East Cowes Primary students braved the cold January weather to make their contribution to the East Cowes Alphabet on Castle Street under the artistic guidance of artists Nathan Holt and Aaron Fletcher. Reception and Year 1 children got stuck in with paint, sponges and stencils to add to the Alphabet. A is for Apple, H is for Helicopter, S is for Spectacles, Sunglasses and Shades and Z, well Z is for Zombies of course.
The alphabet is part of the 'No Barriers' project for East Cowes supported by SEEDA. Look out for more additions to the alphabet and more art on the hoardings in the coming months.
Here you can see the progress of The Purple Kite from scraps of plywood pulled out of a skip, to the proud craft bobbing down the river below.
Like many projects, it's the result of a random turn in a conversation. Simon was talking about beavers and streams, then someone said it would be great if we had an inflatable canoe for surveying wildlife in ponds and rivers. After that someone came up with a challenge: to make our own boat in one day using only recycled materials and anything we could find in the office and then row it across the River Medina and back.
We set to work in our small inventions workshop in East Cowes which SEEDA let us use specifically for making interesting and unlikely creations.
Well, we failed to make it in a day and cheated by buying a box of screws, but as it took shape over the next week our confidence grew that it really would stay afloat with us in it. It started to feel more and more like a proper boat.
The more organic lines can be explained by the fact that there weren't any plans and there wasn't a lot of measuring either.
This picture shows Simon ceremonially rubbing down the boat in whiskey prior to painting.
There are two port-holes in the bottom for observing fish, rocks, seaweed and submarines passing beneath us.
At this point the boat had no name, but by means of a democratic process, we arrived at The Purple Kite. The Island 2000 logo is of course a purple kite and it is also, by sheer coincidence, the rarest species of sea-bird to be found in the British Isles, never having been observed or recorded.
Launchday - a last minute attack of responsibility makes us leave behind our recycled life-jacketsand ask Offshore Challenges next door if they can lend us something more reliable. They hand us two very swanky-looking flotation devices which, we understand, deploy automatically as soon as they get a whiff of sea-water. Simon instructs us that if it looks like we're going down, we're to throw them back onto the land to avoid the punitive cost of recharging the gas canisters. Luckily, this isn't necessary as itturns out to be the driest rowing boat we've been in. We launch from the slipway just next to the car ferry, waved off in a cloud of sherbet by well-wishers and curious staff from Red Funnel. The oars are on the long side for such a small boat, but The Purple Kite is easy to row and very manoeuvrable, sitting surprisingly high in the water. If you'd like to see the cross-Medina escapade for yourself, take a look at the Youtube video below.
We're now planning to produce some commentaries on the wildlife of the Isle of Wight's rivers, viewed and recorded from the water. The Purple Kite is availablefor other water-borne tasks or challenges. Any suggestions?
What would you do if over 60 people turned up and spontaneously started drawing all over your walls? You probably wouldn't be very happy would you! Well, on Saturday 6th October we invited people to do just that, celebrating the Big Draw on the hoardings in East Cowes.
Artists, Scribblers and Doodlers of all ages spent the day creating a Fantasy Town and before long a weird and wonderful land and its inhabitants appeared - fairy castles, tree houses, houses supported by hot air balloons, space ships, a fantasy football stadium and our very own Cloud Town!
Artist Birgitte Haar Lundwas on hand to help participants realise their fantasy dwellings, providing stencils, pencils, marker pens, crayons and chalks to draw directly onto the wooden hoardings, a huge roll of paper and onto the pavement itself. The finished piece can be seen near St James’ Church in Church Lane.
The Big Draw is part of the Campaign for Drawing which has one simple aim: to get everyone drawing. TheBig Draw is an annual October showpiece, proving that drawing can be a public activity as well as a private passion. 1000 venues across the UK, from great national institutions to village halls, regularly join in to offer people of all ages the chance to discover that drawing is enjoyable, liberating and at everyone's fingertips.
The Campaign was inspired by the great Victorian writer and visionary, John Ruskin. His mission was not to teach people to draw, but how to see. Each Big Draw season brings fresh opportunities to discover how drawing can connect us to our environment and heritage.
The event was free and organised in partnership by Island 2000 Trust and Quay Arts. The Trust would like to thank everyone who took part and made this event such a great success.
While many of you may believe that the New Forest is part of Hampshire, Island 2000 can now reveal that it now resides in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight! Please DO NOT feed the ponies !
‘New Forest’ is a new painting project that you won’t be able to miss on the blue hoardings of Well Road in East Cowes. Working with Cowes based artist Tim Johnson this project is one of a series co-ordinated and commissioned by Island 2000 to soften the environmental impact of the long-term installation of blue hoardings around the town’s development areas.
