14/09/2009 by admin.

Today we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Peter Scott, proclaimed by some as the ’Patron Saint of Conservation’.  Sir Peter led a remarkable life and, amongst his many achievements and talents he was one of the founder members of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and designed the organisation’s famous Panda logo. 

It’s yet another example of an anniversary linked to our project - perhaps the most wonderful of all! Sir Peter was a born leader and communicator, he inspired the world to treasure its wildlife long before environmental groups were established. We’re so thrilled that the anniversary of his birth should occur during the period of our Watch as Sir Peter has a cameo role in our story - making a spontaneous visit to Keeper’s Cottage to wish us well on our venture, especially Ben in his self-appointed role as Nature’s Champion! 

In Gloucestershire, there’s a celebration of his paintings in a ’Nature in Art’ Exhibition. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4lkKcHiJQ0&feature=related

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.2 Are you an art lover?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

08/08/2009 by admin.

Another symbolic anniversary relevant to THS; hundreds of Beatles fans have gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of the camera shot of the famous pedestrian (zebra) crossing cover of the Abbey Road album. 

A reconstruction took place with Beatles lookalikes - a tribute band known as St Pepper’s only Dartboard Band’ - wearing outfits the same as those worn on the day.  Billie Shears would be pleased! The original picture has been copied many times over by Beatles fans.  We’re especially taken by the iconic crossing - Malachi warns in our novel ‘We’re at the crossroads’. Perhaps that’s why Sir Paul chose to cross the road bare-footed as an unwitting reminder of the human ‘carbon’ footprint!

When visiting Abbey Road Beatles fans also like to leave personal messages on a wall by the roadside. Messages like these…

Abbey Road is also in St John’s Wood and St John’s Church is where Julia saw a ghostly figure wearing a replica ‘St Pepper’ jacket. Mmm. we do have fun don’t we?

Ben’s favourite song from the album is ‘Come Together’ which is what we need to do to address the ongoing environmental challenges. Here’s a video with rare footage of Abbey Road and the recording studios. Enjoy…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vAqekT-GuA

Posted in Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q18 Do you let your heart rule your head?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

27/06/2009 by admin.

The Royal Academy of Arts is presenting an exhibition of the works of the critically acclaimed artist J W Waterhouse.  The collection of public and private works is the first of its kind since the 1970s.  The wonderful collection includes ‘The Lady of Shalott’ a work close to the heart of Ben and Julia Whittenbury as described in the conclusion of our free online novel sample. 

The exhibition is another strange coincidence which seems to vindicate Ben’s claim that Julia has a kind of ‘third eye’ although Julia is too conceited to admit to her insightful abilities.

Ben and Julia plan to visit and have until mid-September to do so. Why not pay the Academy a visit? Here’s the link to relevant page on their website:

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/waterhouse/

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Q.6 Do you believe in fairy tales?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

15/06/2009 by admin.

A ghost forest of huge tree trunks from Africa will appear around Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square this November.  The dramatic artwork will highlight the threat of deforestation. The iconic world reknowned column will be surrounded by stumps of trees that once stood at similar height. The project is the brainchild of artist Angela Palmer who travelled to Ghana to locate naturally fallen trees to use in the display.  The artwork will then move to Copenhagen ahead of the crucial UN Conference on climate change in December.  The fate of the rainforests will be high on the agenda.

Our novel records how Ben and Sarah took part in a protest in Trafalgar Square about climate change. Dressed as a polar bear Ben Whittenbury poses beneath Nelson’s column as his daughter takes photos.  Whilst Charles Lamb’s journal records the significance of ‘Nelson and the Bear ‘ a painting by Richard Westall and gives an insight of the trip the Admiral made to the Arctic when just a boy; a venture captured in the painting.

Posted in Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q10 Have you ever seen a ghost?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

19/04/2009 by admin.

One of the main inspirations for our project was the artist William Blake.  How coincidental then that Tate Britain are recreating the William Blake 1809 Exhibition in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the first solo exhibition of his work which took place in a small room above a shop in Soho.  This is an artist who was obscure and impoverished at the time yet is now regarded as ‘the greatest most individual genuis of Britsh Art’.  A most worthy acolade for the visionary poet and painter in our view - creating mystical works of otherworldliness and depth. Ironic then that when he first exhibited Blake was derided by the critics and was a commercial failure.  Only by a twist of fate did his work resurface after his death. 

William, of course, has a cameo yet insightful role in our story being the guiding light that led us to monitor world events. Could it be that he had some insight on all of this - the array of coincidences reported here  - as our novel suggests? Who can say?

Let’s celebrate by reciting the extract from his ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ which acts as an introduction to our tale, designed to give our planet a voice:

Earth’s Answer

‘Earth raised up her head, From the darkness dread and drear. Her light fled, stony dread! And her locks covered with grey despair’.

The exhibition runs until October 2009. We encourage you to pay it a visit.

http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/painting+%2526+drawing/art67779

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

06/04/2009 by admin.

