York illustrator Ric Liptrot with his hot-off-the-presses York Calendar for 2026, his follow-up to 2025’s York Past & PresentCalendar
YORK illustrator Ric Liptrot has produced his third calendar, depicting the city’s independent scene.
The 2026 calendar features new illustrations of Heima, in Gillygate, for January; Haxby Bakehouse, February; York, Home of Independents poster, March; Bettys’ Easter window, in St Helen’s Square, April; Watkinsons Shoes, in Goodramgate, May, and Janette Ray Booksellers, in Bootham, June.
Turn over to July to reveal Heppni Bakery, in Swinegate; August, Two Hoots ice cream boat, by Dame Judi Dench Walk; September, Sir Thomas Herbert’s House/York Gin, in Pavement; October, Forty Five Vinyl Cafe, in Micklegate; November, Rustique, in Castlegate, and December, Silvarious, in Low Petergate.
“We’re so lucky to have so many great independent businesses in York,” says Ric, whose parents owned a newsagent shop in his hometown of Runcorn. “Perhaps it’s this upbringing that has impacted on my beliefs to stand up for the small shops, cafes and pubs of the local community.”
Too Hoots ice cream boat, Ric Liptrot’s choice for August in his 2026 calendar
Explaining how he selected his chosen 12 for 2026, Ric says: “I have a list of shops, pubs and cafes that I would love to draw. They usually have colours or shapes that grab my attention.
“For example, Heima, on Gillygate, I love the shop-front with its beautiful household objects; they’re interesting shapes to draw.
“Some months, such as December, were easy to choose as I was commissioned last year by Silvarious Jewellery to create an illustration. At the time I drew it, they had their festive window display, so I knew this would make a great December image.”
How does Ric assess the present welfare of independent businesses in York, when more and more look to be opening, but mainly yet more cafes! “You’re right that there’s more and more cafes and bars opening, which is why I feel quite strongly about celebrating the small shops,” he says.
The cover to Ric Liptrot’s York Calendar for 2026
“I’ve only lived in York for 15 years but I’ve heard of some lovely shops that have sadly closed; people still have fond memories of them. The saying ‘Use it or lose it’ comes to mind. I try to avoid using Amazon to shop. I get a buzz from buying locally; you feel like you’re making a positive purchase.”
Ric works out of a studio in the artist-led community at PICA Studios in Grape Lane. “I begin each artwork with a sketch taken directly in front of the subject. It’s here that I can take time to capture the detail and take note of shapes and colour,” he says.
“When I’m out sketching on the street, there’ll usually be one or two people who stop to have a nosey or ask what I’m drawing. I’m always happy to stop and chat. I think it’s nice that people take an interest and sometimes they’ll give me a story or fact about the subject I’m drawing.
“Then, using acrylic paint, collage and dip pen, I’ll transform the sketch into a full-colour illustration.”
Heppni Bakeri, Ric Liptrot’s July independent shop for his 2026 calendar
Some shops featured in the 2026 calendar commissioned Liptrot Illustration’s services, among them Watkinsons Shoes in celebration of their 120th anniversary.
“It hangs pride of place in our store and is absolutely stunning,” says manager Alice Preece “Ric’s art and interpretation of the shop has captured the spirit of Watkinsons and what makes us unique. Thank you, Ric for an amazing experience from start to finish throughout the commission.”
2025 North Yorkshire Open Studios participant Ric was delighted to receive this commission from one of his favourite shops. “Watkinsons is a great example of a successful independent shop in York,” he says. “I have people telling me they went there to get their first pair of shoes and now take their children. I love to draw places that people have a connection with.”
Picking highlights of his 2025 diary, Ric says: “There have been fantastic commissions, not only from Watkinsons Shoes, but Heppni Bakeri and Rustique too,” he says. “I was asked by York Independent to produce a cover for the free small newspaper they produce. That was fun, using York’s archways and bridges to frame elements of the independent businesses. The artwork for this is on my March page.
The 12 illustrations for Ric Liptrot’s 2026 calendar celebrating York’s independent shops and businesses
“I was asked to create an illustration of York to wrap around a candle holder for the lovely Born Of Botanics shop on Stonegate. It was my first bit of package design that I’d made.”
Looking ahead, how will Ric be filling his 2026 calendar? “I’m in the middle of working on some designs for the York Cocoa Works on Castlegate. I’ve had some good conversations with Sophie Jewett, the owner, and we’re hoping to produce a map and possibly some chocolate bar packaging,” he says.
