No York Open Studios in April, but all that art still needs a new home, so look here…DAY TWO

Earthbound, by Sally Clarke

YORK Open Studios 2020, the chance to meet 144 artists at 100 locations over two April weekends, has had to be cancelled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, with doors sadly shut for the April 17 to 19 and April 25 to 26 event, CharlesHutchPress wants to champion the creativity of York’s artists and makers, who would have been showcasing ceramics, collage, digital, illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, print, photography, sculpture and textiles.

Each day, in brochure order, five artists who now miss out on the exposure of Open Studios will be 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. Addresses will not be included at this time.

Helen Whitehead at work in her studio

Helen Whitehead, glass

HELEN’S glass jewellery and sculpture is inspired by her deep connection with wild plants, herbs, the moon and the planets. In her intuitive work, glass is layered with precious metals, paint and images, then fired to produce colourful abstract compositions.

Helen loves experimenting with alchemic reactions in her glass kiln and layering different mediums within small pieces. “My pieces are little worlds, reflecting the inner and outer world,” she says.

As well as working in her York studio, Helen provides fun and friendly fused-glass workshops in the community. Follow her at facebook.com/HelenWhiteheadGlassArtist.

Printmaker Sally Clarke

Sally Clarke, printmaking

SALLY specialises in collagraph printmaking, using the human figure and composition to express atmospheric imagery.

Sally studied for a Fine Arts degree at Gloucestershire College of Arts as a mature student. She worked in various media before discovering printmaking more than 20 years ago, finding herself attracted particularly to its limitless opportunities for experimentation.

Sally is a founder member of York Printmakers, has exhibited in many Yorkshire venues and is a regular exhibitor in York Open Studios. Contact her via sallyclarkeprintmaker@yahoo.co.uk.

Adrienne French: interpreting colour and texture in her landscape paintings

Adrienne French, painting

IN her evocative paintings, collographs and monoprints, Adrienne interprets colour and texture of both local and foreign landscapes.

She pursued her love of art by completing an art and design degree at Leeds University in 2000 while continuing her work as a nurse. Until 2015, she was artist in residence at a hospice, alongside continuing to develop her own artwork, a process that is ongoing.

She has shown her work in northern galleries and takes part regularly in many annual arts events in Yorkshire. All roads lead to Adrienne at adifrench@gmail.com.

Caroline Lord: recycling pottery, wood and metal in mosaics and sculptures

Caroline Lord, mixed media

CAROLINE combines found items of pottery, wood and metal, recycling them into mosaics and quirky ceramic sculptures. 

She studied stained glass and tapestry weaving in the 1960s at Edinburgh College of Art, where she was awarded a scholarship for a further year’s study, specialising in tapestry weaving.

One of Caroline Lord’s quirky sculptures

Ten years ago, after completing a mosaics workshop led by Emma Biggs, Caroline changed artistic direction, starting to work with re-cycled ceramics. 

She has exhibited in York Open Studios, at the Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk, with the York Art Workers Association and in the Great North Art Show. Contact her at carolinelord42@hotmail.com. 

Peter Park: textile designer turned painter

Peter Park, painting

PETER would have been making his York Open Studios debut with his expressive and gestural abstract paintings of the Yorkshire landscape and coast in acrylic paint on canvas.

After a foundation course at York School of Art, he studied printed textile design in Manchester (BA) and Birmingham (MA), then worked as a textile designer and lecturer in design in Manchester.

One of Peter Park’s abstract paintings of a Yorkshire landscape

Returning to York in 2013, he began painting, predominantly landscapes that he has exhibited at fellow York Open Studios exhibitor Kay Dower’s Corner Gallery and with Little Van Gogh in London. Seek him out via peter.park500@virginmedia.com.

Tomorrow: Dee Thwaite; Anna Vialle; Rosie Bramley; Tabitha Grove and Peter Heaton.