It was in 2016 that we completed the first 'Memory Tree' for Cornwall Hospice Care. This was at the Mount Edgcumbe Hospice and at the time it was the largest metalwork piece we had created.
We had been approached to create a tree sculpture to be installed within the chapel at the hospice in St Austell. We visited the site before I designed a copper tree which could span across the corner area.
The idea of a memory tree was so that Cornwall Hospice Care could raise funds for the valuable support they provide and also to give relatives/friends an opportunity to remember loved ones with a unique metal leaf to be attached to the tree at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice. You can find our more about the charity here...
The tree was constructed from sheets of copper. Prior to working with the metal a paper template was used to help with the layout of the branches. After cutting the shape, texture was applied with various hammers before heating the metal to oxidised the surface. Each branch was individually made by hand.
Several different etched leaf designs including; oak, sycamore, horse chestnut, acer, lime, beech & ivy are suspended from the branches. The leaves also include a small brass 'tag' with names & messages applied.
Then in 2017 a much larger tree was commissioned for CHC in memory of Dianh Mary Teagle by her family. This was to be wall mounted in a quiet space this time at St Julia's Hospice in Hayle.
The initial layout had to be planned in our garden as it was too large for my studio space! This template was then tried at the hospice to ensure it would be large enough to fill the area planned. Once we were all happy many hours were then spent hammering & texturing the copper surface to create a bark like effect.
Little birds & acorns were added to the branches so that the tree did not look too sparse in the beginning before the leaves started to be installed. Once again a variety of leaves have been suspended from the branches over the following years & the collection continues to grow.
It is possible to order your own copper or brass leaf with a personal message via the CHC here...
It is very special to think we have these 2 pieces permanently on display here in Cornwall. I am honored to be able to offer something which may help people, with something I have made, when coming to terms with the loss of a loved one or to mark a memory but also support CHC at the same time.
I am currently in the process of designing a proposal for another larger scale free standing metal tree in Worcestershire which will be another challenge! It is sometimes good to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Watch this space for updates...
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Following on from the previous post about Ponckle we thought it was about time to introduce you to our cat family. Anyone who knows Tim & myself will also know that we love cats! We find it very difficult to walk past any cat without saying hello. We of course have our own feline friends.
The current 'Cat Clan' as we often refer to them includes:
Timmy is a rescue cat with 3 legs who was already called 'Tim' we thought this might be confusing so he became 'Timmy'. He is the oldest of our family now since the passing of our lovely Taboo last year. He often comes into the studio but likes sunbathing on the terrace the best or at this time of year being in front of the log burner. He has a very loud 'trill' type purr. He doesn't seem to notice he only has three legs & has a very strong tail which helps his balance.
Barnaby (the chonk) loves his food. He doesn't like having his photograph taken & is not really a 'lap cat'. A little nervous despite being such a big cat! We don't feed him anymore than any of the other cats but he must be hoovering up any leftovers. He hates going to the vets & it is always a wrestle to get him in the cat carrier!
Sidney Six Diners who was a stray cat that took around 2 years to move in with us completely after having the freedom of St Ives & probably responsible for several litters of kittens. He is a glossy black colour even his whiskers & paw pads are black. He loves to sit on your lap & has a loud purr. He will still occasionally go 'walk-about' but thankfully returns safely. He has a little kink at the end of his tail which happened before he joined us. You often wonder what lives these animals have led before you meet them?
Treacle (soft paws) is the latest addition. Her main objective is to destroy every blind in the house which we hope she will grow out of soon!! She is always interested in what you are doing especially if that means she can play with pencils or brushes etc. She really has the softest nature. The others have taken to her really well although Sidney thinks she belongs to him!
There is a well know poem about cats & St Ives...
A version of this anonymous riddle was seen on a manuscript dating from approximately 1730. Cats were of course important in the town while it was a busy fishing port to keep the rats & mice under control.
There are still a few to be found around and about although the majority live on the outskirts of town like ours. It is rare to walk down to our gallery from home without spotting one or two in windows or gardens along the way. We give them our own names such as; 'Spag cat', 'Pushka cat' or 'Sid's kids' (lots of black cats down the road!) We also have a couple of visitors to our own garden which live locally. 'Handsome cat' real name 'Arnie' visits daily & 'Teddy' would move in if we would let him!
