Artists Open House 2016 - Ditchling Trail..

 Last Sunday me and my sister went to explore the Open Houses at Ditching, an area I'm ashamed to say I haven't visited before, to look at artists work and explore the village. Ditching is a stunning place to visit, a typical quaint english village with timber buildings and flowers everywhere; Wisteria was lunging out of peoples gardens and wildflowers lined the roads. 
We jumped on the train to Hassocks and then walked 20 minutes along the main road to Ditching... 

We went to see the Typography exhibition "Interrobang" at venue 2, which showcases the best of contemporary letterpress. The exhibition marks 100 years since Edward Johnston created a typeface for London Underground while living amongst a community of artists and craftsmen in Ditchling. I love a good font, they can be a very powerful way of branding text, and there were some excellent examples on show. 

We saw Kate Sherman's house (1), a beautiful venue and beautiful work. Seemingly normal urban and country scenes are captured by Kate and transformed into ethereal and nostalgic images; you feel like a voyeur capturing a poignant moment in time. Some of her pieces are actually blurred, like a photo taken from a moving car, conveying movement and change. I really loved her work, and Kate is a friendly warm host, welcoming you into her home. 

I was bowled over by the fantastic and innovative work of ceramist Lisa Jane Garton, whose work I found at venue 5. Its always exciting to find an artist doing something refreshingly different, and I loved her use of colour, especially the gold bling. Her big bold statement pieces for the home are both playful and chic. Love!!! 

The Blue Shed was a fascinating venue to visit, set in several buildings and continuing in the sprawling, apparently never ending, gardens, Peppered in-between the beautiful flowers were dramatic sculptures in glass and metal...

This amazing print below is massive, the printing block it was carved from was leaning against a wall outside. It is a personal print by the artist David Browne and the shipping containers are all references to his friends and family, but he is happy to take commissions for a personalised version. Apparently a steamroller will be used to make another print of it as part of the festival in Brighton! 

Ali Stringell is showcasing a fascinating plethora of work at venue 6. Her exciting art uses a juxtaposition of materials and textures to create jewellery, homewares and sculptures, all in her signature style. 

I love the way she shys away from traditional dainty jewellery and has created some quirky and unusual pieces, some using found objects. I had to buy a spoon from her, with a driftwood handle! 

Anyway, we had a lovely day exploring the creativity in Ditching, and highly recommend this trail, its definitely been my favourite this year. I feel like because it is outside the city it may be overlooked, so please make time to go and visit! The end :-)

Goodbye, until next time...