Mme Mahlalafang
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Everyone brought their products to the centre at Ha Maquele to get ready for the stall at Cherry Festival in Ficksburg. We set up on Wednesday and it runs from Thursday to Saturday. It's a big festival with lots of Cherry related products (Yum!) as well as stalls selling craft, art, clothing and food. Last year the Lesotho Mountain Crafts stand did really well so hopefully it will be as good this year!
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The mountains looked amazing this morning - in Lesotho. Weather is lovely again after 2 days of rain on Friday and Saturday! The pic is a bit out of focus and horizon not quite straight but taken from the car!
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Meanwhile back home in Orkney Dick's been hard at work! Check out his new Four String Mandolin with custom built Tremolo at: http://www.levens.co.uk/
It is beautiful and sounds amazing - proud of you! x
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Clay animals made by one of the artists working at the gallery
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A great cabinet holding pots made by Patrick Rorke and one of his paintings to the left of the picture!
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Exterior garden and buildings at the museum. Unfortunately it was very wet and we were short of time but I'd love to go back. If you look closely you should be able to see the traditional Litema decoration on the buildings.
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We also visited the museum which though small housed information and an interesting display of Basotho artifacts and traditions. Including amazing small and very fine clay work by Samuel Makoanyane (1909-1944)
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On Friday we visited Morija, a cultural town about 35 kilometres south of Lesotho. Anna Gervin, Patron of Lesotho Mountain Crafts, very kindly took us to meet Patrick Rorke who is an artist living and working in Morija. He is a painter and potter (using local clay) who is encouraging local artists and school children to make work, much of which we were able to see in his small gallery. He runs children's workshops and has started a great project getting them to write and illustrate their own books. He also has a good library of art books used for reference and as a starting point for workshops. Here I am with Patrick and Anna in the gallery which is actually the oldest standing building in Lesotho! If you're interested look up the website for Morija at www.morija.ca.ls
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Last week Pippa and Clare had a meeting with teachers from a state primary school in Maputsoe (Not St Luke's!) and here are a few figures to make the mind boggle - particularly for any primary teachers out there in UK and Ireland! 1794 children aged 5 -12 years and 42 teachers Class sizes range from 70 - 100 pupils !!
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