“I’m also working on an illustration for a grand hotel just outside of York, Aldwark Manor. The original artwork will hang in the hotel and it will feature on their promotional material.
“I visited the estate recently to make some sketches and was blown away. It’s a stunning building and I can’t wait to start working on the illustration.”
Forty Five Vinyl Cafe: October’s choice for Ric Liptrot’s 2026 York Calendar
Should you be wondering if Ric will just stick to putting up one of his own calendars in the Liptrot home, he says: “There are some great York calendars around and I usually do a swap with artist friend Elliot Harrison, known as York 360, who makes a nice calendar.”
Ric will launch the 2026 calendar at the PICA Studios Winter Sale on November 29 and 30, when fellow PICA Studios artists will be selling work jewellery, ceramics, textiles, prints and paintings from 10am to 5pm each day.
Priced at £15.99, the calendar also will be on sale at the pop-up artists’ shop, at 22 High Petergate, York, or you can order via www.ricliptrot.bigcartel.com.
Ric Liptrot at work on a sketch
Festive final question for Ric
Do you have a Christmas tradition that no Christmas would be complete without?
“IN recent years we’ve headed to York Minster to hear the Choral Matins; it’s a lovely way to start the day. I find it a real, hairs-on-the-back-of-your-neck- pricking- up moment.
“We’ve also been enjoying a pint at the local pub on Christmas Day. The last couple of years we’ve popped into the Volunteer Arms [in Watson Street, Holgate] and the atmosphere has been brilliant, full of folk in a festive mood.”
Principal dancers, dance captains and siblings Anna Mai Fitzpatrick and Fergus Fitzpatrick in Riverdance’s 30th anniversary show, The New Generation
LEFT-FIELD Halloween entertainment, garden art and light installations, Normal comedy and a splurge gun musical spark Charles Hutchinson’s interest.
Dance show of the week: Riverdance, 30th Anniversary Tour, York Barbican, today and tomorrow, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
VISITING 30 UK venues – one for each year of its history – from August to December 2025, the Irish dance extravaganza Riverdance rejuvenates the much-loved original show with new innovative choreography and costumes, plus state-of-the-art lighting, projection and motion graphics, in this 30th anniversary celebration.
For the first time, John McColgan directs “the New Generation” of Riverdance performers, none of them born when the show began. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Blair Bitch Project: Playing on Navigators Art’s bill at YO Underworld 6 at The Basement
Live, left-field, local new music, comedy and words for Halloween: Navigators Art presents YO Underworld 6, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 7.30pm
IN this special Halloween edition, York arts collective Navigators Art plays host to riot grrrl punk and grunge-inspired York quartet Blair Bitch Project and improvising cellist and sound artist Gaia Blandina, performing collaborative, open-form pieces with Ish, featuring Iris Casling, double bass, Des Clarke, oboe, and Nika Ticciati, voice.
Joshua Arnold & Therine: Welcoming the coming of Samhainat YO Underworld 6
Taking part too are dark hurdy-gurdy and vocal-led trad and experimental drone folk combo Joshua Arnold & Therine, welcoming the coming of Samhain; Kane Bruce, delivering his outrageously dark yet cheeky take on “taboo” topics, and Hull poet Melissa Shode, who explores identity in the socio-political climate and writes for release, justice and the voiceless. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/navigators-art-performance or on the door.
Steve Gunn: Showcasing his two 2025 albums at The Band Room, Low Mill, tonight. Picture: Paul Rhodes
Moorland gig of the week: Steve Gunn, The Band Room, Low Mill, Farndale, North York Moors, tonight, 7.30pm
STEVE Gunn, the ambient psychedelic American singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York, made his name as a guitarist in Kurt Vile’s backing band, The Violators. His myriad magical influences include Michael Chapman, Michael Hurley and John Fahey.
This weekend he will be showcasing his second album of 2025, Daylight Daylight, out on November 7 on No Quarter, as well as his first fully instrumental album, August’s Music For Writers. Box office: 01751 432900 or thebandroom.co.uk.
Hands and Voices: York choir singing at Laughs, Lyrics & You! at the Gateway Centre on Sunday
Inclusive open mic event of the week: Accessible Arts & Media presents Laughs, Lyrics & You!, Gateway Centre, York, Sunday, 2.30pm to 5pm
WHAT is Laughs, Lyrics & You!? “The idea is to have an open mic-type event, in a relaxed and friendly environment that’s accessible and fun, with tea and cake too,” says Accessible Arts & Media (AAM) chief executive officer Chris Farrell. “Our projects, IMPs, Movers and Shakers and Hands and Voices, will start the show with their wonderful music, dances and stories.
