Between: whittle

Showing posts with label whittle. Show all posts

Saturday, 12 April 2025

Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter

Messy Holy Week / Easter
Mess! Fun! Food! FREE Kids crafts, activities, games, stories, & songs! plus FREE tea for each child
2-4pm, Saturday 12th April 2025, St Andrews Church, Wickford
Email emmacdoe@googlemail.com or Sue.wise@sky.com

Sunday 13th April (Palm Sunday): 9.30 am Eucharist, St Mary’s; 10.00 am Eucharist - St Andrew’s; 11.00 am All Age Eucharist St Catherine's; 6.30 pm Reflective Evening Prayer, St Mary’s.

Holy Week & Easter Services

Holy Week (14-19 April)

Stations of the Cross and Night Prayer – 8.00 pm, St Andrew’s (Monday), St Catherine’s (Tuesday), St Mary’s (Wednesday)

Eucharist with footwashing – Maundy Thursday (17 April), 8.00 pm, St Catherine’s (followed by The Watch)

Good Friday Walk of Witness (18 April) – begins from Our Lady of Good Counsel at 10.00 am
At the Foot of the Cross – 2.00 pm, St Andrew’s with soloist Eva Romanakova

Easter Day (20 April)

Service of Light – 5.30 am St Mary’s, followed by breakfast
Eucharist – 9.30 am St Mary’s; Eucharist – 10.00 am St Andrew’s; Eucharist – 11.00 am St Catherine’s

Meditations for the Stations of the Cross will be drawn from Mark of the Cross and The Passion, collections of images, meditations and prayers by Henry Shelton and myself on The Stations of the Cross. They provide helpful reflections and resources for Lent and Holy Week. These collections can both be found as downloads from theworshipcloud.

Mark of the Cross is a book of 20 poetic meditations on Christ’s journey to the cross and reactions to his resurrection and ascension. The meditations are complemented by a set of semi-abstract watercolours of the Stations of the Cross and the Resurrection created by Henry Shelton.

The Passion: Reflections and Prayers features minimal images with haiku-like poems and prayers that enable us to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross reflecting both on the significance and the pain of that journey as we do so. Henry and I have aimed in these reflections to pare down the images and words to their emotional and theological core. The mark making and imagery is minimal but, we hope, in a way that makes maximum impact.

Jesus dies on the cross

The sun is eclipsed, early nightfall,
darkness covers the surface of the deep,
the Spirit grieves over the waters.
On the formless, empty earth, God is dead.

Through the death of all we hold most dear, may we find life. Amen.

At St Andrew's on Monday 14 April, we will pray the Stations of the Cross by Steve Whittle. Steve's exhibition entitled 'The Way' can be seen at St Andrew's until Good Friday.

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Julie Miller - How Could You Say No.

Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Artlyst: The Art Diary February 2025

For my February Art Diary for Artlyst I begin with exhibitions by artists I’ve followed and whose work I’ve written about. These include Peter Howson, Jonathan Anderson, Barbara Hepworth and Theaster Gates. Then, I highlight the fascinating work and career of Steve Whittle, who is currently exhibiting in my parish in Essex. Following that is the mention of exhibitions catching my attention for the themes they explore, from experimental poetry to conversation and protest, environmental concerns, and nature. I end by highlighting essays and interviews I’ve undertaken recently covering artists such as Damien Hirst, Steve Whittle and Alastair Gordon:

"Buildings are among the many works that Gates has created and they also feature significantly in ‘In/Dwellings’ by Jonathan Anderson, an exhibition at the Dal Schindell Gallery. Anderson is the Eugene and Jan Peterson Associate Professor of Theology and the Arts at Regent College, Vancouver. I interviewed him for Artlyst in 2018 on the religious inspirations behind modernism. The interview was in relation to his co-authored book ‘Modern Art and the Life of a Culture’. His latest book, ‘The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art’, is due to be published by the University of Notre Dame Press in March–April 2025."