We would find it hard not to include cats in our lives. They bring us much enjoyment, comfort & laughter alongside the fluffy deposits around the cottage. They all have such different characters & funny little ways.
A while ago I created a little range of cat jewellery. There is a selection available at the gallery & also on the website here
We have several cat themed pieces at the gallery too such as small paintings, ceramics, textiles & greetings cards. I am sure we will continue to share our love of cats just like Ponckle did previously. We enjoy chats with visitors about their cat families too & photographs are often shared.
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When we relocated to our current gallery space in 2021 it was particularly apt the the artist Ponckle had worked from the same gallery from 1985 -2005. Ponckle Fletcher 'the cat painter of St Ives' was a prolific artist & she lived/worked in St Ives for any years. Those of you who are not from the area may not be aware of her work so I thought I would share a little information.
We were lucky enough to meet Ponckle on our first ever visit to St Ives, before we moved here ourselves. She was then working from a studio in Whites Old Workshops on Porthmeor Road if we remember correctly. She was certainly a memorable character & it took us quite a while to select a painting - being big cat fans it was difficult to choose! We think this was one of the first ever original paintings we bought together & it still hangs in our cottage today.
A brief history: Born in Chingford in 1934 the oldest of 5, she explored her artistic side from the start. She married at the early age of 17 to Ken Moule, who was responsible for the name 'Ponckle'. However she moved to Paris, divorced & then remarried, in 1964, to photographer Trevor Clark. She had 2 sons & they all moved to Mallorca in 1969. 7 years later she was back in England & divorced again.
It was 1978 when she moved to St Ives with her sons; Gavin & Jack. She opened up a little gallery in her house on Norway Lane before the move to Island Square. Ponckle became well known for her cat paintings, selling many from her gallery. The gallery itself she embellished with flowers & plants on the terrace making it a very colourful place.
We are unsure of the year but on a return visit to Cornwall Tim & I managed to visit Ponckle for afternoon tea in her home. Somewhere I have a photograph of Tim 'draped in cats' - pre-digital so an actual print stuffed in a box probably.
In 2004 Ponckle suffered a stroke which impacted her physically. She sold the gallery & then painted from her home. She very sadly died of pneumonia in 2012. You can read her obituary here
We like to think Ponckle would approve of how we have the gallery now. There is definitely a bit of a 'cat theme' which often prompts conversations with visitors about our own feline family & of course about Ponckle, whom lots of people fondly remember.
Over the years we have gradually been trying to collect a few Ponckle pieces especially as it would be nice to bring them back to the gallery. We have several pencil drawings, a couple of wooden plaques & a plaster cat figure!
There is a great book 'Ponckle The Cat Painter of St Ives' which we have - I believe we bought it from the Tate some years ago. This book includes more details about her life & lots of photographs/images of artwork. It is now out of print but copies do pop up on Ebay or Amazon from time to time. We keep our copy at the gallery so do ask if you would like to see it next time you visit.
When having a look online for information we found this short video on YouTube 'Ponckle remembered' which is worth a look...watch it here There is also a little article written in 2014 here
Last week we purchased a selection of greetings cards which feature our gallery & several recognisable places around St Ives. Most of these were printed by St Ives Printing & Publishing Company. We are always on the look out for more Ponckle pieces so let us know if you find any for sale!
To start the year off I completed an online course with artist Kitty Hillier with the St Ives School of Painting. This course 'Seaweed, seabed, cove & coast' I had purchased previously in 2022 but did not have the space until the next January to fully immerse myself in the process. This was a great way to start the year with some creative play over the first couple of weeks of the year.
In January I also had a painting 'Contours' accepted at the Penwith Gallery Associates show. I also completed several new paintings in preparation for the year ahead & continued to do daily sketchbook pages.
In late February I began work on some new metalwork ideas which continued into March resulting in framed 'Metallic texture' pieces. (I wrote a little blog post about that here)
April was another course with Kitty Hillier this time actually taking place at the School of Painting exploring the landscape & abstraction. It was wonderful to spend 3 days mark making & I created a sketchbook with some of the many papers made during the course.
