YORK Musical Theatre Company will present a digital concert, Off-Stage But Online!, tomorrow night on YouTube.
The 7.30pm show will feature 20 home-made videos from company members performing songs from the world of musical theatre, including Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Guys And Dolls, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret and more besides.
Company member and publicist Anna Mitchelson says: “People suggested
what they’d like to sing and director Paul Laidlaw put the concert programme
together.”
The digital concert will open with a lovely instrumental on the piano by
musical director John Atkin: Music In The Night from The Phantom Of The Opera.
To follow will be: Amy Lacy singing Over The Rainbow (The Wizard Of Oz);
Dave Martin, If I Can’t Love Her (Beauty And The Beast); Jessa Liversidge, Take
Me To The World, and Matthew Clare, Out There (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame).
Jessa Liversidge: Two contributions to Off-Stage But Online!
Rachel Higgs will perform Someone To Watch Over Me from George Gershwin’s Oh, Kay!; Jessa and Mick Liversidge, Anything You Can Do (Annie Get Your Gun); Eleanor Leaper, Maybe This Time (Cabaret); Matthew Ainsworth, This Is Not Over Yet (Parade) and Holly Inch, The Spark Of Creation (Eden).
Chris Gibson’s choice is Poisoning Pigeons In The Park; Heather Richmond, I’d Give My Life For You (Miss Saigon); Mick Liversidge, Luck Be A Lady (Guys And Dolls); Marlena Kelli, I Don’t Know How To Love Him (Jesus Christ Superstar) and Chris Mooney, Hold Me In Your Heart (Kinky Boots).
Next will be Charlotte Wetherell’s rendition of What I Did For Love (A
Chorus Line); John Haigh’s Who Should I Wake Up? (Cabaret); Chris Gibson and
Marlena Kelli’s You’re Just In Love (Call Me Madam); Flo Taylor’s I Dreamed A
Dream (Les Miserables) and Peter Wookie’s Stars (Les Miserables).
LAST
weekend should have been spent visiting other people’s homes, not staying home.
This weekend too.
This is not
a cabin-fevered call for a foolhardy Trumpian dropping of the guard on
Covid-19, but a forlorn wish that York Open Studios 2020 could have been just
that: York Open Studios. Instead, they will be York Shut Studios.
Nevertheless,
in the absence of the opportunity to meet 144 artists at 100 locations,
banished by the Coronavirus lockdown,
CharlesHutchPress is determinedly championing the creativity of York’s artists
and makers, who would have been showcasing their ceramics, collage, digital,
illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, print, photography, sculpture
and textiles skills.
Each day,
in brochure order, a handful of artists who now miss out on the exposure of
Open Studios are being given a pen portrait on these pages, because so much art
and craft will have been created for the event and still needs a new home. Home
and studio addresses will not be included at this lockdown time.
Meanwhile,
York Open Studios artists are finding their own way to respond to the shutdown
by filling their windows for #openwindowsyork2020, while plenty are showcasing
their work over the York Open Studios period online. Visit
yorkopenstudios.co.uk to take your own virtual tour.
The website says: “We’re
doing a Virtual Open Studios, with artists posting based on a daily theme for
the ten days spanning our two weekends. They’ll be showing you their studios
and workshops, favourite processes, answering your questions, and of course
lots of pictures of their new work.
“Search for
#YorkOpenStudios anywhere on social media or follow your favourite artists to
see more.”
First, however, here are six more artists and makers for you to discover…
Birds Heart, by Sarah Raphael-Balme
Sarah Raphael-Balme, painting
SARAH makes figurative
work spanning interiors, gardens, portraits and decorative motifs usually
involving figures or creatures, painted mainly in oil, sometimes in gouache.
Sarah Raphael-Balme: Painting in oil and gouache
A graduate of Chelsea
College of Art, Sarah has shown her work widely in the UK and USA. Her
illustrations are published by IPC magazines, BBC publications, Heinneman and
countless others.
She is exhibiting solo with House of Hackney concurrently in New York and London. Go to instagram.com/raphael_balme for more.
The Enchanted Forest, depicting the sacred and spiritual nature of trees, from Lesley Seeger’s 2020 series, Whispers Of Spring
Lesley Seeger, painting
INSPIRED by the natural world, Lesley paints landscapes and abstract florals, her lyrical work marked by an exploration of the emotional impact of colour.
“Although
all my work begins ‘in the field’ with observation, ‘painting what I see’, I
realise that it quickly becomes, ‘how what I see makes me feel’. How trees and
hills and furrow sit together in the language of light and dark,” she says.
“I’m
interested in the significance of place. This might be somewhere well known,
such as Ripon Cathedral or the White Horse at Kilburn, or a random field or
view in which the way things are placed in the landscape makes it out of the
ordinary.”
“I like to think of my paintings as talismans,” says Lesley Seeger
Lesley
is a self-taught artist, whose work over 23 years now has been inspired by
sculpture studies at York College, as much as by the art of Gillian Ayres,
Howard Hodgkin, Elizabeth Blackadder, Mary Fedden and Ivon Hitchens.
“At a certain point, the painting takes over and I become interested in pattern, mark making, colour and texture as vehicles of expanding what I see,” she says. “The work becomes intuitive…. a hybrid between the observed and imagined, the seen and felt.’
Born in Newcastle in 1958,Lesley studied English and Media at Southampton University, then worked in theatre and publishing and qualified as an art therapist at Sheffield Hallam University. She worked for several years in community arts in York, most notably a six-year residency at York Hospital, where she ran art projects in the renal unit.
Ripe Corn Before The Storm, by Lesley Seeger
Last year she was artist-in-residence
at the Yorkshire Arboretum, near Castle Howard; this year, she holds the same
post at Brisons Veor, Cape Cornwall.
Lesley, who runs
painting workshops, published the art book Coming Home, A Contemporary
Colourist’s Approach To English Landscape in late-2016, and also designs cards
and linen cushions. Upcoming shows pencilled in for 2020 are Art for Youth
North and Art& York, both in October.
“I like to think of my paintings as talismans,” she says. “They will reveal themselves over time with their rich histories of place, layers and colour.” Time to visit lesleyseeger.com.
Bangle Pair, by Evie Leach
Evie Leach, jewellery
EVIE decided to follow her creative passion by
studying jewellery and silversmithing at the Birmingham School of Jewellery.
There, her basic knowledge, learned from her
jeweller parents, transformed into traditional skills.
Evie Leach at work
Her trademark is angular
designs with inspiration taken from geometry found in nature and architecture,
while more recent designs include semi-precious gemstones set beside angled
clusters of gold and silver to create dynamic, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Not only would PICA Studios jeweller Evie have been taking part in York Open Studios, but also her husband, self-taught artist Mick Leach, would have been making his YOS debut. Cast an eye over her designs at evieleach.co.uk.
