< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE GLASS Through a journey of This month, we look at the works of Matthew Sorrell, a self-taught glass artist creating truly unique pieces. The creation of kiln glass art is an apt comparison for the artistic process itself. Both are long and slow, requiring patience, discipline and dedication. Matthew Sorrell has clearly mastered this art, creating pieces that are impossible to replicate. Each piece possesses natural bubbles and flaws only found in handmade work, and each piece is individually signed. They are created from carefully cutting and 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 14:19 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 21 ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE placing shapes of glass onto a flat glass surface, along with ‘frit’, ‘confetti’ and coloured powders for texture and depth of colour. The piece is then fired at temperatures of 840 Celsius until the desired effect is achieved. Finally, the piece can be mounted on board and framed to hang in any room, slumped into a bowl, or over a curve to create a more three-dimensional work. Using this approach, Matt creates a variety of intriguing pieces from coasters to 20-inch platters to sculptures and framed ‘paintings’ made of glass. Matt uses a Bullseye Glass (soft), purely and solely made in Oregon in the USA. It is handmade glass with the colours infused thorough the glass in the initial meld, then the glass is poured onto a metal bed and pushed through a mangle to flatten and then placed into a large kiln to anneal. Issues with using this glass is that it has natural fissures throughout which can make it temperamental to cut, as it might want to crack along a fissure. The most expensive glass to work with is Pink and Purple, this is due to the expense of the raw colour. But his artistic ability is not only limited to glass. Matt also has a background in restoration, particularly the masters, and has worked on pieces by Canaletto, Rembrandt, and more over the course of his career. This background in art and art history has given his work a depth that few others achieve. “I initially started my career in art by restoring oil paintings,” he said. “When I was in my early thirties, I painted for the first time, exploring blending different colours on canvases to create abstract landscapes and skies. (A technique I bring to painting on glass). I started playing with glass in my mid-thirties, I came home one day from an art exhibition and told my wife I was going to buy a kiln and create pieces with glass. The rest, as they say, is history.” You can see Matt’s work up close and personal at Lincoln’s Little Red Gallery. 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 art@thelittleredgallery.co.uk www.thelittleredgallery.co.uk 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 14:20 Page 222 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY It is at this time of year that we can still have some warm days, but the autumn colours start to appear reminding us colder and shorter days are on their way. This means that you need to start to think about getting your garden ready for the winter, as Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping explains. S haping your garden by pruning should be high on your agenda, along with lawn care and maybe some planting of bulbs. Pruning can be a daunting task as once a cut has been made the result may be irreversible, however there are some principles of pruning which are simple and with some common sense you can ensure that your pruning efforts will be beneficial. The first place to start is to know the growing and flowering habits of the plant you are pruning. For example, a forsythia has their main flower on older wood as so these will only need a prune once a year at the end of winter, when the flowers have faded, rather than cutting it hard back in the spring to encourage new shoots. Once you are sure that the trees and shrubs you are pruning at this time of year will benefit from it then make sure you use well maintained equipment. Always take your time and stand back periodically from your pruning to ensure the shape of the tree or shrub is good. With this month’s pruning done you can turn your attention to the lawn. There are several 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 WINTER READY WINTER READY Getting your garden Getting your garden 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 15:53 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 23 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 our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutions FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATIONS 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 a rake. This will help keep the aerating holes open and revitalise the upper layer of soil. If you want to have some colour in your garden over the autumn and winter, then now is the time to plant some bulbs. You need to ensure you plant the bulbs at the right time, so for spring-flowering and hardy summer-flowering bulbs plant these in the autumn, for 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 your bulbs in groups of at least six, as the more bulbs the better the display. 