The scent of mulled cider has finally left the corridors - a week and a half after Open Studios. Thank you very much to everyone who came to the event - we hope that you had a good time. There will be photographs of Open Studios posted on the January blog, in the meantime here is the piece that The Hill wrote about it.

The yet-to-be-officially-titled Great Western Choir performed at the end of both Saturday and Sunday - pushing through its extensive repertoire of 5 songs (though we did add a rendition of Happy Birthday on the Sunday). We collected money for the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability at the end of the performances and on our front desk over the weekend and managed to raise just over £480. Thank you to everyone who donated money. The choir also performed at the Copra community centre a week later and will be back next year with a less seasonally inclined cannon of songs.

Two new web ventures have been started by people in the studios in the past 2 months. Lisa Jones has opened an online store for her cards and Kate Gibb has started selling limited editions of prints via her blog.

Sheena Barnes has organised an exhibition of work by Great Western Studio artists which is currently on show at Gallery 118, at the junction of Chepstow Road and Westbourne Grove. The exhibition continues until December 22nd.

The new edition of Art World magazine includes pieces on Katy Moran and Darren Almond. Katy is featured because of her show at MIMA.

The piece on Darren features an interview and survey of his work.

Turps Banana - the magazine that should have the tagline "made by painters for painters" features a conversation between David Ben White and Justin Hibbs in the current issue. David also has work in a group show at Vinespace which runs until December 21st.

Lynn Parotti and Paul Vanstone's joint show at Imperial Wharf opened last week and is due to run until the end of January 2009.

The denizens of Stoke Newington will be setting their eyes on snaffling up last minute Christmas presents this weekend at the Xmas Art Exposure. The event opens on Friday and continues on Saturday and Sunday and will feature works by Melissa Hunt, Julie Goldsmith and Liza Campbell.

For a limited period you can wash your hair from a Sophie Smallhorn designed bottle of shampoo. Alongside Tom Dixon, John Pawson and Brad Lochore, she has designed a bottle to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Holborn salon.

The Yamake show that Apart Gallery put on last month - I'm still none the wiser to what a Yamake is - resulted in Sean Alexander winning the best in show award. The plan is for the show to travel to Nokia stores worldwide in 2009.

Claudia Carr has work in the Browse and Darby Christmas Show which is on until December 23rd.

Lastly, congratulations to David Worthington who has been nominated for the 2008 Jerwood Sculpture Prize.

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