This month also was when I finally completed a range of jewellery inspired by Barbara Hepworth & the St Ives Troika pottery - again see post here. I am really pleased with how this collection has been received.
April 12th was also significant as it marked 2 years in our Island Square gallery but also 10 years since moving to Cornwall. That time has gone so fast!
We fitted in workshops with both Natalie Day & then Pete Ward in the spring.
May was busy in the gallery & workshop creating work for one of the only summer events I was showing at in Warwickshire. 'Serendipitous' was a really successful exhibition at Clay Barn with Louise Darby in June (see post here)
June was also the month that little Treacle joined the cat clan! She has been a joy & fitted in really well with the others. Very sadly we had to say goodbye to Taboo at the end of August. She had been a really great cat for many years.
The summer months of July & August flew by as always! The gallery & Back Road Artworks were both busy with lots of metalwork sales & several paintings going off to new homes. Despite the weather we still managed to make the most of the hectic few months. I took part in the annual CRUK event at St Just (see post) which was so well supported as usual.
Another excellent course was with Hilary Gibson at the end of July (see here) such a lovely opportunity to spend time in the Hepworth Garden & the School of Painting again. I did say this year was about exploring new ideas so lots of workshops & courses made up a large part of my time. I also gave a little demo at the St Ives Arts Club Friday Art group with my sketchbook explorations.
September is one of my favourite months in St Ives with lots happening & usually still nice weather to enjoy. Further workshops with Natalie Day & Virginie this month. We also went underground into a tin mine with Cornwall Underground Adventures for Tim's birthday - quite a challenge for me!
This month I finally introduced some 9 ct gold limpets to my range of jewellery. These are currently only available in the gallery however I do plan to list some on the website next year.
October allowed me to create some more paintings & recently one of those 'Copper mine' sold at Back Road Artworks. We climbed up inside Truro Cathedral for the 'Celestial heights' tour & saw the incredible 'Gaia' installation.
Lots of preparation for the only Christmas event this year; 'Makers' at Penryn in early November. Really well attended & fabulous sales. It is such a well organised event & all the exhibitors seemed to do well this year.
The end of November was a course at Newlyn School of Art with Dan Pyne - see post which was totally inspiring & will start 2024 with further explorations!
We also did a couple of little workshops at the Leach Pottery just down the road from our cottage making a slip decorated plate & some winter decorations. It is great to have such a resource so close at hand. It is always tempting when you pop into the gallery shop though!
December things start to really quieten down in St Ives. We put up some festive decorations & enjoy the emptiness of the town - not great for business but nice when it is calm.
We are so grateful for another year here in beautiful St Ives & for all the support from our customers. It has been a balance of hard work & time to enjoy where we live; visiting exhibitions, the coast, gardens, theatre & enjoying some great food. Looking forward to a busy & fulfilling 2024!
We will be closing the gallery on Friday 22nd December for a little while. During January we will open by arrangement so please contact us if you would like to visit.
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Day One:
To get everyone started with mark making without a paintbrush we were supplied with a primed board with which to work. After applying a coat of paint we were encouraged to alter the surface with a cloth & sticks etc to remove areas of paint, create different tones & see how much variation we could achieve on that one surface.
This was followed by more paint applications on various boards, applying alcohol (very strong stuff not just cheap vodka!) which reacted with the paint to create really interesting effects. Some layers were allowed to dry in between & used wet.
Next we tried acetate as a medium to effect paint surfaces - again unique results!
After lunch it was time for some spray paint! Mixing with water made some amazing surfaces. Something I will try further experiments with in my own studio. By the end of the first day I had amassed quite a selection of colourful boards & papers. My palette was inspired by various photographs from around Cornwall of interesting surfaces such as rust, lichen, peeling paint & rocks. I find it helpful to work with a limited palette of colours within my work.
Day 2:
The second day of the course was more about texture. We explored adding a selection of substances to an acrylic medium & adding to board/paper. We used: shredded paper, plaster, vermiculite, wood shavings, pumice & quartz among other things. These sample pieces were then allowed to dry over night as some of the surfaces were very thickly applied.
