Yay!

Yay! We’re back my friends, we’re back!

This is just a little blog post for you as the first week since re-opening has been simply fantastic and just a bit overwhelming!

I really wanted to just dip in here to say thank you to all those that visited over the Hebden Royd Alternative Christmas weekend making our Saturday one of the BEST EVER! It was amazing and we were so happy to see Hebden Bridge buzzing and full of people supporting this event and getting into the spirit of Christmas in June!

Well done to everyone who played a part in running with the Alternative Christmas idea and turning it into a reality 6 months after the devastating floods to our area; job well done Jason Elliott, Kerry Wheelwright and all of Santa’s little helpers!

Another big thank you to all of our loyal customers, our artists and friends that have so far visited since we re-opened to offer their words of love, support and encouragement making the very difficult and stressful last 6 months feel so worth it.

It has been very emotional at times, and there have been lots of tears, but they have been happy tears and we have all cried together. Some reactions to our new look Heart Gallery interior have been priceless and although not captured on camera will be remembered forever, thank you.

Family and friends have brought blooms, fizz, florentines as well as helping me out by serving chilled spiced wine and mince pies so another HUGE thank you to you … couldn’t have got through without you all.

Artists that have become good friends have shared the last 6 months with me, been part of my journey, so I know how happy they are that the Heart Gallery doors are well and truly OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

If you’ve not visited yet, please do – we can’t wait to see you xXx

 

Petit Coeur

We have rented a small unit at the Hebden Bridge Picture House for this marvelous month of May only! The Petit Coeur is simply a smaller version of Heart Gallery but it is perfectly formed.

The very lovely Mandy, Emily and Pippa are looking after this for me whilst I work hard behind the scenes sourcing all the lovely new work for our re-opening towards the end of June (date still to be decided after recent hiccups).

Some of your old favourites are in our pop up alongside prints by Kate Lycett, Clare Caulfield, Nicola Taylor, Alison Read and Ross McGinnes.

Our Eco range of diffusers and candles is greatly reduced so come and stock up and the reduced cocktail candles at £8 are proving a big hit at the moment.

Our retro inspired telephones are selling like hotcakes at their new reduced prices so if you are thinking of getting one for home or work then please be quick …. don’t be left hanging on the telephone!

Jane Revitt’s ordnance survey map cushions, tea towels and notebooks are always popular and alongside all the local HEbden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Blackshaw Head and Todmorden 1947 and 1953 pieces we also have Whitby, Scarborough, Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire, Chatsworth, Windermere, Derwentwater, Suffolk/Norfolk, Totnes, Brighton, York, Settle, Grassington, Bolton Abbey, Clitheroe, Liverpool and Manchester.

There’s a new delivery from Black+Blum including fabulous copper pieces; stylish additions to their great loop range I must say.


There is now limited stock of all our reduced Joseph Joseph pieces so if you are adding to your collection then this is the place to get them whilst you can my friends, great prices for design-led kitchen products.

We’ve got your favourite silver lily and freshwater pearl jewellery by local jeweller Amanda Cox alongside some carefully selected Danon pieces.

We are only at The Hebden Picture House until 31st May my friends so not much time for you to get down and see us but please do support us if you can …. we have a small selection of our much loved greetings cards so even if you just buy a card you are helping us enormously.

To read more about this great campaign please visit their website here thank you.

Collaboration, Connection and Co-Operation not Competition

One thing that has been obvious recently (apart from the pennies in the bank falling through my fingers like fine sand!) has been the support that I have seen since the awful events of Boxing Day. This is not just on a personal level from friends and family (I still have a much needed back neck and shoulder massage to cash in – thank you Ruth and Julia!) but on a business to business level as well. For instance, Mike and the team at Print Bureau provided free banners to affected local businesses as soon as they could even though they themselves had also been badly hit by Storm Eva’s decision to relentlessly batter Calderdale. This was made possible in part by Apogee coming to their rescue too.

The amazing artwork for our banner was done by one of our much loved artists Angela Smyth. She just wanted to use her skill set in any way she could. This was a beautiful gesture and was done for us in the New Year so that we could hang the banner outside Heart Gallery to let everyone know we were stitching ourselves back together and we would be back as soon as we were able.

Then the Calderdale Rising campaign for businesses began. This has now ended with a really decent stash of cash in the pot for those businesses involved. This was launched by Kirsty McGregor and backed by CFFC who are behind the amazing flood relief fundraising for residents of Calderdale that has now topped the 2 million mark! Without Kirsty’s involvement and the collaboration of 103 small businesses from Calderdale getting behind her and promoting via social media etc I think I would have gone slightly insane sitting at home in my own little bubble of misery getting washed away by my tears!

