Cathy's Art Diary

Surprising fair at Glynde Place specialising in ceramics. I say surprising as it was huge! Having been to an event at the house before I expected a few stalls around the house but instead it was set in marquees in the extensive grounds. We had gone to see our friend Eve Shepherd’s sculptural work and were pleased to see she had won a prize. However, we also discovered lots of beautiful and enticing things. I was so tempted to buy but resisted as I already have more small bowls and mugs than a girl will ever need. The visit was enhanced by it being a gloriously sunny day. Closed 24 May 2026

Luscious fair at Somerset House organised by the Craft Council showcasing contemporary craft and design. This fair was full of beautiful things and was accompanied by a useful catalogue. The core of the show was a series of rooms taken by various craft galleries and organisations. I seemed to be drawn to the glass, possibly because I went on a lovely sunny day which showed it off well. Other work I liked included beautiful pieces made of paper by Su Blackwell, a room of jewellery and other gold and silver items from The Goldsmith's Company and some tapestries of landscapes in the Craft Scotland room. The most interesting rooms were those for the Open Collect project which invited a platform for artists to showcase an ambitious project. I loved these cakes shown at the bottom of the blog by Sarah Brown which are made of glass. I had a good conversation with Belinda Coyne who had done a series of enamel plaque called "Lost Paths" of landscapes which feature unrecorded ...