as a saddler into making bespoke leather items for high society or the Highlands.
Whether it’s for a day on the grouse moors or Pimms in a polo marquee on Smith’s Lawn, Helen’s work is catching the eye.
So much so, the Worcestershire entrepreneur has been chosen as one of the Countryside Alliance’s Shooting Stars, a national campaign that focuses on young people who have bucked the trend of youth exodus from the countryside because of their passion for the rural life and in particular the employment opportunities offered by the shooting industry.
Clare Rowson, Midlands regional director of the Countryside Alliance (CA), said: “The latest government figures show that 400,000 fewer young people live in the countryside now compared with 20 years ago.
“This worrying trend of rural emigration threatens the future diversity and sustainability of rural communities across England and Wales. But not every young person is leaving for life in the city, because some industries still play an important part in retaining young people in rural areas and shooting is a major one. It contributes £1.6 billion to the UK economy and supports around 70,000 jobs.”
Helen grew up with horses and country sports and decided on a career in saddlery. After completing a fine art degree at Bristol University, she set her sights on creating superior quality products for the saddlery and shooting industries.
She said: “I’ve used saddles and gun equipment all my life but I always thought designs could be improved, which is why I wanted to learn to make my own.”
Helen completed a course in bridle, saddle and harnessmaking at Walsall College, West Midlands. She is now a registered saddler and on her way to becoming a master saddler.
Her introduction to the shooting industry came through a teacher at the college, who was a patternmaker for the famous gun company Purdey.
Helen said: “The company needed hand-stitching completed for cartridge bags and I was one of the students given the chance to demonstrate my skills.”
This experience was the platform from which Helen launched her career. She now works part-time for the prestigious Westley Richards gun company in Birmingham and has also started her own business, Helen Leedham Bespoke Saddlery Products.
She produces a range of standard leather shooting accessories such as gunslips and game bags, but from timeto- time gets unusual requests such as a recent one for a gunslip made from alligator skin. While this is not your average order, clients are still willing to pay up to £5,000 for a custom-made accessory and then there are her stylish handbags, purses and wallets.
Based in a workshop at the back of her father’s house in Cookley, Helen’s typical week involves working on her orders and saddlery repairs in addition to commuting to Birmingham for her work at Westley Richards.
She said: “My working life is quite hectic but I get a huge amount of job satisfaction.
There’s nothing like seeing a customer’s face light-up when they see their new bespoke product.”
Helen’s reputation for quality is spreading, but she admits marketing her business relies on word of mouth because she doesn’t have the resources available to let larger firms know about her work.
She said: “I’ve made good contacts with local shoots, but the best advertising comes from the shooters themselves, who often travel about the country and are asked where they bought their latest purchases.”
Helen is backing the Countryside Alliance in its campaign for more affordable rural housing because she believes cottage industries like her own are often more viable in rural areas.
“House prices are out of reach at the moment but I’m hoping my business success gives me the income to be able to buy one day,” she added.
However, with the shooting season well underway Helen is looking forward to creating more masterpieces for an industry that allows her to live and work where her heart is – in rural Worcestershire.
City of Angles
IN CHICAGO, WHERE A NEWFOUND VITALITY IS FUELING A BOOMLET IN STYLE AND DESIGN, THE FUTURE IS NOW. BY GIOIA DILIBERTO
Photographs by Raymond Meier
From: http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/03/22/style/t/index.html#pagewanted=0&pageName=22chiw&
Since 1871, when it rose spectacularly after the Great Fire, Chicago has been famous for pioneering architecture — from the steel-frame skyscraper to the flat geometry of the Prairie School to Mies van der Rohe’s clean Minimalism. When it comes to cutting-edge fashion, though, the city rarely registered. Lost between the glamorous coasts, it’s been a no-style zone. Until now.
Chicago has always been a shopping town, with all the blue-chip flagships — Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Burberry — on the luxury thoroughfare known as the Magnificent Mile, along with world-class department stores like Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s), where, in the pre-jet age, women could buy line-for-line copies of French couture. But it took Michelle Obama, a woman who knows how to mix some serious-looking Azzedine Alaïa accessories with her J. Crew staples, to bolster the city’s fashion confidence. If New York is a sleek sophisticate in black and Los Angeles a tanned blonde in a tank top and jewels, then Chicago is the stylish but sensible girl next door. Before the election, Obama was spotted shopping at Lori’s Shoes, a popular discount store on the city’s North Side. ‘‘Michelle doesn’t want to be seen as a diva,’’ says Maria Pinto, the designer who dressed the first lady in her classically feminine sheaths for several key campaign appearances and recently opened a minimalist boutique in the SoHo-like West Loop neighborhood.