For more on: Peter Howson (see here, here, and here); Jonathan Anderson (see here); Barbara Hepworth (see here, here and here); Theaster Gates (see here); and Alastair Gordon (see here).

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -

Monthly diary articles -

Articles/Reviews -

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NeedToBreathe - Carry Me.

Friday, 17 January 2025

'The Way': Exhibition viewing evening

We had a very well-attended exhibition viewing evening tonight at St Andrew's Wickford for Steve Whittle's 'The Way' exhibition. Steve was interviewed and gave some fascinating insights into his career and work. We covered some of the same ground that we covered in our interview for ArtWay. The interview covers Steve's fascinating career and the range of work he undertakes, including his primary focus on collage.

'The Way', an exhibition by Steve Whittle at St Andrew's Wickford (11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN) from 11 January to 18 April 2025. This artist, based in Westcliff-on-Sea based, uses collage to create Stations of the Cross & a range of other scenes, both religious and landscape. St Andrew’s is usually open: Sat 9am-12.30pm; Sun 9.30am-12 noon; Mon 2-3.45pm; Tue 1-4.30pm; Wed 10am-12 noon; Fri 10am-1pm.

‘The main medium I use is collage and over many years I have developed the technique which can be seen in many of the pictures in this exhibition.’

The primary subject matter in Steve Whittle's work is colour, which has been the major theme. The work is often produced in series and is unified by the similar images and combinations of colours that are used. Each picture can therefore be viewed as a component of a group or seen as an individual piece.

The medium Whittle uses is collage and over many years he has developed the technique which can be seen in many of the pictures in this exhibition. Firstly, the paper, which is acid free, is prepared with several coats of acrylic paint in the appropriate colour and the torn paper collage is applied to this surface with acrylic glue in as many layers as necessary to get the correct colour combinations. When the picture is complete it is then coated with UVS varnish.

‘The Way’ includes a series of Stations of the Cross, plus other crucifixion and resurrection images.

The Spring 2025 programme for Unveiled, our fortnightly Friday night arts and performance event at St Andrew’s Church (7.00 – 9.00 pm, 11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN), began tonight:

Spring Programme 2025

31 January (7.00 pm) – ‘Four Essex Trios’. An evening of poems and photographs with Jonathan Evens exploring thin places and sacred spaces in Essex, including Bradwell, Broomfield, Pleshey, and Runwell.
14 February (7.00 pm) – An evening with the Ladygate Scribblers. Hear poetry and prose from a longestablished Wickford-based writers group.
28 February (7.30 pm) – Open Mic Night. Everybody is welcome to come along & play, read, sing or just spectate. See you there for a great evening of live performance!
14 March (7.00 pm) – Simon Law in concert. Simon has fronted the rock bands Fresh Claim, Sea Stone and Intransit, as well as being a founder of Plankton Records and becoming an Anglican Vicar. This will be his final concert for us before retirement.
28 March (7.30 pm) – Dave Crawford & friends in concert. Popular local musician, Dave Crawford writes engaging/melodic songs in Americana/ Alt-Rock/IndieFolk. He has performed at the Leigh Folk Festival, Pin Drop Sessions, & Music for Mind together with Kev Butler. This will be Dave’s third concert at Unveiled. We have also enjoyed his powerful vocals & guitar at our Open Mic Nights.
11 April (7.30 pm) – Tim Almond in concert. ‘Around the World in 60 Minutes’ featuring songs and stories from Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ecuador and Bangladesh.

See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html and https://basildondeanery.co.uk/index.php/news/ for more information.

These events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs.

Our churches are places to enjoy cultural programmes including concerts and exhibitions as well as being places to see art and architecture.

St Andrews Church in Wickford provides regular art, culture and heritage events and we are looking to develop this further. We think that to do so will benefit the Town by bringing more people to the Town Centre. As part of a Feasibility Study exploring what might be possible that is funded by UKFSP Feasibility Fund, we are asking people locally to share what art, culture and heritage activities they are interested in and what they are looking for.

We would be very grateful if you could complete the survey and tell others about it. The survey can be found at https://forms.gle/dmPH7uzAafuAqLzDA. We are keen that as many people in and around Wickford complete the survey as possible.

