Matthew Rice
Friday 25th September - 18.30
Matthew fell in love with watercolours at the age of 14 after a friend of his godmother died, leaving him a ream of finest watercolour paper. He discovered the magical combination of watercolours on best quality paper and has been painting ever since. Recording all that surrounds him, from heritage apples to Venetian rooftops, Matthew has documented a lifetime of memories and moments in watercolour. This trait has led him to illustration, for magazines such as Country Life, as well as for his own much-loved books on architecture, another of Matthew’s great fascinations. He has written and illustrated a number of books on unusual and often overlooked buildings, from Stoke-on-Trent to Norfolk, from Oxford to Rome.
At his home in West Oxfordshire, Matthew has created a serene studio space. Once a forgotten barn built of Cotswold stone, it has been restored to a place of creativity looking out over a moat and fields beyond. It is wonderfully messy. Old welsh dressers fit to burst with pottery samples from a 30 year long partnership with ex-wife Emma Bridgewater line the walls and tea towels by Matthew’s late mother, Pat Albeck, hang all around. Piles of reference books, from Tunnicliffe to Inigo Jones totter on plan chests next to stacks of paper and paint pots lined up ready to be used.
A guide to gardening and enjoying nature through the year, showing you what to do, when to do it and how to enjoy every season more fully, from the Cotswolds garden of renowned artist Matthew Rice.
In 2012, Matthew Rice bought Ham Court, an estate in the village of Bampton in the Cotswolds. Spread across several acres and surrounding fragments of the medieval Bampton Castle, the garden includes an orchard, paddock, productive greenhouse and small farmyard, all of which shape the rhythm of life throughout the year. In A Year in the Garden, Matthew documents a typical year spent at Ham Court. He writes about the daily work of gardening – the planning, planting, harvesting and inevitable setbacks – alongside personal anecdotes, practical advice and recipes that make the most of seasonal produce. While the setting is distinctive, the challenges and pleasures he encounters are those shared by gardeners everywhere. The book is complete with Matthew Rice’s distinctive illustrations, capturing the atmosphere and details of garden life. A Year in the Garden is both a useful companion and a book to savour, offering encouragement, inspiration and hard-won wisdom to return to throughout the year.