I created a further sheet with examples of textures made by pressing such things as mesh, grids, bubblewrap, nets, sponges into a wet surface for more subtle effects. These dried more quickly so I was able to highlight the raised areas with graphite.
After lunch it was time for more heavily textured surfaces. Working with a type of fine plaster I applied a first layer onto wooden board - you have around 15 minutes before it starts to harden so need to work reasonably fast! Allowing this surface to dry I then added another layer & using some stencils made impressions into the second soft surface. These were put aside until the next day.
One of the most exciting things I found from this course was the introduction to metal powders of which I had no previous knowledge. The addition of cast iron powder & copper powder was a revelation! To be able to add rusty/verdigris effects to my paintings is going to lead to a whole new direction in my work which is very exciting!
Day 3:
After an evening of looking up metal powders & thinking about new casting ideas I was buzzing with enthusiasm. Today was an continuation of what we had been exploring over the previous 2 days. Adding further surfaces to some of the textures & painted pieces. The addition of rust to some of my texture samples was particularly pleasing to me.
I have 2 pieces ongoing with plaster surfaces. I have added some paint but plan to explore the rust & verdigris in my garden studio over the coming weeks.
I plan to allow myself January 2024 to dedicate to painting & experimenting. Our gallery will be closed for the month so plenty of opportunity to 'play with purpose' as Dan would say!
If the course is something you fancied having a go at yourself it is running again next year & you can find out more information here I can really recommend the Newlyn School of Art as a venue & Dan is certainly an excellent tutor.
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Yesterday we did our stewarding session at the Art & Craft exhibition in St Just. This incredible fund raising event, organised entirely by volunteers, reached the fantastic milestone of one million pounds for Cancer Research UK in 2019. Last year the show returned after the Covid restrictions relaxed & 2023 is looking like another bumper year.
This year I am exhibiting a range of my metalwork & greetings cards at the show. Usually my space is a quite compact 4 ft table however we were given the option of a 6 ft table this time so I have been able to display the work better (in my opinion!)
For the first time I have also included some artwork, some small unframed texture pieces plus 3 special paintings I created especially for the event. Newlyn I - III are inspired by the colourful boats with the distressed paint surfaces & buoys in Newlyn harbour. One of these sold on the first day & I think a further piece has gone to a new home too which is great news!
The show is open daily from 10am - 7pm (apart from the last day this Friday when it closes at 5pm). There is a huge array of handmade work including textiles, ceramics, woodwork, stone carving, jewellery, metalwork, paper & artwork. Lots of visitors say they start their Christmas shopping at this event & there are certainly lots of items to get you thinking!
We will be collecting the unsold work & helping with the breakdown of the show this Saturday. With a bit of luck there won't be too much to bring back!?
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As part of my year of personal development I had booked this course with the St Ives School of Painting. I am not a huge fan of water colour as a medium but the opportunity to develop ideas from being in the Barbara Hepworth Garden was such a great opportunity. Also it is good to try new things!
DAY 1
After an introduction to each of the participants (there were 9 of us), Hilary herself & to the School of Painting for those who had not visited before we then took the short stroll to the sculpture garden. Luckily we managed to avoid the showers - I do not enjoy drawing in the rain I'm afraid! The gardens were not busy either so we were able to sketch & observe the sculptures & wonderful plants without too many other people there. I made several quick pencil drawings as suggested but found it was really the gestural marks I made to represent the feelings of the sculptures which were more successful in my opinion. I do not usually draw with pencil preferring to work with a fine line pen so this was also out of my comfort zone.
After lunch we returned to the studio & began working with paint. We were mixing colours to try to obtain a verdigris & bronze tone which was right up my street! This was followed by applying some washes to the pages in our sketch book in preparation for the next day. One of the new discoveries for me, generously shared by Hilary, was the use of cling film! Applying it to wet paint & allowing to dry creates the most incredible surface effects. I want to try this with acrylic too (my usual medium).
Upon returning home I printed several photographs I had taken during the day for a visual reference of some of the colours & textures.
