The Cornwall Blog

Open-Air Tour June-August 2011 A famous detective - A new type of crime - Unusual suspects… This summer, Miracle Theatre is stirring up all the ingredients of the best Sherlock Holmes mystery with a large measure of comedy to bring you a period thriller with a sting in its tail! The Death of Sherlock Holmes, written and directed by Bill Scott, is touring to over 40 venues across south west England and Wales, from 1st June to 29th August. It’s a dangerous time for Sherlock Holmes: preparing for his final battle with the criminal mastermind Moriarty, he stumbles upon a most ingenious crime. Faced with a web of questionable motives, bizarre weapons and devilish disguises, Sherlock and Watson head off at breakneck speed on a trail which leads from 221b Baker Street, via the Swiss Alps, to a suburban séance bursting with paranormal goings on. “This show is about how the world’s most famous detective might have reacted when his creator, the archetypal Victorian gentleman Arthur Co

A new exhibition showcasing the work of Falmouth-based photographer Oliver Raymond-Barker will be taking place at The Poly, Falmouth, from 1-7 March 2011. This is his first solo show and has been enabled by a development grant from the arts organisation Creative Skills Cornwall. Through the medium of photography and print Raymond-Barker explores his connection with the natural and built environment. The wild coast of Cornwall provides a wealth of inspiration, as does his work as an architectural photographer. His images seek to transcend the original subject and create a new vision, communicating the energy and essence of locations as he sees them. Raymond-Barker graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in 2002 with an honours degree in Photography. Following his degree, he worked as studio assistant and later digital manager for Sanctuary Studios in London before deciding to go freelance two years later. He has spent the last five years working in the outdoor adventu

Art Inspired of Southern Africa & George Adamson Wildlife Conservation Kenya. On exhibition will be some wildlife paintings, and some of the proceeds will be donated to the Wildlife Foundation as above, as they can only survive through contributions from public. The Lion Painting will be the centre of the exhibition, dedicated to a lion called Christian, whom was bought from Harrods in London in 1960s and then eventually made his way to Kenya, where George took care of him. A percentage of the proceeds of the Large Lion Painting will go to the George Adamson Wildlife Conservation Kenya. Georges's work was made famous by Film & Book "Born Free" and others. Exhibition at Shire Hall, Bodmin 1st to 30th November 2010 Mon to Sat, 10am to 5pm Free admission www.africanvista.info

Over the weekend of 25-26th September, Port Eliot will take on a distinctly Chinese theme. Following on from his successful taster classes at Port Eliot House in June, renowned artist Xiao Bai Li will be running a two-day course in Chinese brush painting. The course will give people a chance to find out more about the techniques involved and develop their skills under Xiao’s expert guidance throughout the weekend. Xiao Bai Li was born and grew up in Nanjing, The People’s Republic of China, where his schooling crossed a ten year period during the Cultural Revolution. He moved to England in 1993 and now lives and works in Plymouth. His eloquent work in both portraiture and the art of Chinese Brush Painting focuses on the subject of people. His creative process includes meeting and closely observing people in their familiar environments - conveying a picture of real life in whatever place he is working in at the time. Xiao says, “Art can transcend many barriers and I feel that by p

If you are considering a visit to North Cornwall this week, you cannot fail to notice that the County show - The Royal Cornwall - is in full swing. Based on the outskirts of Wadebridge, the show draws in the biggest businesses in Cornwall, showing their wares on stalls and in marquees. In addition, there are numerous livestock competitions, craft exhibitions, games, rides, bars and cafes. The show runs for three days, on June the 11th, 12th and 13th. However, as is often the case, the main event obscures many smaller, more interesting stories. If you prefer to avoid the show crowds and venture down a few country lanes, you will find that Cornwall will give up its secrets to the discerning traveller. The region has always been steeped in myth and legend, which has inspired much of the creativity that has always thrived here. For example, Menabilly, a fifteenth Century manor on the South Coast, just outside St.Austell, provided the inspiration for Manderley in Daphne Du Maurier'

