I’m an artist. I specialise in sculpture and performance. My work gives me the chance to travel widely, but Stockport is home. It’s been an honour to be July’s Finder of the Fair - as you can see, I’ve focused largely on arty things. http://www.nicoladale.com/ https://www.instagram.com/nicolaedale/  Look closely at the photo and you can read the top line of the magazine’s front cover - the feature article is “Why the war won’t last long.” Heart-breaking. Flicking through the pages reminded me of “Strange Meeting”, a Wilfred Owen poem we studied at school that I haven’t thought about in years: “It seemed that out of the battle I escaped…”  Anne’s stall is full of handmade things – mostly clothes and bracelets – and handmade means UNIQUE! The princess dress on the left comes complete with a hat, perfect for parties or playtime.  No melting clocks or other Surrealist nonsense here, just a big bold ram bouncing joyfully under the sun! The only way to tell it’s a Dali is the telltale scratchy signature at the bottom.  I’d never come across North East artist Donald Dean (b.1930) before this visit to Vintage Village; he seems to have specialized in still lives, particularly of food. Apparently his screen-prints of potatoes are very popular, but as 2016 is the Year of the Monkey, it feels more appropriate to focus on peanuts. |  I don’t yet know what I am going to do with these pencil leads, but I have a feeling they will end up part of an artwork one day. (I’ve previously made sculpture using pencils as material, so it’s not that much of a stretch!) I can’t believe the leads are still intact after all this time - and that logo is delightful.  This is not, strictly speaking, a vintage item… but it is a lovely print reminiscent of 1960s style and colour. I especially like the vivid Pop Art combination of blue and red. (N.B. “The Beeches” has been shortlisted for the Neo Print Prize – congratulations to Aspidistra Vintage!)  I love the gleaming, watery blue of this lava-style pottery vase. Our house has very few ornaments (partly because we’re super minimal and partly because we’re super fussy), but I am so glad I bought this vase – here it is back at home in our living room, looking gorgeous against the yellow wall.  One of the things I love about the Vintage Village is that it has bargains to suit not just all tastes, but all moods too. Sometimes a bit of silliness is just the ticket. Kiki wasn’t sure when this plate was made, but it feels like it might be a late 70s number (then again maybe I think that because that’s what I am :) |
Finds of the Fair >