It’s there, and in arty Wicker Park and the hip Southport Corridor, that you’ll find a trendy brew of established and new designers showcased in independent boutiques. There are innovators like Kelly Whitesell and Elizabeth Del Castillo of Eskell, which makes youthful clothes using hand-printed fabrics, and Yoko Uozumi and her husband, the techno D.J. Jeff Mills, who own the ‘‘concept’’ shop Gamma Player. ‘‘This spring we’re inspired by Niterói, the seaside town in Brazil,’’ says Uozumi, who builds her collections around town in Brazil,’’ says Uozumi, who builds her collections around different themes, ‘‘so we’re carrying dresses in geometric prints that invoke the sea.’’
Old World elegance reigns supreme at Blake, where Balenciaga hangs with Dries Van Noten in a converted post office. Then there is Ikram Goldman, Obama’s style consigliere, who has famously introduced heartland shoppers to fantasy-inspired pieces by Proenza Schouler, Viktor & Rolf and Rodarte at her avant-garde emporium. Only the city’s harsh weather is a hindrance to fashion savvy. ‘‘We’ll be promoting big handbags forever,’’ says Tricia Tunstall, co-founder of the boutique p.45. ‘‘You’ve got to have a way to carry your high heels, so you can check your snow boots at the door.’’
IN CHICAGO, WHERE A NEWFOUND VITALITY IS FUELING A BOOMLET IN STYLE AND DESIGN, THE FUTURE IS NOW. BY GIOIA DILIBERTO
Photographs by Raymond Meier
From: http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/03/22/style/t/index.html#pagewanted=0&pageName=22chiw&
Since 1871, when it rose spectacularly after the Great Fire, Chicago has been famous for pioneering architecture — from the steel-frame skyscraper to the flat geometry of the Prairie School to Mies van der Rohe’s clean Minimalism. When it comes to cutting-edge fashion, though, the city rarely registered. Lost between the glamorous coasts, it’s been a no-style zone. Until now.
Chicago has always been a shopping town, with all the blue-chip flagships — Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Burberry — on the luxury thoroughfare known as the Magnificent Mile, along with world-class department stores like Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s), where, in the pre-jet age, women could buy line-for-line copies of French couture. But it took Michelle Obama, a woman who knows how to mix some serious-looking Azzedine Alaïa accessories with her J. Crew staples, to bolster the city’s fashion confidence. If New York is a sleek sophisticate in black and Los Angeles a tanned blonde in a tank top and jewels, then Chicago is the stylish but sensible girl next door. Before the election, Obama was spotted shopping at Lori’s Shoes, a popular discount store on the city’s North Side. ‘‘Michelle doesn’t want to be seen as a diva,’’ says Maria Pinto, the designer who dressed the first lady in her classically feminine sheaths for several key campaign appearances and recently opened a minimalist boutique in the SoHo-like West Loop neighborhood.
It’s there, and in arty Wicker Park and the hip Southport Corridor, that you’ll find a trendy brew of established and new designers showcased in independent boutiques. There are innovators like Kelly Whitesell and Elizabeth Del Castillo of Eskell, which makes youthful clothes using hand-printed fabrics, and Yoko Uozumi and her husband, the techno D.J. Jeff Mills, who own the ‘‘concept’’ shop Gamma Player. ‘‘This spring we’re inspired by Niterói, the seaside town in Brazil,’’ says Uozumi, who builds her collections around town in Brazil,’’ says Uozumi, who builds her collections around different themes, ‘‘so we’re carrying dresses in geometric prints that invoke the sea.’’
Old World elegance reigns supreme at Blake, where Balenciaga hangs with Dries Van Noten in a converted post office. Then there is Ikram Goldman, Obama’s style consigliere, who has famously introduced heartland shoppers to fantasy-inspired pieces by Proenza Schouler, Viktor & Rolf and Rodarte at her avant-garde emporium. Only the city’s harsh weather is a hindrance to fashion savvy. ‘‘We’ll be promoting big handbags forever,’’ says Tricia Tunstall, co-founder of the boutique p.45. ‘‘You’ve got to have a way to carry your high heels, so you can check your snow boots at the door.’’
Friday, March 20, 2009
Food, wine and the fine art of sketching
By CATHERINE LANGSTON, Special to the GazetteFebruary 28, 2009
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Entertainment/Food+wine+fine+sketching/1338411/story.html
Squinting into the dimly lit foyer, I pressed the door buzzer beside the peel-off label reading Galerie Synesthésie. Seconds later, I was buzzed off the short, edgy stretch of Ste. Catherine St. E. near St. Laurent Blvd., and into the gallery's drawing workshop. It was like flipping the channel from a black-and-white indie documentary on street kids to a reality show in hyper-colour about an artist's loft.