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11:59 - Psalm 115 - To Thy Holy Name.

Saturday, 11 January 2025

ArtWay: Interview with Steve Whittle

My latest interview for ArtWay is with Steve Whittle, whose exhibition at St Andrew's Wickford opens next week. The interview covers Steve's fascinating career and the range of work he undertakes, including his primary focus on collage. See below for more about Steve and his exhibition at St Andrew's.

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication is entering an exciting new chapter in its story with the launch of a new website in September.

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands.

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead to an exciting future for ArtWay.

Back in 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself. I have written frequently for the site with a recent piece being an interview with British artist Hannah Rose Thomas, who is also an author, human rights activist and a UNESCO PhD Scholar at the University of Glasgow.

My visual meditations for ArtWay include work by María Inés Aguirre, Giampaolo Babetto, Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Alexander de Cadenet, Christopher Clack, Marlene Dumas, Terry Ffyffe, Jake Flood, Antoni Gaudi, Nicola Green, Maciej Hoffman, Gwen John, Lakwena Maciver, S. Billie Mandle, Giacomo Manzù, Sidney Nolan, Michael Pendry, Maurice Novarina, Regan O'Callaghan, Ana Maria Pacheco, John Piper, Nicola Ravenscroft, Albert Servaes, Henry Sh elton, Anna Sikorska, Alan Stewart, Jan Toorop, Andrew Vessey, Edmund de Waal and Sane Wadu.

My Church of the Month reports include: All Saints Parish Church, Tudeley, Aylesford Priory, Canterbury Cathedral, Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Hem, Chelmsford Cathedral, Churches in Little Walsi ngham, Coventry Cathedral, Église de Saint-Paul à Grange-Canal, Eton College Chapel, Lumen, Metz Cathedral, Notre Dame du Léman, Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce, Plateau d’Assy,R omont, Sint Martinuskerk Latem, St Aidan of Lindisfarne, St Alban Romford, St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church, St. Margaret’s Church, Ditchling, and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, St Mary the Virgin, Downe, St Michael and All Angels Berwick and St Pa ul Goodmayes, as well as earlier reports of visits to sites associated with Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Antoni Gaudi and Hen r i Matisse.

Blogs for ArtWay include: Congruity and controversy: exploring issues for contemporary commissions; Ervin Bossanyi: A vision for unity and harmony; Georges Rouault and André Girard: Crucifixion and Resurrection, Penitence and Life Anew; Photographing Religious Practice; Spirituality and/in Modern Art; and The Spirituality of the Artist-Clown.

Interviews for ArtWay include: Matthew Askey, Paul Chandler and Brian Whelan, Sophie Hacker, Peter Koenig, David Miller, Belinda Scarlett and Hannah Rose Thomas.

I have also reviewed: Art and the Church: A Fractious Embrace, Kempe: The Life, Art and Legacy of Charles Eamer Kempe and Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals for ArtWay.

Other of my writings for ArtWay can be found here.

‘The main medium I use is collage and over many years I have developed the technique which can be seen in many of the pictures in this exhibition.’

View the exhibition and hear Steve speak about his work at ‘Unveiled’, the arts & performance evening at St Andrew’s Wickford, Friday 17 January, 7.00 pm.

The primary subject matter in Steve Whittle's work is colour, which has been the major theme. The work is often produced in series and is unified by the similar images and combinations of colours that are used. Each picture can therefore be viewed as a component of a group or seen as an individual piece.

The medium Whittle uses is collage and over many years he has developed the technique which can be seen in many of the pictures in this exhibition. Firstly, the paper, which is acid free, is prepared with several coats of acrylic paint in the appropriate colour and the torn paper collage is applied to this surface with acrylic glue in as many layers as necessary to get the correct colour combinations. When the picture is complete it is then coated with UVS varnish.

‘The Way’ includes a series of Stations of the Cross, plus other crucifixion and resurrection images.