DAY 2
Today we were working in ink - which I do prefer if I am honest. We explored some mark making techniques before returning to the garden for further sketching. It is prohibited for you to use water/paint etc within the garden/museum so this had to be done after the visit. I do tend to work quite quickly so I did produce several sketches within our lovely little water colour book supplied by the school - A 5 size with a nice quality paper. Most of my spreads are over the 2 pages too which I also prefer to do.
I did a couple of drawings of the sculptures with the garden & included some of the architectural plants too which offer great contrasts to the surfaces of the pieces. At the time I didn't particularly like these drawings but in retrospect I think they are ok. What I did discover though that it is important to still draw & observe things properly, to spend time really looking. You do not have to complete a 'perfect' illustration but you can capture a moment or feeling at the time.
Upon returning back to the studio we continued to work in the sketchbooks for the final hour.
DAY 3
Hilary gave us the option to return to the garden again for further drawing or stay at the studio. She also gave us some coloured paper to work on for a different effect. This drawing is one which I particularly like enough though I had avoided drawing that sculpture previously! It was very interesting for me to visit the garden on several occasions (of course I have been numerous times before but never to draw) & each time I was drawn to a different sculpture or area of the garden. I will definitely make time to go on a more regular basis with a sketchbook of course.
The final part of the course was spent back at the studio to continue with the drawings or paintings we had started. I was slightly determined to complete my sketch book if possible so worked quite intensely on the last few pages.
I started to isolate some of the imagery from the photographs thinking how I may use some of them in my metalwork or jewellery. I even started to incorporate some of the photos into the pages. Something I will continue to do as they are an important reference to the course.
So after 3 days I am not converted to water colour painting completely but it is a useful tool especially to get rid of the 'white page' of a new sketch book. I loved the cling film effect & mixing colours. I have rediscovered the importance of drawing & observing. I am pleased with the reference book I have created & the memory of the time spent within the sculpture garden.
I have not booked another course yet but I am looking forward to perhaps doing something different again in the winter months. I can really recommend the St Ives School of Painting if you are considering a course yourself as the tutors, resources & location are fabulous!
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It is the first time in 20+ years that I have not exhibited at the RHS Spring Garden event with the Worcestershire Guild. This is usually my first big event of the year. As 2023 is a 'time out' for development of new work etc. I will not be showing.
However one event which had been booked for a while was 'Serendipitous' with fellow maker Louise Darby....
This is Louise's 40th anniversary summer exhibition & I have shown at her venue on several occasions over the years. The exhibition is always a delight with carefully curated artists & makers who are invited to join Louise in her wonderful space. Many visitors also enjoy the garden which is a further beautiful display & wildlife haven.
I intend to exhibit a range of my metalwork & jewellery including the latest 'Texture & pattern' pieces. As there is less than a month until set up I had better get busy in the studio!
Tim will be remaining in St Ives while I am away so our St Ives gallery will be open as usual.
]]>Last month I had the news that I had not been looking forward to...my etcher was retiring. Even though this was not a complete shock it is still sad as I have been using the same company since I started my business in 1991. I may well be able to find another company who can continue to produce my etched metal components but this my take some future research.
This news prompted me to start to develop some new work. Ideas which had been 'bubbling' for a while. Taking some of the Barbara Hepworth/Troika pottery imagery & designing larger one-off metalwork pieces. This also links in with the latest jewellery collection I've been working on too.
Starting with paper models I began by cutting out some of these stylised shapes. Then heating & manipulating the copper & brass, embossing wires into the surface for linear effects & hammering surface indentations. Further interest & individual results are created by applying different fluxes then heating the metal again. Each section is a completely unique piece.
Once I had a little 'collection' I started to arrange them into groups. I wanted to have the pieces at different heights to has further interest. After some experimentation I decided to mount the metal onto wooden blocks of various sizes. These are then applied to the white open tray mount frame. The finished 'Metallic texture' pieces have a slightly 'retro' feel to them which evokes some of the 1960s/70s inspiration.
I have begun to explore a slighter larger scale too. These individual pieces can be enlarged even further to create an even more dramatic interpretation.
Currently this work is only available from our St Ives gallery as I am slightly concerned about the practicality of posting them. However please feel free to contact us if you are interested in purchasing.
