I hope it shows in these small paintings how much I loved painting Madie & her sister. We had a great time chatting .
Sign at the entrance to the foundation !
Painting outside at the Heliker foundation
The Heliker La Hotan Foundation Residency Maine USA
I arrived in Maine USA on July the 8th to start a residency at the Heliker-La Hotan foundation. The above pics is of the la Hotan studio at the foundation which I had for month.
The Skating Rink Stole
'The skating Rink' stole, designed & produced to celebrate a new commissioned opera by Garsington Opera based on a story by the Chilean author Roberto Bolaño.
This image of the skating rink stole shows how I tried different colour combinations. The final design I am really pleased with & having sold out I am waiting for restock.
It has been so exciting to see the development of this gripping new commission by Garsington Opera, written by leading British composer David Sawer with award-winning playwright Rory Mullarkey, and based on the novel by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño.
Nuria, a beautiful young skating champion, has a powerful admirer, Enric, whose obsession drives him to pilfer funds to build her an ice rink in a deserted Spanish mansion. A murder on the ice becomes the centre of this thrilling tale of jealousy, political corruption and the lengths we go to for the ones we love.
https://www.garsingtonopera.org/performance/skating-rink
w.garsingtonopera.org/news/garsington-opera-shop-2018
The 'Queen of the night' stole
I designed and produced The 'Queen of the night' stole for Garsington Opera's new production of Mozart's much-loved final opera, The Magic Flute.
The music form the famous aria from the Magic Flute shimmers across the borders created from a single stroke of rich Prussian blue watercolour with a hand rolled finish in a rich Amber yellow.
The central panel of the stole has the beautiful Pamina circling Papageno’s golden bird cages with the birds dancing through the open cage doors .
Prince Timano, Papageno and Papagena , along side the distinctive figure Queen of the night , dance across a silver background, all contributing to this unique piece designed especially for this year’s new production.
https://www.garsingtonopera.org/news/latest-reviews-2018
https://www.garsingtonopera.org/performance/die-zauberflote
Samples for Garsington Opera's 2018 Season
Always an exciting time of year when the first samples start to come through. They will go through several redesigns before I am happy with them.
Above is the wonderful G in Alison's kitchen trying on this years sizzling colour combo.
https://www.victoriarees.co.uk/blog/
Marriage of Figaro tile series. New project.
This is one of my first large tiles back for my marriage of Figaro series, it's quite large at 38x28 cms , each tile will have a cameo taken from my Opera sketch books. If it works I will create a whole wall of them.
Actress Naomi Frederick sit's for a series of quick portraits
Naomi Frederick is staring in Agnes Colander, directed by Trevor Nunn and in production at the Ustinov studio, The Theatre Royal, Bath.
As part of her preparation for the part of Agnes, which tells the story of a women artist set in the early 19th centuary and her striving to find her voice and place in society, Naomi has been coming to my studio and sitting for a series of quick 45 min portraits. See below.
The play has been given 4 stars by Dominic Cavendish in the Telegraph & we are hoping will transfer to the west end.
https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/
https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/your-visit/ustinov/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Nunn
Returning to my blog after time away
"Having had a few months away from my blog I am looking forward to doing new posts. I have missed putting up entries, though I have NO idea who reads it ! hoping there is someone out there. Any case this is from me to you"
I have continued with my quick portrait paintings, Dave my farmer neighbour still comes to sit every Tuesday afternoon and I look forward to that very much. We chat about the weather , politics and our other neighbours and family, oh and his weekly basket ball game, most importantly the score.
- I have a few new projects which I will post about over the coming weeks.
- Wednesday is going to be my new blog day.
The Night shift, 45 mins studio self portrait
Ruth Borchard self portrait exhibtion, Piano Nobile, Kings Place , London N19AG
Always love going to this exhibition & not just because I am in it. There are 120 self portraits hung from different artists. On until the 22nd of September.
The Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Exhibition, Piano Nobile, Kings Place London
Great to have been included in the Ruth Borchard self portrait exhibition again. Open to the public from May 18th through to 22nd september 2017.
There are a 120 artists self portraits to see, hope your get time to go along.
Visual artist in residence Cheltenham Jazz festival exhibition
I loved being artist in residence at the Jazz festival & we had over 3000 visitors to the exhibition at the Garden gallery which was fantastic. I drew the musicians during rehearsals and will post some of the drawings over the next few weeks.
I loved being able to show my sketches that I use to design & produce my textiles right through to the finished piece. The exhibition had paintings, 3 metre Ink drawings, textile hanging's alongside the Ink drawings from my musician sketch books that I used to design these pieces.