But reality TV had nothing on the gallery's live model workshop when I walked in that Saturday afternoon to try my hand at sketching. A dozen-plus artists were grouped at work stations throughout the airy studio loft, preparing their materials and chatting. The model was stretching before her job under the bright lights. Soft music drifted around the long run of high-ceilinged space. Bowls of juicy grapes, ripe berries, salted nuts and chocolate biscuits surrounded a fresh baguette and cheeses. Red and white wine was on tap.
This was a drawing workshop?
"With sensory stimulus, people draw links between different sources of inspiration," explained owner Anthony Walsh, who's been running Galerie Synesthésie, which holds live model drawing sessions, art classes, and art exhibitions, since 2007.
Stimuli such as music, food or alcohol light up the brain's pleasure zones, he said, making the world, or in this case the drawing workshop, a more magical place.
Except that no one was draining the wine cartons dry. In fact, the artists seemed rooted by the challenge of rapidly sketching their impressions of the model before each 60-second pose dissolved then reformed into another. The short poses "get people into a creative state of flow" where they stop being self-critical, said Walsh, a master's student in Université de Montréal's psychology program.
So forget that Grade 2 teacher's warning not to colour outside the lines. Unlike our artistically suppressed
7-year-old selves, the sketchers at this gallery simply turn the page on their errors. And it works: halfway into the three-hour session, the Nefertiti-like necks and football shoulders of my earlier sketches had shrunk to more realistic shapes and proportions.
Art therapist Thomas Shortliffe agrees that over-rationalizing blocks the creative process, but said self-critiquing can aid growth.
"Through art, we understand about our creative process ... at the end of the process, we feel more secure in the development of our abilities," said Shortliffe, who holds a graduate degree in art therapy from Concordia University.
CÉGEP teacher and workshop regular Jane Petring said her sense of accomplishment is "related to how satisfied I am with what I produce. If I'm not working at developing (my abilities), I don't want to go there."
Walsh agreed, adding that by learning to use artists' tools for measuring angles and distances, for example, participants can start to put what they see on paper.
Sure enough, three hours and countless poses later, my first short, light, careful pencil strokes on newsprint had gradually been worked into firmer, darker, more fluid lines that captured some of the model's form and energy. And when the model stirred from her last long pose, I picked up my wine glass to toast myself for pushing past an ordinary glass door into an exceptional place.
Galerie Synesthésie is at 94 Ste. Catherine St. E., Suite 7. The three-hour sketching sessions with live models are open to everyone. Cost is $15. Sessions are on Saturdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 2:30 to 5:30 pm. For more information, visit www.galeriesynesthesie.com or call 514-998-7625
By CATHERINE LANGSTON, Special to the GazetteFebruary 28, 2009
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Entertainment/Food+wine+fine+sketching/1338411/story.html
Squinting into the dimly lit foyer, I pressed the door buzzer beside the peel-off label reading Galerie Synesthésie. Seconds later, I was buzzed off the short, edgy stretch of Ste. Catherine St. E. near St. Laurent Blvd., and into the gallery's drawing workshop. It was like flipping the channel from a black-and-white indie documentary on street kids to a reality show in hyper-colour about an artist's loft.
But reality TV had nothing on the gallery's live model workshop when I walked in that Saturday afternoon to try my hand at sketching. A dozen-plus artists were grouped at work stations throughout the airy studio loft, preparing their materials and chatting. The model was stretching before her job under the bright lights. Soft music drifted around the long run of high-ceilinged space. Bowls of juicy grapes, ripe berries, salted nuts and chocolate biscuits surrounded a fresh baguette and cheeses. Red and white wine was on tap.
This was a drawing workshop?
"With sensory stimulus, people draw links between different sources of inspiration," explained owner Anthony Walsh, who's been running Galerie Synesthésie, which holds live model drawing sessions, art classes, and art exhibitions, since 2007.
Stimuli such as music, food or alcohol light up the brain's pleasure zones, he said, making the world, or in this case the drawing workshop, a more magical place.
Except that no one was draining the wine cartons dry. In fact, the artists seemed rooted by the challenge of rapidly sketching their impressions of the model before each 60-second pose dissolved then reformed into another. The short poses "get people into a creative state of flow" where they stop being self-critical, said Walsh, a master's student in Université de Montréal's psychology program.