Prices from £260 - £895
The next development I am hoping to explore is some free standing sculptural 3D pieces of this nature. I am looking forward to seeing where this leads me.
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I've been busy the past week working on some new jewellery ideas. This has been in the pipeline for the past 2 years & I'm only just able to spend the time to develop the new collection now!
I set March aside to create new 'masters' for a range of more abstract designs. It has been some time since I worked on any jewellery other than my popular limpet shell pieces. I started with some sketch ideas last October while at my St Ives Arts Club exhibition. I was referencing Barbara Hepworth's incredible work & the interesting surfaces & patterns in Troika Pottery from St Ives.
My designs are usually quite simple line drawings in fine pen which I will scale up or down depending on whether I plan for them to be brooches, pendants or earrings. I selected a few of my favourites from my sketchbook & photocopied them for reference. Then I finalised the sizing & prepared to saw pierce them out of thick copper sheet.
The casting 'masters' are what I use to recreate my jewellery in either silver or a base metal. These can be made from a variety of materials but I tend to use copper & brass. It is worth spending the time to perfect these pieces as they will be reproduced again & again from the original once a mould has been made. The jewellery components will be created using the lost wax casting process which is done by a specialist firm in the Jewellery Quarter which I have used for the past 30 years! The quality of the castings is always excellent.
I use a very simple process to transfer the design to the metal by tracing the image & gluing the paper to the metal with spray mount. This enables me to follow the line easily to saw out the shapes. If the pieces have an area which is cut out I will drill a hole with my very old hand drill (which was my grandads) to insert the saw blade to be able to cut out any pierced sections.
When I have cut & filed the various metal pieces I then start to solder then together to create relief patterns.
As part of the casting process you need to add a 'sprew' which is the way in which the metal flows into the piece. I have some off cuts of thick brass rod which I use for these. When the pieces are cast the sprews are cut off & filed to remove any remaining metal.
These new 'patterns' have now been polished & today are in the post off to the caster to be reproduced in silver & a base metal. I will then explore different combinations & surface treatments of the pieces to create a cohesive range which I am calling the 'Texture & pattern collection'. It is always exciting to receive the first batch of new castings!
As soon as I have this new work available I will list some for sale on the website.
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I had been contacted by fellow artist James Eddy to work with him on a permanent installation in the Stewards House which was being refurbished at the time. It sounded a really exciting opportunity to be involved with such a great organisation.
So work commenced on new etching artwork to create larger oak leaves than the ones I already produced. James was busy working on the actual oak to sculpt a 'tree' from which the oak leaves would be suspended. This was formed from a section of fallen oak from the actual garden. We visited the site to get an idea of scale & realised we were going to need a lot of leaves!!
As the first part of the year is a quieter time in St Ives it was perfect timing so I was able to concentrate on heating, colouring & soldering all those leaves. Some were left as single pieces & others were attached to thicker wires to form a 'bunch'. It had also been discussed about the possibility of some acorns to add to the leaves. This resulted in some solid cast brass versions which are hiding among the leaves & branches.
Work continued on the building work at the site over the summer & when we were able to install the leaves Tim, James & I spent quite a while positioning & fixing them one by one into the oak structure. This was an organic process & we did not really know until we had finished if it was going to be enough leaves!?
However the final leaf was fixed & we are delighted with the overall effect & impact of the installation. Tim & I did not actually get back to Heligan until December to see the totally finished setting. It was wonderful to be able to sit in one of the chairs & look up to see the results of all the hard work. Also the visitor & staff response has been so positive with lots of compliments.
It was a pleasure to create work for 'The Lightening Dancer' with James Eddy which is going to be viewed by so many people for many years to come.
If you would like your own little oak leaf I have added some to the website here
Rick is the creative behind the @cornishlives project which features people living & working by the Cornish coast from violin makers to a sky diving instructor! Working on film rather than digitally he produces really interesting images. I am thrilled with the pictures he has produced documenting my studio & processes.
Rick spent the morning with me in my garden studio in St Ives chatting about my ideas & techniques while taking photographs. He told me not to tidy up the space beforehand!
Rick has a website with further details of his work here...