The Hairy Fig and Kiosk, in Fossgate, by Ric Laptrot
Ric Liptrot, illustration
FREELANCE illustrator Ric
captures everyday life in York, depicting its distinctive and much-loved sites
in acrylics, pencils, collage and mono-print.
“I’m inspired by the architecture and scenes of
York,” says the PICA Studios artist. “I combine my passion for these buildings
with my support for the independent businesses York has to offer.
Ric Liptrot: Inspired by the architecture and scenes of York
“I’m an ambassador for these shops, bars and cafés
and believe they’re important in helping communities grow.”
Take a look at Ric’s illustrations that “capture the places loved by the local community” at liptrotillustration.co.uk.
Ursa Major And Minor, by Katrina Mansfield
Katrina Mansfield, painting
KATRINA creates vivid,
fascinating “fluid art animal inks”, using alcohol ink on synthetic Yupo paper
to depict the animals, birds and insects.
The paper allows a
longer working time with the ink, “the most intriguing medium and at the same
time the most frustrating”.
“It can produce magical
results that you get lost in for hours and hours, but it can also destroy the most
striking pattern in the blink of an eye,” says Katrina. “It is exactly like
nature itself, devastatingly beautiful.”
“Ink is the most intriguing medium and at the same time the most frustrating,” says Katrina Mansfield
In turn, this is why she
chose the subject of animals. “The creatures of this Earth are both fragile and
unbreakable, they are flawless and yet also imperfect. They add colour to our
human lives, yet they are increasingly in danger of becoming extinct through
our actions. This series of works is a reminder to all that we need the
diversity, beauty and intelligence of these creatures in order to survive.”
Now a PICA Studios
artist, Katrina trained in fine art and scenic art at York College, Lincoln
University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She worked in
television, film and theatre for a decade, latterly in the West End and West
Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, before returning to York in 2018 to focus on
developing her new process of fluid art animal inks.
“The paintings take anything from one to four weeks to finish and are principally made without the use of a paintbrush,” she says. “I only use a brush if I have no other option or to place the white in the eyes; everything else is formed from the natural flow of the ink.” Animal ink magic awaits at katrinamansfieldartist.co.uk.
Wall hangings from Kitty Pennybacker’s textile range
Kitty Pennybacker, textiles
KNITWEAR designer Kitty combines
cording, knitting, weaving and felting to create a textile collection of super-soft
homeware items, such as wall hangings, neckerchiefs, baby blankets and knee
throws.
“The work re-imagines the tartan and tweed fabrics of my childhood in North Yorkshire,” says Kitty, who gained an MA in Fashion Design and Society from Parsons School of Design, New York, after her BA in Fashion Textiles Design at the University of Brighton.
She has worked within the fields of fashion and television in New York and London and is now part of the PICA Studios art and design hub. Learn more at kittypennybacker.com.
Kitty Pennybacker : Knitwear designer
TOMORROW: Mim Robson, Lesley Shaw, Elena Skoreyko Wagner, Ealish Wilson and Greg Winrow.
LAST
weekend should have been spent visiting other people’s homes, not staying home.
This weekend too.
This is not
a cabin-fevered call for a foolhardy Trumpian dropping of the guard on
Covid-19, but a forlorn wish that York Open Studios 2020 could have been just
that: York Open Studios. Instead, they will be York Shut Studios.
Nevertheless,
in the absence of the opportunity to meet 144 artists at 100 locations,
banished by the Coronavirus lockdown,
CharlesHutchPress is determinedly championing the creativity of York’s artists
and makers, who would have been showcasing their ceramics, collage, digital,
illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, print, photography, sculpture
and textiles skills.
Each day,
in brochure order, a handful of artists who now miss out on the exposure of
Open Studios are being given a pen portrait on these pages, because so much art
and craft will have been created for the event and still needs a new home. Home
and studio addresses will not be included at this lockdown time.
Meanwhile,
York Open Studios artists are finding their own way to respond to the shutdown
by filling their windows with their work instead. Look for #openwindowsyork2020
to locate them. “If you see one in your area while taking your daily exercise,
take a picture and let us know,” they say.
Furthermore,
look out for plenty of the 144 artists still showcasing their work over the
York Open Studios period online. Visit yorkopenstudios.co.uk to take
your own virtual tour.
The website says: “We’re
doing a Virtual Open Studios, with artists posting based on a daily theme for
the ten days spanning our two weekends. They’ll be showing you their studios
and workshops, favourite processes, answering your questions, and of course
lots of pictures of their new work!
“Search for
#YorkOpenStudios anywhere on social media or follow your favourite artists to
see more.”
First, however, here are six more artists and makers for you to discover…
Student artist Monica Marshall
Monica Marshall, mixed media, student
EMERGING artist Monica
is a fine art student at York St John University, where her practice centres on
coping with life and the psyche, and how this is affected by Asperger Syndrome.
“I explore the complexity
of emotion and the subconscious through the use of text and expressionist mark-making
in a variety of media, primarily through drawing, painting and printmaking,”
she says.
In her experimental art,
she plays with scale, distortion and using colour to convey certain emotions. “My work is mostly monochromatic, combining text alongside self-portraits
and other characters,” says Monica. “The results communicate a powerful message
while retaining elements of humour.”
“The results communicate a powerful message while retaining elements of humour,” says Monica Marshall of her art practice
She takes inspiration from German Expressionism, Surrealism and
outsider art. “In regard to media, I am very open-minded and experimental. My
preferred medium is usually printmaking, using a colour scheme consisting
primarily of red, green, black and white, as well as oil painting on a large
scale,” says Monica, who divides her time between York and Brighton.
“When I’m not scribbling, painting and/or hiding in the print
room, I enjoy finding and photographing monkey puzzle trees – otherwise known
as Araucaria Araucana, penury, Chilean pines and an assortment of other aliases
– as well as writing poetry, prose and short stories.”
This was to have been Monica’s first year as a York Open Studios artist. Discover more at monicamarshallblog.wordpress.com.
Past And Present, by Richard Barnes
Richard Barnes, painting
RICHARD’s distinctive, dazzling work in York and London has focused on drawing and photographing the cities as the light fades.
“I record the sounds,
movement, architecture and atmosphere of the ancient buildings within a modern
context,” he says of his cityscapes. “Our brains are bombarded with digital
information; the resultant paintings explore a reality beyond this facade.”
His cityscapes are ever evolving.
