Matthew Harris

I’m sure many of you know the work of Matthew Harris, an artist who works in textiles and paper. Tomorrow and Saturday he’s running a course at Bobby Britnell‘s studio at Moor Hall  in Shropshire, and I’m one of the lucky ones who’s going. I booked this as soon as I found out about it last September, because I knew it would be a very popular event. I’ve previously been on one course at Bobby’s studio, which is a lovely space in a beautiful, and remote, location, and I’m very much looking forward to being back there. It’s about two and a half hours drive from here, so we’re setting off early tomorrow morning. Husband is coming with me, and will no doubt find plenty to do on his own while I’m on the course. We’ve booked a bed and breakfast for Friday and Saturday night, so will have Sunday as well, to e.g. have a walk. Unfortunately, the weather forecast for the next few days is not great, but we’ll just have to be British about it and put up with the rain.

The list of supplies to take along to the course is quite intriguing, and it looks as though it’s going to involve some deconstruction of a manufactured object. This afternoon I’ll enjoy pulling together suitable materials to take with me. I’m not quite sure what I’m hoping to get out of the course, but will go with an open mind and see what happens. I don’t attend a lot of courses; I think it’s over a year since I went on the last one… So I’m quite careful and selective about them. For one thing, it tends to be an expensive activity once you take into account travel and accommodation costs. For another, it takes up a day or two that you could spend getting on with your own projects at home. But it’s good to get out from time to time and meet other people who are interested in the same things as you are.

I’ll report back on how I found the course – at least in general terms. I think when somebody has gone to a lot of effort to plan a course they don’t want the participants to go away and spill the beans about what they’ve been doing all over the internet. But I’m sure I’ll be able to tell you something about it.