< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE MetalguruPaul discovered his love of metal as amedium during his early school years livingin the Peterborough and Stamford area. Itwas during this time that he played aroundwith different forms and ideas in metalworkclass, getting a feel for the potential andendless possibility of the medium. Thisfascination stayed with him as he came towork as a fabricator by trade, a calling thathas preoccupied him for the last fewdecades. Though his work as a fabricator means hehas a keen understanding of metal, when itcomes to sculpting, Paul is entirely self-taught. “I have always enjoyed creatingpieces in my workshop for family andfriends,” he says. There’s no bettereducation than doing, a journey which hasseen Paul hone his craft over the years.Metal lacks the immediacy of paint onpaper, instead requiring careful attention,with each sculpture the result of artisticvision, skilled hands and no small amount ofpatience. “About 3 years ago I started toincorporate old tools and scrap metal intomy work, the variety of shapes and colourscaptured my imagination taking my workfrom utilitarian to decorative,” Paul explains. Despite the variety of weird andwonderful sculptures to emerge from Paul’sBorn and raised in and around Lincolnshire, PaulSouthwell has carved out a niche in the artcommunity with his affinity for metal and histactile and demanding sculptures and guitars. 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:41 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY21ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE workshop, it’s perhaps his guitars thathe’s best known for. “I built my firstguitar sculpture for my son, who is akeen guitarist, as a present,” Paulsays. “I enjoyed the process anddecided to create a range of guitars,each one unique.” The guitars are remarkableachievements in engineering andartistic vision. They are hard, tactileobjects, begging the viewer to runtheir fingers along the curves andspikes. The industrial style evokes themacabre metal sculptures of H. R.Giger, whilst also appealing to thesteampunk sensibility. There’s a sense,too, of the found object about them,comprised as they are of variousgears and chains. Paul takes what wemight think of as scrap and createssomething covetable – beautiful,even. Best of all, each of thesesculptures is a working instrument andwould undoubtedly form a strikingaddition to any band or orchestra.As an artist, Paul can often befound fulfilling commissions. One ofhis first saw him incorporating aclient’s personal items into thesculpture, truly making the client partof the finished artwork. Of theprocess, Paul says, “I really enjoy thechallenge of creating a totally uniquepiece that had that personal touch.”For his latest piece, Paul wastasked with producing somethingentirely different from his usualworkload after being commissionedby a local firm to commentate 150years of engineering. Thecommission saw Paul work withmaterials produced by the firm forsomething truly unique. Despite his Lincolnshire roots, Paulnow resides in Cambridgeshire withhis family and workshop. But you cansee some of his sculptures first handat the Little Red Gallery. THE LITTLE REDGALLERYLove 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 3AE01522 5891348 St Mary’s Hill, Stamford, PE9 2DPart@thelittleredgallery.co.ukwww.thelittleredgallery.co.uk20-21.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:41 Page 222 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIREAs far back as Mo Teeuw canremember, she has always painted anddrawn. Back in the seventies, she recallspracticing along with Russian artist NancyKominsky and her television series PaintAlong with Nancy. Since then, she hasbeen fortunate enough to get to knowand paint with a number of proficientartists and, no doubt, inspiring others topick up the paintbrush as she was as agirl. Although Mo has her own home studiohere in Lincolnshire, she admits that herbest paintings happen when she’s enplein air. This approach sees painterstaking their canvass and paintsoutside, working in a varietyof often unpredictableweathers. “Nature isthe best teacherand you learn byobserving,” Motells us. “Paintinghas taught me tosee subtle colourdifferences andobserve the patternsand shapes around us.” A few years ago, Mo set herself thechallenge of completing a daily plein airpainting. This was as much an endurancetest as it was an expression of her artisticability. In January of that year alone shewent out every day come rain, frost andwind. All the while she was recovering froma broken ankle. By doing this, she was ableto prove to herself that there should be noexcuses, no roadblocks to creativity andnothing between Mo and her inspiration. Itensures each piece benefits from addeddepth and realism; a greater understandingof the natural world by being a part of it, ifonly for a little while. Lincolnshire has been thesubject of many a paintingand it’s no different with Mowho tells us, “Living inLincolnshire, the sky is