Instagram @cornishlives @rickjdavy
* All images shown here are taken by Rick Davy
]]>Due to my other work commitments I actually did not work on this on a daily basis like I would normally, instead I spent an afternoon in the studio & did the pieces all in one go.
The first stage was making some natural 'brushes' using things around or from the garden.
I used feathers, dried leaves, bark type material, stems, seed heads & of course some seaweed!
I selected a limited number of ink colours which I watered down (i'm not sure why!? - to save ink possibly) which gave quite subtle marks.
It was very enjoyable to work with these ephemeral materials. Some of the marks would have been very difficult to create with a regular paintbrush. I am not sure yet what I will do with the 31 papers I made but I am sure they will appear in some sketch book or become a collage in some way in the future.
The prompt for November is 'Painting on wood'. I have not been able to make a start yet as it's been busy with orders & the Makers fair however I have a little space this week to get going! I have decided that I will step down from the #365dailycreate project next year in my attempt to free up some time. There will not be another exhibition of this work in 2023 unfortunately but some of the members may take up the initiative & continue in some way.
I will still strive to be creative everyday in some form!
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A new list of prompts was decided upon & away we went again from the 1st March. Personally I decided to use different formats each month rather than the luggage labels I did before. So far I have used mount board squares, khadi paper, sketch book pages & even metal one month.
We are considering the possibility of another exhibition in February 2023 once again the the Crypt Gallery here in St Ives depending on availability. Once this is confirmed I will let you know!
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I had to have a bit of a tidy up in the garden studio last month as things had got a little out of hand! This tends to happen after the build up to a show or exhibition when time is limited. Anyway I though I would share with you some pictures of my workspace while is was reasonably tidy & organised!
On occasion one of the cats will join me in the studio - usually if it is feeding time! Although we have 4 cats it is normally Taboo (shown here) or Timmy that comes in. Generally I am making too much noise for them to stay very long.
The garden itself is looking rather lush too at the moment with the gunnera & fatsia taking over the front of the studio. These were planted not long after we moved in so they have grown considerably in 9 years! We also have quite a collection of lovely succulents which of course love the mild climate here in St Ives. I'm afraid the hostas in the pots at the front have already been munched. we have had a badger visit the garden recently but obviously the slug & snail banquet was too much for them this time.
I am sure the space will need reorganising again before too long after a period of making. It always feels much better have a bit of a spruce up! Although of course it is a 'creative mess'!
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We started by going down to the beach (it was a glorious sunny afternoon!) to collect different varieties of seaweed from the rocky areas. We made sure not to take any that were still attached & there were plenty to choose from. Even pieces which were out of the water would re-hydrate to wonderfully delicate colourful examples. We all returned to the mill with little buckets of natural wonders to work with.
The process of selecting the suitable seaweeds for pressing was the difficulty as there were so many lovely pieces to choose from. We had trays of water to suspend the seaweed in & after deciding on the piece we carefully submerged a piece of water colour paper underneath. Lifting the paper out keeping the seaweed in position was the tricky bit! However you could use a paintbrush to delicately adjust any fine fronds back into place.
Then after leaving to drain a little we sandwiched the paper into layers of baking parchment & newspaper. This was then temporarily bound together to keep the layers safe. We actually purchased the pressing kits so we could firmly press everything as we were not going straight home. We have since changed the paper layers & are patiently waiting to see how things dry!!
I am not a very patient person so I am itching to see how the pressings have worked! We are going to leave them a full week before looking again & changing any paper if necessary?
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We have been so lucky with the weather recently here in St Ives. The Easter holidays were glorious for all the visitors to the town, warm enough for some beach days. Our gallery was only open for limited times this month, as earlier Tim had an operation (he is fine but just needs time to heal!), I would be in my studio making in the mornings then going down to open up in the afternoons. This seemed to work OK but next week I am away so we will probably have to close for a few days.
Evenings have been a little chilly at Myrtle Cottage so the cats have enjoyed having the log burner lit...a very rare sight of all 4 of them together - they didn't stay like this for long!
I am off back up to Worcestershire to show at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival with the Worcestershire Guild of Contemporary Craft. We will be in the Wye Hall at the top of the Three counties Showground in Malvern. The show runs for 4 days & is an excellent (& busy) event. I will be showing some of my latest creations which include some new sea inspired pieces.
