Opening Up
Early summer, late evening sunshine transforms the south west of France into our little piece of paradise. Whereas yellow is spring’s favourite colour, and blue predominates in autumn before the leaves turn down here, at this time of year the gardens at Les Soeurs Anglaises are just ablaze with every colour imaginable. I mostly choose a cacophony of colours for my cut flower arrangements, but every so often it’s time for something a little more subtle and calming……
With the world slowly opening up, and after ten weeks or more of confinement, many of us have experienced the irony of our waistlines expanding as our social life decreased. Difficulty in getting a doctor’s appointment may well have meant minor health issues have become more pressing and it certainly led us to looking more carefully at the how, why and what we eat. So it was interesting to read food travel company, Book Culinary Vacations, list the benefits of various foods. If you didn’t know anything about “super foods” already, here’s your chance to identifythe best……
During lockdown I have spent an unreasonable amount of time trying to learn and improve skills, with the help of various web programmes, with varying degrees of success; whether it’s how to take first rate photos on your mobile, develop your oil painting techniques, or improving your musicianship, there are numerous options out there and no doubt many of you have your favourites, but I thought it worth listing a few you may not already have come across that I have enjoyed and found very helpful:
We are living in a climate emergency and the fashion & textiles sector is one of the most polluting and wasteful industries. The industry continues to lack transparency, with widespread exploitation of people working in the supply chain. Never before have there been this many people on the planet in slavery, and fashion is a key driver of this reality. Brands, retailers and consumers are still not taking enough responsibility for the pay and working conditions in the clothing factories, the environmental impacts of the materials they use or how the products they make affect the health of people, animals and our living planet. The campaign Fashion Revolution visualises a global fashion industry that conserves and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit and they help those who would like to set up a clothes swap of their own. Fashion Revolution strives to be action-oriented and solution focused and believes we all have the power to do something to make positive change……
The photographer, Éva Besnyő (1910–2003) was a Dutch-Hungarian photographer who participated in the Nieuwe Fotografie (New Photography) movement. Born in Budapest, Besnyö was brought up in a well-to-do Jewish home. In 1928, she started to study photography and in 1930, at the age of 20, she moved to Berlin where she worked as an advertising and then press photographer. She became part of the social and political circle of intellectuals which included György Kepes, Joris Ivens, László Moholy-Nagy, Otto Umbehr and Robert Capa. In 1931, she opened her own studio, but threatened by the onset of National Socialism in 1932, she moved to Amsterdam with a Dutch friend, John Fernhout, whom she later married. There she participated in exhibitions which led to commissions but soon was unable to work because of the German occupation of the Netherlands, and she went into hiding. After the war she again received commissions for documentary work and in the 1970s, she became active in the Dutch feminist movement, Dolle Mina, fighting for equal rights and photographing street protests.
We have all had our personal issues with isolation during the lockdown, and ten weeks of isolation (whether it be solitary or with family groups) may have had a profound effect on our ability to re-emerge into the New World order, especially those re-entering the corporate work space with all its social distancing implications.. Using the many years’ experience gained through his company, Second Curve, Chris Grimes, (our wonderful LAUGHTER LAB leader) has added "MoJo Coach”to his list of resources, as a way of helping people navigate the journey forward with clarity, direction, motivation and purpose. A god-send for those amongst us who have lost some of our social confidence or are uncertain of what might be expected fo us.
Meanwhile, we are delighted to confirm that Chris and his InstantWit team will be back with us for the Laughter Lab III workshop that was postponed this year due to the pandemic. As explained below, numbers for this event will be strictly limited so make sure you are the first to hear confirmed dates but hitting the ……
Love the work of - and this quote from - Sol LeWitt (September 9, 1928 – April 8, 2007) the American artist linked to various movements, including Conceptual art and Minimalism. We are so indoctrinated into thinking only the best will do, that it was refreshing to read his advice.
Like everyone else, we are hoping life will return to a “new normal” in 2021, and we’re busy considering ways to alter our workshop set-ups to accommodate the changes. We already have a few superb artists/crafter/musicians lined up for next year and as this year progresses we will be posting news of their events. One of our plans is to reduce the number of participants at each workshop, which will allow for social distancing; this has the added benefit of more one-on-one time spent with the workshop leaders and a quieter and even more relaxing experience for all. You might have some other helpful suggestions and we would really love to hear them if you have a moment.
Having quickly and completely sold out of all our unique Recipe Boxes, we are now taking orders for the next batch.
Stay safe wherever you are….