The Spring 2025 programme for Unveiled, our fortnightly Friday night arts and performance event at St Andrew’s Church (7.00 – 9.00 pm, 11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN), begins with the exhibition viewing evening for 'The Way' by Steve Whittle:

Spring Programme 2025

17 January (7.00 pm) – ‘The Way’ exhibition viewing evening. Meet artist Steve Whittle, see his exhibition & hear him interviewed. This artist, based in Westcliff-onSea based, uses collage to create Stations of the Cross & a range of other scenes, both religious and landscape.
31 January (7.00 pm) – ‘Four Essex Trios’. An evening of poems and photographs with Jonathan Evens exploring thin places and sacred spaces in Essex, including Bradwell, Broomfield, Pleshey, and Runwell.
14 February (7.00 pm) – An evening with the Ladygate Scribblers. Hear poetry and prose from a longestablished Wickford-based writers group.
28 February (7.30 pm) – Open Mic Night. Everybody is welcome to come along & play, read, sing or just spectate. See you there for a great evening of live performance!
14 March (7.00 pm) – Simon Law in concert. Simon has fronted the rock bands Fresh Claim, Sea Stone and Intransit, as well as being a founder of Plankton Records and becoming an Anglican Vicar. This will be his final concert for us before retirement.
28 March (7.30 pm) – Dave Crawford & friends in concert. Popular local musician, Dave Crawford writes engaging/melodic songs in Americana/ Alt-Rock/IndieFolk. He has performed at the Leigh Folk Festival, Pin Drop Sessions, & Music for Mind together with Kev Butler. This will be Dave’s third concert at Unveiled. We have also enjoyed his powerful vocals & guitar at our Open Mic Nights.
11 April (7.30 pm) – Tim Almond in concert. ‘Around the World in 60 Minutes’ featuring songs and stories from Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ecuador and Bangladesh.

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Dave Crawford - Revelations.

Saturday, 4 January 2025

Unveiled Spring 2025 programme & 'The Way' exhibition

Here's the Spring 2025 programme for Unveiled, our fortnightly Friday night arts and performance event at St Andrew’s Church (7.00 – 9.00 pm, 11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN), plus an exhibition entitled 'The Way' by Steve Whittle:

Spring Programme 2025

17 January (7.00 pm) – ‘The Way’ exhibition viewing evening. Meet artist Steve Whittle, see his exhibition & hear him interviewed. This artist, based in Westcliff-onSea based, uses collage to create Stations of the Cross & a range of other scenes, both religious and landscape.
31 January (7.00 pm) – ‘Four Essex Trios’. An evening of poems and photographs with Jonathan Evens exploring thin places and sacred spaces in Essex, including Bradwell, Broomfield, Pleshey, and Runwell.
14 February (7.00 pm) – An evening with the Ladygate Scribblers. Hear poetry and prose from a longestablished Wickford-based writers group.
28 February (7.30 pm) – Open Mic Night. Everybody is welcome to come along & play, read, sing or just spectate. See you there for a great evening of live performance!
14 March (7.00 pm) – Simon Law in concert. Simon has fronted the rock bands Fresh Claim, Sea Stone and Intransit, as well as being a founder of Plankton Records and becoming an Anglican Vicar. This will be his final concert for us before retirement.
28 March (7.30 pm) – Dave Crawford & friends in concert. Popular local musician, Dave Crawford writes engaging/melodic songs in Americana/ Alt-Rock/IndieFolk. He has performed at the Leigh Folk Festival, Pin Drop Sessions, & Music for Mind together with Kev Butler. This will be Dave’s third concert at Unveiled. We have also enjoyed his powerful vocals & guitar at our Open Mic Nights.
11 April (7.30 pm) – Tim Almond in concert. ‘Around the World in 60 Minutes’ featuring songs and stories from Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ecuador and Bangladesh.

We would be very grateful if you could complete the survey and tell others about it. The survey can be found at https://forms.gle/dmPH7uzAafuAqLzDA. We are keen that as many people in and around Wickford complete the survey as possible.

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Dave Crawford - My Last Lullaby.