Of the project Tim explains : “ I was really excited to work on a large painting project like this – my brief to make something eye-catching, colourful and relevant to the location.
During the work I am doing on another No Barrier’s project - photographically documenting inside the barriers, I discovered a lovely selection of derelict gardens and non native garden trees such as Eucalyptus, Cordaline and Blue Spruces.
New Forest imaginatively depicts these hidden treasures whilst also referring to the new developments to come. Architects and designers frequently use graphic icons representing idealised trees in their models and plans. Similarly my trees – colourful and perhaps native to children’s books and textile lands, express a desire for a greener future”
Above: Spider helps out
Above: Tim's feet at work
Of the project............
Ian Boyd of Island 2000 says………….”it’s lovely” Jo Johnson of Island 2000 says………..”it’s lovely” Hannah Birks of Island 2000 says……..”it’s really lovely”. Meanwhile during the initial stages of planting up the New Forest public responses have been overwhelming – drive-by shoutings, men on bicycles stopping to chat, buses diverting their scheduled routes and even children pausing to say “it’s nice”.
Over the coming days the trees will grow trunks and settle in with a bit of Island 2000 nurture - take a wander and see for yourself!
What's this? A demonstration of how life in East Cowes could be if polar ice-caps continue to melt? A budget reproduction of 'Titanic'? No - it's the next stage in the East Cowes No Barriers project taking shape. Look out for these forms fixed to the blue hoardings in coming weeks (possibly not Jo and Hannah).
This remarkable photograph was taken at 14.51 on Tuesday 11th September. The complete and unpredicted solar eclipse was visible only from within the lift at Venture Quays, East Cowes.
Here it is. Another lovely artwork to cheer the spirit while you wait for the floating bridge to come in. It was made by a group of artists based in Bridge house which is just across the road from the waiting room onto which it has been fixed. The previously dull, brown wall really sets off the mosaic and the whole area suddenly feels more attractive.
As part of the 'No Barriers' project we've commissioned artist and photographer Tim Johnson to take a look 'behind the barriers'. Over the past couple of months Tim has been exploring the special qualities of a 'no go zone', a large plot of land left behind for nature to re-colonise, before the re-development of East Cowes claims it back.
Tim comments: "I'm fascinated by the way nature is creeping back over the relics and remains of human habitation and industry. Although I'm a resident of Cowes I don't know the area contained before its transformation - so I'm coming with fresh eyes wondering what the rubble and remains once were. Garden steps up to missing conservatories, park benches with no one to sit and car parks empty of vehicles forever.
Scrambling native brambles collaborate with escaping garden roses against a backdrop of crushed rubble and cracked paving. Wild Carrot and Lamb's Ears decorate a miniature roundabout - the floral combinations presenting a curious botanical landscape speaking of its own history."
After working digitally for several years Tim has returned to using film for this project. Using a recently acquired medium format camera Tim is enjoying the slowness of the activitiy and the concentration and focus required.
Tim's photographs will be presented to the public on the Barriers revealing the hidden contained landscapes. To find out more about Tim Johnson's work visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timstring/collections/
A crowd of over 30 walkers were lucky enough to benefit from the marvellously knowledgeable and self-confessed "Regency Man" Professor Boffin last Sunday when he led one of the walking festival walks.
Fresh from the signing tour of his latest book, "Pipes, sewers and drainage of the late 18th Century" the Professor made a rare departure from his regency specialism to provide an entertaining and informative tour; "The Queen's Bloomers", loosely based on Island 2000's "Boat Trail".
The walk highlighted the Victorian heritage of Cowes and East Cowes, particularly all the connections with Queen Victoria and her residence at Osborne House.
Following the walk, the Professor commented, "A splendid occasion. Wonderful people, the Islanders - got some very good friends in Seaview myself. My wife put me up for this - she's very keen on 'causes' - does a lot of work for charity and all that kind of caper. Anyway, must dash, I'm due up at Osborne House to investigate some of Victoria's pipework. Cheerio!"
We've just done the first in the series of wildlife and heritage walks focusing on the Medina Valley from the Solent right up to Newport Quay. The overall project is called 'Medina Rediscovered' (funded by Heritage Lottery) and the walks bit 'Doorstep Medina'. There is also a schools programme making use of all the Medina's varied characteristics and features as local learning resources, plugging into as many bits of the curriculum as we can. The walk on Thursday went from Whippingham down to the river at Island Harbour and back again and what a splendid spring day it was! 2 Swallows, Orange Tips, Tortioseshells, Brimstones, Oystercatchers shouting all over the place, Great-crested Grebe and about a million Primroses. We went by St. Mildred's Church too where, in the graveyard, you can find Samuel Saunders and Uffa Fox, two absolutely extraordinary men who must have helped to make East Cowes the buzzing hub of engineering and design brilliance that it once was. Being so close to them is kind of inspiring and makes you want to rush back and do something spectacular for the town. We love East Cowes.
