< PreviousARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE This month we take a closer look at the works of Richard Blunt, whose love of music and art collide for a truly iconic style. Richard Blunt was a child of the eighties, born and raised in the market town of Stourbridge in the West Midlands. By his own admission, his childhood was happy but “pretty average”, especially for a kid growing up in a decade rocked with geo-political tensions, a slew of major disasters and the death of major musicians. There was Chernobyl and the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, the nuclear threat of the Cold War, the AIDS crises, Thatcher in Number 10 and Reagan in the White House. Topping it all off was the deaths of Ian Curtis, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye and more. But that all felt a long way from the banks of the River Stout. At this time, Richard’s favourite place to be was outside, in amongst the green spaces of his hometown. In those quiet moments when he was inside, he loved to be creative. At first it was only with art 20 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY and, as he grew older, playing guitar and music. It was inevitable that Richard would pursue a path in the arts and, on leaving school, he went to art college to study 3D design. As with all teenagers, adolescence is a tumultuous time, filled with angst, confusion and distractions. Although he enjoyed the course, Richard began to lose his way and eventually dropped out early. Where art had failed to hold his attention, Richard focussed on music, spending the next few years gigging with various bands up and down the country. There must have been an epiphany out there on the road because he decided to go back and reclaim his education. Taking his destiny by the reins, Richard applied for university. It came down to a decision between studying art and studying music. He decided on music. That didn’t eclipse his hunger to express himself visually and while at university, Richard was inspired to try oil painting. It was love at first brushstroke. Gritty You can see Richard’s work up close and meet the artist himself at The Little Red Gallery in Lincoln on Saturday 21 September 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:11 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 21 THE LITTLE RED GALLERY Love art? Then we’d love to meet you, please call in for a cup of tea and a chat. The Little Red Gallery are feeling ‘Love’ with a fantastic range of pieces and perfect gift ideas. 8 Bailgate Lincoln LN1 3AE 01522 589134 8 St Mary’s Hill, Stamford, PE9 2DP art@thelittleredgallery.co.uk www.thelittleredgallery.co.uk Before he knew it, friends and family were asking for commissions. Ironically, his art soon helped pay for his education in music in one of those funny quirks of fate. Determined to do well at university, Richard applied himself, gritted his teeth through the hard parts, and came away with a first class BA Hons. Inspired by his newfound talent for painting and a desire to create some original compositions, Richard soon found that he not only had ample natural talent, but his works were a hit with buyers. He sold the majority of those early works and hasn’t looked back since. He’s spent the interim selling his work both privately and to UK galleries, all the while honing his style and technique that gives his works their uniqueness. It’s a style that’s soft and sultry but still confrontational. There’s an edginess to his works, a gritty romanticism. The figures he returns to again and again are like archetypes of femininity and masculinity, a sexual duality that gives his work such potency. The style is timeless, touching sometimes on the fringes of impressionism, the figures by turns baroque and modern. Speaking of his inspirations, Richard says: “People sometimes look at my work and draw comparisons to other contemporary artists but as a painter I’ve always been more inspired by artists like Vermeer, John William Waterhouse and in particular Caravaggio. I’m amazed by not only the way they painted with their dramatic use of light and realism but by the way they managed to make their paintings look like a scene straight out of a modern movie.” ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE A collaboration with artist JJ Adams who we featured in our April 2019 issue 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:11 Page 2GARDENS A garden for nature This month’s readers’ garden takes us to the home of Sue and Ken Griffin in the village of Claxby, some four miles north from the town of Market Rasen. It’s a garden that lifts the spirits and helps the visitor reconnect with nature. 22-25 online.qxp_Layout 1 26/11/2019 08:42 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 23 t’s hard to believe that this gem of a garden, packed with year-round interest and a variety of shrubs and flowers was a simple cattle yard back in 1985, when the couple first bought the property Ken explains: “As a young family we bought the abandoned building and stables before ‘Move to the country’ became fashionable. It may have been a need for adventure or possibly a mid-life crisis, but either way, it was worth it; a labour of love. “Each evening, working on roof repairs, the nostalgic call of a flight of curlews would give meaning to our endeavours. We even had a posse of sheep wander in one evening. We shooed them out but the lead sheep jumped, head first into the cement mixer - luckily it was empty. We ended up having to get the farmer and some mates to extricate it. “Sadly, those curlews no longer call. But the desire to blend nature and wildlife into the formal garden has always directed the planning.” He explained how the cattle yard paving which was made