“I am looking to highlight the sensations of life and light, movement and
stillness, the changing and new juxtaposed with the permanent and prevailing
history.”
“I am looking to highlight the sensations of life and light,” says Richard Barnes
For contrast, he paints
Yorkshire landscapes. “In my landscapes, the idea is to escape the noise and to
respond to a natural but often equally dramatic environment,” says Richard.
Living in York since
1984, working as both an artist and art teacher, he completed his PhD in 2006,
exploring the use of digital intervention within a traditional, intuitive
painting practice.
Now, the development of Richard’s images often involves drawing; photographing; printing; working on top of this print; re-photographing; re-printing; re-working, many times over, “until a final image is arrived at that captures the visual and tactile nature of the experience of being in a particular place, at that particular time.” Visit richardofyork.com for further insights.
Overlapping, by Emily Harper-Gustafsson
Emily Harper-Gustafsson, painting
BOOTHAM School art
teacher Emily creates delicate and contemplative paintings that seek to capture
small moments in space and time.
“Familiar objects are
transformed by the use of negative space and subtle subversions of traditional
perspective,” she says.
Emily Harper-Gustafsson: “Subtle subversions of traditional perspective”
“My paintings attempt to
render the apparently everyday and mundane a matter for epiphany, contemplation
and reflection.”
Emily can be contacted via e.a.harper@hotmail.com.
Glancing Light, mixed media on canvas, by Freya Horsley
Freya Horsley, painting
TAKING landscape and
seascape as her starting point, whether in Yorkshire, Europe, the Himalayas or
Canada, Freya’s abstract paintings focus on transient effects of light and
weather and the changes they bring to the face of land and sea.
Whether drawing on the
spot outside in the landscape or painting larger works back in the studio, she
uses a wide variety of materials and experimental processes to create her
surfaces and atmospheric effects.
“I’m increasingly exploring
in greater depth the relationship between what is being painted and how it
comes about, how much is real place and how much painted space,” Freya says.
Freya Horsley: Focusing on transient effects of light and weather
“In the first stages of a
painting, I pour and drip very liquid paint, manipulating it by tilting and
moving the support on the floor and easel. Gradually I refine this process, responding
to the marks and to my own sense of the space that emerges.
“I also often use wax,
collage and other media, alongside the veils of thin acrylic and oil paint, to
explore these different levels of looking and ways of experiencing a place and
space.”
Based in York, Freya exhibits in Yorkshire, London, the North West, Lancaster and Cornwall. She was to have shown her work at Bootham School, as usual, at York Open Studios, and still in her diary is Coast, at Porthminster Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall, from June 13 to September 5. Take a look at freyahorsley.com.
“I aim to push ideas through a range of unorthodox methods to create a new body of work,” says Benn Jackson
Benn Jackson, painting
BENN’S practice involves experimenting with a range
of processes that never end or finish, pushed through different methods to
create something different.
“The ‘process’ refers to the process of the
formation of art: the gathering, sorting, collating, associating, patterning,
and moreover the initiation of actions,” says Benn.
Benn Jackson at work on his process
“’Process’ explores the way the artist forms
decisions. With my practice, I aim to push ideas through a range of unorthodox
methods to create a new body of work.”
That work, spanning print, collage and painting, would have been exhibited at York Open Studios for the first time. Check him out at instagram.com/jelly-benn.
Jelena Lunge: Drawing inspiration from people, emotion and nature
Jelena Lunge, drawing
JELENA’s work is concept
and progress driven. “Using pen and ink, I draw inspiration from people,
emotion and nature,” she says. “Mostly I create drawings that are
thought provoking and illusory.”
Jelena graduated from Vilnius Academy of Arts, in Lithuania, with
a BA in sculpture and qualified as an art teacher. Her drawings have been shown
at international exhibitions in the Baltic States, Russia, Ukraine, the Czech
Republic, Germany, the USA and the UK.
Jelena Lunge at one of her many York exhibitions in 2019
“I now live and work in York, where I display and sell my work
from creative spaces and galleries,” says Jelena, who last year exhibited at
City Screen; York Explore library; Angel on the Green; Naburn Lock; Spark: York;
Clements Hall and the Golden Ball pub.
“My drawing combines portrait form with the abstract, incorporating symbolism with touches of fantasy,” she says. More info at jelenalunge.com.
TOMORROW: Sarah Raphael-Balme; Lesley Seeger; Evie Leach; Ric Liptrot; Katrina Mansfield and Kitty Pennybacker.
Oxy & The Morons: re-formed but not reformed in the punk-spirited New Wave musical Oxy. Pictures by: Mike Kwasniak
NEVER mind
the lockdown, here comes Oxy, a night of Alarming virtual theatre on Saturday
night, presented live on Facebook by musician Mike and Jules Peters.
This
“life-saving New Wave musical”, co-written by The Alarm frontman, Steve Allan
Jones and Paul Sirett, will be streamed from 7pm as part of the weekly Big
Night In With The Alarm broadcast at facebook.com/theofficialalarm.
“Turn your home into a theatre for the night,” comes the invitation.
“Get dressed up, prepare the pre-show dinner and chill the drinks for
the interval. Play the music loud and pogo along from the best seats in
the house – your front room – and help save lives.”
Molly-Grace Cutler as Sheena in Oxy
The Big Night In broadcast also will feature live interviews with
cast members, writers and production staff and the chance to join in the
live commentary and interact with theatre and music fans from
all over the world.
In Oxy, when a routine check-up leads to a startling diagnosis, Andy
decides this is the time to put the band back together, to crank up the
amps and party like it’s 1978!
Why not re-form the legendary Oxy & The Morons, who burned
fiercely before exploding in a riot of rivalry, jealousy and
bitter betrayal?
The publicity poster for Saturday’s Facebook streaming of Oxy
Andy’s mission involves twisting arms, healing wounds and putting his family and friendships back together, but can that New Wave spirit of DIY defiance be rekindled more thirty years later? Will they play their trademark version of It’s Not Unusual as an encore? Can you still pogo when your knees go?
Driven by a machine-gun playlist of a dozen new Peters and Jones songs
and a powerful message, Oxy’s affectionate look-back at the days of teen
spirit suggests “we could all do with some of that garage band power right
now”.
The life-affirming theme of Peters, Jones and Sirett’s fast, furious and funny musical helped to save someone’s life during its first production run at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich.
Robbie Jarvis (Andy) and Mark Newnham (Oxy) in Oxy
Now, Peters and co hope the online premiere during the Coronavirus lockdown “might just save even more lives”. Through Mike and Jules Peters’ association with the cancer charities Love Hope Strength and DKMS, an online bone-marrow donor drive will be taking place throughout the evening.