This year I only plan to exhibit at 3 events; this one, The Malvern Autumn Show & an exhibition at the St Ives Arts Club in October. Unlike a few years ago when I used to be racing around doing shows every month I find I cannot fit it in anymore. Plus I am not sure I have quite so much energy either!
The Oak Project is something which has been ongoing during January & February. I was approached by artist James Eddy to work on a collaborative installation at the Lost Gardens of Heligan here in Cornwall. If you have never been I would highly recommend a visit - but maybe wait a little while until our project is completed in the next couple of months!
So I have been creating nearly 500 oak leaves in copper for this piece. Each one as variation in pattern, colour & texture just like in nature. They should look amazing when combined with the oak wood that James is working on. There will be more details when we install the finished artwork.
I will be bringing a small collection of oak leaves with me to the Malvern event so visitors will be able to get an insight into how the leaves will look.
We hope the gallery will be back to normal opening hours as soon as possible!
Once again apologies for the lack of metalwork pieces available on the website - it is a struggle to keep up with making at the moment! You can always message me if you are looking for something in particular which I can make to order. I do have a good selection of pieces on display at Back Road Artworks here in St Ives which is open 7 days a week.
I hope you get the chance to enjoy the spring sunshine & maybe visit us here in Cornwall or maybe I will see some of you up in Malvern!?
]]>In January 2021 I created a small private group on Facebook & invited other artists & friends to take part. As this was not on public view, only shared between the group, there was no pressure to make ‘works of art’! It was just for fun & so enjoyable to connect & see what each participant was all up to?
A list of ‘prompts’ was supplied with 2 ideas per month to choose from giving a loose starting point for the theme.
Towards the end of 2021 we began to think we needed to share this body of work with a wider audience so the idea of this exhibition started to evolve. Some of us have never shown our work to the public before & it is an exciting opportunity to meet & discuss ideas with other creative people & visitors to St Ives.
The exhibition includes a selection of work by 10 of the participants, some from St Ives & others further afield. Not all are professional or full time artists but all found the experience of a daily creative endeavour to be a really positive experience.
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We just wanted to explain why there will be an increase in our prices this month. After running our small business for 30 years we have now reached the VAT threshold! This is a double edged sword as obviously it means that the business is doing well at the moment but it also means extra admin work! We will now have to add a further 20% to all our prices. This of course does not go to us...we just pass it on to HMRC.
We try really hard to keep our work reasonably priced & affordable. This has become more difficult recently with the cost of materials creeping up especially metal both precious & non-precious. Moving to the new gallery has been brilliant but the expenses are higher of course.
Hopefully you will still feel our work is worth investing in & you are supporting an independent UK businesses. We appreciate all of our customers, some of whom have been encouraging for many years & some have only recently discovered our work.
Thank you
Sharon & Tim
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This summer has been incredibly busy here in St Ives - in fact the busiest we have know it since moving here in 2013. The new gallery location has meant an increase in footfall & much better resulting sales! Visitors have been very positive about the space & the work certainly appears to display better in the brighter environment. A result of all this means that I have been struggling to keep up with making ( a very nice position to be in but does add to the pressure when you make everything yourself!!).
As the following weeks do start to slow down a little I hope to be able to start listing work on the website again....with Christmas in mind I will add more of the decorations in particular asap. The metalwork is more tricky obviously as takes much longer to create. I also have to sometimes wait for my brilliant framer to fulfill frame orders as he is always in demand! I have several commission pieces to complete over the next few weeks & then may have some stock!?
I would suggest if you are thinking of something particular for Christmas to get in touch soon to ensure I have time to make & send out. I am not exhibiting at any fairs this year & my last exhibition was earlier this month. I am also no longer involved with the Guild of Ten in Truro so really the St Ives gallery, Back Road Artworks or the website are the only places to find my work at the moment.
The gallery is currently still open 6 days a week but this may reduce a little in Nov/Dec which will enable Tim to help me with the making! We then plan to close for January - not for a holiday unfortunately but to catch up with planned work on the cottage.
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