A collection of stoles designed for various Opera productions including the 'Aria' stole specially commissioned by the International Opera awards.
'Visual Artist in residence' Cheltenham Jazz festival 2017.
The 'Cellist' Lino print
Setting up the exhibition.
Mezzo soprano Phoebe Haines wearing my one & only 'sing' shirt
Another great pic of Phoebe by Jonathan Rose from the Arts club shoot where Fiona Fletcher did Phoebe's makeup. I had this shirt made in Ho Chi Minh , from my Sing & Opera classic squares.
I did a earlier post on it so if your going to Vietnam scroll thorough and have something made at lovely Anh Ngoc 's.
http://www.phoebehaines.co.uk/
I was so lucky that the very talented mezzo Soprano Phoebe Haines did a photo shoot with some of my stoles last week. We had a great morning at the Arts club where Fiona Fletcher did Phoebe's makeup & Jonathan Rose took some great pics.
I will be designing a stole over the coming months inspired by Phoebe & will post some drawings as I get along for you to see.
The young talented Mezzo Soprano Phoebe Haines wearing my 'Aria Stole'
When you purchase a Aria stole you support the Opera Awards foundation Phoebe Haines is a
Two-time Grant Winner of The International Opera Awards Foundation
http://www.phoebehaines.co.uk/index.html
http://www.operaawards.org/
Inspirational Chuck Berry dies at 90
'They play for you Chuck Berry'
Solo exhibition to coincide with the Cheltenham Jazz Festival at the Garden Gallery.
This is the first time that the Garden gallery will be at the centre of the Cheltenham Jazz festival.
So really looking forward to exhibiting there. I will be showing large scale drawings , paintings and textiles. There will also be my specially designed cheltenham festival 'Jazz" pocket square on show & available to buy. More info later.
Ink Study, Southbank Sinfonia
The "Sing' scarf shirt.
If you visit HCMC in Vietnam
Whilst in Vietnam earlier this year I had some clothes made in the wonderful small tailors, Flame Tree on Pasteur st, Drist 1, HCMC .
There are many tailors throughout Vietnam but it's difficult to find one with such skill and understanding of design. They also carry a collection of ready made pieces in beautiful hand blocked and loomed textiles. A real find thanks to my lovely niece Emily.
The shirt above which I love wearing was created by them out of some of my 'sing' ribbon scarves and 'sing' classic sq scarves.
They also made the dress I wore to the International Opera awards ceremony at the Savoy Theatre in London using material from their own collection. See below image.
THANK YOU FLAME TREE and the wonderful people who work there.
Anh Ngoc, Flame Tree, 73 Pasteur st, Dist 1 , HCMC Vietnam . Tel 84-8-38245345
At the Opera awards with Peter Brathwaite, Baritone and a 2016 bursary recipient. I am wearing one of my favourite dresses made by Flame tree HCMC Vietnam
Soprano Ermonela Jaho
Included in the New Exhibition At The Silk Museum, Bsous, Lebanon
I was thrilled to receive an email/pic from Alexandra Asseily last week telling me about the new exhibition in her “Silk Museum” Lebanon, “Souvenirs from the silk road’ .
Included in the exhibition are my ‘Filigree Tree” &“Vixen” stoles, created for Janacek’s opera ‘Cunning little vixen’ during Garsington Opera’s 2014 season which Alexandra bought from me a couple of years ago. A start of a friendship, and admiration on my behalf of the work she has and is doing in the field of reconciliation and forgiveness following conflict.
I have put a link through to the museum’s web site below, a truly inspiring story of how the Asseily’s bought the derelict silk factory in 1973 planting hundreds of tree’s and restoring the factory & creating what is know a fabulous museum.
Despite the obvious difficulties, the museum was occupied by the Syrain army in 1982, they have continued to put on exhibitions and hold workshops.
Filigree Tree stole by Victoria Rees, exhibited at the Silk Museum, Lebanon in "Souvenirs from the silk road' exhibition.
My ink drawings from 'Marriage of Figaro' used for the figure stripes running through the "Filigree Tree" stole
"Souvenirs from the silk road' exhibition in the Silk Museum , Lebanon
"Vixen" stole created for a production of Janacek's Opera "Cunning little Vixen"
One of my sketches from Janacek's opera used for the "vixen"stole
The Silk Museum, Bsous, Lebanon
http://thesilkmuseum.com/visit-us/visitors-information/#
George and Alexandra Asseily's Garden of forgiveness , Beirut, Lebanon