Reflection! An exhibition of glass and so much more...

After 24 hours of reflection on the Brexit result, we had had enough!
It was time to crack open the Pimms and celebrate the opening of "Reflection", our summer exhibition.



The exhibition features work by our talented glassmakers as well as contemplative work in other media including wire sculpture, paintings, etchings, textiles and metal.



The exhibiting artists were out in force, including glassmaker Debbie Timperley and printmaker Brian Denyer-Baker...



...as well as metalsmith Simeon Smythe and glassmaker Stephanie Else.



Exhibiting artists are:

Emma Bird – Wire Artist

Grant De Jonge – Paintings

Brian Denyer-Baker – Etchings

Stephanie Else - Glass

Paul Guthrie – Paintings

Rosi Robinson – Textiles

Simeon Smythe – Metal

Debbie Timperley - Glass

Annie Vince – Paintings

The exhibition runs until 3rd September and also includes new work by our regular glass artists Jo Downs Glass, Fired Creations, Four Hands Etched Glass, Fran McCaskill, Glory Art Glass and Studio Shards.

Celebrating Irish craft and design with Small Island

If you came to our recent exhibition "Blossom by Blossom the Spring Begins", you'll know that most of our artists and makers are pretty local. They are mainly from Sussex, some are from Surrey and the Home Counties and a few are from further afield.

However, on Saturday we reached out a fair bit further, starting a month-long celebration of Irish craft and design with local company Small Island.



The Cuckfield-based online business was set up in 2015 by Irish-born Mandy Wilson and was inspired by the range of beautiful products she saw on her many trips to Ireland in recent years.



"Everything we sell is designed and made in Ireland by talented craftspeople," says Mandy.

"Some are just starting out and others are working in family businesses that go back generations. Influenced by both the Irish landscape and Irish culture, they all have one thing in common - a desire to bring Irish craft and design up to date and to the attention of a world audience."



This special combination of age-old tradition and new innovation results in some beautiful and unique pieces that have both a strong Irish identity and also a wide appeal.

Blankets and throws may have been woven in mills that have been in existence for hundreds of years but they are being made with different wools such as supersoft alpaca and in designs that feature bold contemporary colours.



And whilst linen has long been associated with Northern Ireland, it is now being woven in new designs and colours and used in exciting new ways such as combining it with lambswool to create very special blankets.

"2015 was the year of Irish Design and a worldwide exhibition took the work of many designers and makers as far afield as Toyko, New York, Milan and Amsterdam," says Mandy.

"It was a huge success and interest in Irish craft and design is at an all time high. The Daily Telegraph has even tagged Irish Design ‘the new Scandi’, which indicates its popularity and appeal."

Small Island's beautiful wares include blankets, ceramics, wooden chopping boards, slate coasters and cheeseboards, textiles and handbound notebooks and will be on display at the Gallery until Saturday 18th June.

From Sale to Stitching to Spring!

Here at the Green Tree Gallery, it's been an action-packed year so far. We kicked off 2016 with our Annual Art Sale...



...then squeezed in a quick Free Machine Embroidery Workshop with Suzanne Sanders.



And on Saturday, we launched our Spring Exhibition: "Blossom by Blossom the Spring Begins"....



Customers, friends and family chatted...



...enjoying drinks and canapes whilst they browsed the glorious art.



Claire Medhurst of Duck Egg Blue Design Company popped in with her family to see her work at her first gallery exhibition...



....as did Gail Gibson Tait



...Linda Compton McDonald



...and Jo Hodder.


"Blossom by Blossom the Spring Begins" also features works by Nichola Campbell, Ruth Green and John Thompson and runs until Saturday 7th May.

Small Business Saturday!

Did you know that it is "Small Business Saturday" tomorrow?

This nationwide campaign aims to support, promote and inspire small businesses on the first Saturday in December and beyond.

We would like to ask you to support our small business as well as all those run by the artists and craftspeople whose work we showcase at the Gallery.



Each of our 200-odd artists and makers is a small business offering unique products, whether that's sculpture, paintings, jewellery, glass, ceramics or textiles.