So forget that Grade 2 teacher's warning not to colour outside the lines. Unlike our artistically suppressed
7-year-old selves, the sketchers at this gallery simply turn the page on their errors. And it works: halfway into the three-hour session, the Nefertiti-like necks and football shoulders of my earlier sketches had shrunk to more realistic shapes and proportions.
Art therapist Thomas Shortliffe agrees that over-rationalizing blocks the creative process, but said self-critiquing can aid growth.
"Through art, we understand about our creative process ... at the end of the process, we feel more secure in the development of our abilities," said Shortliffe, who holds a graduate degree in art therapy from Concordia University.
CÉGEP teacher and workshop regular Jane Petring said her sense of accomplishment is "related to how satisfied I am with what I produce. If I'm not working at developing (my abilities), I don't want to go there."
Walsh agreed, adding that by learning to use artists' tools for measuring angles and distances, for example, participants can start to put what they see on paper.
Sure enough, three hours and countless poses later, my first short, light, careful pencil strokes on newsprint had gradually been worked into firmer, darker, more fluid lines that captured some of the model's form and energy. And when the model stirred from her last long pose, I picked up my wine glass to toast myself for pushing past an ordinary glass door into an exceptional place.
Galerie Synesthésie is at 94 Ste. Catherine St. E., Suite 7. The three-hour sketching sessions with live models are open to everyone. Cost is $15. Sessions are on Saturdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 2:30 to 5:30 pm. For more information, visit www.galeriesynesthesie.com or call 514-998-7625
WWOOFing it in England's Lake District
By Reb Stevenson, Ottawa Citizen; Canwest News ServiceFebruary 14, 2009
From: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Technology/WWOOFing+England+Lake+District/1289143/story.html
Now this is green living.
Yeah, yeah, it's organic and all -- but that's not what I'm talking about.
It's the moss. The glorious emerald eco-carpet that sneaks its way onto every stone surface and infuses this landscape with a soft hint of neglect.
It's everywhere, anywhere. And it's enchanting.
As my cab navigates through Kendal and into the tiny village of Burneside, Cumbria, the taxi driver silently indulges my blathering.
It is my third week on the WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) program, a global network of farms that allows you to exchange labour for accommodation and food.
You can WWOOF all over the world, but I'm doing it through WWOOF U.K. Sprint Mill Farm jumps out of the handbook because it lists "fun, variety, fulfilment and new experiences" as the work themes. Also, it is located in The Lake District, one of the U.K.'s prime tourist destinations.
A defunct mill, the farmhouse is damp, stony and clings to the bank of a gushing river. The whole place heaves with fertility.
Edward Acland runs Sprint Mill Farm with his doctor wife, Romola Stringer. Accommodation is in Acland's daughter's old bedroom in the main house. In the summer months, WWOOFers can sleep in the adjacent outbuilding.
Acland quickly ushers me into a kitchen that would make any Ikea enthusiast lash out with contempt.
It is furnished with a long wood table, a haphazard collection of glass jars stocked with mysterious contents, and a wood-burning stove most often seen in sepia photographs. This kitchen is truly the heart of the homestead.
And Acland, I soon decide, truly embodies the heart of what WWOOFing is all about.
Sprint Mill Farm is his 15-acre experiment in complete sustainability. He dabbles in coppicing (a traditional method of woodland management), animal-rearing, vegetable and fruit farming and woodcrafts.
None of it is for profit.
"It's about living off the interest and income of Mother Earth, but not using her capital," Acland explains. "We try to avoid using anything that we can't replace.
"It's jolly hard work, but very fulfilling," he says passionately.
As it turns out, WWOOFing at Sprint Mill barely even qualifies as work. After brief morning stints pitching in on the farm, I have the afternoons off.
"You can go for a walk, cycle, write, sleep ... whatever," says Acland. "It's not about exploiting a WWOOFer as a slave or labourer. It's about giving them the opportunity to experience a way of life."
And so Acland dons the mantle of mentor, not shift supervisor. He teaches me how to cut comfrey with a rusty old piece of machinery and how to forage for acorns, and eagerly shares his knowledge of green woodworking. We also have a go at weeding, apple picking and nettle-cutting.
As we trudge through the sopping landscape, Acland explains the cyclical processes that govern Sprint Mill.
For example, willow branches are fed to the goats, who gnaw off the leaves and bark. The stripped wood is used for fuel, and the goats produce milk, cheese and meat.
On the first day, bolstered by the altruistic urge to delve right into this Earth-appeasing lifestyle, I eat the goat cheese, pour goat milk into my tea and lavish my toast with goat butter. But, to borrow from Acland's earlier statement: it's jolly hard work.
