E17 Poetry Trail and Birds on the streets of Walthamstow

This year  was the first time I entered the E17 Poetry Trail info here , part of the E17 Art Trail info here.

   Penny Rutterford was comissioned by Artillary to curate the Poetry Trail  which included this year, the display of poems, some illustrated by local artists, in estate agents windows along Hoe Street, pavement poetry and events at Vestry House and the William Morris Gallery.

Poem by Jocelyn Cran and image by Carne Griffiths

Paekakariki Press  produced the prints for the display and the anthology of poems. They use the tradition of letterpress printing with an original Heidelberg press.

illustration of the Heidelberg press from Paekakariki Press website

The display of poems works well in the windows, I like the idea of people coming unexpectidly across them as they browse for property.


info about Paekakariki press here

Poem by Michael Shann and image by Anna Alcock

I had illustrated my poem with an acrylic painting, an abstract floral peice that was remarkably difficult to make work in the end. I haven't really tried to illustrate any writing in this way before.

 Usually the writing comes after I've made the art work, or I have a photograph that I've taken or found in mind. This time I had written the poem and had made a few sketches of the flowes on the shrub in question, but then worked on more of a painted feel for the poem.

Poems Mohammad Ali age 9 George Mitchell primary school, my poem and poem by Paul Mc Grane

Poem by Kyshore Kumar age 15 image by Hannah Khan age 11 George Mitchell secondary school

Poem by Janet Wright image by Matilda Bevan

Alban Low and Dean Reddick organised another brilliant Magnetic show as part of the Art Trail this year too.
100 magnets with the theme of "Birds" on the streets of Walthamstow were left around the Town Square by enthusiastic participants of the magnet shows, for people to spot and take home with them. info on the bird magnets and next art work planned here

I joined in by sending 2 images of birds for the magnets and helping the team put them out on Saturday 8th September after hanging some free art on the trees.

Art Grows on Trees E17 Art Trail.

On Saturday, I joined with a group of artist friends on our annual art give away as part of the E17 Art trail. Artists included Katja who had brought some fun cacti work, Dean who hung some of his famous fruit with a twist and Rachel who brought some of her pin hole photographs. Julie had hung some little watercolours and Valeria had some cards to pick.

We have been running Art Grows on Trees for a few years now, putting art work on the trees next to Walthamstow bus station for passers by to pick and take home. This year I put a few paintings and larger pieces of work as I'm sorting my things before moving.

It was great to hear the enthusiasm for my work and peoples real surprise and pleasure at having a free work of art.

We will be putting more work on the trees this Saturday 15th September from around 10am. You have to come early though to pick your choice.

New paintings and E17 Art Trail.

I've still been busy working on some more paintings for the next couple of exhibitions and getting things ready for the E17 Art Trail.
My paintings, Stones Guard the Mysteries of Earth, above and Night of Mysteries below, both include standing stones. In the painting above, the colour of the harvest and corn came first in the work, evolving into swirling cornfields reflecting the patterns of the wind. As I was contemplating this new landscape it seemed to include the idea of a stone circle. Stones that definately bore symbols of the Goddess and ancient ritual and seemed to protect the land and the entrance to the underworld. The deer still resting at the start of a new day brought a sense of calm and balance with her and the whole painting came alive for me with a sense of beauty and completeness.

In Night of Mysteries, the landscape took on the tones of a night sky illuminated by a full moon that also arrived early in the painting. I was feeling a sense of mystery evolving with a strangely more alive sense and resonance to the standing stones. The stones are marked with symbols and have taken on some of the colours from the night sky. Stylized and symbolic trees stand on the horizon and a stag is running across the land looking back over his shoulder; as if also recognising the strong presence of the stones. I was left thinking do they really walk at night?

Dawn Fires page with exhibition details here

Two other small paintings are work in progress and I am pleased so far to be touching a weath of symbolic and mystical themes that are bringing together a lot of my strands of work.

On a completely different note I am continuing with the year long Street Photography Project, which will be continuing in some form after the year has end

ed. Project info here.

I have entered one of my photographs, Protest on the Streets, in at The Mill, info here, as part of the E17 Art Trail. E17 link here

I am also helping on the drawing event in the Vestry House Museum gardens on 3rd September 11-3pm.

Art Grows on Trees is also happening again this year and will have even more art works offered for free on each Saturday of the art trail. Sat 3rd and 10th of September on the lime trees next to Walthamstow bus station from 9.30 am. info here

E17 Art Trail, Art Grows on Trees

Yesterday was the start of the E17 Art trail, we had a launch at Vestry House Museum on Friday night, which went well. Laura and Chris spoke of their enthusiasm and pleasure that the art trail has being going from strength to strength and the sense of giving that was part of the trail which inspired their title, "with love from Walthamstow"
It was good to meet fellow artists again and share in the anticipation of the trail. This year I am part of a number of group shows and activities. Yesterday was our first Art Grows on Trees event, where we hang small art works on the Lime trees near the bus station and town square in Walthamstow. These are free for people to take away with them and it was great to tell people they could have one of the pieces.

.Dean had brought some of his great fruit sculptures this year apples with a bite out of them, Michael had brought some amazing ice sculptures with vegetables that dripped red and orange colouring as they melted, and one that contained a string of beads and objects inside.


Some lovely salt dough shapes decorated and ready to hang on the trees were supplied by the artist's children, which made a great addition. Some images of abandoned umbrellas of Walthamstow by Kathryn Kirton were a topical addition and I put up digital prints of urban scenes and from some of my paintings.



We had someone from the BBC filming, good to know that the trail is getting known more widely.

E17 Art Trail and Art Grows on Trees

Just been putting up my new exhibition at Walthamstow Library as part of the E17 Art Trail this year, Gardens of Delight. After I asked people to send me photos of their gardens for the exhibition, I recieved some lovely photos of their gardens and wildlife. An online exhibition is on my main site as well. Having a garden is what makes all the difference to me living in London, and it's really worrying that so many gardens are being lost to concrete, as wildlife rely on gardens even more than humans.


Good fun this morning too hanging free art pieces on the trees by the town square and bus station. A few of us from the arts club hung prints and sculpture from the Lime trees, with labels saying take me home , or I'm yours, free art and so on. Work was being taken off as we were still hanging up pieces which was great. More work will be put up next Saturday 8th Sept. We plan to make it an annual event. www.artgrowsontrees.co.uk