“Then it’s over to whoever would like to perform. Any talent is welcome, a duet, a solo instrument, a poetry reading, a recording of some original music, jokes…whatever you can think of would be great!” To take part, performers must contact projects@aamedia.org.uk or ring Hannah on 07762 428818. Admission is free; donations welcome.
Artist Ric Liptrot: Taking part in That Acomb Arty Thing
Art event of the week: That Acomb Arty Thing, Art Trail, until November 2; Open Studios, November 1 and 2
DISCOVER York artists’ work in venues around Acomb on the autumn Art Trail featuring Carla Ballantine, Linda Braham, Ric Liptrot, Jelena Lunge, Rae Merriman, Isaac Savage, Ginette Speed, Donna Taylor and Dianne Turner.
North Yorkshire Open Studios participants are hosting open studios next Saturday and Sunday: Paul Mathieson & Peter Mathieson, 49 Jute Road, 10am to 4pm; Peijun Cao, 60 Jute Road, 10.30am to 5pm; Fran Brammer, 81 Jute Road, 10am to 4pm; Charlotte Lister & Charley Hellier, 7 Chestnut Grove, 10am to 2pm; Robin Grover-Jacques, 35 Chestnut Grove, 11am to 4pm, and Mo Nisbet, 116 Acomb Road, 11am to 4pm.
Blue sigh thinking? Henry Normal reflects on himself, his mistakes, his Z celebrity status, in The Slideshow
Normal service resumed: Henry Normal, The Slideshow, Helmsley Arts Centre, Sunday, 8pm
THE Slideshow, as poet, film and TV producer/writer Henry Normal explains, is a multi-MEdia spectacular with the emphasis on the “me” in his celebration of his “meteoric rise to Z celebrity status”, followed by his joyous and inevitable slide into physical and mental decline.
Expect poetry, photos, jokes, music, dance, song, circus skills, costume changes, props and stories, exploring where Normal went wrong in life, plus lessons you can learn from his mistakes, in this memoir with cautionary verse. Box office: helmsleyarts.co.uk.
David Barrott, left, Catherine Edge and Adam Marsdin in rehearsal for Settlement Players’ production of Party Piece
Calamitous comedy misadventure of the week: York Settlement Community Players in Party Piece, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 28 to November 1, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee
AMERICAN director, writer, producer, historian and stuntman Martin T Brooks directs Settlement Players for the first time in Richard Harris’s calamitous 1992 comedy Party Piece.
Michael and Roma Smethurst are preparing meticulously for their fancy-dress housewarming party. Mrs Hinson, not the biggest fan of her upper-class new neighbours, is keeping a criticising eye on the attendees. Then disasters strike: an embarrassing lack of guests, a burning barbeque, a marauding Zimmer frame and a corpse showing up at the front door. Cue chaos. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Cassie Vallance, left, and Jane Bruce in Story Craft Theatre’s Bat, Cackle And Pop! at York Theatre Royal
Children’s Halloween show of the week: Story Craft Theatre in Bat, Cackle And Pop!, York Theatre Royal Studio, October 29 to 31, 10.30am and 1pm
WINIFRED the Witch thinks everyone has forgotten her birthday. Not so. There will be a big surprise party, but first, a special birthday cake must be made.
“We just need the last three rather spooky ingredients,” say York company Story Craft Theatre’s Cassie Vallance and Jane Bruce. “Our show is bubbling with all sorts of ghosts and ghouls – more silly than scary – and there’s plenty of opportunities to dabble in some spell making, as well as flying with luxury BAT Airways.” Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Rory Stewart: Discussing his new book, Middleland, at York Barbican
Book event of the week: Toppings presents Rory Stewart, Middleland, York Barbican, October 30, 7pm
NOW Professor of the Practice of Grand Strategy at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs and Alastair Campbell’s co-podcaster on The Rest Is Politics, Rory Stewart spent nearly a decade as Conservative MP of Britain’s most rural constituency, Penrith and the Border.
Living in the Eden Valley, he found inspiration in the beauty of Cumbrian landscape, its rugged history as a frontierland, and the spirit of its people, prompting him to write Middleland: Dispatches From The Borders, a portrait of rural Britain today: a place caught in tensions between farming and the natural world, between the need to preserve and to grow, between local and national politics. Over to you, Rory. Tickets: toppingbooks.co.uk/events/york/rory-stewart-middleland/.