By the second day, I'm wincing as I sip the tea, and gagging on the butter. To put it delicately, the flavour is evocative of an unlaundered athletic sock (to be fair, the meat isn't bad). But at least it's not a rodent: once a Moroccan WWOOFer insisted upon making good use of a squirrel that Acland caught.
"But it's a resource! It is organic!" he argued when Acland suggested a basic burial. So the WWOOFer whipped up a casserole and they had it for supper.
"I wouldn't rush at eating squirrel again," Acland laughs. "But there were messages there and I was thankful for that."
After a few days of digesting goat, I figure it's time to milk the situation. Literally.
One morning, Acland's wife leads me out to the shed for my virgin milking. A bit squeamish, I reach into the nether-area and grasp a fleshy protrusion.
"So I just yank?" I ask. "They tend to be fidgety with strangers," says Stringer. "You've just got to be firm."
I squeeze. The goat kicks a bit. But the teat squirts. Actually, it's kind of enjoyable.
Sprint Mill isn't in town, but Acland and Stringer provide wheels for their WWOOFers (bikes of course). I take full advantage of a Brompton; a London-made, folding bike.
I ride into Kendal, a favourite launching-point for hiking the nearby fells, the hills of the Lake District.
A visit to 13th-century Kendal Castle is rewarding -- for a full hour I have the ruins all to myself. Sweet!
Even sweeter: The Famous 1657 Chocolate House, where I self-medicate my goat-stricken palate with a sickening dose of chocolate. The menu consists of 20 chocolate beverages (embellished with spices, violet and the like) and 14 gateaux.
Another day, I venture out to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's charming little home near Sawrey. The Brompton folds up on the train, bus and ferry and I ride it the rest of the way, passing through adorable towns where it seems feasible to consume clotted cream and scones hourly.
Sprint Mill Farm values symbiotic relationships between man and nature. It also achieves that between host and WWOOFer: I relish my experiences both on the farm and off it.
"I have this ridiculous belief that humankind could actually one day be a benefit to the planet rather than ravaging, pillaging, raping, despoiling," Acland muses.
He doesn't clobber you over the head with his philosophies, but his message grows on you. Like moss.
- - -
IF YOU GO
Cost: A one-year WWOOF U.K. membership costs $40 Cdn and grants access to a list of participant farms in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
WWOOF U.K.: www.wwoof.org.uk
WWOOF Canada: www.wwoof.ca
Visiting Kendal: www.lakelandgateway.inf
Hill Top: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hilltop
Online: WWOOFing in Action:
Find videos of Reb Stevenson's experiences in England at ottawacitizen.com
By Reb Stevenson, Ottawa Citizen; Canwest News ServiceFebruary 14, 2009
From: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Technology/WWOOFing+England+Lake+District/1289143/story.html
Now this is green living.
Yeah, yeah, it's organic and all -- but that's not what I'm talking about.
It's the moss. The glorious emerald eco-carpet that sneaks its way onto every stone surface and infuses this landscape with a soft hint of neglect.
It's everywhere, anywhere. And it's enchanting.
As my cab navigates through Kendal and into the tiny village of Burneside, Cumbria, the taxi driver silently indulges my blathering.
It is my third week on the WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) program, a global network of farms that allows you to exchange labour for accommodation and food.
You can WWOOF all over the world, but I'm doing it through WWOOF U.K. Sprint Mill Farm jumps out of the handbook because it lists "fun, variety, fulfilment and new experiences" as the work themes. Also, it is located in The Lake District, one of the U.K.'s prime tourist destinations.
A defunct mill, the farmhouse is damp, stony and clings to the bank of a gushing river. The whole place heaves with fertility.
Edward Acland runs Sprint Mill Farm with his doctor wife, Romola Stringer. Accommodation is in Acland's daughter's old bedroom in the main house. In the summer months, WWOOFers can sleep in the adjacent outbuilding.
Acland quickly ushers me into a kitchen that would make any Ikea enthusiast lash out with contempt.
It is furnished with a long wood table, a haphazard collection of glass jars stocked with mysterious contents, and a wood-burning stove most often seen in sepia photographs. This kitchen is truly the heart of the homestead.
And Acland, I soon decide, truly embodies the heart of what WWOOFing is all about.
Sprint Mill Farm is his 15-acre experiment in complete sustainability. He dabbles in coppicing (a traditional method of woodland management), animal-rearing, vegetable and fruit farming and woodcrafts.
None of it is for profit.
"It's about living off the interest and income of Mother Earth, but not using her capital," Acland explains. "We try to avoid using anything that we can't replace.
"It's jolly hard work, but very fulfilling," he says passionately.
As it turns out, WWOOFing at Sprint Mill barely even qualifies as work. After brief morning stints pitching in on the farm, I have the afternoons off.