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! GARDEN ADVICE © Shutterstock / By Krisana Antharith 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 15:53 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY In creating a vegetable garden, you’ll first have to decide where to plant your veggies. In most cases they will need as much sunlight as possible, so avoid shady areas. If, however, your garden is prone to shade, don’t worry, vegetables like lettuce, peas, chard, beetroot, spinach and runner beans will be able to handle it. Remove the grass from your chosen area and fork over the soil. Next you will need to ensure your soil will promote the growth of your produce and is clear of weeds and stones. Different gardens will hold different soil, and though you cannot change this, you can improve soil with compost and fertiliser as required. If your garden hosts unideal soil, consider installing a raised bed, which are particularly good for small plots of vegetables and make for an attractive feature. Choose a light and airy open space and create a frame at least 30 cm in height. There is a plethora of ready-made flatpack kits for raised beds that can be bought online to make this process easy. Alternatively construct a raised bed from timber, stone or brick. One can then customise soil to grow plants that wouldn’t ordinarily grow well in your garden. Root vegetables including beetroot, parsnips and carrots are ideal for raised beds, but since raised beds offer improved drainage in comparison to the ground, potatoes and leafy greens thrive too. They are also enjoyed by produce that desires well controlled soil, such as onions which like lots of organic matter. Containers filled with potting compost and growbags are other good alternatives where your soil is not an option, while Styrofoam boxes with drain holes can even be utilised alongside yoghurt pots, plastic fruit and veg and takeaway trays to replace small plant pots. Once soil has been warmed up by the sun, it’s time to sow. Sow seeds thinly into fertile damp soil or compost and place them in the brightest possible spot. Vegetables like carrots and parsnips can be sown outdoors in their final location, however others must be sown indoors or under cover. When starting with seeds one might instead begin with trays or pots of compost where seeds will germinate to be transplanted in the garden. A quick Google of your chosen vegetable will offer you a wealth of information on the conditions it requires and the best method for growth. The joy of growing your own Since lockdown, there has been an upsurge in the number of people getting out in their gardens and growing their own produce. With most lockdown measures now behind us, people are continuing to plant, pick and tuck into their own home-grown fruit and vegetables. But it’s never too late to start. 24-25.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 14:23 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 25 GARDENS © Shutterstock /Piyaset Many are buying packets of seeds at present, but for those too busy to sow seeds why not consider purchasing plug plants to simplify gardening? Though it is worth bearing in mind, this will be pricier. After planting is complete, soil must be damp, yet not too wet. A quick finger wiggle under the surface can be used to test moisture levels. For first-timers fruit crops such as tomatoes and vegetative crops like lettuce are easy grows. Tomatoes can be grown in containers and need around six hours of sunlight daily along with plenty of water. The versatile plant can be grown on a windowsill, patio, or in a pot out in the garden. Merely select good quality potting soil. Lettuce meanwhile can easily be grown in containers. A deep pot is required along with good quality potting soil mixed with vermiculite. For quick growers consider onions, peas, beans, baby carrots, lettuce and radishes. As we enter September, it is a prime time to continue planting new strawberry beds and to sow vegetables for overwintering, to mature next spring, including: turnip, spinach, winter lettuce, Oriental vegetables. It’s also advised to plant overwintering onion sets. Fruits and vegetables ready to pick in September include onions, apples, runner beans, autumn-fruiting raspberries, tomatoes, courgettes and potatoes. Though starting a vegetable garden can seem intimidating, once you have a prepared area, and have sown seeds, all that comes after is simple maintenance. What have you got to lose? © Shutterstock /Rawpixel.com © Shutterstock /sanddebeautheil Freephone: 0800 328 5492 Email: sales@allertonuk.com Website: www.allertonuk.com The Dependable Choice in Drainage In rural areas without a mains drainage system, and where septic tanks will no longer reach environmental standards, Allerton can provide the ideal solution. Trading since 1974, Allerton are leading specialists in efficient treatment systems. They pride themselves on their individual, problem solving approach to dealing with alternative means of treating and disposing of raw sewage. The Allerton ConSept converts your existing Septic Tank or Cesspit into a fully functioning Sewage Treatment Plant. Servicing & Maintenance on a wide range of Sewage Treatment Plant and Pump Stations by BRITISH WATER ACCREDITED ENGINEERS. ACCREDITED ENGINEERS 24-25.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 14:23 Page 226 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FASHION Numph Fun, modern and fashionable, this early autumn ensemble from Numph is already one of our favourites. 26-35.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 14:26 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 27 FASHION First glimpse of Bidding farewell to summer is difficult every year, but where fashion is concerned, the ending of one season is cause to celebrate. Here were take a peek at a few stylish new autumn outfits from some of our favourite brands and designers. autumn 26-35.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 14:26 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FASHION Above: Samoon Samoon have released an early contender for our favourite dress design of the season. The contrasting colours, fit and detailing all work together for a dress that boasts sophistication and chicness. Top right: LauRie LauRie are clearly onto a winner with their autumn range as this stylishly simple outfit proves. Right: Ichi Pink and red isn’t always an easy colour combination to pull off, but with this outfit, Ichi make it look effortless. Opposite: Masai Masai are famed for their patterns and their latest range has more styles to fall in love with. With its water-colour effect horizontal stripped pattern, you’ll never want to take this one off. © DK Company – ICHI 26-35.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 14:26 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 11 FASHION 26-35.qxp_Layout 1 28/08/2020 14:26 Page 4Next >