1 year - Paper

Sarah Morpeth

Sarah worked with us for a show called Remember When back in 2011 so it’s great to be working with her again.  She makes books and works in cut paper, ranging from unique constructed books to limited and unlimited editions and multiples and wall-hung pieces.  The work combines all sorts of processes, including stitching, bookbinding, hand painting, printing and hand and machine cutting.  She lives and works in a landscape which is a constant source of inspiration; “I am grounded in this place, and much of my work and the imagery I use is linked to it, to my memories of it as well as my daily experience of it.”  Sarah has a varied background, having started off with a degree in Classics, she then spent nearly a decade working as a lawyer in London; “I missed the countryside and I missed being creative so much, I left it all behind to go back to university where I did a degree in Embroidery.  I moved home to Northumberland and have been here ever since.”  Sarah’s starting point is often text; the inspiration for many of her pieces comes from a 1945 film called 'I Know Where I'm Going' (Powell & Pressburger).  The film script, characters, cinematography and film structure influence her work; “bits of the script trickle into my pieces, snippets of dialogue, forming and reforming, taking on new meanings and telling different stories.  I also use half-remembered lines of songs and poems, so that text forms an integral part of many of my pieces, shaping their form in the process.”

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2 years - Cotton​

Lucy Freeman 

Lucy is a new maker to the gallery, one which we are so excited to introduce to you.  Lucy is a textile artist based in Edinburgh.   Her work merges the traditional craft of embroidery with vibrant contemporary design, bright colour palettes and lush botanical imagery.  She loves to push the boundaries of embroidery, using freestyle methods and large textured stitches in a bold painterly style.  Lucy became a full-time artist in the summer of 2018 and has since worked with the likes of John Lewis, Liberty London, Not On The High Street, Mollie Makes and The Hepworth Wakefield Gallery.  With a focus on the beauty of nature, Lucy's aim is to create unique artwork bursting with joy that is hand-crafted and ethically made.  Lucy is inspired by the incredible beauty of the natural world; “I’m driven by a passion for exploring the outdoors, travel, and watching beautiful awe-inspiring documentaries (shout out to David Attenborough!)”  Her work is a celebration of these environments, from the mysterious deep sea to sprawling, overgrown forests.  A background in textile design led Lucy to react against the digital mass-produced design culture, choosing instead to embrace traditional techniques, where due to the nature of the process, pieces would be unique.  No stitch sewn by hand can be exactly replicated, and so every embroidered artwork Lucy creates is the only one of its kind in the world. This approach is not limited to sewing however, Lucy uses traditional printmaking processes in all her paper-based designs, producing original collages, screen-prints and digital designs that are full of printed texture and hand crafted influence.  Ethical and sustainable production is a core value of Lucy's practice.  Fabric is sourced second-hand from scrap textiles and charity shops, then recycled into artwork.  

 

3 years - Leather​

Louise Heighes 
Another new maker for the gallery, Louise’s work has been long admired here with this show being the perfect debut for her stunning leather artworks.  Louise specialises in creating bespoke leather art pieces.  She studied Textile Design at Central Saint Martins and sold her final degree collection to Chanel in Paris.  She spent many years working within the fashion industry, designing textiles and new material concepts for luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Azzedine Alaia, Nike and Chanel.   Examples of her work have been included in Azzedine Alaia's exhibitions in London and Paris; “It was here that I fell in love with working with leather.  The way it can be cut, woven or folded into 3D shapes, while still remaining soft and tactile provides my imagination with endless opportunities and allows me to create wholly original pieces of leather art.”  The importance of simplicity, craftsmanship and creating something by hand is key to what Louise does: “I have always been inspired by the flow and movement which I see in the natural world.  Be it a field of wildflowers or the blossom on a tree, I have always loved the way the shape of a single petal or flower can be repeated over again, creating myriad of ever-changing new patterns.”  Each design is crafted by hand using an intricate 3D process of cutting and almost weaving two pieces of leather together.  Louise starts by sketching up some ideas and then she moves onto cutting these in paper to get a feel of the design; “I tweak my work constantly along the way and then I finally cut the work in leather, this is when the idea comes fully to life.”  Louise works with many different materials including genuine leather, various types of faux leather and different papers.  Each material comes in a wide palette of colours and my leather is sourced from an environmentally sustainable tannery in Italy.