aconstant source ofinspiration. I lovenothing more than a bigblank canvas and adramatic Lincolnshire sky.”Such is her affinity withthe beautiful blue vistas our county isfamous for, that Mo was asked byCrowood Press if she’d be interested inwriting a book on ‘Painting Clouds &Skies in Oils’. Of course, Mo said yesand, taking just over a year to complete,the book was released in 2017. She’srightfully proud of the book with its55,000-plus words and 200 images. Notbad considering Mo never thought shewould ever write a book. Putting on a show Despite the recent heatwave, Britishweather is still largely cold and drizzlyand while Mo is often found outsidecome rain or shine, she admits that theweather abroad is better. She has takenpainting groups to France, Spain,Morocco and, for the first time this year,Turkey. It was a trip abroad that led tothe upcoming exhibition in London thatMo’s proud to be part of. Last year she was painting in Portugalwith a group of friends and fellowprofessional artists. At the end of thiscreative week abroad, they each lookedMo’s advice to budding artists “Don’t give up. We alllearn from our failures.The thing that keeps megoing is the thought that the next painting is going to be brilliant.”Mo Teeuw is one of Britain’s best known plein air artists. With a major exhibition opening inLondon in October, we got the chance to sit down and talk about painting outside, thebeauty of Lincolnshire’s skies and just what’s involved in putting on a major exhibition. The art of outdoors The art of outdoors 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:41 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY23ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIREat the work they had produced. The tripproduced plenty of high-quality work andone of the group happened to say “Weshould have a show”. That was the kernel of the idea whichbegan to germinate that same night, withthe group tossing ideas around andplanning how to make this idea intoreality. In order to secure their chosenvenue, however, they needed morepeople. So, a spreadsheet was drawn upand filled with the names of other artistsknown by the group. All in all, it was avery impressive list which, Mo says, waseventually whittled down to twenty-sevennames. ‘Capturing the Moment’ was the nameof the show which resulted from anotherspreadsheet and was finalised with avote. The venue was booked, and thingswere set into motion. This was very mucha grassroots approach, with the grouptaking all the respective tasks needed tobe carried out from treasurer, venuebooking and web building, to invitedesigns and private view. Mo handledpublicity along with friend Haidee-JoSummers. The domain name waspurchased, the web site built, and theBritish Plein Air Painters group was born. “I am very proud to be a part of it aswe have some of the UK’s best-knownartists exhibiting with us,” Mo says. Now the ‘Capturing the Moment’exhibition will be unveiled at The MenierGallery in London from the 16-18October. A complete list of participantscan be seen online atwww.britishpleinairpainters.co.uk.To see moreof Mo’s work, check out her websitewww.moteeuw.co.uk, her Instrgram feed atmo_teeuw, or herFacebook page@moteeuwart.22-23.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:41 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYREADERS’ GARDENSAs an extension of the house, thegarden forms part of the homestead andis as much a character in our lives as ourpets or relatives. That’s certainly the casefor Frank and Mo Teeuw, who have calledthe stunning Mulberry House in Moultonhome for the last thirty-five years. When the couple moved in, the gardenwas nothing more than one large lawnand a few mature trees – certainlynothing to get excited about. There was,however, the eponymous mulberry treeafter which the house was named.Lacking, certainly, but the garden hadplenty of potential and the transformationis remarkable. Though the garden hasevolved over the years, Mo admits that itdid so without any overarching plan. Yetthis spontaneous approach means it’sfresh and exciting and never feels asthough the space has been forced toconform to one style or another. For us,the results speak for themselves. Just because there’s no formal plan inplace, that doesn’t mean that Frank andMo are going for a random scattershotapproach. Mo tells us that most springs,she and husband Frank have a newgarden project on the go. Usually thismeans creating a new “room” for thegarden, such as a patio or flower bed.This is a charming approach to take,thinking of the space in the same way aninterior designer might the home. It’ssomething we’d be happy to suggest toour readers, who might be feeling a littlestuck for ideas in the own gardens. This approach has seen some featurescome and go over the year. For example,Mo tells us that there used to be awildlife pond at the bottom end of thegarden that, understandably, had to beremoved with the arrival of grandchildren.Now this area is the site of the couple’slatest project which has seen the plantingof fruit trees. Mo says she and Frank arehoping to have a good selection of wildflowers and bulbs planted once the grassis established. Their garden is undoubtedly a thing ofbeauty, serene and abundant with colour,but Mo says that she and her hubby bothadopt a casual approach to gardening. “Ifit needs doing,” she says,” then it getsdone, otherwise it tends to look afteritself.” The garden is certainly informal,with a series of rooms each with theirThis month we’ve got a treat for you, with areader’s garden next to Moulton’s windmill thattakes an artistic and more casual approach, andthe results are simply stunning. Colour andcomposition24-27.