of rough limestone rocks, entirely covered what is now the garden. As such, the whole lot had to be dug up and the underlying soil riddled out to create the garden and lawn. Fortunately, Ken enjoys hard landscaping so the garden took shape along with the building work. “We lived in a caravan all that summer but secured a foothold in the building a 24 Á I 22-25 online.qxp_Layout 1 26/11/2019 08:42 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY fortnight before Christmas; snug and civilised again,” recounts Ken. When asked how they coped with that time in a caravan, Ken proffers: “Resourceful living in a caravan or under canvas for six months should be every child’s educational experience.” Neither Sue or Ken were what you might call ‘seasoned gardeners’ when they first set out, although they did have a few plants they’d brought from their previous garden and were naturally keen to get those in. Asked if there was ever a formal plan for the design, Ken says: “The site and elevations of the plot do dictate the design. I enjoy the planning bit, lazy doodling is my forte and a lot easier than gardening, but necessary to get the best out of a plot. “The layout was carefully planned, but with limited knowledge of planting it was more a garden which unfolded: season by season - through enthusiasm and good luck rather than skill.” Sue adds: “Our main aim was always to create a garden that would attract wildlife as well as being a space which we could enjoy, so I guess you could call that a plan.” And this has been managed with great success - a testament to this is the couple’s dedication to wild-life. Planting includes Borrage and Campion, Oxide daisies and Rosebay Willow Herb and Foxgloves. “We don’t believe in over-manicuring the garden,” says Sue, “when you look around, you see many a garden that look wonderful but can seem a bit too neat and tidy, which can inhibit wildlife.” “As we often hear, wildlife is under threat everywhere. Song birds, butterflies, hay meadows and attendant insect life are all a shadow of their former glory. An English summer garden without swallows, martins and swifts gracing the skies is a song without music. We have six swallow’s nests and rejoice in their arrival every spring,” adds Sue. “Our garden is geared towards encouraging pollinators such as Geraniums, Nectaroscordums, a type of Alium, then there are Digitalis and of course Borrage, also known as bee flower. “You can’t have swallows and blue tits 22-25 online.qxp_Layout 1 26/11/2019 08:42 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 25 GARDENS without insects. There’s the rub everyone needs to recognise. So, the thirty odd trees set the scene for a variety of birds frequenting the bird feeders. Sit still and a constant stream of blue tits great tits. goldfinches, greenfinches, woodpeckers sparrows and starlings, with occasional nuthatches and tree sparrows fly back and forth.” Indeed, we had to interrupt Ken for our interview as he was in the process of making a tweeter box for the swifts. “We haven’t got any swifts here,” he adds “they cleared off with the Curlews but to get them back you need to lure them in with that unique screech and skirl of their voices. The tweeter replicates this and will call out from the church tower next year to attract them back.” To say the gardens at Swallow Barn have been totally transformed is a vast understatement. From what was once a granary/barn and cattle yard - originally open, then totally covered - now features colourful wildlife friendly borders, a pond and waterfall, with newts breeding year on year, a rose garden, arbour, loggia; and even a genuine church arch for swallows to nest under. As Sue points out “Swallows compliment the garden and transform it into an emotional delight. A garden is nature’s poetry in pictures.“ This gem of a garden is packed with year-round interest and the garden has such a relaxed natural feel about it, it not only leaves you feeling inspired but also spurs you on to create a similar oasis. Charles H Hill Ltd. Moor Lane, Horsington, Woodhall Spa, LN10 5HH. Tel: 01526 388281 www.charleshhill.co.uk 22-25 online.qxp_Layout 1 26/11/2019 08:42 Page 4N ow is the time to be planting bulbs for spring- flowering and hardy summer-flowering plants. If you would like tender summer-flowering bulbs you need to plant these early spring and plant autumn flowering bulbs by late summer. When you choose your bulbs make sure they are large, plump and healthy. You do not want any that are soft or bruised. My top tip to make the planting look natural is to take a handful of bulbs and thrown them. Wherever they land is where you should plant them. Once you have the locations and prepared the soil then you need to ensure you plant 26 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY © Shutterstock / Jurga Jot Don’t neglect the garden your bulbs in groups of at least six, as the more bulbs the better the display. You need to place the bulbs in a hole that is at least double or triple the length of the bulb. For example, a 5cm high bulb should be a hole at least 10 – 15cm deep. Place the bulb in the hole with their shoot facing upwards (pointed end up) and then space them at least twice the bulbs width apart. Once they are in their holes replace the soil and gently firm down. Try to avoid walking on the soil as this can damage the bulbs. You also need to give your bulbs some water straight after planting them as this will help them to begin to develop roots. © Shutterstock /Maria Evseyeva September is when a change in season starts as autumn is approaching. The leaves start to turn golden and the temperature starts to drop. The prospect of shorter and colder days can make us want to forget the garden, shut the door and look towards hibernating, however there is still plenty to do in the garden as Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping explains. Don’t neglect the garden 26-27.