More Gardens and Art

 The day after our trip to St. Ives, we visited the estate of Trelissick, near Truro, which is managed by the National Trust. The house, built in 1755, was once owned by the Copeland family, which was in partnership with the founder of Spode china. Sadly, when the house was auctioned off, all the furnishings went to wealthy Americans. (I'm not sure of the date.)

You could see the remnants of what was once an elegant house. The day we were there, we benefitted from a volunteer who played the piano, and as we ate a modest meal in the dining area, we listened to the tunes, mostly modern, echoing through the rooms.

Shirley in the reception area as the pianist took his place at the piano,

We had a short walk in the garden woodland, but rain prevented us from exploring as much as we might have liked. After we left Trelissick, we drove north of Truro to a private estate, where we were invited to view the artwork and sculpture in the garden there. That was thanks to Shirley making an inquiry to the artist James Oughtibridge, whose work is handled by the gallery owner. Previously, her gallery was in Truro, but due to a disastrous water leak, she has relocated the gallery, now open by invitation only. It was an extraordinary gallery and garden.

Sculpture by James Oughtibridge

Sculpture by Richard Fox.

One sculpture evoked a particularly poignant response from me--not from the artwork itself, but because of the artist. His name was Richard Jackson, the same name as a dear friend of ours who passed away last year. The sheared glass was in a spot near a water-lily pond, and although this English sculpture was not meant to be a tribute to our friend, it seemed so to me.

Sculpture by Richard Jackson

We bought nothing, but we appreciated the man who graciously encouraged us to explore on our own. That made it a special afternoon for all of us. That wasn't the end of our artistic experiences though, for London was still to come.