Fizzy with the singers in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Bugsy Malone: Theo Rae, Isla Lightfoot, Olivia Swales and Beau Lettin
Musical of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Bugsy Malone, Grand Opera House, York, October 31 to November 8, 7.30pm, except Sunday and Monday ; 2.30pm, both Saturdays and Sunday
LESLEY Hill directs and choreographs York company Pick Me Up Theatre’s cast of 40 young performers in Alan Parker and Paul Williams’s musical, replete with the movie songs You Give A Little Love, My Name Is Tallulah, So You Wanna Be A Boxer?, Fat Sam’s Grand SlamandBugsy Malone.
In Prohibition-era New York, rival gangsters Fat Sam and Dandy Dan are at loggerheads. As custard pies fly and Dan’s splurge guns wreak havoc, penniless ex-boxer and all-round nice guy Bugsy Malone falls for aspiring singer Blousey Brown. Can Bugsy resist seductive songstress Tallulah, Fat Sam’s moll and Bugsy’s old flame, and stay out of trouble while helping Fat Sam to defend his business? Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
In Focus: Tom Grennan, York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, July 25 2026
BEDFORD singer-songwriter Tom Grennan is the first act to be confirmed for the Music Showcase Weekend at the 2026 York Racecourse flat racing season.
Grennan, 30, has achieved three UK number one albums, 2021’s Evering Road, 2023’s What Ifs & Maybes and 2025’s Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be, preceded by his top five-charting 2018 debut Lighting Matches.
He has chalked up hit singles too with Little Bit Of Love, Let’s Go Home Together (with Ella Henderson), Remind Me, Lionheart (Fearless, with Joel Corry), Here, How Does It Feel, It Can’t Be Christmas, By Your Side (Calvin Harris, featuring Tom Grennan) and Not Over Yet (KSI, featuring Tom Grennan).
Next summer’s Knavesmire gig will form part of a busy touring schedule for Grennan, who also co-hosts the You About? podcast with TV and radio presenter Roman Kemp.
Racing and music fans can take advantage of a price freeze on adult general admission on the track’s website, meaning entrance to the main Grandstand and Paddock enclosure, starts at just £40 per person for a group of six. As well as free car parking, no booking fees apply on this route to purchase. To book, visit www.yorkracecourse.co.uk.
On the racecourse, the racing action will see seven thoroughbred contests with combined prize money of £380,000. The Group Two feature race will be the Sky Bet York Stakes.
The Summer Music Saturday meeting will be held on June 27; the Friday evening Music Showcase Weekend meeting on July 24. Music acts for both those days are yet to be confirmed; keep checking www.yorkracecourse.co.uk for further announcements, expected soon.
James Brennan, head of marketing and sponsorship says: “It is great news that Tom Grennan is joining the artists to have performed on the Knavesmire; a performer who has gone from strength to strength. It will herald a month for music and racing fans to remember.”
In Focus too: Luxmuralis presents Echoes Of Yorkshire, York Museum Gardens, until November 2, 6pm to 8.20pm
Luxmuralis’s Echoes Of Yorkshire transforming the St Mary’s Abbey ruins in York Museum Gardens. Picture: Duncan Savage, Ravage Productions, for York Museums Trust
LET light, colour and music surround you at the Echoes Of Yorkshire light and sound installation conjured by the internationally acclaimed Luxmuralis, who bring alive the culturally rich story of the Yorkshire Museum and York Museum Gardens.
Visitors are invited to “immerse yourself in the story of the historic site with contemporary light and music showcasing its age-defining artefacts and extraordinary exhibits. Join us to celebrate all that the museum and its gardens bring to our city and the wider north of England.”
In the 30-year collaboration of sculptor and artist Peter Walker and composer David Harper, Luxmuralis travels the world to create stories in light and sound for audiences at locations ranging from the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, to city-wide open-air projections in places such as Oxford and Limburg in the Netherlands.
Through combining fine art, light and sound, Luxmuralis reflects closely on the history and heritage of places by weaves together the contemporary and the ancient.
Now, for the first time, Luxmuralis is transforming the walls of York in Echoes Of Yorkshire in York Museum Gardens for ten evenings filled with six looping art installations and landscape lighting by Steve Rainsford.
Ticketed entry time slots are given every 20 minutes, but once in the gardens visitors can journey through the experience at their own pace with a recommended walking time of one hour. Refreshments will be available to buy on the night, including from Thor’s tipi.
