Treasure trove

Preparations for next week's eagerly awaited fair bring the theme of 'Masterpieces' to our attention.

Despite our modest size and limited floor space, there's always plenty of room for fine things at Potterton Books. A browse along our shelves reveals exceptional jewels, breathtaking art, distinctive fashion, luxurious cars and beautiful buildings.

Why not drop in for some inspiration?

Visit us at 93 Lower Sloane Street or from 24th-29th June at our stand at Masterpiece, Chelsea Bridge Road.

Eccentric and playful, peculiar and colourful...........

................and that was just the opening night! Potterton Books proudly launched Follies, a new exhibition of works by Ed Kluz, last Thursday evening. The shop looked fabulous filled with Kluz's beautiful works in print, collage and mixed media.

The exhibition is on display until 3rd July.

Follies at Potterton

The launch of Ed Kluz' exhibition Follies from 6-8.30 pm on Thursday 10th June promises to bring a touch of the whimsical to Chelsea.

Drawing inspiration from Britain's architectural heritage, Kluz' work focuses on eccentric structures ranging from grottos and towers to pagodas and teahouses. Celebrating the secret, the forgotten and the bizarre, Kluz's prints, collages, paintings and mixed media works explore the combination of fantasy and reality which characterise these pavilions of delight.

Ed Kluz is an artist, printmaker, designer and illustrator who has recently completed commissions for Faber & Faber and Random House and is due to launch a fabric design for St Jude's later this year.

Follies is Kluz's second exhibition for Potterton Books and will be on display from 11th June to 3rd July.

Attention all Mark Hearld fans......!

Mark has a fabulous new exhibition of unique collages and limited edition prints at St Jude's Gallery in Norfolk. Hearld's distinctive work inspired by British flora and fauna was the subject of our Christmas  Exhibition.

Can't wait to sneak a peek at his new work..........

Surprising Spry

Constance Spry pioneered a new approach to flower arranging. Rejecting a formal, static style Spry introduced kale and cabbage leaves into her bouquets and placed mixed wild flowers rather than hot house blooms in unusual containers.

Her innovative style is illustrated in a display Spry created in 1939 outside Coolings Gallery. Improvising in times of austerity, her arrangement transformed wartime sandbags into a distinctive floral display interspersed with urns filled with wild blooms. For the launch of Sue Shephard's biography, 'The Surprising Life of Constance Spry', the florists, Wild at Heart created an installation outside Potterton Books inspired by Spry's sandbags.

Signed copies of Sue Shephard's biography, 'The Surprising Life of Constance Spry' are available at Potterton Books, priced £18.99.

Potterton in bloom!

The shop floor is looking like our very own corner of the Chelsea Flower Show. From the backdrop of leather bound vintage gardening titles and botanical dictionaries, to the latest gardening titles blossoming in the window, the shop has a decidedly verdant atmosphere. The shelves have been freshly planted with the latest books from Dan Pearson and Ulf Nordfjell with Paula Pryke adding touches of colour. What’s more later in the week we’ll have our very own green shoots from the shop front with a floral installation inspired by Constance Spry.

The shop was buzzing last Thursday evening for the launch of Sue Snell’s beautiful photography book, The Garden at Charleston. Guests listened to Henrietta Garnett’s (the granddaughter of Vanessa Bell) childhood memories of the garden and sipped delicious iced tea supplied by Bellocq the tea atelier on the King’s Rd. Thanks to all who joined us for a great evening.
Sue’s hand-printed colour photographs of the Garden at Charleston are currently on display, prices from £48.