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4 years - Flowers

Ken Eardley

Ken is a maker the gallery has featured in many shows including a Solo Ceramic Showcase in 2008, Here Comes the Sun 2013 and Come Dine With Me 2017.  Ken  is a ceramic artist based in Brighton who gained a degree in printed textiles before going on to do a masters degree at the Royal College of Art.  Coming from a textile background he has since explored ceramics as a decorative medium for his ideas.  Ken's highly collectible ceramics are all individually handmade; he produces functional pieces decorated with distinctive hand-cut stencil designs, which express his love of pattern and colour.  His style and use of fun colour and graphic is now widely recognised and has been featured in numerous magazines.  All his pieces are made individually by ken and glazed using colourful earthenware glazes.

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Lisa Katzenstein

Lisa is another of our celebrated ceramicists who has worked with the gallery for most of her career and has been featured in many exhibitions including Here Comes the Sun in 2013 and Made with Love in 2018.  “For the potters amongst you my pieces are slip-cast or press moulded white earthenware with hand painted 'tin-glaze' decoration.  In this technique you paint on top of the glaze prior to firing. This has a long history in Europe: originally it was developed to imitate Chinese porcelain, and the ware was called by different names depending on where it was made.  It was known as 'Majolica' (or 'Maolica') in Spain and Italy, 'Faience' in France and 'Deft' in Holland.  Where my work differs from traditional Majolica is in the way I employ it as a medium for painting in its own right.  I use wax resist and 'Scraffitto' techniques that inlay the colours of the lines of my design, as in etching.  I see my pots as paintings which also happen to be functional vases.”

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5 years - Wood

Lisa Rooney

We’re excited to be working with Lisa as she is another new maker to the gallery.  Maker of jolly flower and tree sculptures created from lasercut plywood, this collection will put a smile on your face and see you enjoy the elements of nature she celebrates in her work.  Lisa is based in the small fishing village of Pittenweem in the East Neuk of Fife.  She originally studied ceramics at Edinburgh College of Art from 2001-2005 and then worked from a studio in Dundee exhibiting in galleries throughout Scotland before going on to train as a Primary teacher.  After a laser cutting workshop in Edinburgh in early 2021 she decided to invest in her own laser and started creating pieces for the home inspired by retro and Scandi floral designs.  Lisa works from her home studio where she uses a variety of plywood and colourful acrylics.  She enjoys experimenting with scale and aims to create pieces that are tactile and playful.

 

Ian Clarkson

Ian has worked with the gallery since it's early days both with work in exhibitions (notably our Knock on Wood exhibition in 2007)  and in our general display areas of the gallery.  Based in Hebden Bridge, Ian’s work is exquisitely hand made in predominantly British woods and each piece is unique.   His traditional pieces are of the highest quality, with classical lines emphasising the purity of shape and form and its interplay with light.  However, his interests also lie in taking the art of woodturning to extremes, subverting notions of function and symmetry to create abstract and sculptural works.  The dynamism and life in the work stems from the nature of wood itself; warm, tactile and organic.  By carving, scorching, staining, texturising or simply letting the grain tell its own story, Ian relishes the challenge of releasing each work’s particular form.

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6 years - Iron/Metal

Rachel Higgins 

Rachel Higgins has a long list of exhibitions she has been involved with here and is one of the most celebrated makers we’ve had the pleasure to work with during her career.  Shows she has had work in include Something out of Nothing in 1997, Archive in 2007, Parklife in 2010, Animal Showcase in 2011, In the Spotlight exhibitions from 2012 and 2014, Hare We Go in 2015, celebrating our 35th anniversary back in 2017 and more recently in a show we called Tweet in 2019.  Rachel makes animal sculptures in non ferrous metal.  A fascination with Alexander Calder's 'Circus', Muybridge photos of movement and The Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, while studying Fine Art at The Nottingham Trent University, along with a childhood on a Warwickshire farm shaped the wire, perforated and sheet metal animal sculptures she creates today.