Echoes Of Yorkshire is suitable for all ages. Audiences will experience the gardens’ history from the Roman period to its time as an abbey (St Mary’s Abbey) in tandem with Luxmuralis’s showcase of the Yorkshire Museum’s collections that span 60 million years from the Jurassic and the Mesolithic, through to the Romans, Viking, Anglo Saxon and Medieval.
Welcoming Luxmuralis to York Museum Gardens, Siona Mackelworth, head of audience and programme for York Museums Trust, says: “We are delighted that Luxmuralis agreed to produce a very special and bespoke show for us here in York.
“This is a celebration of all that the Yorkshire Museum brings to the city, its history and the location as the repository of great discoveries and stories. With this amount of content, the Luxmuralis light and sound show looks amazing.”
Luxmuralis artistic director Peter Walker says: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with the team at Yorkshire Museum to deliver a truly distinctive experience set within the stunning and historically rich Museum Gardens.
“By drawing inspiration from the museum’s collections, this light installation re-imagines the architecture and landscape in an entirely new and transformative way.”
Tickets cost £13.50 per adult; £9.50 for children aged five to 16; free admission for under-fives. Box office: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk. Echoes Of Yorkshire is on a constant loop from 6pm to 8.20pm each night. Please note, only assistance dogs will be allowed into the gardens during the event.
Illustrator Ric Liptrot sketching in the York plein air
YORK artist Ric Liptrot is launching his 2025 calendar, York Past And Present, at the end of October,
Based at PICA Studios, in Grape Lane, York, freelance illustrator Ric is “obsessed with York’s architecture” and is in high demand for projects relating to buildings, shop fronts and grounds in the city.
Next year’s calendar is a “gift of nostalgia”, exploring forgotten shops such as Fossgate Books and Ken Spelman’s Booksellers, Dave Dee’s Banana Warehouse and Bootham Crescent, the former home of York City FC, as well as present-day places, from The Cat’s Whiskers café to the York Nut Centre in Market Street.
Ric has produced work for Bettys Tearoom, St Michael le Belfrey and The Pig & Pastry café, creating drawings, prints and collages for his clients, who include the Guardian and The Big Issue.
Last year’s calendar, his own venture, was a celebration of York’s buildings and was so popular that he decided to launch a 2025 follow-up, but this time focusing more on the hidden past of York’s popular shops.
“I miss Fossgate Books, with its window packed full of books, and Ken Spelman’s treasure trove of old wooden panels housing all sorts of historic secrets,” says Ric.
Here Ric Liptrot discusses York past and present with CharlesHutchPress
The Banana Warehouse, illustration, by Ric Liptrot. Once home to FT Burley’s wholesale fruit merchants, then to “Dave Dee Shifts Things'” Aladdin’s Cave of second-hand goods, now only the 1925 facade will remain as the 168-bedroom Banana Warehouse Hotel rises in its stead
How would you describe your artistic style, Ric?
“My artistic style is representational, using drawings made from studying buildings in York. I like to create textures using collage and stencils, which I produce using paint rollers. I also use pen and ink for detail.
“I use these techniques to bring out the characterful elements of shop windows, for example, signage and tiles.
“When I decide to create an image, I draw outside and study the windows and the building. Passers-by take an interest and I love to talk about what I’m doing.”
What makes York such a hot spot for artists to represent in paint/street art/whatever?
“I think it’s a mixture of characterful buildings with their wonky rooftops and intricate brickwork, as well as the history. The city is packed full of historic importance and stories. This helps artists to give more life to the artwork.”
In turn, what makes York so ideal to be represented in a calendar?
“We are lucky in York to have so many inspiring scenes to paint and draw. As well as fantastic independent businesses that I believe are very important to the local community and economy. There are not many places like York left in the UK. Cities are changing, York is one of few which still attracts a large number of visitors.”
The cover artwork for Ric Liptrot’s 2025 calendar, York Past & Present
You describe yourself as “obsessed with York’s architecture”. In a city that hosts such events as York Residents Festival and York Unlocked, is one of the joys behind that obsession finding new architectural gems to depict?
“Absolutely! I’m still finding parts of York I’ve never noticed before. I find myself looking up at buildings and noticing the intricate detail, something I encourage others to do. It makes you really appreciate the city.”
Has any other city struck you in the same way?
“I love cities, maybe it’s because I grew up near Liverpool and Manchester. Edinburgh stands out as one of my favourites. It is such a beautiful city with its castle high up on the rock and the grand Georgian buildings of the New Town.”