"You can go for a walk, cycle, write, sleep ... whatever," says Acland. "It's not about exploiting a WWOOFer as a slave or labourer. It's about giving them the opportunity to experience a way of life."
And so Acland dons the mantle of mentor, not shift supervisor. He teaches me how to cut comfrey with a rusty old piece of machinery and how to forage for acorns, and eagerly shares his knowledge of green woodworking. We also have a go at weeding, apple picking and nettle-cutting.
As we trudge through the sopping landscape, Acland explains the cyclical processes that govern Sprint Mill.
For example, willow branches are fed to the goats, who gnaw off the leaves and bark. The stripped wood is used for fuel, and the goats produce milk, cheese and meat.
On the first day, bolstered by the altruistic urge to delve right into this Earth-appeasing lifestyle, I eat the goat cheese, pour goat milk into my tea and lavish my toast with goat butter. But, to borrow from Acland's earlier statement: it's jolly hard work.
By the second day, I'm wincing as I sip the tea, and gagging on the butter. To put it delicately, the flavour is evocative of an unlaundered athletic sock (to be fair, the meat isn't bad). But at least it's not a rodent: once a Moroccan WWOOFer insisted upon making good use of a squirrel that Acland caught.
"But it's a resource! It is organic!" he argued when Acland suggested a basic burial. So the WWOOFer whipped up a casserole and they had it for supper.
"I wouldn't rush at eating squirrel again," Acland laughs. "But there were messages there and I was thankful for that."
After a few days of digesting goat, I figure it's time to milk the situation. Literally.
One morning, Acland's wife leads me out to the shed for my virgin milking. A bit squeamish, I reach into the nether-area and grasp a fleshy protrusion.
"So I just yank?" I ask. "They tend to be fidgety with strangers," says Stringer. "You've just got to be firm."
I squeeze. The goat kicks a bit. But the teat squirts. Actually, it's kind of enjoyable.
Sprint Mill isn't in town, but Acland and Stringer provide wheels for their WWOOFers (bikes of course). I take full advantage of a Brompton; a London-made, folding bike.
I ride into Kendal, a favourite launching-point for hiking the nearby fells, the hills of the Lake District.
A visit to 13th-century Kendal Castle is rewarding -- for a full hour I have the ruins all to myself. Sweet!
Even sweeter: The Famous 1657 Chocolate House, where I self-medicate my goat-stricken palate with a sickening dose of chocolate. The menu consists of 20 chocolate beverages (embellished with spices, violet and the like) and 14 gateaux.
Another day, I venture out to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's charming little home near Sawrey. The Brompton folds up on the train, bus and ferry and I ride it the rest of the way, passing through adorable towns where it seems feasible to consume clotted cream and scones hourly.
Sprint Mill Farm values symbiotic relationships between man and nature. It also achieves that between host and WWOOFer: I relish my experiences both on the farm and off it.
"I have this ridiculous belief that humankind could actually one day be a benefit to the planet rather than ravaging, pillaging, raping, despoiling," Acland muses.
He doesn't clobber you over the head with his philosophies, but his message grows on you. Like moss.
- - -
IF YOU GO
Cost: A one-year WWOOF U.K. membership costs $40 Cdn and grants access to a list of participant farms in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
WWOOF U.K.: www.wwoof.org.uk
WWOOF Canada: www.wwoof.ca
Visiting Kendal: www.lakelandgateway.inf
Hill Top: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hilltop
Online: WWOOFing in Action:
Find videos of Reb Stevenson's experiences in England at ottawacitizen.com
Shot of colour for spring is all your family needs
By Joanne Sasvari, Canwest News ServiceMarch 14, 2009
From: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Life/Shot+colour+spring+your+family+needs/1389692/story.html
When it comes to fashion, instead of thinking "must-have" this spring, you might be thinking, "Must I?"
Judging by dismal retail reports, you're not alone. Sales are down just about everywhere. Instead of shopping at the mall, we're making do with what's already in our closets, organizing clothes swaps and even learning how to sew a garment.
We are at last starting to pay attention to Gail Vaz-Oxlade, host of Slice TV's Til Debt Do Us Part, when she says, "You have to distinguish between your needs and your wants. You don't need a clothing budget, except for your children."
Still, it is the season of renewal, and it's only natural to want something fresh and fun to wear. Luckily for your shrinking fashion dollar, updating your look has never been easier -- and it needn't be expensive.
It could be as simple as injecting a shot of colour into your wardrobe.