And as many of these independent businesses are based here in Sussex, remember that when you spend local, it stays local!

So come and support small businesses whilst you do your Christmas shopping. We have masses of free parking right outside and inside, we will be offering mince pies and other treats all day, 10.30am until 4.00pm.

And if you can't make it tomorrow, we will be open on Sundays throughout December from midday until 4.00pm.

We look forward to seeing you!

From Coffee and Cake to Needles and Pins

What a lot has happened since our blog entry last month by Hollie after her work experience here...


Firstly, as part of the World's Biggest Coffee Morning, we held our third annual Macmillan Coffee Morning with lashings of homemade cakes, coffee and tea.



Philippa from Lavender Bazaar once again very kindly lent us her gorgeous vintage china. Thank you again, Philippa.



For the first time we also had a table of items available in exchange for a donation to Macmillan.
Alongside some of our ends of lines and Christmas decorations there were some lovely donations from our artists and makers, such as jewllery, pottery, lavender hearts and other textiles.



The table is still in the Gallery and the donations have continued to roll in, so watch this space for the soon-to-be-announced final total.



Then a week later we rolled up our sleeves to set up for our final exhibition of the year, "Stitched Up".
With work by Jo Butcher, Victoria Coleman, Holly Dale, Ros Lymer, Suzanne Sanders and Kate Tulett, the gallery is bursting at the seams with beguiling and bewitching stitchery!



Customers, friends and family enjoyed drinks and nibbles at the launch party as they admired the colourful work on display.



Suzanne Sanders and Ros Lymer popped in to see their work....


.....as did Holly Dale.

"Stitched Up" continues until 31st October.

Four Days Work Experience at the Gallery...

Four days, with three lovely ladies, in a beautiful country setting makes work experience not just an opportunity but a lovely way to spend my time. The Green Tree Gallery is not only a creative hub for local artists but it is a demonstration of what hard working staff can accomplish. Every stitch, paint stroke, pearl earring, invoice and advertisement is done with care and consideration from the staff for their artists and customers.

The gallery's tranquil setting reflects the comfortable relaxed style of the gallery. The work is presented in a way that customers can envision the work in their homes. But I wouldn't let this relaxed atmosphere fool you... The Green Tree Gallery should be recognised for organisation - whether that be the organisation of their stock, their payments to artists or the regularity of their social media updates. In my four days here, I have witnessed this organisation first hand. I admire the staff's want to restock the gallery constantly to keep their regular customers interested. I admire the way they take the artist's new work in regularly to help build a strong artist-gallery relationship. And finally I admire how hard the staff work in the gallery's best interest.

I'd like to thank Jill, Victoria and Sam for all being lovely to work with. This opportunity they have given me has taught me the art of display, the organisation in management, the business side of art and the love these ladies have for their local gallery. I appreciate their time immensely because without their time I would not have learnt what I have in these past four days.

Thank you for what has been a lovely week of my summer, I hope to spend some more time working with the gallery in the future.
Love Hollie x

Introducing Annabel Eyres: artist and former Great Britain Rower

What could be more fitting during Henley Week than the story of one of our exhibition artists and former Great Britain Olympic rower Annabel Eyres!


Annabel studied at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art and Pembroke College, Oxford University, where she learned to row. She competed in competed in the Women's Boat Race against Cambridge and went on to row for Great Britain, competing in the Double Scull at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

"British Eight"

To fund her international rowing career, Annabel designed and sold souvenir T-shirts for major rowing events, starting with Henley Women's Regatta in 1989. She set up rowing clothing and gifts company Rock the Boat, which still sells her designs.

"Head Race"

In addition to raising a family over the past decade, Annabel has returned to painting and illustration work as well as teaching art part time at Radley College.

"Above Heads"

"My latest work combines my interest in rivers, sport and rowing in the form of River Maps," says Annabel.

"The Head of the River Race Bridges"

The other artists taking part in "At the Water's Edge" are Debbie Bowler, Irene Burns, Pauline Findlay, Min Maude, Zed Talijan and Morag Warrack.
The exhibition continues until 15th August.