Ushaw Weekend

I arrived back home yesterday covered in acrylic paint, I now have bright green fingernails. Problem was before I went on holiday keith treated me to a 'nail job'. Never having had acrylic nails before I assumed they would be false ones that would come off after the holiday. No they paint acrylic on and cover your nail, it has to grow out. Being acrylic they dyed!!!! so green nails.
All in all though it was a wonderful weekend full of laughter, good company, a brilliant tutor who was very skilled, friendly and generous with advice and her 'bag of goodies'. We mono-printed, stencilled, stamped away to our heart's content. We all painted lots of fabric to take home with us to sew later. Some of my pieces were dreadful (heavy handed with the paint) others not so bad but I'll use them all up one way or another. This is Toni Hanley our tutor surrounded by some of her pieces (got her permission to use the photos but will add them later as google wouldn't let me put any more on.
Sample of the work done by one of our group it's a stencilled background and overprinted with a stamp. We also used resists on monoprinted backgrouns.
This is one end of the refrectory at Ushaw College and for once the place was heaving with people. It was so lovely to see the place so full. Ushaw College was built in 1808 and celebrates its 200 year centenary this year. It was built as a catholic seminary for young men entering the priesthood and was one of the top three colleges in the country. The other two being Downholme and Ampleforth. In its hayday in the 1960's there were two schools, junior and senior with over 700 pupils aged from 8 to 18. At aged 18 they either entered the seminary or went out into the wider world. After the 1960's it took a downturn and a couple of years ago there was a question mark over its future existence. Since then its joined with Durham and things are beginning to look up again, they now have 30 young priests in residence. It also holds conferences and weekend workshops with organisations such as the EG and QG. It's a beautiful place, really peaceful and some fine examples of Pugin's work. Very Gothic and a bit scarey if you need to go down the corridors on your own at night.
Window at the end of the refrectory
St Cuthbert's church one of three churches at Ushaw. When we were their there was a party of youthes from Walsingham in Norfold who were holding a youth festivatl. On Saturday the assistant bishop of Durham took a service for them and it was wonderful watching all the activity. Normally when we go it's in Lent so everything is covered.