Photography, Knitting and Celebrations......

It seems a long time since our last blog (it is a long time since our last blog) but we have been very busy with two workshops over the last five weeks, as well as hosting a large weekend celebration in-between.

Our fist event, at the beginning of May, was The Fabric of Photography, led by Jasprit Singh.  This is the first time we have hosted a photographic workshop and we wanted it to be related to textiles.  

 

Thus, Jasprit Singh, curator at the V&A, and Jaspreet, his delightful assistant and wife to be, constructed a tight schedule which commenced with a PowerPoint demonstration and continued over the five days with tuition and field work, discovering the superb flexibility of the Digital SLR, with special emphasis on Macro Photography for use by textile enthusiasts.

Then came the Birthday Party celebrations, consisting of  a sit-down meal for thirty prepared by 2011 Professional Masterchef runner-up, Claire Hutchings ,and her partner, Ibby Issa Musleh.   The following evening there was a party for seventy with buffet, again catered by Claire and Ibby.  It was a sensation! 

L'Espace, with it's extraordinary ambience, space and views, proved to be the perfect venue for a celebration  and Les Soeurs are discussing with Claire and Ibby the possibility, in the summer of next year, of a five-day Gastronomic Experience which will combine amazing cuisine with sublime vintage wines from our cellars, together with outings to nearby top chateaux and markets.  If this is something that appeals to you contact Katie ASAP as numbers will be kept small........

Women at Work

One of the really rewarding, long-term results for Les Soeurs Anglaises is the new friendships that participants develop during their stay with us and which endure long after their departure. We are always delighted when individuals have enjoyed their break with us so much that they return to repeat a workshop or try a new one, but there is something particularly gratifying when a few movers and shakers put together their own community blog to keep in touch and keep up the inspiration.  

 

The Pantry Violets  is just such a case;  the blog was set up three years ago by some 10 of these women and it now has a quickly growing group of followers, many of whom have been introduced via the Les Soeurs Anglaises' network, by a friend or colleague who may have been on one of our workshops, or serendipitously arrived at the site through a link and simply decided they would like to join this hugely creative (and entertaining) "community" from all over the world and all walks of life; from housewives in Sidney to judges in Seattle,  food store owners in Washington to illustrators in Stockholm, GP's in Durham to professional ballet dancers in Korea.  


The latest project organized by the Pantry Violets is called the inchies. Those volunteers  involved each decorate (knit, sew, weave etc.) a set of identical 1" linen squares to match the number of participants;  one is then sent out to every other member of the inchies, who then can sew them together to produce a blanket or textile picture or whatever inspires them.   Nobody sees what anyone else is doing until they arrive on their doorstep and the results are always unexpected and  always beautiful.


Being unable to say no to a creative challenge we  joined in the latest fun and now, six months later, anticipate with pleasure what might be delivered in the post every day.  Here are just three of the inches that have already reached us.

And once they have all been collected, the next creative challenge will be how to put them all together.  Who says the life of the needlewoman is easy? 

Speaking of needlewomen, do you have a sublime piece of needlework that an ancestor of yours made?  If so, do email us a photograph of it and your name will be entered into our COMPETITION for a free place on one of our 2012 workshops! (travel not included). 

Pictures need to be with us before Easter, 6th April 2012 and the prize place will depend upon availability on the workshops.  We would also like permission to publish the photograph on this blog.

Picture Perfect........

Our first workshop, The Fabric of  Photography, is only two and half months off and we are so looking forward to introducing for the first time Jasprit Singh, a curator from the VandA museum, London, our charming and enthusiastic workshop leader.  We had an opportunity to catch up with him during a recent visit to The Big Smoke and question him about his views on photography:

Felice Beato

What is your first memory of taking a photograph?  At the young age of six.  The image was of my grandfather in his garden picking plums.

What was your first camera and how old were you?  My father owned a PentaxME Super which is the first camera I learnt to use.

Who are your all-time favorite photographers?  Bill Brandt, Felice Beato, Ragu Rai and Bourne and Shepherd.

