Gillian Lever - Pilgrim Cello

In recent months Gillian has been creating artwork for Pilgrim Cello a bicycle pilgrimage around the 42 cathedrals of England. The seven paintings that she has created reflect on the seven last words of Jesus and will form part of a meditation by  Kenneth Wilson.  The meditation offered by Kenneth will include readings of his own poetry inspired by the last words of Jesus and performances of cello suites by J.S. Bach. Kenneth is cycling the route with his cello on a cargo bike (1,825 miles in total). Starting in Newcastle on Monday 19 May the pilgrimage will end 7 weeks later on Friday 4th July in Carlisle. Gillian’s small abstract paintings will be exhibited at each destination.

The project’s overall aim is to inspire new visitors to discover the devotional practice of ‘pilgrimage’ for themselves and to experience the value of taking time out of busy lives for personal reflection.

Pilgrim Cello is endorsed by  The Association of English Cathedrals and there will be impact across the whole of England with concerts and exhibitions taking place all over the country. The Association of English Cathedrals, which exists to help raise the profile of the cathedrals by networking, storytelling, reflection, advocacy, training and research, are behind the project. In 2021 a unique partnership between Sustrans – The National Cycling Network, Cycling UK, the British Pilgrimage Trust, and the Association of English Cathedrals was created to promote a cycle route which links all 42 Church of England was launched. The Pilgrim Cello vision fits well with this exciting initiative. Pilgrim Cello will help to promote and animate the cathedral cycle route and open up ‘pilgrimage’ opportunities, offering new perspectives on the world that we inhabit to new audiences.

Westhill Endowment funding has enabled portable artworks to be created that will complement and dialogue with Kenneth Wilson’s music and poetry providing multiple access points. The opportunity for visitors and pilgrims to experience the visual arts as part of this project is integral to the project’s overall aim to inspire new visitors to discover the devotional practice of ‘pilgrimage’ for themselves, encouraging them to take time out, be present to the ‘multi-sensory’ moment and to journey, in individual ways from head to heart.

The artworks are being carefully transported in a specially commissioned gilded ‘reliquary’ also funded by Westhill Endowment. The reliquary is a lightweight and strong casket protecting the artwork as it is carried around the country on the bicycle. Reliquaries were an important part of religious and artistic life in Europe and Byzantium during the Middle Ages. The Pilgrim Cello contemporary reliquary is being exhibited alongside the newly created artwork at each cathedral and is providing an additional educational talking point.

*These performances happened out of sequence. The cathedral diaries were too busy to accommodate the Meditation within the pilgrimage schedule, so special visits were made in Lent 2025.

Kenneth Wilson is writing a blog about the pilgrimage. See here.

Far Country - poems by Kyce Bello

It is a lovely thing when other artists and creatives contact you out of the blue.  Some time ago I had an email from Kyce Bello, a poet who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kyce had read my article in called Soul on Deck published in Image Journal and was drawn to the image of the Bardsey Boats I created in 2013.  In her blog called Old Recipe for a New World  she recounts the story of finding the image in a post called SOUL BOATS:POEMS AS VESSEL.  She writes;  “It was love at first sight. I tore the page with the fleet of Bardsey Boats out and pinned it over my desk. They became a beacon as I wrote and re-wrote this book”. 

I was delighted when Kyce ask me if she could use the image for the front cover of Far Country, a new collection of poems published by the University of Nevada Press.  Her beautiful, elemental poems are tinged with grief and loss.  Somehow, they have a kinship with these tiny boat images gilded on to driftwood from Bardsey Island. We corresponded recently and in an email to her I wrote; 

“Simple pre-industrial boat forms seem to get “under the door” and seep into the soul like no other image.  There is something primal around the vessel cradling/nurture/protecting at birth and yet offering safe passage across the threshold from life into death. All very mysterious, primal and wonderful – beyond intellect and more to do with intuition, ancestors and spirit life.  They have given me so much and I am still learning from them.”

The Framers - Hand Crafted Picture Frames 

Jake recently took some more paintings and prints to The Framers to have them framed for various clients who have bought work recently. The Framers was established as one of the first businesses to emerge in the newly developed old Bird’s Custard Factory in Digbeth, during the early nineties. After many years of successful trading there, the company moved to the beautiful Hampton Works building in Stirchley.  What is special about their work is the degree of time, care and attention they give to each and every artwork that they handle, sensitively collaborating with artists over the choice of colour, size, weight and finish of particular mouldings, glass and boards.  This is bespoke, old fashioned service where you can take time to carefully consider options, secure in the knowledge that everything will be beautifully made and finished in accordance with your exact wishes.  Thank you Lawrence, Chrissie and everyone at The Framers for your skill, expertise and service.