After a long overdue catch up and much needed brain storming session with Kate Lycett once she had launched her fabulous Lost Houses project at The Bankfield Museum in Halifax I approached Vince at Abacus Framing in Mytholmroyd. Heart Gallery needed a little bit of space to pop up with Kate’s work and also Clare Caulfield’s work – two of my much loved artists also much loved by my customers.

Like many other Calderdale based businesses Abacus Framing have been indirectly affected by the Boxing Day floods despite not being flooded themselves if that makes sense. Footfall to our lovely valley is down so the visitor economy is suffering. This collaboration with him will help not only Heart Gallery have a presence by creating a little gallery space within Abacus but it will also help Kate Lycett and Clare Caulfield continue to sell their work locally and Abacus Framing to offer a very fine service too.

This pop up Heart Gallery with Kate Lycett and Clare Caulfield will be in Abacus until after Easter (perhaps longer so please do keep an eye on this blog) so please do visit, come and say hello, purchase framed or unframed prints and browse the other prints and artwork Vince has on show there too … including two personal favourites Jenni Murphy and Anna Wright.

Jenni Murphy – The Romantic Gardener available at Abacus Framing, Mytholmroyd

Love Birds by Anna Wright available at Abacus Framing, Mytholmroyd

 

After successfully selling work by Pippa Dyrlaga to raise funds for the flood appeal for householders the lovely ladies at Fleur De Lys asked me if I would like a window in their florists on Crown Street, Hebden Bridge to showcase more work by Kate Lycett.

We did the display together at the beginning of this week. The window looks really cheery and bright and has been making passers by stop and smile which is so lovely to see right now.

This is a little montage of the work that is on display and available to buy down at Fleur De Lys and at Abacus Framing by Kate Lycett and Clare Caulfield.

Vince at Abacus Framing has the whole back catalogue of Kate’s for you to look through and order from as well. You can pay by card at Abacus as the Heart Gallery card machine is down there but it’s CASH ONLY at Fleur De Lys.

I’ve known that these connections and collaborations are so important since I first opened Heart Gallery as collectively we make Hebden Bridge just amazing. A huge, heartfelt thank you to all my friends and family helping me through this but also to Vince and Claudette for helping out whilst we try to stitch Heart Gallery back together again! Don’t forget, with Mother’s Day fast approaching order your bouquet from Fleur De Lys whilst you are down there feasting on Kate’s work and Vince has plenty of sweet cards for you to choose from!

 

LOST HOUSES OF THE SOUTH PENNINES

Hi there my friends …  a short but sweet little blog post to let you know about a new project and new work by one of our much loved local artists Kate Lycett.

Kate’s launch of Lost Houses is this weekend and you can read all about it here. I was supposed to tell you about this at the beginning of the year but … well you know what happened there!

For me it’s a great chance to get out of my scruffs I seem to have been living in lately and put on a frock and I can’t wait to see these paintings finally framed and on the wall after all the sneaky peeks I’ve been given!

This one of Castle Carr because of the familiarity I think will be my favourite but we shall see. Hope to see some of you there xXx

 

December 21st 2015

We’ve had a lovely year with Kate Lycett again; the launch of her latest work in Spring ‘WATER & LIGHT’ was just amazing – thank you to all our lovely customers and collectors who made that evening so special.

If you’ve not discovered Kate’s work yet … where have you been?

Kate’s textile design background is always present in the way that she paints and interprets what is around her. She sees patterns in everything; the hills adorned with houses and washing lines, rows of flower pots and stripes of brightly painted drain pipes. Lines of gold thread trace lines through the landscape, and gold leaf changes the surface of her pictures with the changing light of day.

Kate paints beautiful pictures of the places that she loves … and what’s not to love about Yorkshire?

Keep you eye on this blog for news of Kate’s next project LOST HOUSES … it’s a beauty x

CHRISTMAS AT HEART

Christmas At Heart – yes, it’s that time of the year again my friends but don’t worry we’ve got Christmas all wrapped up!

We are showcasing some stunning new jewellery from our regular makers and we are also introducing new UK makers we have had the privilege to meet and work with over this last year … a tantalising treat for you or a loved one.

Some of our regulars are still with us of course and they have produced new work for us this year as well as keeping us topped up with some of our old favourites.

What’s not to love about shopping at Heart Gallery? We have been supporting local and British artists since 2006 and work really, really hard so you don’t have to! Everything is all under one roof and we have something to suit all budgets.