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:43 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY25READERS’ GARDENSown different style and feel, such as thesmall area with lots of acers andtrachycarpus. It means that walkingaround outside is nothing short of adelight, a veritable exploration out intonature. This year, Frank and Mo are planningto pack the fronts of the borders withmore bulbs than they ever have before.Asked why, Mo said, “They are fantasticthings to have as after the initial planting,you forget about them and are thenrewarded with a fantastic display, firstwith the snowdrops and crocus inJanuary, February and then on to thedaffodils and tulips ready to start thegardening year off again.”One of the things that caught ourattention was the way the walls had beenpainted in warm, comforting shadesgiving the garden something of a tropicalfeel. We imagine that, even with themercury dropping in the barometer,there’s still a sense of warmth in theTeeuw garden. The lovely seating areahas been nicknamed the “Gin & Tonicpatio” as it’s where the sun hits at 7pm. Aperfect time for a G&T certainly, but alas,we had to be on our way before we sawthe sunlight hit the sweet spot and enjoya tipple or two ourselves. One of the latest transformations tohave taken place is the extension of thekitchen to include a garden room. Withits wide sliding doors opening straightout onto newly laid patio, the boundaries26 Á24-27.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:43 Page 226 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYREADERS’ GARDENSbetween home and garden dissolve andbecome one and the same. We often talkabout bringing the outside in and viceversa, but here was Mo and Frankactually living it and the results weresplendid. “To break the space up there is acentral raised bed with an old olive tree.For ground cover there we used whitemarble chippings with a few grassesdotted in around three large rocks,” saysMo. “A curved wall forms a raised bedthat hugs the edge of the patio, this yearwe planted it up with red cordylines andwhite petunias, and the result wasstunning. In the Spring it will be full ofTulips from our own business – the GeeTee Bulb Company.”Walking around the garden it becameapparent that there are a lot of plants ondisplay. Mo tells us – with no smallamount of precision and certainly – thatthere’s “88 pots, tubs containing variousplants, bulbs, shrubs and trees, fivehanging baskets and 19 pots with herbsby the greenhouse.” When asked why so many pottedplants, Mo says, “The beauty of pots isthat you can move them around as theycome in to their best and tucked awayuntil next year as the season moves on.The annuals will soon be replaced withsome of our large selection of springbulbs. A lot of the pots will be soonplanted up with Tulips and Irises. We’lldefinitely have a few Hyacinths near thedoors, so their scent can drift in when thedoors are open.”The recent heatwave, however, hasmeant there’s been a greater need totend the garden. For Frank and Mo that’smeant a lot more running around with thewatering can. Fortunately, the grass itselfdoesn’t get too much direct sunlight andhasn’t suffered nearly as badly as some.(Most of the Lincolnshire Today team arestill suffering from orange grass.) As we walk around the garden, welearnt that Mo is an accomplished artistwith a home studio and a majorexhibition on the way – you can readmore about her work on page 22.Suddenly everything made sense. Theattention to colour and space, almost asif the garden was itself a composition.Indeed, Mo says that many of the potsare arranged in groups as if set up as astill life with objects such as old wateringcans, interesting bits of wood as well assculptures and obelisks. 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:43 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY27READERS’ GARDENS“I love to combine colours; maybethat’s the artist in me,” Mo says. “Agreat combo for smaller pots is Blue,Grape Hyacinths and AnemoneBlanda, White Splendour with dwarf,yellow daffodils. Amaryllis is oftenthought of as a bulb bought forChristmas but this year I had a lovelydisplay in the garden.”Leaving a garden this lovely isnever easy, and it was a joy to see iton a day as beautiful as we did. Aswe were leaving, Mo added that“The reward comes at the end ofthe day when we can sit on thepatio, surrounded with colour andwith a glass of wine in our hands.”With one last look around, it’s hardto imagine anything morerewarding. 