                                                                     

Katy Taylor (Cider Tree Copper Works)

We’re very excited to introduce Katy to you in her first exhibition with us.  Katy is a mixed media artist, specialising in metalwork, textiles and printmaking.  She makes everything by hand from her home studio space; the 'Cider Tree Copper Works' based in Cheshire.  Katy makes nature themed art utilising a wide range of traditional metalsmithing techniques.  Predominantly working in copper, she likes to combine this with other materials to create one-off framed, 2D and 3D sculptural art pieces.  “I was lucky enough to spend my childhood in the small village of Rudyard, in a house surrounded by trees and next to a beautiful lake.  From an early age, I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world and the peace and tranquillity it provides. Its only when you completely immerse yourself in the natural landscape that you can truly appreciate the intricacies and complexities of nature.”  Katy’s ideas develop from the topography of the rural and ancient landscape in all its diversity.  The flora & fauna, colours, textures, and wildlife that fill it are a constant source of inspiration for her.  “I’ve always thought of birds as creatures that symbolise freedom.  In the bird world it’s easy to draw parallels to human behaviour; there are the loners, the sociable, the little old married couples, the friends that constantly bicker, the comedic double acts, the demure, the stubborn, the aloof.  All giving way to an enchanting and intriguing narrative.  I aim to capture a little bit of this in each of the tiny sculptures I make.  The scale representing the fragility of some species and the need to treat them as precious.”

 

Bronwen Tyler Jones 

We have enjoyed the company of Bronwen and her beautiful work in many shows during her career including Drawing from Childhood in 2003, Up Front & In the Spotlight in 2009, Made with Love 2014 and In the Spotlight when we celebrated 35 years in 2017.  Bronwen began her studies on the Foundation course at Hereford College of Art in 1990 and went on to successfully complete a BA in Silversmithing and Jewellery, followed by an MA at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.  Shortly after leaving university in 1996, she started work in the Small Metals department at Hereford College of Art and has spent over 20 years with the college.  “The inspirations for my pieces are taken from a diverse range of influences such as comedy, mechanical components, symbols, movement and text.  Words and narrative derived from all areas play an essential role in the thought process and construction of my pieces; one word or phrase can spark off a whole range of ideas…more recently my children Eva and Fred have been the source of great inspiration and as a result everything is a little more rose tinted.”  The processes and techniques that Bronwen uses to produce her work include etching, press-forming, patination, stamping and embossing and a lot of soldering.  She works in both precious and non-precious metals and enjoys the diversity the range of materials gives her.  “My aim is to produce pieces that can be handled or worn on a daily basis.  Each piece has a unique character that is further developed through the personality of the owner.”

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7 years - Wool

Jacqueline James 

Jaqueline exhibited with the gallery in its early years in the 1990s and we’re delighted to reintroduce her work for our anniversary year.  Born in Scotland UK Jaqueline grew up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, USA.  She returned to live in the historic City of York in 1982 and studied Woven Textile Design and Construction at Harrogate College of Art and Technology where she focused on rug weaving.  Jacqueline established a weaving studio in York where she designs and makes one of a kind flat woven rugs and wall hangings for commission and exhibition.  Everything is made by hand on her large and sturdy Swedish floor loom.  Jaqueline’s one of a kind rugs & wall hangings are mainly contemporary in style using geometric patterns and stripe rhythms.  Inspiration for new designs comes from everywhere, especially the colours and patterns she sees in nature, landscapes and architecture.  “As a practising textile artist I embrace the concept of weaving as an art form.  As a rug weaver I am usually defined as a craftsperson.  I design with colour and pattern and construct with form and texture.  I endeavour to create a woven item which is both visually interesting and structurally practical.  The weaving work I do is made to be durable enough for a floor rug, but their graphic quality makes them suitable for the wall.” For Jaqueline, weaving is a lifestyle occupation which gives her a great sense of purpose.  “I thoroughly enjoy every aspect of the weaving process, from design to making.  I adore the tactile qualities and the rich colours of the threads I use and find the action of weaving very engaging.  Rug weaving is the perfect vehicle for my visual interpretation and expression.  As a rug weaver I feel privileged being part of the International weaving community and continuing an important heritage craft tradition.”