York is ripe for nostalgia, both ancient and more recent. Discuss…
“There’s a huge amount of history in York, which attracts a lot of tourists year on year. When speaking to people, I hear so many stories of their fond memories of shops and places that no longer exist. The Banana Warehouse, for example, that armoured figure standing outside the door.
“A life-long York City FC fan got in touch with me to ask if I could draw Bootham Crescent before the club moved to their new stadium outside of York city centre [York Community Stadium, Monks Cross, Huntington]. It’s been such a popular illustration of mine as it evokes so many memories for fans. I love hearing their stories and seeing how much it means to them.”
The Perky Peacock cafe, at Barker Tower, North Street, York: Ric Liptrot’s illustration for September in his 2025 calendar
Where were you born? Did it have an impact on your artistic work?
“I was born in Chester and grew up in Runcorn. During my foundation year on the outskirts of Liverpool, we would go and sit outside around the city. It’s where it all began for me, quietly sitting and taking in the cityscape. When I sit and draw outside, I lose myself in the drawing. I find it very calming, unless someone is watching me.”
Why did you move to York?
“I moved to York two years after finishing my illustration degree at UCLAN [University of Central Lancashire] in Preston. My circumstances at the time brought me to the city but I’ve now lived here for 15 years.
“York was the perfect place for me to develop my drawing. I began by drawing a lot of the traditional pubs in York, which developed into drawing the independent shops and cafés too.”
York artist Ric Liptrot with his plywood panels depicting central York, commissioned by York Conservation Trust for the entrance hall to its new offices at De Grey House, York
You are serving as York Conservation Trust’s artist in residence this year. When does the work go on show?
“I was commissioned at the start of 2024. They wanted some artwork to be displayed in the entrance hall of their new offices at De Grey House.
“We met a few times and developed an idea of painting on to five large plywood panels. Each panel depicts a quarter of central York – North, East, South and West – with a fifth concentrating on the central/cultural quarter, Exhibition Square and Museum Gardens.
“Each panel is a montage of the Trust’s buildings alongside other significant and iconic buildings and elements in those areas. I tried to used colour and texture to help represent the different periods of architecture in the city.
“I’ve been working on this exciting piece for six months, totally inspired by the history and stories of York. I’ve noticed so much more detail in the city stone, walls and windows. The King’s Manor has the smallest window in York and that image has entered into this commission.
“The final boards will be hung at the beginning of November 2024 and will be available for the public to see. We’ll be releasing limited-edition prints very soon.”
The Central York North panel from Ric Liptrot’s commission for York Conservation Trust, whose chief executive, Guy Bowyer, says: “We are delighted with the artwork Ric has produced for us. His five panels are an expressive, playful and an accurate take on the colours and textures of York’s historic streetscapes. We are very much looking forward to installing them at De Grey House and will be very pleased to welcome anyone that would like to see them in person”
You have taken part in York Open Studios in the past. Will you be doing so in 2025?
“Unfortunately I haven’t been selected for 2025. However, I will be taking part in North Yorkshire Open Studios on June 7, 8, 14 and 15 2025. We’ll be holding our annual festive open studio at PICA Studios [7 Grape Lane, York, YO1 7HU] on November 30 and December 1.”
How did you decide on the triptych of shields, cats and Bars for this year’s Last Drop Inn commission?
“I had never painted such a large mural before, but the landlord was keen for me to give it a go. The brief was to create a blend of York’s iconic buildings.
Ric Liptrot with his central York panels for York Conservation Trust
“The idea came from a map, using the city ‘Bars’ at Bootham, Micklegate and Monk Bar. I then filled in the areas with other buildings and landmarks, including Clifford’s Tower, York Minster and Fairfax House. I wanted to add other elements, such as the crossed keys badge and cat figure, as those on important parts of the city and add character and intrigue. The design was inspired by an illustration of London by Edward Bawden.”
Any more commissions coming up?
“Yes, I have a number of commissions lined up, including Silvarious, a jeweller on Petergate, and Heppni Bakeri on Swinegate.”
Do you have a “day job” too?
“I work part-time on an organic vegetable farm in Strensall, Goodness Growing. I help to plant, weed and hoe the land, as well as harvest vegetables for packing into bags, which are delivered around York.”
Ric Liptrot’s York Past & Present 2025 calendar will be available from www.ricliptrot.bigcartel.com. Pre-order now, to be delivered/ready to collect by mid-end October 2024. “Yorkies can either collect from central York or I can deliver for free,” advises Ric. “Beyond York is £3 p&p.”
King’s Manor, Ric Liptrot’s October illustration for his 2025 calendar
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.
