Looking for inspiration through the windows of High Barnet’s historic buildings was challenge for Festival of Architecture art workshop  

An art workshop arranged as part of the London Festival of Architecture combined the idea of dreams and visions seen through notable window frames of historic buildings in and around High Barnet.

Just visible looking out from an appealing window in the High Street were some of the swifts which swirl around high above the town each summer – an expression of the freedom of nature which was the inspiration for a painting by Eric Moules (above).

Eric was one of the participants in the workshop held by the Loop the Loop Art Club at The Stable in Salisbury Road.

For the club’s founder, Heather Ellis (far right), this was the second mixed media art workshop she has organised as part of the Festival of Architecture.

This year the challenge was Windows of Dreams: linking ideas for dreams to the architecture and history of High Barnet.

To help those taking part, she had photographed the windows of historic buildings such as the Tudor Hall, the parish church, houses at Monken Hadley and for more modern designs the windows of The Spires shopping centre and geometric windows above Iceland supermarket.

Another source of inspiration were the voices of significant women with strong connections to High Barnet – Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the hospice movement; novelist Fanny Trollope, who lived on Hadley Green; local school founder Elizabeth Allen; Julia Hyde, who established the Hyde Foundation Library in Church Passage; and Gwyneth Cowing, whose family owned the Barnet Press.

The life of Miss Cowing, who lived at Whalebones in Wood Street – where arched whalebones stand at the entrance — fascinated architectural student Aravin and inspired his contribution to the workshop.

Framed by a gothic window from a house opposite Monken Hadley parish, his illustration included a whale and the face of the High Street clock above the front door of what was the Barnet Press office and is now Costa Coffee.

Heather Ellis said the idea for the Windows of Dreams challenge had come from the early life of Dame Cicely Saunders who nursed a Polish Jewish refugee who bequeathed her £500 in 1945 to be “a window for her dreams”.

She used the money to help build the hospice movement and founded St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham where her work is commemorated with a “window of dreams”.

Harvey Roe — above right with Carolyn — chose a window in The Spires to frame his dreamy picture of a scene in the countryside.

Illustrations produced during the workshop will be on display at The Stable in

Salisbury Road during June.