Bill Brandt

Which photographer has had the most influence on your work?  During my academic life I spent most of my days looking at Beato's work on Amritsar.  Since then I have had a number of influences, including colleagues, Justina Burnett and Simran Kaur.

Justina Burnett

Where do you think the future of photography lies?    Sadly, the digital SLR camera seems to be becoming more of a fashion statement than as an apparatus for creating images.  My greatest fear is that quantity will win over quality, so my golden rule in teaching is to, "capture an image with your mind not your eye".

Ragu Rai

What is it that you enjoy most about teaching photography?  Every student has a subtly different agenda.  I take great pleasure helping each individual master their cameras in order to produce the results they are looking for, and at the same time demonstrate the infinitely flexible and creative possibilities of DSLR photography.

Why are you particularly interested in Macro photography?  There are many reason for my interest, but the main one would have to be the obvious one of its ability to reproduce subject matter in minute detail.  Apart from images generally being incredibly beautiful, the Macro invariably allows us to further understand the subject's construction and mechanics. 

What single piece of photographic equipment would you recommend as a useful addition to the DSLR?  A 50mm 1:8 Legend lens reproduces precisely what the human eye sees.  I have taken some of my favorite images with my 50mm, and the best part of it is that it is the cheapest lens I own.

What are you looking forward to most about your workshop at Les Soeurs Anglaises?  From a purely selfish point of view, I am anticipating meeting interesting and creative people who are serious about learning how to make the best use of their DSLRs.  I expect to be exposed to new and challenging attitudes to the various arts and crafts whilst in the supportive ambiance of Les Soeurs Anglaises, cradled in the inspirational landscape of S W France.

Thank you, Jasprit for sharing your views.

Just a thought......

If you are wildly thrashing around in a pre-Christmas frenzy, trying to think of something original and relevant to ask your best-beloved to give you for Christmas, below you'll find our literally life-affirming suggestions.


For 2012 Les Soeurs Anglaises have chosen our favourite teachers to lead five amazing creative workshops.  You'll find many more details on our website, but when you've decided which one's for you, you need only send a deposit of £250/$392 and we'll  confirm a place (you can let us know your choice of accommodation, at leisure, after the Christmas madness).  


To maintain a welcoming, intimate atmosphere and a high level of attention to detail, we keep our workshop numbers to less than one a month between May and October, and our participant numbers to between 12 and 15.  As a result places on one or two are now full or running low; but we've listed the ones where there is still availability.  2012 looks like our busiest year so far and if you think you might like to join us we suggest you don't leave it too long.  


It's as simple a pinging the button below to pay through PayPal with one of the cards below, but if you would like more information about the various events or accommodation options, do contact us and we'd be happy to answer any questions. 

The Fabric of Photography 

to be led by Jasprit Singh

3rd to 9th May (5 days/6 nights)

Places still available

 

Knitting with Colour and Clarity

to be led by Patricia Roberts

31st May to 6th June (5 days/6 nights)

2 places still available

 

Summer Fetes & Puppet Shows

to be led by Julie Arkell

July 

NOW FULL

Botanical Collage

to be led by Catherine Girardeau Willis

5th to 11th September (5 days/6 nights)

Places still available

 

Woven and Sew Sculpture

to be led by Julieann Worral Hood

3rd to 9th October (5 days/6 nights)

Places still available

 

Lin et Vin

But if you and you better half simply want to be surrounded by beautiful vintage linens and spectacular French antiques, consider joining us for a very special weekend in July when we will be putting together a gastronomic extravaganza catered by a top chef and with vintage wines supplied from our own substantial cellars (Mike used to be the president of the Interesting Wine Club, in London).  

The meal will be followed by an opportunity to buy from celebrated collectors/vendors of all that is stylishly French, and the whole event is by invitation only for a limited number of guests.  If this sounds like something you might like to be part of, let us know ASAP and we will make sure your name is at the top of our list of invitees and the first to know exact dates, the name of the chef and experts, together with price(s).

Les Soeurs Anglaises is a supporter of the Cambodian Childrens Fund and all profits to them from this event will be donated.