Recorded on film by All Media Works, Saturday’s online premiere features
a cast of Robbie Jarvis, Janet Fullerlove, Sean Kingsley, David
Rubin, Mark Newnham, Matthew Durkan, Molly Grace Cutler, Adam
Langstaff and John Hasler, directed by Peter Rowe.
The Big Night In With The Alarm has been broadcasting throughout the
lockdown, attracting 100,000 viewers each week.
Nothing happening full stop. Now, with time on your frequently washed hands, home is where the art is and plenty else besides
EXIT 10 Things To See Next Week in York and beyond for the unforeseeable future in our now extended Lockdown hibernation. Enter home entertainment, wherever you may be, whether together or in self-isolation, in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic. From behind his closed door, CHARLES HUTCHINSON makes these suggestions.
Celebrating Shakespeare’s 456th birthday: Tamsin Greig as loyal servant Malvolia in the National Theatre’s Twelfth Night, screening on YouTube from tonight
Shakespeare’s birthday
WILLIAM Shakespeare’s 456th birthday falls today. The Bard, by the way, was no stranger to writing under debilitating duress, working in London amid the bubonic plagues of 1592 and 1603, when more than 30,000 Londoners died, and a third plague in 1606.
That year alone, Bill quilled three of his mightiest works, King Lear, Macbeth and Antony & Cleopatra. Tonight is a chance to celebrate on a lighter note, watching the National Theatre in the NT At Home YouTube streaming of Twelfth Night, starring Tamsin Greig as loyal servant Malvolia, at 7pm for free. Twelfth Night will be available for seven nights and days on demand.
No Morris dancing in York on St George’s Day under lockdown rules
St George’s Day
TODAY is not only the Bard’s birthday but also St George’s Day, in principle another cause for English celebration, given the dragon-slaying, princess-saving Roman soldier’s status as this nation’s patron saint. However, if outbreaks of Morris Dancing and Punch & Judy shows are the best we can throw at it in usual circumstances, maybe Lockdown is a chance for some home schooling instead.
Today’s task: Find out in more detail who St George was; why he is England’s patron saint and why the English flag is a red cross on white. Oh, and come up with your own way of celebrating at home; surely it must be better than dancing with bells on.
York Shut Studios…but artists embrace the virtual to compensate for Coronavirus-enforced cancellation
York Open Studios going virtual
THIS should have been weekend number two for York Open Studios, the chance to see work by 144 artists and craft makers in 100 locations in and around York, whether in their homes or studios.
Instead, as with last weekend, it will be York Shut Studios but that does not mean York’s artists have put their brushes into lockdown. Creativity demands improvisation, and so you can head to yorkopenstudios.co.uk for the “Virtual Open Studio”, where you can still bring their home work into your home.
Stream team: Compere Tim FitzHigham, left, and comedian Mark Watson in their living rooms for the first Your Place Comedy online show
Your Place Comedy, streamed from their living room to yours
AT the initiation of Selby Town Hall arts centre manager Chris Jones, here comes Your Place Comedy, a Sunday night when comedians stream a live show via YouTube and Facebook from their living room into yours. There is no charge, but you can make donations to be split between the ten small, independent northern venues that have come together for this Lockdown scheme.
The first one, featuring Hull humorist Lucy Beaumont and a pyjama-clad Mark Watson, drew 3,500 viewers last Sunday. Chris is planning the second 8pm online gig for May 3 at yourplacecomedy.co.uk; acts to be confirmed.
Puppet Theatre: the third Lockdown Legends Challenge set by York Theatre Royal
Lockdown Legends Challenge, set by York Theatre Royal
EACH Monday morning, York Theatre Royal will post a theatrical #LockdownLegendsChallenge on its Twitter and Facebook pages for the whole family to take part in, just for fun. Even the participation of pets is “actively encouraged”.
After One-Minute Plays in week one and Costume Creation in week two, this week’s challenge is Puppet Theatre, or pup-pet theatre if your pooch partakes. “Re-create a scene from Shakespeare with household objects,” comes the invitation. “Then send your responses to lockdownlegends@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk and we’ll share these on our social media pages throughout the week.”
It’s time for Bingo in the street
Vintage game of the week: Bingo…in your street
BINGO is all about houses, and Lockdown Limbo is the chance to shout “House” in a game conducted with neighbours in our sunny springtime streets at Bruce Forsyth’s favourite social distance: “Nice two metres, two metres nice”.
What is bingo, should you never have ventured to Mecca Bingo or Clifton Bingo Club? Bingo is “a game in which players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the winner being the first person to mark off all their numbers and exclaim ‘House’.” Repeat. Bingo.
The Boomtown Rats: Re-arranged York Barbican gig
Still keep trying to find good news
DEER Shed Festival, off. Courtney Marie Andrews at Pocklington Arts Centre in June, off. The Boomtown Rats at York Barbican, off. Jack Dee, Off The Telly, Barbican too, off. The list of cancellations grows like the spring grass, but do keep visiting websites for updates.
Deer Shed, at Baldersby Park, Thirsk? Definitely returning in summer 2021. Boomtown Rats? October 26. Jack Dee, October 1. No news on Courtney, yet, alas.
Venturing outdoors…
…FOR your daily exercise, be that a run, a cycle ride or a stroll near home, in a changing environment. Amid these disconnected, alien, strange days, your senses heightened, there is the chance to appreciate the previously unexperienced: the bird song in excelsis, a chorus no longer impeded by traffic; the bluer, bigger skies; the fresher air, the pollution levels so noticeably dropping.
York actor Mick Liversidge has taken to reciting Shakespeare’s sonnets in the fields, exercising mind and body alike. Why not Shake up your routine too?
York’s city walls lit up in blue for the NHS
Clap for Carers
STAND by your doors at 8pm every Thursday, no excuses. Theatre-goers, concert-goers, save your hand-clapping for our NHS doctors, hospital staff, carers, volunteers and key workers. How moving, too, to see familiar buildings and landmarks bathed in blue light: a tribute growing and glowing by the week.
Play at home: York country singer Twinnie’s new album, Hollywood Gypsy, released on April 17
And what about…
NEW albums by Laura Marling, Ron Sexsmith, Cornershop and York country singer Twinnie. Interior design books. Cerys Matthews and Guy Garvey on Sundays on BBC 6Music. The return of BBC One’s Killing Eve on Sunday nights and iPlayer. A themed new recipe of the week, whatever reason and seasoning grabs you.
Catching Rick Witter’s improvised home version of Shed Seven’s Chasing Rainbows on social media:. “I’m just staying home all the time”. Well, you are, aren’t you.