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:43 Page 428 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYThere are a number of reasons whyhaving landscaping done during thewinter is the better option. • By buying landscaping materials inwintertime can result in significantsavings. The price of some landscapingmaterials goes down during the winteras there is less demand. This meansthat some projects could be more costeffective. Prices can then increase inspring as the demand rises.• Also, if you going to get aprofessional in to carry out the work youmay find that they can do it morequickly. There can be lower demand forsuch work during the winter months andso your local landscaper will not be asbusy and therefore able to get yourproject completed in a shorter timescale. • Hard landscaping cancause disruption to existingLast month Ed Fuller fromFullers Forestry andLandscaping explained aboutthe cost of landscaping agarden, and how sometimeless is more. Autumn isalways a good time to bethinking about and starting agarden re-design projecteven if you are wanting to doit yourself.plants. While you can do everythingpossible to minimise damage duringthe winter most plants are dormant andso the risk of any long-term damaged isgreatly reduced. • By planning ahead, you will be ableto enjoy your garden when summerarrives next year. While others are juststarting to plan their projects andrealising that their local landscaper isbooked up and therefore unable tocarry out their requirements until theend of summer you will be able to kickback and enjoy your fantastic outdoorspace. There are a few things you do needto bear in mind, such as the weather.Snow or rain can have an impact onwhether work can be carried out, but ifthere is a frost or threat of one you canuse frost proofing additive to cement ormortar mixes and cover new work with aplastic sheeting, sacking or old blanketsat night. Another thing is that daylighthours reduce in the winter and so ifyou decide to get a professional toPutting in theplanning28-29.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:44 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY29carrying out the work then don’t expect them to be workinguntil late. Due to health and safety they will not be able towork much beyond 4pm due to lack of light. We havehowever used floodlighting in the past to meet deadlines.There may be some planting that you want to wait untilspring to do, but you could get the majority of your projectcompleted now and enjoy completing the finishing toucheswhen the weather improves.I have a fabulous team that will work come rain or shineand they are highly skilled landscapers who can createanything from low maintenance gardens with artificial grassto romantic cottage gardens and state-of-the-art ultra-contemporary gardens. Over the last twenty years I havebuilt up a family run business that prides itself on designingand creating gardens that suit each individual client’sbudget, regardless of their garden’s size and shape. If youwant to make some changes no matter how big or small Iwould advise you to consider doing them sooner ratherthan later, so you have the perfect outdoor space for nextsummer. Also remember that this is the time of year to be pruningdeciduous trees (ones that lose their leaves in winter). This isbecause it is best to prune them when they are dormant inautumn and winter and due to the lack of leaves you areable to see the natural shape of the tree. We also provideservices in all areas of tree care required.Specialised Servicesin Garden DesignLandscaping andTree MaintenanceBacked by a highly-skilledand experienced team,we’ve built our reputationon an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutionsFREE NO OBLIGATIONQUOTATIONSFULLERSForestry & LandscapingCall 01522 868717 or 07867 510544info@fullersforestry.co.uklwww.fullersforestry.co.ukwww.landscapinglincolnshire.comGARDENSAround thegarden•Clear up fallen autumn leaves regularly•Prune Climbing roses and rambling roses once they’ve finished flowering and tie in the stems before autumn winds cause damage•Plant daffodil, tulip and allium bulbs for a fantastic spring display•Now is the ideal time to plant clematis plants•Clear up fallen rose leaves to prevent diseases suchas black spot. Don’t compost the leaves•Clear overhanging plants away from pathways•After tidying borders, mulch with bark chips, well rotten manure or leaf mould compost to insulate plant roots for the winter and keep weed growth in check•Harvest squashes and pumpkins before the first frosts, and apples and pears•Plant autumn onion sets for cropping next summer and plant out spring cabbages•Remove the netting from fruit cages to allow birds to catch and eat any pests that are lurking there© Shutterstock / Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH28-29.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:44 Page 2Next >