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:14 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 27 Another job is looking after the lawn. There are a number of things you can do such as aerate and top dress it. Your grass needs air and the surface of your lawn can get compacted over the summer with the constant use it has had, along with the cutting. Aerating your lawn with a fork pushed into the ground by about 15cm at regular intervals will help to relieve the compaction. Immediately after aerating you can top dress the lawn by using a mix of three parts of garden soil to two parts of sharp sand. You spread this over the lawn and work it in with a stiff broom or the back of a rake. This will help keep the aerating holes open and revitalise the upper layer of soil. Now is also the time to protect your boarders as the temperature is dropping and frost is on its way. One way to do this is by applying a good 2-inch layer of mulch. It is best to weed first and then give the ground a good water. The mulch can then be added on top to stop the soil from drying out and protect the roots of your plants, especially for tender plants such as dahlias and Verbena Bonariensis. It will also smarten up the beds so they still look good through autumn and winter. While you are preparing your garden for autumn and winter make sure that you take time to enjoy the fading summer in the evenings while it is still warm enough to do so. Specialised Services in Garden Design Landscaping and Tree Maintenance Backed by a highly-skilled and experienced team, we’ve built our reputation on an ability to provide professional, tailored gardening and forestry FULLERS Landscaping Call 01522 868717 or 07867 510544 landscapinglincolnshire@gmail.com www.landscapinglincolnshire.com Around the garden •If you have clay soil now is the best time to improve it with organic matter and/or horticultural grit •Keep deadheading annuals and perennials to extend their performance •Prune any late summer flowering shrubs such as the rock rose •Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they have finished flowering (unless they are repeat flowerers) •Raise posts off the ground for the winter by using bricks or ‘pot feet’ to prevent waterlogging. •Clear pond weeds and net your pond ready for autumn leaf fall •Divide herbaceous perennials •Pick autumn raspberries •Dig up remaining potatoes before slug’s damage them •Install water butts, and keep up with watering of new plants © Shutterstock / Ozgur Coskun 26-27.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:14 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY LOUTH A quick trip around Louth’s charming marketplace reveals a stunning façade of period architecture dating back to the Victorian and Georgian periods. A visit to the town might be a stretch from some parts of Lincolnshire, but to be immersed in amongst these beautiful buildings is its own reward whether you take advantage of the cultural sights, boutiques or artisan shops. For those interested in local art and history, there’s Louth Museum, an independent establishment owned and operated by the volunteer charity The Louth Naturalists’ Antiquarian and Literary Society which was founded in 1884. Inside the museum you’ll find four galleries, a library and a gift shop ensuring there’s something to satisfy all visitors. There are around three exhibitions a year with the latest to focus on the windmills around Louth. It’s amazing to see just how much fascinating finds, artefacts and curios are on display, with the operators making canny use of the space without it ever once feeling cramped. As they like to say, it truly is a TARDIS of Fall in love Nestled at the foot of the Lincolnshire Wolds, Louth is famed for its independent shopping experience, natural beauty, period architecture, bustling marketplace and its vibrant cultural offering. 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:22 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 29 LOUTH local history. There’s stonework displayed under the floor and glimpsed through toughened glass, while a staircase provides a platform for the museum’s exhibitions. The cabinets in the Town Gallery feature several new exhibits with many items newly on display. These include 1920s fashion and Victorian taxidermy. Perhaps most striking of all are the exquisite wood carvings of sculpture Thomas Wilkinson Wallis. They truly need to be seen to be believed. The museum is open until the last Saturday in October and is well worth paying a visit. As we’ve already touched upon, much of Louth’s ample character comes from its period architecture and that extends to its churches. There’s several them to be found in and around the town, though there’s no doubt the most iconic is St James Church, which claims to have the tallest spire of any parish church in the UK. As for the origins of Louth, there’s been hand axes discovered around the town that have been dated to as far back as 191,000 years, suggesting that habitation in the area occurred in the Palaeolithic era. The town as we know it originally began life as an Anglo-Saxon village with the name thought to be a corruption of the Saxon word meaning ‘loud’ – as in the roaring ruckus of the nearby River Lud. A monastery was constructed on the site back in the 7th century but, by the 9th century, Danish Vikings conquered Lincolnshire and destroyed the building. It wasn’t only destruction the Danes brought with them, but they actually provided some of with Louth 30 Á 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 14/08/2019 11:22 Page 2Next >