Travelling to Southsea for a day trip with my little boy, I ventured down to Hotwalls in Old Portsmouth and there, in the last studio was Kendal. A total whizz at Hama Beads, my son sat for an hour making his own Mario that he could take home and I never thought I would see Kendal again. Then we moved to Southsea and on visiting the Crafts in the Tower (back at the beginning of 2018) I saw Kendal again and discovered how much she offers to the creative scene in Southsea and Portsmouth.
Package Free larder
“We need to respect the oceans as if our lives depended on it. Because they do.” Sylvia Earle We are drowning in plastic – and as much as it is quite a daunting claim to start with, it’s important to realise we need to act on it and we need to act now.
Mark Of The Orient
Opening on Friday 12th April at the Coastguard Studio is the King Ship Tattoo exhibition of contemporary Japanese motifs. Called ‘Mark Of The Orient’ with around 100 pieces of work for sale, it showcases the work and vision of Aaron Willet – owner of the Kings Ship. His style draws inspiration from ancient Japanese tattooing and culture with the exhibition pieces being created in watercolour.
The Southsea Deli
Can you remember when that exciting new deli opened a few doors along from the Emporium? How eager we all were to see this place take shape and show us some fantastic food?
Bangerz n Brewz
The walls are bare brick and industrial fittings. The tables and lockers are lit with neon and hanging light bulbs; local artwork is splashed across the walls and ceiling whilst the industrial sauce dispenser fits perfectly alongside the custom bar. It’s one of those places that oozes cool and feels like a backstreet New York joint you only know if you know … y’know?
Soup Of Souls
Soup of Souls is an art installation at the Portsmouth Cathedral where Pete Codling has been the Artist in Residence for a project funded by the Arts Council. There is always a theme to these projects, and Pete’s theme was time. I went along on the first evening the exhibition opened and had my first glance at the 8 panels hanging in the nave of the cathedral.
Portsmouth Outdoor Fitness
When you look at where we live, with such a fantastic open space right next to the sea, it makes sense that a lot of exercise takes place along this stretch of Southsea. Come springtime you see groups playing sports on Southsea Common with bikes, scooters, rollerbladers and runners using the wide stretch of interesting public spaces. It starts from Clarence Pier and heads right up to Southsea Parade Pier, so it was inevitable that a company would want to start training in this beautiful setting we have.
Kim Edith
Kim Edith is a textile artist, creator of stitch books and fabric collage extraordinaire! Her style and focus is clever, combining the skills she developed as an illustrator and (previously) a textiles teacher which allow her to create a wonderful world of fabric pictures, collages and fabric books.
Roo Abrook
Roo Abrook is a woman with a rarely seen creative depth. I think this is why her work is so unique and of course collectable! Her style and vision appeal to a very interesting audience, attracting buyers from all over the world.
Independent Christmas
Christmas is hurtling towards us and it’s time to find the perfect gift for the special people in our lives. At this time of year, it’s especially important to shop local and independent; to support those creators who work so hard crafting truly unique things.