Karin Fernald for The Arts Society Wensum members (for how to join, see below)

Programme

10.00am Start with coffee + biscuits/cakes

10:45am Session 1

11:45am Short break

12.00pm Session 2

1:00pm Lunch

2:00pm Session 3

3:00pm (approx.) End

As a child, Hans Andersen made puppet costumes, taught by his cobbler father. Later in life he sketched, though he never had lessons. He produced collages which anticipate early 20th century modernism and his papercuts of swans, ballet dancers, court ladies, dancing millers, storks, the sandman and other folklore figures, are exquisite and magical.

He was a sharp observer of life in Copenhagen, saying of his stories “Every character is taken from life; I know and have known them all”. He was a keen traveller over much of Europe and part of Asia; “Life is to fly with railway flight around the earth – we’re long enough underneath it!”. And, influenced by his friend, scientist H.C. Orsted, he was thrilled by the scientific discoveries of his day, even putting them into some of his 156 published stories.

With slides of Andersen’s sketches, papercuts and collages, and illustrations of his stories

by artists from all over the world, including Arthur Rackham, Edmond Dulac, Lars Bo and Kai Nielsen, and with paintings by Christen Kobke and other Danish artists from Andersen’s day, Karin Fernald’s Study Day will enlarge further on all of the above.

Arts Society Wensum normally holds nine monthly lectures (September-November; January- June) and a Christmas lecture. The lectures are held at the Assembly House in the centre of Norwich.

It also arranges Special Interest Days and day visits to places of interest. Each autumn it organises a 3-4 day visit to another UK destination.

The society has room for a few additional members. If you are interested please contact the Membership Secretary: taswensum.membership@gmail.com