On Friday 16th March we unveiled a new artwork by Island artist Michael Forrest. It's on the corner of Columbine Road, near to the Esplanade in East Cowes and we can actually see it from our office which is particularly lovely! The piece entitled 'The Catch' is an Arts and Business 'New Partners' collaborative commission between us and A J Wells & Sons Vitreous Enamellers. The partnership came as a direct result of our 'The ART of Business' sponsorship day (also supported by Arts & Business).
Lots of people turned up to celebrate the event with vast amounts of tea and cake - we even wheeled the piano out again so that Dan could do an official fanfare (if that's possible on a piano??). And after a few words by the artist himself, Michael peeled back the plastic covering to reveal his new artwork - everyone smiled and clapped, and Michael's Mum even shed a few tears...all together... AHH! This piece was produced in enamelled steel at the AJ Wells studios based in Newport on the Isle of Wight. A combination of spraying, screen printing and hand painting was used to create the work. The medium of vitreous enamel allows the artwork to be displayed permanently outside as it has an exceptional resistance to the elements... good job if this week's weather is anything to go by!
During his residency, Michael further explored the qualities of vitreous enamel to create his commission. This process allows the layers of colour to be built up, while retaining the smooth finish of the surface so desired in his former paintings. This too allowed experimentation into the relief of the surface, working in texture to enhance the feel. The finished piece which is a triptych, features a large scale seabird in Micheal's customary bold, graphic style.
We are really excited by this project, and are very keen to foster further partnerships with Island businesses that support artists and result in innovative new artworks.
Spring is making itself felt in East Cowes and the No Barriers team is now in engaged in a race with the trees and flowers to put on the most attractive show of colour and artistry. Most of the art panels put up on the blue hoardings last year are still looking bright and cheerful enough despite the elements, but a few have been ruined in a spate of vandalism. We decided to fix this damage as soon as possible by replacing the broken panels with pieces of plywood painted in bright colours. We had the paint, we had the volunteers, but we didn't have the wood. Happily, Ron Bowler of Morey's Timber Merchants in Newport offered to help us out. Not only did Morey's supply the wood, but they cut all the panels to size and delivered them the next day, all free of charge - so many thanks to them! We have already completed the first coats of paint and hope to have the boards put up in the next few days.
Looking out from our office window on this beautiful spring day there is a Black Redstart sitting in the Lime tree opposite. Here is a truly awful picture of it. It's been around since December (the Black Redstart, obviously, the Lime Tree's been there a lot longer than that,) and seems happy in East Cowes. There's a great deal of redevelopment work going on here at the moment as part of the Cowes Waterfront Project - the regeneration work led by our regional development agency (SEEDA) and maybe it's all this that appeals to our little friend.
We’ve got some new graffiti on the blue hoardings in East Cowes.
I know what you’re thinking… graffiti eh – the underground, often covert activity of youths in ‘hoodies’ and/or baseball caps?? Well scratch that, and please let’s not reinforce stereotypes at this early stage!
So, on Saturday 17th February we invited over a group of professional graffiti artists called Somnio (www.somnio.co.uk) to create a new painting on the blue boards. Somnio is an art collective which has been formed to bring together like-minded creatives. This piece can be seen in the Church Path area near the disused Bethel Church, which is adjacent to Well Road.
For those of you who don’t know, this was part of No Barriers (NB), an ongoing project run by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Island 2000 Trust. Over the past year or so we’ve been gradually turning the hoardings into an outside community gallery space for all to enjoy. See www.nobarriers.org.uk for details of the projects so far.
Lead by Duncan Newland and Stuart Bedford, the Somnio artists set to work early in the morning, bringing with them a vast array of sketches, designs, stencils, and err… paint! They worked on individual parts of the boards discussing and critiquing each others work along the way.
The resulting artwork displays figurative imagery with more decorative, organic forms, shapes, patterns and motifs. It also combines bold and graphic styles with looser, painterly techniques. The frame motif gives a feeling of continuity without controlling the individual artists’ styles. Hmmm, can you tell I used to work in art gallery?
The activities of the day created quite a stir along Church Path site – some people avoided it, and some embraced it, asking questions about what was going on. The general feedback was very positive indeed. Two girls were heard to say: “They’ve made it look really cool down here now.” That’s more like it!
We hope to do more work with Somnio in the future. And hope that this will open the door to other NB creative activities and artistic opportunities along the way.
The alphabet is part of the 'No Barriers' project for East Cowes supported by SEEDA. Look out for more additions to the alphabet and more art on the hoardings in the coming months.