Perfect Day Crocs: One of Lesley Birch’s 21 Days In Isolation artworks in oil, inspired by Cornwall, in harmony with her paint-spattered choice of footwear and garden pebbles
YORK Open Studios 2020 must be York Shut Studios 2020 instead, after the Government’s orders to stay home put paid to visiting other people’s homes.
In the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, however, York’s resourceful artists and craft makers are still finding ways to share their wares, whether online in the Virtual Open Studios showcase at yorkopenstudios.co.uk, on their own websites or by filling their windows with artworks.
This weekend, as with last weekend, 144 artists would have been exhibiting and working at 100 locations, among them landscape painter Lesley Birch at her home studio in Clifton Place, York.
Far from downing brushes, she decided to undertake the one-off 21 Days In Isolation Project, her progress documented on Instagram, #lesleybirch21days.
Lesley’s latest paintings for her Romantic Landscapes series hanging up to dry in her home studio
“I set about the project almost immediately at lockdown,” says Scottish-born Lesley. “I’d always thought about filming my painting in a time-lapse and had never got around to it.
“So, I set up the clamp and my camera on my easel and away I went. The first few time-lapses worked out well. Then I thought, ‘why not do this for 21 days? – a time-lapse a day and a painting a day – and see what happens’.
“Why 21 days? Well, that just came into my head, but I realise that was actually the initial lockdown time [set by the Government], so it must have gone in subconsciously.”
Setting her artistic boundaries for the project, Lesley decided to work in oils. “I’ve been trying to develop my skills in this medium, and I decided to base the paintings on my trips to Scotland and Cornwall, working from my sketchbooks,” she says.
Artist Lesley Birch, pictured in the studio in earlier times before 21 Days In Isolation
“I filmed a painting every morning, because the light was good, and painted into the afternoons. Every day I had a fantastic routine: breakfast; set up the oil palette and paper. Ensure camera OK. Then away!
“Morning break coffee and assessment of the painting. Another painting maybe. Lunch. Then photographing the paintings and uploading them to my Instagram feed.”
Under the #artistsupportpledge initiative set up by artist Matthew Burrows, Lesley could sell her 21 Days works as part of the pledge. “The deal was if I reached £1,000 worth of sales, I’d buy another artist’s work. So really, it was artist supporting artists – worldwide.”
Lesley worked from her studio in her garden. “Usually it’s for printmaking and large acrylic paintings, so it was a change to restrict myself to oils. I had to gather my materials from PICA studios in town [in Grape Lane], bring them home and order paper and new oils online”.
Lesley assessing the first few days’ work on the studio floor
How did the working experience contrast with Lesley’s painting trips to Italy, Spain, Cornwall and Scotland? “I wasn’t feeling the wild wind or soft sun on my skin and I wasn’t by the sea, so I used my sketchbooks as inspiration. And my head. I revisited these beautiful places in my head. It was great!” she says.
Painting at home contrasted too with the busy environment at PICA, a shared space where others work around her. “I was alone…with my IPod music – I’m not I’m not sure my music is to their taste!” says Lesley, a former musician with Hue & Cry in the 1980s.
“My PICA friends commented on Instagram on what I was doing, so there was still that support. And I chatted to my studio mate Mark [fellow artist Mark Hearld] most days on the phone.”
What did Lesley learn about herself as an artist working in isolation? “I think many artists already work in isolation – and indeed, this is the way I worked before I got together with the PICA crowd,” she says.
Such A Rugged Day, memories of Scotland, by Lesley Birch, from the 21 Days In Isolation Project
“So, I just reverted back to that way of working: alone, with my music. I challenged myself with the focus; I never thought I’d be able to create so many pieces.”
Comparing how she felt on Day 1 and Day 21 of her “mammoth task”, Lesley says: “Well, Day 1 was a bit of an exploration. I had no idea that I was planning going on for 21 days until the end of Day I, where I felt exhilarated and in no doubt that I could produce one or more paintings each day.
“By Day 21, I was utterly exhausted. The creative energy to ensure I was happy with each piece was a challenge. The Instagram messaging system went mental with paintings selling in seconds by the last few days! I even had to send one to New Zealand.
“I was collecting addresses, bank transfers, and then I had to go online and order a whole lot of packaging for sending out the paintings, which still had to dry. I was overwhelmed.”
Pale Green Sea on the easel as Lesley painted in isolation
Lesley had decided to sell her uplifting landscape paintings at only £120 a pop, including shipping, “because we are in difficult times at the moment and everyone should have a chance to buy original art”.
“I’ve really enjoyed painting in the alla prima style [a direct painting approach where paint is applied wet on wet without letting earlier layers dry] and plan to create a new collection,” she says.
“Will there be more paintings from 21 Days In Isolation? Yes, though not on a daily basis. My 21 days are over. I feel on a bit of a roll at the moment, but I don’t want to put myself under the pressure of daily filming, so I’m just gonna take my time. These paintings will be more of the same as I have lots more sketchbooks for inspiration.”
More of Lesley’s new Romantic Landscapes paintings pegged out to dry on her studio washing line
She is calling the series her Romantic Landscapes. “That’s how this series seems to have developed in the time of Covid-19. I want an idealised view of reality,” Lesley reasons. “I think at the moment people want to escape into nice things: beautiful colours, soft skies and even a storm or two in a painting isn’t too bad.
“I know I want to escape, so I’m just following my intuition. These paintings will probably go to my galleries, but a small collection will go online for sale.”
As for how Lesley will spend this weekend, she concludes: “York Open Studios has been in my head this past week and I shall continue to be creative.”
Did you know?
After the cancellation of York Open Studios 2020, Lesley Birch is putting a selection of her YOS pieces online at lesleybirchart.com at £200 each, framed and ready to hang.
Turning the base: Phil Magson removes excess clay with a bladed tool
LAST
weekend should have been spent visiting other people’s homes, not staying home.
Next weekend too.
This is not
a cabin-fevered call for a foolhardy Trumpian dropping of the guard on
Covid-19, but a forlorn wish that York Open Studios 2020 could have been just
that: York Open Studios. Instead, they will be York Shut Studios.
Nevertheless,
in the absence of the opportunity to meet 144 artists at 100 locations,
banished by the Coronavirus lockdown,
CharlesHutchPress is determinedly championing the creativity of York’s artists
and makers, who would have been showcasing their ceramics, collage, digital,
illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, print, photography, sculpture
and textiles skills.
Each day,
in brochure order, a handful of artists who now miss out on the exposure of
Open Studios are being given a pen portrait on these pages, because so much art
and craft will have been created for the event and still needs a new home. Home
and studio addresses will not be included at this lockdown time.
