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... Chili!
You may not believe me. Alas my theory is that mulled wine without alcohol still needs that punch and specific warming qualities which do not just come from a hot beverage alone. After running out of a nigh 10 litre pot of alcohol-free mulled wine - with chili! - almost halfway through last year's Open Studio-cum-Christmas Party event my theory was confirmed. The resulting - and now tested - recipe of alcohol-free mulled wine is still fruity and not too sweet as a good mulled wine should be and also has some kick to it. If you would like to test this theory yourself (and get the printed recipe) I would recommend for you to free your diary and come visit the studio on Saturday as detailed above. The Northshore Pottery also has an Open Studio Event and there is a craft show on in Latheron Hall, so there should be something to see for everyone this side of Caithness!
Well yes ... a year ago I promised an update, but it was not meant to be. Ongoing IT problems, crippling slow internet speeds and general re-orientation deficits on my side scuppered the planned undertaking all year. I finally moved all my scattered belongings into the Old Post Office and am now living on the beautiful premises with both business and household united since mid February 2016. It's been a while to get radio and television sorted, but I have now have TV since Friday and radio reception in the studio is being worked upon (internet is too choppy to be any good for even radio...).
All the while I was working along ... veery slowly. As an example, below is a commission turning two 18ct Gold rings - a wedding ring and an engagement ring with a beautiful triangular Peridot - after a divorce - into one new ring. On the left you see the existing rings and some drawings, on the right is the finished new ring with an added yellow Diamond.
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Another interesting commission early this year was making a ring from panned gold from the Kildonan Burn near Helmsdale. The gold is normally found in the shape of tiny flakes. I melted the tiny flakes wrapped in moistened tissue paper and then hammered, rolled, hammered again and then soldered (and finally hammered again) a ring out of the resulting 'parison'. Because alluvial or 'river gold' is known to be very pure, I expected the gold to be of high fineness. The ring was sent to the Edinburgh Assay Office, tested there and judged to be about 19ct in fineness: Roughly 790 of 1000 parts in the alloy was pure gold, the rest was silver. So the ring was hallmarked with an 18ct stamp. The colour of the gold was very slightly greenish, which is typical for a gold alloy with only silver as alloy partner. In most 18ct gold alloys there is also copper, which results in a slighly 'warmer' colour. Below is an image of the gold flakes before melting, on the right is an image of the finished hallmarked ring:
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 In April I had, alongside three other artistic students, the extraordinary honour to be taught by the wonderful Carrie Fertig, who led an inspirational skills class at North Lands Creative Glass in Lybster. Amongst other things I made an - in the widest sense - wearable object of root-like glass threads, currently displayed in one of my windows into the garden.
All through the year I was busy with commissions; many for bespoke and unusual engagement rings. Maybe the most poignant was a ring designed for a friendly couple in England, formerly Caithnesian. The theme for the ring was 'red deer antlers'. Some time went into developing and executing the design below, which was in the end burred out of a piece of solid 18ct gold, with a beautiful quarter carat diamond as centre. Below on the right is a view from the underside of the ring, together with a glimpse of the original design drawing.
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Red deer and stag antlers have been in my creative vision for a while, as you may know. They are locally relevant due to my studio location on a Highland hunting estate, but they also link back to my Bavarian 'countryside' origins and appeal to me because of the long pointy shapes (I 'have a thing' for spiky forms) and myths and symbolism surrounding red deer stags and hunting trophies in general. After a commission by HighLife Highland and discussions with my lovely new landlady and Emergents CIC I am currently investigating the theme further with a possible view to exhibit resulting wearable and 'borderline wearable' work in London in 2018. At the moment everything is of interest to me, from deer anatomy and behaviour, stalking (I was very generously taken out by local factor Anson and gamekeeper Jamesie as a witness recently), shooting and larder procedures to historic and contemporary habitat, deer- and land management as well as economic implications.
Currently some of my glass work (as below) is locally shown at the exhibition 'M ADE - Caithness Contemporary Craft', together with work from 7 other local makers. On the left is the poster for the exhibition in Thurso, but the show is currently open in Wick at the St. Fergus Gallery until mid January 2017. Most exhibiting artists, including me, will give an evening talk on the evening of the 2nd of December as an introduction to the work on show. Details are here, in a link to an image on the St. Fergus Gallery's Facebook page. Please come along, if you can!
Just a week ago I have come back from a yearly trade fair for gemstones in Munich and a bit of a holiday with my family. This time worries about Brexit were heavy in the air, together with worries about future customs, duties, border and general business problems for me as a native continental European. We will see how things develop.
In Bavaria there was also ample opportunity for mushroom hunting, and I was delighted about being taken to a 'fairy forest' which my dad and brother frequent to great success (mushroom feasts galore!). Well and then I was surprised to find upon my return a bunch of big and pretty otherworldly mushrooms growing in the middle of the Old Post Office garden.
Those I would not dare to eat, however. By now they are frozen solid anyway!
More recently I set up a Google business page for 'Patricia Niemann Design' and can now be found a little more easily for visitors journeying to Berriedale.
I close with a wee image taken yesterday on Berriedale Beach (below) - and reiterating my invitation to you to come visit the studio in these cold crisp times and have a tot of mulled wine with me and some more friendly people this Saturday afternoon. If you find a Christmas present for someone (or yourself!), all the better, but do come along for some pre-festive cheer in any case!
Warmest regards and hopefully see you soon!
Patty x
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