Tate Britain is rereating an interative exhibition from nearly 40 years ago. When it first showed in 1971 US artist Robert Morris’s ‘Bodyspacemotionthings’ featured cylinders, ramps and weights on chains.  The exhibit closed after just 4 days when audiences went wild, including ‘going wild’ on seesaws.  However, the relaunched exhibits will be much safer as they will have to conform with current health and safety rules.

So, how does all this relate to ‘The Haymakers Survey’? Well, Tate Britain is home to the ‘Haymakers’ painting by George Stubbs which triggered Ben Whittenbury’s pursuit as Nature’s Champion as recorded in our novel.  A novel which includes a scene where Julia and Sarah use a discarded cart as a make-shift seesaw.  On it they discuss the appearance of the ‘Lady in Grey’ who represents the spread of the industrial world over the natural world.  As they swing to and fro Malachi climbs aboard to keep everything in balance - which is what humanity needs to do much better. 

Posted in Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

11/02/2009 by admin.

A giant statue of a white horse has been chosen as the ‘Angel of the South’ at Ebbsfleet.  The winning design for the public art commission was by former Turner Prize winner, Mark Wallinger. The horse will be 33 times life-size - standing as high as Nelson’s column.  Organisers are hoping the horse will be in place for the 2012 Olympics. 

Mark has described the project as ‘tremendously exciting’.  We couldn’t agree more.  Mark featured earlier in our blog at the time of his Turner Prize success because of his bear costume.  Our story also features a white horse called Jim, drawn by Julia and Sarah early in our tale.  Significantly Ben’s account of Charles Lamb’s accident with his fears heightened for Mother Nature - personified as Lucy Ebbs - unfolded adjacent to the field where Jim was kept out at grass!  Its a stunning coincidence, made all the more profound given that the horse will 33 times lifesize - the number 3 being central to our story - and the links to Turner and Nelson.  Its all very puzzling. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR6z8GUywyc

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q74 Do you like puzzles?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

04/02/2009 by admin.

A bronze cast version of Edgar Degas’ iconic sculpture, ‘The Little Dancer of Fourteen Years’  has sold for £13.3m at Sotheby’s in London. 

One of the world’s best known works its a record for a Degas sculpture.  The original was created around 1880 and was the only sculpture of his to be exhibited during his lifetime. It has an astonishing realism and was a revolutionary piece. It captures the difficult tension between art and life.

Our interest is simple - our story recalls how Sarah - now aged 14 - is a little dancer. She expresses herself through dance a number of times helping to untap her imagination.  Coincidence?

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

24/01/2009 by admin.

An exhibition at Leicester Museum launched today and tells the story of polar bears, the largest land predators on Earth, and their journey to the museums and stately homes of Britain.  Titled, Nanoq - Inuit for Polar Bear - its a visual art display. Between 2002 and 2004 artists Bryndis Snaebjorndottir and Mark Wilson carried out a study of taxidermied polar bears in the UK.  33 bears were traced and photographed in situ.  The research forms the photographic exhibition and documents the history of each bear; its captivity and age at death.

The touring exhibition runs until 5 April.  It has previously exhibited at the University of Iceland, the Horniman Museum and the Fram Museum, Oslo. Nanoq also featured as part of HEAT: Art and Climate Change in Melbourne.

We’re still tickled that they identified 33 polar bears, given the significance of number 3 in our tale!

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q33 Do you believe in life after death?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

23/01/2009 by admin.

Barrack Obama has been sworn in as President of America for the second time in as many days because one word - faithfully - was spoken out of place during Tuesday’s inauguration ceremony.  The Chief Justice at the US Supreme Courts, Jonathan Roberts, administered the oath at the White House. 

The decision to repeat the oath was taken out of caution, but President Obama joked, “We decided it was such fun.”  Given the new President’s Green credentials, maybe the erroneous first oath was somehow meant to be.

Meanwhile, hundreds of tonnes of wood are beginning to wash ashore off the coast of Kent and Sussex in England. 

The load fell from the Sinegorsk cargo ship in the English Channel on Monday. The vessel is now berched at Southampton.   The incident follows a similar event last year when the Ice Prince shed at 2,000 tonne-load off the Sussex coast.  We see this as another timely reminder of the tragic deforestation taking place across the globe and the extent to which much of it is wasted needlessly.

Finally, we return to Mayfair, recent host of the Rose Cloud experience. 

On this occassion we report on a £22m property which has been taken over by a group of young ‘posh-squat artists’.  The group are occupying a house in Clargy’s Mews is owned by TimeKeeper Ltd who discovered the occupation last month when they spotted a Christmas tree inside.  As the group face immediate eviction they have been holding open days under the theme of an ‘Open School of Thought’.   Our curiosity is the link between the May Fair which featured at the beginning of Charles Lamb’s journal; Art, a central theme in our project; and TimeKeeper.  As the artists suggest, it makes you think!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QWKdokcvM7A

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q.2 Are you an art lover?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »