CakeyPigg

Meet the lovely ladies from CakeyPigg, specialist cake and biscuit makers based in Stratfield Saye. Jen and Angela own the boutique bakery located in a converted farm building in Granary Court.

They make all sorts of delicious things in very interesting and arty forms - cakes in the shape of well, anything you like really. Check their website where you can see some of the lovely things they've made.

During my visit, Jen was making some tiny iced pieces for a bespoke cake, but sadly there was no major project on at the time for me to photograph.


Fortunately though there was a large demonstration cake available and Jen and Angela were great sports - happy to take it outside the offices to add a bit of colour to the photographs.

Jen and Angela were great to photograph and graciously didn't complain when I dragged them outside for some photographs by the side of the road :)

Do give them a call if you're looking for wedding cakes, party cakes or something tasty and impressive for your celebration. They run classes too, which I have always thought is a great gift idea for a friend or relative.

Silver Hound

A photograph of Fred, our daft dog, looking particularly handsome on an evening walk last night behind Ryeish Green between Shinfield and Spencers Wood.

For photographers, (for what it's worth) this image was made with a Fuji X-E1 and a 90mm Elmarit f2.8 lens via a Leica adaptor, giving an effective focal length of 135mm. This setup is so much smaller than an SLR equivalent and makes all the difference when you are walking with your camera gear.

The Old Milking Machine Laboratories Part 3

 It was back to High Copse Farm today to meet Tom Cartmill, an abstract artist who paints in his studio to the rear of the building. I like Tom's paintings, they have a physical presence created by the texture that he creates. Tom builds up the layers on the paintings using a mixture of home made paint, inks and other materials.

The works evolve over a period of time which gives them a really interesting feel. His work has been exhibited all over the country and acquired by Oxford University and Reading Museum amongst others.

The dilapidated surroundings of the farm workshops seem to be an appropriate location for producing work like this. Tom tells me that one winter morning he came in to the workshop to find some half completed paintings had frozen solid overnight creating an interesting visual effect in the paintwork.

Much like his neighbour, the ceramicist Sue Mundy with her gas fired kiln, such serendipity can lead to unique, unrepeatable pieces which I think is really nice.

Here are some portraits of Tom in and around his workshop. He exhibits regularly and is well worth a visit. His website is here and he also has a blog you can visit here.

A studio portrait with some of Tom's work.

A portrait of Tom, outside the studio at the back of the old farm buildings.

Thanks again to Tom for allowing me to visit and be sure to give him a call if you're looking for a unique piece of art for an empty wall.

A Sunset

An iPhone snap of the sun setting tonight over the fields north east of Hyde End Road near Shinfield. We've walked our dog over this area for years and it's a shame to think it will all be covered in houses very soon.

I love photographing with my phone and I enjoy the limitations of the simple camera in it. I always have it with me so it's great when I'm not carrying a proper camera as these days the quality of phone cameras is pretty good. I have an iPhone blog of snaps made over the last couple of years and it's fun to look back over a visual record of travel, family and things that catch my eye when I'm out and about.

The Old Milking Machine Laboratories Part 2

I had the pleasure of meeting Cathy Newell Price at her workshop at the Old Milking Machine Laboraties at High Copse Farm. Cathy designs and makes beautiful, painstakingly crafted jewellery pieces. I don't pretend to know much about jewellery but I can see how these contemporary pendants, rings and other pieces are really unusual and special. Much like the work that Sue Mundy produces, it's wonderful to see these unique products coming out of a small workshop on a farm near Reading. 

Cathy also runs jewellery making workshops at her place at the farm and also at other locations.

Together with fellow artists Sue Mundy and Tom Cartmill Cathy is exhibiting at the Open Studios 2013 event on the 10th-12th and 17th-19th of May at the High Copse Farm workshops. This event will be a great opportunity to view some unique and unusual work - well worth a visit.

Thanks go to Cathy for the opportunity to photograph her and her work!