Meanwhile,
York Open Studios artists are finding their own way to respond to the shutdown
by filling their windows with their work instead. Look for #openwindowsyork2020
to locate them. “If you see one in your area while taking your daily exercise,
take a picture and let us know,” they say.
Furthermore,
look out for plenty of the 144 artists still showcasing their work over the
York Open Studios period online. Visit yorkopenstudios.co.uk to take
your own virtual tour.
The website says: “We’re
doing a Virtual Open Studios, with artists posting based on a daily theme for
the ten days spanning our two weekends. They’ll be showing you their studios
and workshops, favourite processes, answering your questions, and of course
lots of pictures of their new work!
“Search for
#YorkOpenStudios anywhere on social media or follow your favourite artists to
see more.”
First, however, here are six more artists and makers for you to discover…
Philip Magson at work in his studio
Philip Magson, ceramics
AFTER taking a degree in
3-D design at Loughborough College of Art, Philip began making and selling
terracotta garden pottery.
On moving to York, he
developed the production of colourfully decorated domestic earthenware at his
workshop on Micklegate.
Finished with white opaque glaze: Philip Magson’s ceramics
Alongside teaching art,
his skill on the wheel is now employed in exploring an interest in contemporary
ceramics. His influences range from the abstract work of Franz Kline and Peter
Voulkos to the simplicity of classic Japanese pottery.
His pots are hand thrown on the wheel, using a stoneware clay. Mostly domestic-ware, simple and modern in style with contrasting surfaces, they are finished in white opaque glaze. Take a look at philipmagson.co.uk.
Carrier Pigeon, by Becki Harper
Becki Harper, illustration
BECKI’S illustrations
are inspired by behaviours and narratives within nature, alongside botanical
forms and patterns, with an exploration into the appreciation and
sustainability of the natural world.
“My observational drawing is often the source of an
idea, character or composition, and they greatly inform the visual language
within my work,” she says.
Becki loves nostalgic colour palettes and vintage
graphics, especially the imagery featured on old dress patterns.
Becki Harper: Favours traditional techniques
“I favour traditional techniques such as
watercolour painting, which is the process used to add colour to my drawings.
This passion for creating things by hand has led to exploration into other
media such as textiles, craft and ceramics,” she says.
“Sometimes I work by myself, and at times I work with other artists and community groups on all kinds of projects and commissions.” More info at beckiharper.com.
Selkie Child, by Sophie Keen
Sophie Keen, illustration
SOPHIE is an established children’s book illustrator of 15
years’ standing, with a bold yet traditional style that utilises watercolour, concentrated
watercolour ink, fine-liner and pencil.
Since graduating from Liverpool John Moores University in 2003, she has been represented by The Organisation agency, her work being published in such titles as: The Selkie Child (Oxford University Press); My First Bible for Marks and Spencer; My Favourite Michael (Little Tiger Press) and The Christmas Wish, The Lonely Chick and The Best Dog In The World (Scholastic).
Sophie Keen: Flying high in the world of illustration
Last year, under the name Sophie Humphreys, she provided the
illustrations for Carolyn Robertson’s Two Dads, read as a CBeebies bedtime
story by pop singer and musical actor Will Young as part of LGBTQ History Week.
“Inspiration for my work has become much easier since having
children myself, although time and energy has become ‘strangely’ hard to
come by,” she says. “But I’m never short of ideas, even if they have to be
written in haste on the back of a shopping list at 2am.”
Sophie, who also makes murals and bespoke pieces for bedrooms and nurseries, would have been taking part in York Open Studios for the first time. Discover more at sophiekeenillustration.com.
Charmian Ottaway: A love of ancient history and the natural world
Charmian Ottaway, jewellery
CHARMIAN has been a jeweller and goldsmith for more
than 25 years, working mostly to corporate and private commission, although her
work in high-carat gold, platinum, pearls and silver can be found in selected
galleries and exhibitions too.
A love of ancient Greek and Roman history and the natural world is reflected in her designs.
“I am passionate about sourcing beautiful semi-precious and precious stones,” says Charmian Ottaway
“I am passionate about sourcing beautiful
semi-precious and precious stones and incorporating them into my pieces, and
I’m committed to using fairly traded and mined metals and certified stones,”
says Charmian, who favours classical techniques, having discovered her love of fine
jewellery while working for Cartier.
Her most prestigious commission to date is a replica Richard III Boar Brooch for the Yorkshire Museum in York, where she also has done pieces for the Jorvik Viking Centre and York Archaeological Trust. Among her private clients is “York’s very own” Dame Judi Dench. Learn more at charmianottaway.co.uk.
A semi-abstract oil painting by Lesley Williams
Lesley Williams, painting
LESLEY produces semi-abstract
oil paintings based on aspects of the landscape, gardens and ponds, where the
translucent colour and shades move around one another creating a visual magic.
“My works based on ponds
show an interest in spatial dynamics, as well as the reflective qualities of
water within the plant forms,” she says.
“They suggest the
feeling found in the moment. They show intrigue in what lies beyond the immediate
surface and in spaces around a subject.”
Lesley Williams: Intrigue in what lies beyond the surface
Born in York, Lesley gained a degree in textile design at Nottingham Trent University and
later an MA in fine art from Leeds Metropolitan University.
More details can be found at lesleywilliamsartist.co.uk, where her work is divided into Pond Reflections (new work for 2020); New Work; Water Gardens; Pools: Ponds; Waterlilies and Garden Borders.
“I want to provoke responses,” says K. Eliza
K. Eliza, multi-media
STUDENT
K. Eliza is an ambitious and multi-sensory artist, influenced by how “aesthetics
interact with the natural world and emotions”.
Her present work focuses on rebirth, protection, death and life
cycles and she delights in expressing herself in different media, whether wearable
sculpture, digital print making, drawing or photography.
Student artist K.Eliza
“I use tights, wire and plastic, moulding them into depth and
form to represent the obscure and body parts,” she says. “I want to provoke
responses from audiences, intrigued by the potential of material and the
impression they leave on us.”
K. Eliza, who would have been participating in York Open Studios for the first time. Her contact details are k.eliza.art@gmail.com.
TOMORROW: Monica Marshall, Richard Barnes, Emily Harper-Gustafson, Freya Horsley, Benn Jackson and Jelena Lunge.
SIR Ranulph Fiennes’s destination on March 24 2021 will be York Barbican, his mission to deliver his live show Living Dangerously for the third time in the city.
Named by the Guinness Book of Records as “the world’s greatest living
explorer” and in Burke’s Peerage as Sir Ranulph Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd
Baronet of Banbury, he has spent his
life in pursuit of extreme adventure, risking life and limb in “some of the
most ambitious private expeditions ever undertaken”.
