Sunday September 13^th 2015 at the Restaurante Vale da Telha from 11am to 5pm

Some of the Algarve’s finest artists and artisans will display their significant talents at an exciting new Vale da Telha Arts & Crafts Show this month.

In what is possibly the first major show of its kind to be staged in this fast-growing west coast community outside Aljezur, a number of designers in fabrics, wood, glass, jewellery, ceramics and natural soaps—plus two artists—will exhibit and offer for sale their beautiful creations.

The show will be hosted at the Restaurante Vale da Telha alongside the Pines Roundabout on Sunday, September 13^th between 11am and 5pm.

Entrance is free and each artist or artisan will have his or her own table, all arranged alongside the outside of the room to allow free movement between all the exhibits.

Artist Susan J Puttick, one of the driving forces behind the show, has exhibited with fellow artists and craftsmakers on a regular basis across the Algarve including Caldas de Monchique, Fortaleza da Luz, Tavira, the Sao bras Museum, Ferragudo and at Quinta do Logo.

But this is the first time Susan and her colleagues have mounted a significant exhibition on this part of the Algarve.

She explained: “It’s an exciting new venture, being able to bring our creations to a totally new audience and, perhaps, set a precedent for years to come as the numbers of resident Portuguese and expats continues to grow along the Aljezur coastline.

“We like to include talented artists from as many countries as possible, which up to now includes, Portugal, England, France, Germany, and America, in order to give people a great variety of beautiful products to chose from”.

Susan, who works with oil-based coloured pencils to produce her artworks, is one of a number of highly-skilled artists and craft creators who will be exhibiting and selling at the Show.

They include watercolourist Gill Goode, jewellery designer and maker Nina Bradley, wood-turner and 3-D puzzle creator P M Exley, glassworker Norman Denkel, doll maker Trudi Deal, Sandra Croft, a maker of natural soaps and Birgit Felten, a specialist in felting, one of the oldest textile techniques which she uses to create felt bags, flowers, earrings, shawls, small purses and earrings.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE DISPLAYING AND SELLING THEIR ARTS AND CRAFTS:

SUSAN J PUTTICK, artist. Susan is a botanical artist belonging to the Gloucestershire Society of Artists. She specializes in graphite pencil and polychromos coloured pencil work. Her superbly finite detailed drawings have been admired and exhibited nationwide, including at the Society of Botanical Artists Exhibition held in Westminster Halls London. Her detailed compositions are extremely empirical and often enhanced with vibrant colour. Having attended a course in jewellery making and design in Bath, she also successfully achieved a silversmithing course at Gloscat in Gloucestershire prior to coming to live in Portugal. The silversmithing is ongoing and Susan is now having further tuition here in Portugal, together with instruction of producing finite glass beads – such is her thirst for knowledge and accomplishment.

GILL GOODE, a watercolourist who also utilises acrylic, pen and ink and airbrush techniques. Gill has exhibited in London, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and now Portugal, and her originals and prints are owned by people all over the world. When in Portugal, she works from her house in Monchique.

 

 

NINA BRADLEY, specialising in unique handmade jewellery. Nina is a member of ARTAVIVA—a co-operative of 5 artisans all living and working in Lagos—and she is also a member of the Associacao Dos Artesaos do Algarve who organise exhibitions throughout the region and personally she has held regular exhibitions in the Armazen Regimental in Lagos and at Caldas de Monchique.

 

 

P.M EXLEY, wood-turner and creator of 3D Puzzles and another member of ARTAVIVA. Phil is a Yorkshireman who has lived in Barão de São João, Lagos, since 1986. Whilst open to any wood-turning work, reproduction or architectural, his enduring speciality is creating artistic objects using the great variety of beautiful wood native to the Algarve, including Cork oak, Almond, Olive, Carob and Strawberry-tree (Medronheiro).

 

 

 

NORMAN DENKEL, Glasswork. Martin Norman Denkel is co-founder of the then “Glassworks Wilmersdorf” and, since 1984, has manufactured glass objects on the burner. In 1990 he left Germany and began a new career in Portugal. His work showed the high handwerkwerkliche art in dealing with the material glass. Mainly he makes lamp blown glass, bottles and glasses.

 

 

SANDI CROFT, natural soaps. Sandi’s products are all produced from her home here in Portugal and she, too, is a member of the ARTAVIVA co-operative. The natural soaps are made using only the best natural ingredients with no harmful chemicals added. The soaps are made with Lye, distilled water, vegetable oils and butters, essential oils & fragrance oils & natural with no colourants. Herbal infusions & additives like Oatmeal give the soaps an extra special something that benefits the skin in different ways. Sandi also designs & prints her own labels and as an artist loves finding new & beautiful ways to present products, making them perfect for gift giving.

TRUDI DEAL, Doll Maker. Trudi, from Surrey, has been sewing since childhood, not surprisingly becoming a professional dressmaker. Upon the arrival of her children she began to make toys, teddy-bears and rag dolls. Having successfully completed a four year Arts & Textile course, Trudi started to teach textiles in workshops and began selling her creations at craft fairs, and her healing dolls at the Mind, Body and Soul fairs. In 2004 she moved to Portugal and developed this unique skill, complimented by the nature around her, allowing beliefs in magical beauty and fairies at the bottom of the garden to burst forth, her imagination and joy of being different exuding from every creature and doll.

 

Birgit Felten, Felting, one of the oldest textile techniques. Birgit is from Germany where she studied in Dortmund and Bremerhaven. She now lives in Barão S.João and specialises in making flowers, earrings and small purses. Birgit will be exhibiting her felt bags, flowers, shawls, purses and more – all hand felted in beautiful colours with a wonderful soft texture which makes her garments so wearable. She has exhibited at shows in Lagos and Caldas de Monchique.

ENDS