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8 years - Pottery

Sasha Wardell

Sasha worked with us in a show called Collections in 2010 but has been featured in many other shows over the years.  She has been working in bone china since 1982 after completing both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in ceramics in the UK.  These included industrial training periods at L'Ecole Nationale des Arts Decoratifs in Limoges and the design studio at the Royal Doulton factory, Stoke-on-Trent.  Both experiences have strongly influenced the way in which she presently works resulting in a fascination and intrigue for methods and material which present a challenge.  It is for this reason that bone china, with all its idiosyncrasies, has remained her favourite material.  “It is a very 'single-minded' clay which forces clarity and precision whilst demanding perseverance. Possessing qualities of intense whiteness, translucency and strength, make it a very seductive material to work with.”   

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9 years - Willow 

Rachel Evans 

Rachel is another new maker we’re excited to be working with in this exhibition.  Making traditional willow baskets and foraging pouches from her workshop in the heart of the Churnet Valley in the Staffordshire Moorlands, Rachel draws on years of training and apprentice style learning.  “Using my skills and natural colours and weaves, I can create pieces of work for homes and gardens that are both beautiful and made to last.”  Rachel grows her own willow with half of what she uses using organic principles, providing habitat for insects and small mammals​.  “I am fascinated with historical baskets and what they can teach us in our work today.  Some of my work involves recreating historical baskets for museums and re-enactors.”  In 2020 during lockdown, Rachel started experimenting with other natural and wild materials found near her home; bark, garden plants, rush and hazel.  This resulted in a new range of foraging pouches for collecting treasures.  “I feel this use of local and natural resources is becoming more relevant to today’s society, using what we have locally in a low impact way to create beautiful items that last.”

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10 years - Tin

Bonker*s Clutterbucks

This talented duo have worked with us since 2020 and we’re delighted to invite them here in their first exhibition with us.  Bonker*s Clutterbucks are a husband and wife team who are passionate about making dioramas within old crates, cigar boxes, small pastille tins and glass cloches which they enjoy sourcing out from antique shops and flea markets.  Peter has a fine art painting background while Kate studied woven textile and fashion design.  “We met in 1992 at Winchester School of Art and have collaborated on art, house renovations and sourcing furniture and objects of interest ever since.  We are Bonker*s about art, design, antiques, animation, mexicana, family life, countryside, walking, travelling, camping and campfire tales.  We eat, sleep, breath art and design and have a wealth of source material, art books, periodicals and design magazines.  We are also both keen photographers and have an extensive library of photographs.”   They love objects with integrity, that bare the marks of time, patinas that tells a story. They are passionate about whimsical modes of transport, 3D hot air balloons, travelling fairs, circuses, nostalgic notions of exploration and adventure, enchanted forests, period costume, fables, folklore and storytelling.  They work mainly in card, collaging vintage paper to create exquisite spaces, enchanted 3D scenes inhabited by anthropomorphic animals such as hares and crows in period dress.  Their work is intricate and requires meticulous cutting with a scalpel and delicate construction to introduce the lovely combinations of pattern, music score, textile print and text into each piece.  Inspirations include the work of Edward Gorey, Joseph Cornell, William Blake, Fornasetti and inventor Blair Somerville.

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Esther Smith

Esther last exhibited with us in a show we called Handmade with Love in 2020.  Based in South Cornwall, Esther takes inspiration from her beautiful natural surroundings and the goings on of coast and country.  Whether it's automata, metalwork or jewellery, each piece is unique and tells its own story.  Originally Esther trained as a jeweller, and in recent years she extended her range of skills to include the crafts of small scale sculpture and automata.  “I love to tell visual stories from the world around me and from tales of long ago.  The moving parts in my automata really allow me to bring my pieces to life!  The automata are primarily made in silver, copper and brass. I also use enamel, reclaimed tin and reclaimed or coppiced Cornish wood.  I treat the metal with patination and oxidisation techniques to achieve turquoises, rich browns, reds and blacks.  I also use leaf metal applications and varnishes to seal and add lustre.  Recycled tin and enamel add highlights of bright colour.”

 

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