For men, women, teens and children, colour is the big story everywhere. And by colour, we mean every colour on the wheel, especially what Rita Lee, vice-president of merchandising for Melanie Lyne stores, calls "all these beautiful happy colours," including vivid blues, bright pinks and hot citrus hues.
And don't think you have to stick with a single colour; prints are back in almost every conceivable pattern including florals, abstracts, geometrics, stripes and python.
"Colour is going to be a big thing, and the easiest way of achieving that is in a top," Lee says. "Just to add a new top, I don't think it's going to break your budget."
Even hard-to-please, trend-conscious teenagers will love the selection out there right now, which includes everything from T-shirts to cardigans, boyfriend shirts, bow-tied blouses, flowing kimono tops and billowy blousons.
"This is a good season to invest in a few pleated silk or satin novelty tops," says Tara Wickwire, Gap Inc. spokesperson.
"Architectural detailing is a big trend for the season, yet modern at the same time."
The really good news is that, aside from all those bright, trendy tops, fashion for the foreseeable future is all about timeless classics in basic neutrals.
The pieces your family should have include trench coats, safari jackets, blazers, khakis, jeans; and just for the girls, cropped pants, ballet flats, slim skirts and wide-legged trousers. If you're missing any of these pieces, this is a good time to stock up, as they will work for seasons to come -- and chances are they're marked down right now.
As we move into spring, you can keep things up to date by starting with a base of last season's black and charcoal pieces "then transition into the lighter shades of sand, grey and white," Lee says. "It gives you lots of options and you can stretch your fashion dollar a lot more than you can imagine."
For summer, white is the freshest neutral in everything from denim to dresses. And if there is one staple everyone needs, it's a white shirt.
"The white shirt works 24/7," says stylist Adrienne Shoom of Joe Fresh Style. "On its own or under a jacket or cardigan, a crisp white shirt always looks modern."
Another essential classic is the cardigan, especially in the slouchy boyfriend style, for both men and women.
"The cardigan is a spring must-have," Shoom says. "It's the perfect layering piece. Throw it on over a day dress or wear it belted with your favourite pair of jeans."
For girls and women, this spring is all about the dress, whether it's a bright little T-shirt dress, a flowing maxi or a fitted party frock.
"A dress is very easy dressing, especially in hotter weather," Lee says.
These straightforward pieces create the perfect backdrop for the season's stellar selection of accessories.
Here again, it's all about colour, "whether in jewelry, in handbags, scarves or wraps," says Melanie Lyne's accessory buyer, Anita Ormos.
Instant updates include "clutches and satchels in vivid brights and cool neutrals," as well as oversized sunglasses and statement-making jewelry such as large hoops or shoulder duster earrings, bold pendants, bib or chunky bead necklaces, and stacks of bangles and bracelets.
"The more the better," Ormos says.
While obvious excess is out, a really killer signature piece can make any outfit. You might even want to invest a bit more money in a unique work of art, like the gorgeous handmade pieces by Vancouver design company Lemon Park, which incorporates chunky beads and semi-precious stones in their stunning Rocks line.
"You can wear one of the pieces with an elegant evening outfit, which is the obvious choice, but they also make a T-shirt and a pair of favourite old jeans look stunning," says Lemon Park designer Tania Gleave.
A great accessory, a great top, a signature piece of fashion jewelry -- so simple, yet not at all basic.
As style mavens the world over have always known, the only true "must-have" is your own personal sense of style.
10 WISE WAYS TO SPEND FASHION DOLLAR
If you and your family want to be fashionable without being frivolous, the best way to do that is to build a base of classics, then punch them up with bright colours and dramatic accessories.
FOR EVERYONE:
- 1. Belted trench coat
- 2. "Cool" neutral basics in black, grey or sand
- 3. Cardigan for layering
- 4. Great-fitting pants in black, grey, khaki or white
- 5. White shirt, jeans, jacket, dress or accessories
- 6. Colourful accessories (scarf, bag, ballet flats for her; ties, sneakers and pocket squares for him)
- 7. Brightly coloured tops
JUST FOR HER:
- 8. Top or dress in a fun print
- 9. Oversized square sunglasses
- 10. Fashion jewelry such as giant hoop earrings or chunky necklaces
By Joanne Sasvari, Canwest News ServiceMarch 14, 2009
From: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Life/Shot+colour+spring+your+family+needs/1389692/story.html
When it comes to fashion, instead of thinking "must-have" this spring, you might be thinking, "Must I?"
Judging by dismal retail reports, you're not alone. Sales are down just about everywhere. Instead of shopping at the mall, we're making do with what's already in our closets, organizing clothes swaps and even learning how to sew a garment.