Among his many record-breaking achievements, he was the first explorer to reach both the North and South Poles, the first to cross the Antarctic and the Arctic Ocean, and the first to circumnavigate the Earth’s surface along its polar axis.
In Living Dangerously, Sir Ranulph, takes a journey through his
life, from his early years to the present day. Both light-hearted and poignant, the
show revisits the 76-year-old explorer’s childhood and school misdemeanours,
his army life and early expeditions.
He will share insights into his transglobal expedition and his present
global reach challenge: his goal to
become the first person in the world to cross both polar ice caps and climb the
highest mountain on each of the seven continents.
Sir Ranulph presented Living Dangerously previously in York at the Grand
Opera House in July 2018 and June 2019.
Tickets for his 2021 return go on sale on Friday, April 24 at 10am at yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Stream team: Your Place Comedy compere Tim FitzHigham, left, and a pyjama-clad Mark Watson on screen during April 19’s online gig
REASONS to be cheerful part one. The first Your Place Comedy night, streamed live from Mark Watson and Lucy Beaumont’s living rooms to yours, was a big success.
Compered by Tim FitzHigham, Sunday’s online fundraiser for ten small, independent northern venues in Coronavirus shutdown drew more than 3,500 viewers.
“That’s
considerably more than their combined capacities,” says a delighted event
co-ordinator Chris Jones, Selby Town Council’s arts officer, who manages the Selby
Town Hall arts centre.
“The show
went even better than we had imagined, to say the whole project was put
together from scratch in the space of two weeks by three people with no live
streaming experience!”
Reasons to be cheerful part two. “The show was free to watch on Facebook and YouTube, with an option to donate. We received £3,500 in donations, which will now be split between the venues,” says Chris.
Joining
together in this rolling initiative to put the fun into fundraising are Selby
Town Hall; The Ropewalk, Barton upon Humber; Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds; East
Riding Theatre, Beverley; Junction, Goole; Helmsley Arts Centre; Shire Hall,
Howden; Otley Courthouse; Pocklington Arts Centre and Rotherham Theatres.
“In a
nutshell, I was frustrated that the traditional relationship between venue,
artist and audience – the venue providing the artist with income and the
audience with entertainment – has been has been eroded for the foreseeable
future by Covid-19 and I wanted to find a way to re-create that,” says Chris.
“So, at a
time of huge uncertainty and upheaval in the Coronavirus lockdown, including
for the live entertainment industry, I got these venues from around Yorkshire
and the Humber to come together to provide our audiences with some much-needed
laughter during these difficult times, each chipping in a small amount of money
to put on Sunday’s live stream.
Lucy Beaumont: “Rather bizarre bedtime story”
“Their contributions
to Your Place Comedy go towards paying the artists a guaranteed fee at a time when
all live income has been taken away, and, in exchange, venues get a show to
sell to their own audiences as one of their own, helping maintain those vital
relationships with audiences they have nurtured over the years.”
Reasons to be cheerful part three. “Both Lucy and Mark were fantastic. Mark is relatively experienced when it comes to live streaming and was comfortable enough with the format to perform in his pyjamas,” says Chris.
“For Lucy,
it was a first foray into ‘audience-free’ comedy, but her set was pitch perfect
– even featuring a rather bizarre bedtime story!
– and broadcast live from the pub that her husband, [comedian] Jon
Richardson, has built in their house.”
How did
the format work, Chris? “We were very aware that one of the limitations of live
streamed comedy was a lack of audience interaction, so we devised a function that
allowed viewers to send messages directly to the acts,” he says.
“This
worked incredibly well and really gave the show that extra feeling of intimacy
and warmth that you get from watching comedy in a small venue environment.”
Before
Sunday’s inaugural show, Chris said: “If the first one is a success and this
looks like a sustainable model, I would hope to do several more through the
lockdown period and possibly beyond.”
Reasons to be cheerful part four. “We’re now planning a second show, tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 3, with two new acts on the bill,” he says. “Watch this space.” Then watch www.yourplacecomedy.co.uk when the line-up is confirmed.
Should you still be wondering what exactly was Hull humorist Lucy Beaumont’s “rather bizarre bedtime story”…..no, you should have been watching!
LAST
weekend should have been spent visiting other people’s homes, not staying home.
Next weekend too.
This is not
a cabin-fevered call for a foolhardy Trumpian dropping of the guard on
Covid-19, but a forlorn wish that York Open Studios 2020 could have been just
that: York Open Studios. Instead, they will be York Shut Studios.
Nevertheless,
in the absence of the opportunity to meet 144 artists at 100 locations,
banished by the Coronavirus lockdown,
CharlesHutchPress is determinedly championing the creativity of York’s artists
and makers, who would have been showcasing their ceramics, collage, digital,
illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, print, photography, sculpture
and textiles skills.
Each day,
in brochure order, a handful of artists who now miss out on the exposure of
Open Studios are being given a pen portrait on these pages, because so much art
and craft will have been created for the event and still needs a new home. Home
and studio addresses will not be included at this lockdown time.
Meanwhile,
York Open Studios artists are finding their own way to respond to the shutdown
by filling their windows with their work instead. Look for #openwindowsyork2020
to locate them. “If you see one in your area while taking your daily exercise,
take a picture and let us know,” they say.
Furthermore,
look out for plenty of the 144 artists still showcasing their work over the
York Open Studios period online. Visit yorkopenstudios.co.uk to take
your own virtual tour.
The website says: “We’re
doing a Virtual Open Studio, with artists posting based on a daily theme for
the ten days spanning our two weekends. They’ll be showing you their studios
and workshops, favourite processes, answering your questions, and of course
lots of pictures of their new work!
“Search for
#YorkOpenStudios anywhere on social media or follow your favourite artists to
see more.”
First, however, here are six more artists and makers for you to discover…
” I hope always to never take myself too seriously,” says ceramicist Chiu-i Wu
Chiu-i Wu, ceramics
CHIU-I’S functional and sculptural gas-fired
stoneware pieces are all individual and hand-built, with no moulds being used.
“I hope always to never take myself too
seriously, but to just have a simple honesty with my ceramics,” she says.
“When I was little, it was with
pen and paper that I felt expressive: drawing and drawing without thought. The
feeling never left me, and I graduated to paint, then finally to ceramics.”
Chiu-i developed her art and ceramics in her home country of Taiwan, exhibiting her first work in Taipei. “I loved it, but always had a hard time when asked about my work,” she says. “I have no deep meanings. Not ones that I recognise anyway. I just produce from my heart, sensing when what I’m creating begins to feel right.”