So I guess we will see you soon then? Christmas At Heart – something for everyone xXx

 

Sunday Best

Morning folks and a very fine Bank Holiday Sunday to you all. Here’s our Sunday Best today with love from HAPPY VALLEY! We thought this little montage appropriate now filming has started in our town for the second series of this great British Drama written by BAFTA award winner Sally Wainwright and staring Sarah Lancashire.

Enjoy these images of our locality my friends – all prints available in Heart Gallery.

The Big Park – Kate Lycett
The Lamppost Cafe – Clare Caulfield
Heart Gallery – Clare Caulfield
Woodhouse Mill – Kate Lycett
As The Crow Flies – Kate Lycett
St George’s Square – Clare Caulfield

Sunday Best

Here’s another little Sunday Best feature for you my friends. This week I am excited to tell you it is inspired by the colour scheme my son and his lovely girlfriend chose for their wedding day this coming week … and yes I am a proud Mother of the Groom at the moment!!

Lower Laithe Reservoir – Kate Lycett
Lace Jewellery – Jayne Middlebrook
Lasercut Meadow – Stewart & Jacqueline Morton
Raku Fired Ceramics – Debbie Barber
Printed Silk Scarf – Craig Fellows
Silver Lily and Pearl Necklace – Amanda Cox

Oh, and here is the colour scheme … just incase you are interested!

 

Pop Up Studio with Kate Lycett

Did you come to see Kate in her pop up studio in our Picture Gallery Thursday 30th April?

This was an informal day with lots of both interested and interesting folk bobbing in to meet Kate, watch her paint and chat.
I should have whisked Kate away to the office to have her lunch however as I think it took her 3 hours to finish the lovely sandwich I bought her! (See, it’s still on her desk, untouched!).
A very busy day with lots to listen to and it was great to hear from people who had some history to share about the buildings Kate is currently studying for her Lost Houses project. (More on that on our previous post).

People turned up with copies of sale catalogues as well as fabulous old photographs for Kate.
Kate chatted to folk about all sorts relating to her paintings and they were extremely interested not only in her processes but with her materials … these swiss pencils are her latest purchase!
This is one of my favourite photographs taken at the pop up by Gaynor Exley, one of Kate’s friends, who happens to be a great photographer. I think I love it not just because it captures Kate speaking passionately about her work but it also shows a couple of my recent gifts to Kate in the foreground – lovely boxes I found for her paints and inks.

And speaking of surprise pressies – I got a lovely one too from Kate! Relationships with my artists are so important to me, in fact the most important cog in the wheel I feel of running a successful Gallery … there isn’t always pressies but what a joy and added bonus when there is of course! One of my jewellers, for instance, always pops a few delicious little wrapped choccies in with her work when she sends us her parcels!
I have yet to find time to properly sit with this beautiful book from Kate but I can’t wait for that quiet moment when there is no-one at home.
If you’d like us to hold more pop up events in the gallery then do email us via the website or contact us at heartgallery@btinternet.co.uk, thank you.

 

Demo Night with Kate Lycett

This little blog post is long overdue my friends so apologies for that … it has been a tad busy through April I have to say!

24 lucky people managed to get their hands on one of these tickets last month for our Demo night with Kate Lycett and they all had a wonderful evening.

We wanted it it be a small and intimate gathering in our Picture Gallery not only for Kate’s benefit but also for those coming along … it had to be a special evening, and it was.

Kate had said she would be a little nervous but she didn’t appear to be at all and was soon settling in to the questions that people wanted to ask as well as taking us through some of the processes she uses layering up her paintings.

One of our regulars, and HUGE Kate Lycett fan, was keen to study her brushes … although he did admit that he had never picked up a paintbrush in his life!

And our youngest in the crowd was allowed to try her hand with Kate’s paints too which she loved.

Kate’s demo evening was extremely informative as she took us through her research, sketch books, inks, paints and a variety of painting mediums and brushes.

Kate openly admitted to ‘being a floozy with colour’ and if you’ve seen her finished paintings you will understand what she means – they are awash with colour and this brings each building, hillside, tree, canal, river and even chicken alive.
Everyone really enjoyed watching Kate paint and they were also eager to hear about her current project Lost Houses.

Kate had brought a few pieces from her Lost Houses project that were paintings in progress and these were extremely interesting to see at such an early stage. It was also great to hear about all the research Kate is having to do for this new body of work.
We did finish slightly later than we thought but no-body cared as they had all had a jolly good time with Kate. I for one left knowing it was going to feel like a long wait to see Kate’s Lost Houses paintings in Spring 2016 but that it would actually soon be here!
If you would like us to run more of these events with our artists then please email us to let us know, many thanks – you can reach us via our website or contact heartgallery@btinternet.com