We are at last starting to pay attention to Gail Vaz-Oxlade, host of Slice TV's Til Debt Do Us Part, when she says, "You have to distinguish between your needs and your wants. You don't need a clothing budget, except for your children."
Still, it is the season of renewal, and it's only natural to want something fresh and fun to wear. Luckily for your shrinking fashion dollar, updating your look has never been easier -- and it needn't be expensive.
It could be as simple as injecting a shot of colour into your wardrobe.
For men, women, teens and children, colour is the big story everywhere. And by colour, we mean every colour on the wheel, especially what Rita Lee, vice-president of merchandising for Melanie Lyne stores, calls "all these beautiful happy colours," including vivid blues, bright pinks and hot citrus hues.
And don't think you have to stick with a single colour; prints are back in almost every conceivable pattern including florals, abstracts, geometrics, stripes and python.
"Colour is going to be a big thing, and the easiest way of achieving that is in a top," Lee says. "Just to add a new top, I don't think it's going to break your budget."
Even hard-to-please, trend-conscious teenagers will love the selection out there right now, which includes everything from T-shirts to cardigans, boyfriend shirts, bow-tied blouses, flowing kimono tops and billowy blousons.
"This is a good season to invest in a few pleated silk or satin novelty tops," says Tara Wickwire, Gap Inc. spokesperson.
"Architectural detailing is a big trend for the season, yet modern at the same time."
The really good news is that, aside from all those bright, trendy tops, fashion for the foreseeable future is all about timeless classics in basic neutrals.
The pieces your family should have include trench coats, safari jackets, blazers, khakis, jeans; and just for the girls, cropped pants, ballet flats, slim skirts and wide-legged trousers. If you're missing any of these pieces, this is a good time to stock up, as they will work for seasons to come -- and chances are they're marked down right now.
As we move into spring, you can keep things up to date by starting with a base of last season's black and charcoal pieces "then transition into the lighter shades of sand, grey and white," Lee says. "It gives you lots of options and you can stretch your fashion dollar a lot more than you can imagine."
For summer, white is the freshest neutral in everything from denim to dresses. And if there is one staple everyone needs, it's a white shirt.
"The white shirt works 24/7," says stylist Adrienne Shoom of Joe Fresh Style. "On its own or under a jacket or cardigan, a crisp white shirt always looks modern."
Another essential classic is the cardigan, especially in the slouchy boyfriend style, for both men and women.
"The cardigan is a spring must-have," Shoom says. "It's the perfect layering piece. Throw it on over a day dress or wear it belted with your favourite pair of jeans."
For girls and women, this spring is all about the dress, whether it's a bright little T-shirt dress, a flowing maxi or a fitted party frock.
"A dress is very easy dressing, especially in hotter weather," Lee says.
These straightforward pieces create the perfect backdrop for the season's stellar selection of accessories.
Here again, it's all about colour, "whether in jewelry, in handbags, scarves or wraps," says Melanie Lyne's accessory buyer, Anita Ormos.
Instant updates include "clutches and satchels in vivid brights and cool neutrals," as well as oversized sunglasses and statement-making jewelry such as large hoops or shoulder duster earrings, bold pendants, bib or chunky bead necklaces, and stacks of bangles and bracelets.
"The more the better," Ormos says.
While obvious excess is out, a really killer signature piece can make any outfit. You might even want to invest a bit more money in a unique work of art, like the gorgeous handmade pieces by Vancouver design company Lemon Park, which incorporates chunky beads and semi-precious stones in their stunning Rocks line.
"You can wear one of the pieces with an elegant evening outfit, which is the obvious choice, but they also make a T-shirt and a pair of favourite old jeans look stunning," says Lemon Park designer Tania Gleave.
A great accessory, a great top, a signature piece of fashion jewelry -- so simple, yet not at all basic.
As style mavens the world over have always known, the only true "must-have" is your own personal sense of style.
10 WISE WAYS TO SPEND FASHION DOLLAR
If you and your family want to be fashionable without being frivolous, the best way to do that is to build a base of classics, then punch them up with bright colours and dramatic accessories.
FOR EVERYONE:
- 1. Belted trench coat
- 2. "Cool" neutral basics in black, grey or sand
- 3. Cardigan for layering
- 4. Great-fitting pants in black, grey, khaki or white
- 5. White shirt, jeans, jacket, dress or accessories
- 6. Colourful accessories (scarf, bag, ballet flats for her; ties, sneakers and pocket squares for him)
- 7. Brightly coloured tops
JUST FOR HER:
- 8. Top or dress in a fun print
- 9. Oversized square sunglasses
- 10. Fashion jewelry such as giant hoop earrings or chunky necklaces
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