alun callender's blog

Ed Kluz is an artist, designer, illustrator and printmaker. His interests lie in the historical objects, buildings, landscapes and folklore of Britain. His collages, scraperboards and paintings reimagine the traces of the past through contemporary eyes and means. He has a particular interest in lost buildings and landscapes. At the core of his work lies a sense of English Romanticism.

We have worked on this short film to describe his work, inspirations, working practises and his collaboration with the St Jude’s Gallery.

The work he produces is stunning, in the great tradition of mid 20th century British art.

A Conversation with Ed Kluz from Alun Callender on Vimeo.

www.edkluz.co.uk

www.stjudesfabrics.co.uk/collections/ed-kluz

Day one of back to work in 2013, I found myself at home with renowned Couture designer Bruce Oldfield in his apartment in Knightsbridge.

A very lovely man, it’s so nice that the most successful often are.

Congratulations are due to purveyors of fine and splendid things WhippetGrey who this year have received a Royal appointment from the Duke of Edinburgh.

A fine achievement considering he has handed out less the one hundred in his entire royal career.

Nicola and Dominic Owen opened their beautifully laid out shop Old Amersham, Buckinghamshire in 2011, specialising in quirky gifts and homeware.

They have kept me busy shooting their catalogues over the last five years, so I am also honoured that Royal eyes have gazed my work as well.

whippetgrey.co.uk

It was a calm and relaxing day spent in Rachel Vosper’s boutique candle store, even through we were in the heart of Knightsbridge.

She was preparing for Christmas and the detoxing New Year with the creation of her artisan crafted scented candles.

Commissioned by Homes & Gardens magazine, I look forward to heading back soon to get some candle refills.

In the Autumn I met up with Ptolemy Mann, textile artist and colour guru.

We first met in 2011 when I photographed her for Homes & Gardens magazine, and become a great fan of her work.

I was very happy to discover that she is now living in East Sussex, so a visit was arranged to make a portrait of her for my current personal project of Sussex artists.

Fabric was hung from trees and an outdoor studio was created.

Wycliffe Stutchbury creates stunning works from simple materials.

Small tiles of wood like shingles on an ancient roof become fascinating abstract patterns following the tones and grain of the wood he finds.

I meet him late last winter at his wood store high up on the South Downs with views down to Cuckmere Haven, it certainly was the perfect place to weather the reclaimed and recycled wood that becomes his raw materials.

It was lovely to meet up with Shuby, the face behind subversive images cropping up on the posters and boarded up shop fronts of St Leonard’s on Sea.

She creates and reinvents work using print, collage, paint and photography to create humorous but edgy artwork.

We decided on the shoot that perhaps she should re-invent the portrait I take of her and ‘Shuby’ it up, I then brought it back to my original image but with a stutle twist.

See below!

My original portrait.

Shuby’s re-interpretation.

My finished collabaoration.

As part of my East Sussex artists portrait project I entered the colourful world of Laura Oakes.

She creates digital ‘decoupage’, multi layered artworks from a wide selection of  surprising influences.

You’ll find her work online, for sale in her shop in Rye and tasteful establishments about the country.

 http://www.lauraoakes.co.uk

Chris McHugh is an influential artist who paints abstract, expressive landscapes, often painting directly onto reclaimed materials.

I meet him in his studio in Brighton while he was finalising his Wide Horizon Panoramas,  landscape paintings which were painted onto scaffold and floor boards.

It was a total pleasure to meet someone so knowledgeable and so happy to share his passion in the arts.

In the seasonal depths of winter last year I came knocking on the garlanded door of crafter Helen Bottrill who runs her business Kindred Rose from her back garden shed in East Devon.

The fairy lights were already twinkling in the morning mist and as the electric heater had been switch on a couple of hours before it was very cosy inside, while Helen was working hard on creating her Christmas collection.

I felt most at home while we discussed the challenges & pleasures of shed working, the beauty of Devon and over some lovely lunch time soup Helen finally encouraged me to embrace the joys of social media.

Thank you Helen!

http://kindredrose.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/kindredrosedesign