Renate (Meyer) Keeping

A visit to the Keeping Gallery in Shortlands - set up in their home by the wife of Charles Keeping after his death in 1988 -

Both artists had studios on the ground floor and these, as well as other rooms and hallways, hold their work. Renate died last year, shortly before a major show of her work at the Knitting and Stitching show. One of the rooms in the museum keeps her "life story" embroideries behind glass -

Along with the finished work is the design source -

Renate could write in stitch, and set out much of the family's history that way, including images derived, often, from packaging -

Properly photographed, and with some annotation, these would make a fascinating book.

Renate was also a book illustrator - here are two of hers -

Charles of course illustrated many books, some very dramatically; they fill a cupboard. This one, for example, is his illustrated version of an autobiographical incident; the book it became is on the right -

Some of his gentler lithographs hang in the hallways -

Renate was a prodigious embroiderer, and had been a member of the 62 Group of textile artists; it is her work on the cover -

 Her series of aging apples, painted and then stitched, was on display at Knit&Stitch, and it was great to see them again, up close -

 and all together -

Another series involved eggs -

My eye was drawn to these textiley teapots, which were made in the ceramics department of Camberwell "years ago" by daughter Vicky -

This piece, Vicky explained, was based on a hospital bedstead and had the finges made by rolling out huge long thin rolls of porcelain clay -

Do go to the gallery's website and watch the welcome video.