She studied hard to be able to create the feeling she wanted in clay and glaze. “When I moved to England in 2003, I brought many glaze recipes, but soon discovered a new range of English clays to explore. I can feel my love of English summers, blackbirds and sheep touching my heart and influencing my work,” says Chiu-i, who now exhibits in both Britain and Taiwan.
As well as York Open Studios, Chiu-I’s 2020 diary includes Potfest at Scone Palace, Perth, and Earth And Fire, at Welbeck, Nottinghamshire, both In June; Potfest In The Park, Penrith, in July, and Art In Clay, Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, in August. Find out more at chiuiwu.co.uk.
Amy Butcher: Applique-based hand embroidery
Amy Butcher, textiles
FOR Amy’s applique-based hand embroidery, a
collage of intricately cut fabric shapes create a foundation. This is then stitched
and embellished to create illustrative pieces rooted in nature and animals.
“My love of art and textiles started at school and
has been a passion ever since,” says the largely self-taught Amy, from Stillington.
“The support and inspiration from an embroidery class enabled me to continue to
develop my work and confidence, and in 2014 I was fortunate to get the
opportunity to work with the greetings card company Bug Art.”
Clover Meadow, by Amy Butcher
She now works on developing her own range of greetings cards, prints, cushion panels, coasters and embroidery stitch kits, printed from her original textile art for Beaks & Bobbins.
This would have been her debut year of exhibiting at York Open Studios. More info at beaksandbobbies.com.
Carol Coleman: A lifetime of creativity
Carol Coleman, textiles
CAROL uses dissolving fabric and a wide range
of found, manipulated, painted or dyed ingredients with any creative technique
she can master to produce wall-hung, 3D and wearable art.
Frequently she uses digital photography with
image manipulation to create working designs.
A lifetime of creativity, followed by specialising
in free-machine embroidery, led to Carol being invited to teach and talk about
her work to organised groups.
Phoenix, by Carol Coleman
She became a professional textile artist in 2003 and in 2015 was presented with the gold award for textiles by Craft & Design magazine. As well as exhibiting locally, nationally and internationally, she writes. Oh, and she designed the Dire Wolf Crest for the Hardhome Embroidery for HBO’s Game Of Thrones.
Next up in her diary is Art In The Pen, in Thirsk, on July 18 and 19, “currently still going ahead”. Check carol@fibredance.co.uk for an update.
Jo Ruth at work in her studio
Jo Ruth, painting
JO specialises in intricate stencils cut from
original drawings layered with painted surfaces. She sprays and sponges
her imagery, reinterpreting the relationship between the natural and the urban
world.
Jo trained in fine art at the University of
Reading, followed by post-graduate studies at Birmingham City University, and
then developed her creative, illustration and design practices alongside her
extensive lecturing and teaching career in London and the Midlands.
“Fascinated by wildlife but a lifelong city
dweller, I’m inspired by elements of both worlds: chance encounters with the
birds we see sharing our urban lives and those in more rural settings,” she
says.
Turtle Dove, by Jo Ruth
“The majority of my imagery is based on our
native and visiting birds, those we see in and around our homes and gardens,
but I use techniques such as stencilling and digital technologies more
associated with urban life.”
As a painter-printmaker, Jo’s work is
experimental in its creative process, employing a variety of media to explore
qualities of mark-making, texture and colour. “I draw inspiration from the
linear qualities of Chinese brush painting, calligraphy and the colours and
patterns of my local environment,” she says.
Her website, joruth.com, divides her
work into Urban, park and garden; Hedgerows and woods; Wetland, lake and sea
and Works on brown paper. Her first major solo show was at the Scottish
Ornithologists Club in Aberlady, Scotland, and she exhibits regularly at the International
Bird Fair in Rutland.
LUISA favours expressive and atmospheric landscapes
and seascapes, woodland and contemporary still life in her artwork, painting in
mixed media and acrylics in a painterly yet sensitive semi-abstract style.
“I enjoy capturing light and atmosphere, simplifying forms and reducing areas of a picture to blocks of light,” she says. The North York Moors, the Dales and the Yorkshire coastline are prominent in her paintings, “but I also enjoy abstracted, edgy still lifes, often incorporating a window backdrop and geometric forms,” she adds.
Luisa, who is of British-Italian roots, grew up
in North Wales and studied fine art at the North Wales Institute of Fine Art
but she has since spent most of her adult life in Yorkshire.
“I enjoy capturing light and atmosphere, simplifying forms and reducing areas of a picture to blocks of light,” says Luisa Holden
She has exhibited throughout Yorkshire, such as the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull; the Great North Art Show at Ripon Cathedral and a solo show at the Helmsley Arts Centre, as well as at the Mall Galleries in London with the Society of Women Artists.
Luisa is a member of Leeds Fine Artists and her
work can be found at the Blossom Street Gallery, York; The Blake Gallery, Haxby;
The Leaping Hare Art Gallery, Easingwold, and the Look Gallery, Helmsley.
“I like the challenge of intuitive creativity: taking risks, de-constructing and re-constructing to simply allow a painting to evolve,” she says. “I consider the creative process to be a journey of self-discovery, learning to be spontaneous, free and not fearing ‘messing up’.” Discover the results at luisaholdenart.co.uk.
“I find both the process of creating an object and applying my designs most satisfying,” says ceramicist Anna-Marie Magson
Anna-Marie Magson, ceramics
ANNA-MARIE’S simple, contemporary ceramic
vessels are hand built using stoneware slabs and decorated with layers of coloured
slips.
“The flattened
surfaces of the vessels provide a canvas on which to work,” she says, “I create
fine detail by revealing shapes, lines and marks through wax resist and
sgraffito. I use a muted palette of soft-hued colours to
evoke a sun-bleached effect and a satin glaze to give a tactile, silky finish.”
Originally, Anna-Marie studied fine art painting
at Liverpool College of Art, but when the opportunity to work in a pottery
studio arose, she began to explore her love of surface decoration and textured
pattern on clay tiles. Ultimately, this led to adapting her ideas to hand-built
ceramic vessels.
Inspired by ancient structures: Anna-Marie Magson’s ceramics
“I find both the process of creating an object
and applying my designs most satisfying,” she says. “I find inspiration in the
world around me, such as ancient structures, their weathered surface and the
evidence of human mark-making.”
Anna-Marie’s stoneware ceramics can be found at The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle, Number Four Gallery, St Abbs, Scotland, and Leeds Craft Centre and Design Gallery. More immediately, cast an eye over annamariemagson.co.uk.
TOMORROW: Philip Magson; Becki Harper; Sophie Keen; Charmian Ottaway; Lesley Williams and K. Eliza.