Children from Trannack Primary School near Helston have been sharing their paint palettes with several of Cornwall’s renowned artists in advance of a secret charity event to be held at the Trevarno Estate and Gardens later in the year. Based on the annual secret art sale held by the Royal College of Art in London (which attracts the likes of Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin), the Trannack School Secret Art Exhibition and Auction will feature, in anonymity, the creative work of pupils, parents, teachers and dinner ladies alongside that of over thirty local professionals including Janet Judge, David Hosking, Andrew Giddens, Lucie Bray and Steve Slimm. To ensure a level playing field, each exhibitor has been given an identical 8-inch-square canvas to work on - in any medium they desire. The final one hundred artworks will then be featured in a catalogue issued at the start of September and will also be exhibited at Trevarno on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October, prior to the auction on We

New Book by Contemporary British Artist John O’Carroll. Title: ‘John O’Carroll Art Works 1998 - 2008’ ‘John O’Carroll has parallel careers as an archaeological illustrator with the Dakhleh Oasis Project, Western Desert, Egypt (an archaeological and environmental study) and in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, as a contemporary artist working in the desert and by the Cornish coast. This book brings together a body of work united by an interest in time and place in landscape and the elements that shape it. It reveals a preoccupation with processes of change and interchange, illuminating a correlation between micro and macro systems. Although ostensibly impressionistic, the works are often rich in metaphoric potential. Through their treatment of the abstract and transient, they pursue what is essential and universal. A key constituent of this is the sourcing of natural pigments, resins and waxes for use in the work. Followed by their meticulous, almost alchemical, preparation and subs

Here at last is some good news for city execs under pressure, looking for an investment in fine art to shelter their hard earned cash…. In today’s climate, few could afford the £50million original, most missed out on the Sotheby’s £111million auction and many have credit which has finally crunched. But fortunately Driftwood Gallery in Truro has come to their rescue, and proudly presents the ultimate "bling on a shoe-string" for the embattled collector. In homage to Damien Hirst, the gallery, which was founded immediately next door to Damien’s restaurant on Ilfracombe’s harbour-side in North Devon, has commissioned a beautiful skull (fortunately not real) covered in exquisite diamonds (unfortunately also not real). Made by the famous Jimmy Crystal of New York, the skull is in fact completely decorated in glittering Swarovski crystal. Gallery owner Justin Easton explained that he had sold the work of Jimmy Crystal for a long time, usually in the form of jewellery an

Last week I mentioned that Padstow Contemporary Art Gallery was opening its Autumn Exhibition, and last Friday evening attended the private viewing. There was a warm atmosphere within the small exhibition space, welcoming as we stepped in from the crisp Autumn darkness. All the design team from Pickle Design attended, eager to see John O'Carroll's new work alongside regular exhibitors to his gallery. The featured image in this post is called Damascus by Gareth Edwards, and is hung upstairs. His work in the lower gallery evokes the Camel Estuary, and the choice of media gives it the impression that it has formed from the boatyards and sands wonderfully. Simon Gaiger's sculpture draws on nautical mythology, especially memorable in the piece Charybdis, based on the spokes of a carriage wheel, and effortlessly conjuring images of the Greek sea monster.

Padstow Contemporary Art Gallery is opening its Autumn 2008 Exhibition next Saturday, the 18th October. It features work by Gareth Edwards, Simon Gaiger , and, of course, John O'Carroll , the resident artist and curator. John also has another exhibition running in Holland, Archaiologia, at Galerie Roger Katwijk . This is where, in a few weeks, he will be presenting his new book cataloguing his work from the last ten years. Padstow Contemporary Art Gallery is located in an atmospheric alleyway in the centre of the town, and is open from 11am to 5pm daily, and 11am to 1pm on Sunday. The image above is "Grey Wing" by Simon Gaiger.