Powis Castle Pattern, concertina artist book

Research for my Powis Castle concertina book took place at Powis Castle, near Welshpool over a period of time when I gathered images relating to the diverse range of pattern in objects, textiles and the fabric of the building.  Using images and memories that spoke to me the most I went on to create screen prints and blind embossings that were then incorporated into this concertina book that you see above.  The concertina book was exhibited in Powis Castle as part of a group touring exhibition of re:collect's Cabinet of Curiosity.

Part of the original ceilings have been replaced by plaster mouldings, but in the Long Gallery the original Elizabethan carved ceiling remains.  The iconography of the ceiling incorporates 'botanical' images from the Garden of Eden and I was intrigued by one of the carvings that I referenced for my blind embossing below which I call 'Star Tree'

In one of the rooms is a beautiful large Chinese laquer screen (which is away being renovated at the moment) and I chose to draw and screen print in gold an image of one of the branches on the screen:

Also in the Long Gallery are oil paintings which depict some of the ancestors of the Earls of Powis in the 17th Century with lace collars.  The lace collars are themselves made up of intricate patterns and I screen printed my drawing of one of the delicate collars:

Downstairs in the Castle is the Clive collection from India and this little elephant below is from my drawing of one the chess pieces in the collection:

This blue and gold screen print references the pattern on one of the sword hilts in the Clive collection:

Most of the Castle is quite dimly lit to preserve all the delicate textiles and objects and as you enter the Castle a blackboard alerts you to the lux levels for the day. However, all around the Castles are latticed windows filtering in the light.  These windows were designed by G.F. Bodley when renovations were carried out in the early 1900s.  I was particularly interested in the range of different window locks and lattice patterns, which inspired the window screen print below:

The green screen print is also from my drawing of some of the textile pattern in the Oak Drawing room at the Castle which was also designed by G.F. Bodley: