Aiden says, "From an early age I have been fascinated with conceptual design, the idea of conveying an emotion or thought through a visual or a sensory medium excites and intrigues me. In the art I create, I strive to communicate with the viewer; I want them to feel how I felt when the piece was conceived. The engineer and the artist in me reveal an interesting conflict that is often apparent in my work."

 

Alex works from her studio in Leicestershire, creating her sumptuous collection of textile accessories. Her range of products began life whilst studying Textile Design at De Montfort University. She graduated in 2006 with first class honours and has continued to exhibit and sell her work through galleries and shows ever since. Alex is inspired by the outdoors and nature; she loves to explore pattern and texture. She has spent time recently exploring farms and agricultural machinery, her love of the vintage tractor sparked an interest in collecting rusty washers, nuts and springs! These are then intricately sewn into much of her work making a wonderful contrast to the feminine feel of handmade felts, vintage lace and beautiful fabrics. Alex embraces the idea of never throwing anything away and recycling what she can from old clothes, fabrics, buttons and haberdashery. This has led to her applique range of accessories from little birdie brooches, hanging heart decorations, to teacup pin cushions. Free machine embroidery adds an illustrative feel to the work allowing Alex to bring her sketchbook full of little pictures and doodles to life in fabric!

 

Alison's childhood in the countryside and on a farm informs much of her work, as well as a concern for the environment. Working in reclaimed leather she creates caricatures of familiar farmyard creatures such as cows and pigs. These are sometimes presented as brooches, sometimes mounted into deep frames for hanging on the wall in the style of Hogarth cartoons, some are free standing and others are huge sculptural creations.

 

A lot of Alys’ work uses materials which are reclaimed, reinvented, reused or recycled. These base materials are mixed with beautiful and fascinating found objects, sterling silver and semi-precious stones to create unique jewellery and accessories just for you.

Customer Comments

 

Alysn creates contemporary textile works which exploit the boundaries of multiple surfaces by doing this, new dimensions of textiles are revealed using threads and fibres and metals.
Alysn says 'I work with embroidered textiles, using a wide range of contemporary textile techniques. These include dying, painting, layering, piecing and burning fabrics and then adding threads and embellishments by hand and machine.
Increasingly I find that using textile techniques in unusual materials such as metal and mixing the textiles with other media gives me the scope to investigate my interest in the different surface qualities which are achievable.
Textiles have maintained a high degree of significance through time and culture, holding a multiplicity of meanings and associations, including utilitarian, celebratory, ritualistic, political, symbolic, personal and communal. In our society the decorating of textiles is often stereotyped and can invite a shallow, prejudiced response.
I am concerned to challenge these preconceptions whilst acknowledging that my relationship with embroidery does lead from learning stem-stitch, lazy-daisy and French knots for table cloths with my Grandmother.
The embroideries usually take the form of hangings or framed pieces of semi-abstract expressionistic pictures with evocative forms and figures.
Recent work includes use of metal, stone, paint and found objects in addition to the textiles.
I also produce complementary ranges of smaller items such as boxes, mirrors, books and cards.

Work for exhibitions involves a personal element along with references to the overlapping myths, symbolism and expressionism of several cultures, such as Viking, Australian Aboriginal, Native North American, Incan, Mayan and recent North European.

Work to commission is carried out after close consultation with the client and has resulted in national prize winning pieces.

Customer Comments

 

Angie is a graduate from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee and the winner of the Goldsmiths Precious Metal Bursary prize.
She says: 'The inspiration for many of my larger pieces of work originates in basket making. I have combined this with my training in jewellery and metal design and love of silver tableware to produce a range of table pieces that combine silver and willow, and a collection of wearable silver & willow bracelets, I have also recently developed a collection of jewellery using cast willow and semi-precious stones.' She is showing items from her Gold Leaf, Hammered Silver, Cast Willow and Silver Dot Collectios at the gallery.

 

I am a mature student currently studying 3D Design New Practice at Loughborough University, where I design and make a range of domestic objects and jewellery using various materials.
My work derives from a passion to experiment with and manipulate materials, such as metal, ceramic, glass and wood. A current example of this is the combination of porcelain and steel mesh, and the reaction they have together once put inside a kiln.
My designs are also heavily influenced by a fascination with nature and the outdoors.

 

My ceramics rekindle a forgotten, childlike sense of curiosity and delight. The scenes captured on the clay speak of historic grandeur and past traditions, whilst ooze a captivating and sometimes sinister undertone. Each piece has a story to tell, and tempts your imagination to assign a narrative.

The curiously odd ceramics radiate my preoccupation with historic houses for their excessive decoration, opulence, and obsessive natural history collections and specimens. Drawings of these elements are playfully translated onto the clay. Scale and setting is often distorted to keep the images fresh and stimulating. Visual depth is achieved through the many layers of colours, markings and transfers that are fired upon the ceramic surface. The resulting objects exert a rich and captivating presence that delights, intrigues and is sometimes haunting to the eye.

Customer Comments

 

Barbara Rae is a highly acclaimed painter whose work has been exhibited throughout Scotland but also in South Africa, Norway, Australia, Spain, Italy, California, New Mexico and Washington DC.
Her first solo show was held in 1967 at the New 57 Gallery, Edinburgh. Then 10 years later in 1977, she won the Guthrie medal, Royal Scottish Academy.
In 1983, Rae became President of the Society of Scottish Artists and she was appointed a Member of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland in 1995. Also in 1983 Barbara Rae was awarded the Royal Scottish Academy Sir William Gillies Travel Award and also the Calouste Gulbenkian printmaking award. In 1992 Barbara Rae was made a member of the Royal Scottish Academy. Then in 1996 she became a Royal Academician.

Barbara was awarded a CBE in 1999 and received an honorary Doctorate from Napier University (Edinburgh) in the same year.

Barbara Rae’s printmaking has been integral to her artistic activity since her student days. The way she conceives and works on her original limited edition silkscreen’s, complements and informs her approach to painting. The discipline imposed by this media and the unique opportunities offered by them, create a set of possibilities, which stimulate her vision of the world, whether she is painting or making edition silkscreen’, or simply observing.

 

Bren combines her love of texture and vivid colours with paper, paint, fabrics and stitch. She works with unusual synthetic non-woven fabrics that can be screen-printed, painted, stitched and melted to create beautiful unusual patterns and shapes. This is then constructed into layers and deconstructed to produce original contemporary works for wall hangings, framed pictures, lamps and garden hangings.
She exhibits and sells her work as well as teaching surface design and stitch.
Bren is a co-operative member of The Gallery @ The Guild, Chipping Campden.

Customer Comments

 

Brian enjoys the manipulation of silver and other metals, creating textured, organic forms.

 

Bruce McLean is one of the major figures of contemporary British Art.

He has obtained international recognition for his paintings and prints, work with film, theatre and books. Bruce’s bold and confident approach to printmaking and the wit evident therein proved influential to his contemporaries and also to a generation of younger artists

Bruce’s work is in private and public collections world wide, and he has had numerous one man shows in both Europe and North America including The Tate Gallery in London, The Modern Art Gallery in Vienna, The Arnolfini and Museum of Modern Art.

 

Cathy creates simple, bold designs for cards for special occasions.

 

Charlotte Cornish was born in Cambridge in 1967. She studied printmaking at the University of Brighton and went on to study Fine Art at the Slade School of Fine Art, London.

Over recent years, Cornish¹s work has become increasingly symbolic, exploring the relationship between colours and forms, and their power to evoke emotional and psychological responses.

Using circles, and linear horizontal and vertical boundaries, Cornish creates visual parallels to relationships in life with people, experiences, feelings. Colour continues to play a vital role, as she explores its relative values and power in conveying both visual and emotional concerns.

 

Claire Armitage creates exquisite silk clothing and accessories to cherish. Each piece is handmade in Cornwall, adorned with beautiful prints inspired by Claire’s drawings and illustrations. The prints are rich in narrative, blending floral and nautical imagery with literary references to poetry and fairytales. Each design is finished with delicately layered edgings and hand-embroidered details.
The collections comprise a range of digitally printed scarves and bespoke dresses.
The Salt collection was inspired by the subtle hues of the Atlantic Ocean, the streets of St Ives, cliff-top flowers and the sweeping architectural lines of Tate St Ives.
The richly coloured and illustrative Iris Collection takes literary inspiration from poetry and wildflowers.

 

Amy Nightingale and Claire Benson work together to create intricate, quirky sculptures of winged creatures from abandoned and reclaimed materials. Inspiration is drawn from childhood imagery from fairytale mythology and legends. Imagine them coming to life, scurrying through the mundane and unused items people keep but never use. Showing the unrecognised beauty of every day discarded objects.

 

Conny paints decorative images & textures on mirrored glass. The reflective properties of the mirror beneath deepens and intensifies the colour to create drama and impact. Conny aims to bridge the gap between ‘understanding’ and ‘perceiving’ representational art. She infuses each piece with her own belief in the beauty and appeal of colour in its purest form.

 

Designer-maker Corinne Carr’s luxurious knitwear collection draws its inspiration from the beauty of the coast, moors and countryside of Cornwall where she lives and works. Of the creative process she says, ‘Most of my designs are inspired by a place I have visited, something that I have seen or experienced. Often on my frequent walks around Cornwall, I visit places that are special to me and I feel inspired either by the colours or the aura of a place. One of the most enjoyable parts is working within the constraints of colours available from the wool spinners in order to capture a mood. I often blend two yarns together to get just the right tone. My scarves especially reflect the ambiance of that special place, a moment in time captured and represented in a beautiful, wearable item. Sometimes the beauty of the landscape in Cornwall is so intense and breathtaking, you just want to hold it in your hands - that's what I try to create when I sit at my knitting machine.’

Corinne’s knitwear and accessories are very distinctive: jumpers feature unusual shapes, raised seams, contrasting trims and unique buttons and fastenings; her signature scarves, wraps, gloves and hats offer the perfect complement to any outfit and are bursting with colour. Each piece is hand-crafted to the highest standard. Sourcing the softest yarns from traditional Scottish spinners and from prestigious Italian mills gives Corinne great flexibility with colours and textures. As a result, her hand-framed garments are wonderfully soft and comfortable, both fashionable and timeless.

 

Craig Fellows is an award-winning and successful textile designer with a passion for colour and illustration, combining his fine art talents with his love of fashion prints and textiles.
Using traditional, contemporary and digital printing techniques, Craig transforms his stunning illustrations into beautiful fashion and interior pieces. Each piece is design, made and hand-finished by Craig. Every piece in Craig’s collection is completely unique and can truly not be found on the high street. Craig's growing interest in the natural world and our relationship with it, forms the basis of his latest collection.
Craig graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Fashion and during his studies his work was regularly exhibited and selected to represent his University in a number of competitions, including Clothes Show Live and
New Designers and Graduate Fashion Week; where his collection was shown in the Gala show for the Zandra Rhodes Textile Award. Craig has received several industry awards, such as the Society of Dyers and Colourists Award, in recognition of his distinct and fresh use of colour, and the Leigh Cooke Colour in Design Award. With strong links with fashion, Craig has been able to work on exciting live projects with the British Leather Council, Drapers and Textile Lecture Days alongside Zandra Rhodes.
With all this already under his belt, it’s not surprising that Craig Fellows is considered 'one to watch' by VOGUE.com.

 

Embodied in my work are questions around legacy, experience, memory, and sense of place. Although my work specifically reflects the human experience it encourages us to consider a new reality and a different way of seeing.
To make my work I use large sections of tree trunks and other found wood. My technique for sculpting is to use various electrical and hand held tools to allow me to discover the figure within the tree.
In terms of what has influenced my creativity, philosophy and the emotion behind my sculpting it is my belief system around the human and what I call the source. This is something I am aware of and sculpting helps me to express my beliefs with human life experience and after death in a physical form. A physical way to express a question which we all ask at some point and that is “why are we here and what happens next?”
I have always had a strong interest in art from a very early age which developed into a more 3 dimensional avenue satisfied for many years in furniture and interiors. That has allowed a natural progression for me to now do sculpting which is a passion.
When deciding on my next sculpture I choose a piece of tree or type of tree and then I uncover the figure within it. Within my current body of work that is always the female form as this represents mother earth.

 

 

Diana is a painter in oils & acrylic on canvas
She says "At first glance, the images are recognisable plant forms. Look again and they become something else, familiar yet strange. I’m concerned with what is just out of reach of our senses, what we know through science and imaging techniques, but can’t directly apprehend. Day to day inspiration comes from local verges, hedgerows and gardens, and all the layers of vegetation from tree canopy to soil level and below."

 

Dionne Swift studied Embroidery at Goldsmiths College, followed by a Masters at the University of Central England. She translates her vision of the world into cloth.
‘I aim to investigate the world from unique and unusual angles. Photographing and drawing lost corners; finding intriguing compositions. Order gets disrupted and angles are skewed as I play with texture, techniques and processes.’
Supported by a collection of teaching qualifications Dionne has lectured at Higher Education level for over 20 years and continues to offer a selection of creative workshops both in the UK and abroad.
Gold winner of the Craft & Design Selected Awards: Textiles & Needlework 2011
Amazing comments from the judge Melissa Warren :
Dionne Swift’s engaging and innovative work commands huge respect from her peers as well as from other professionals and the public.
Her great skill and extensive knowledge of her materials, techniques and processes are leading to exciting synergies. She not only breaks boundaries but admits to ignoring them, the results showing an uncompromising integrity. Tracking her career leaves one anticipating even better to come.
Dionne’s work inspires and encourages others and most importantly, I think her work is distinctive and memorable. It will be valued in decades to come.

 

Donald Hamilton Fraser has exhibited his highly acclaimed work in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Zurich and many other cities around the world. The list of galleries that own, or have exhibited, his work is phenomenal. Donald has participated in many of the most significant exhibitions of British work including The Royal Academy’s 25 Years of British Painting. He has been a Royal Academician and a trustee since 1995.
His work was always very well received at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition each year, with collector’s buying his original limited edition silkscreen’s. Donald’s predominant subject matter is landscape. He combines his Scottish descent and his affinity with French painting which he developed during his study there in the 1950s. The two are greatly reflected in his style and execution, he layers thick, bright paint with a palette knife to produce an almost collage effect. The landscapes remain close to their origins whilst forming abstract, almost dream-like fields of colour.

 

EllyMental vintage styled kitsch jewellery is designed and made by Elly Englefield who is inspired by designs based on her own fervent interest in kitsch nostalgia and animals. She incorporates her designs with found ephemera such as 1950's books, Victorian newspapers and delicate home-made papers. Items are multi-layered and multi-varnished to create a strong and robust end piece. All items are lovingly and meticulously hand crafted.

 

 

Because we believe that by showing the work of named artists producing unique work that this supports their continued practice, we also extend this principle to a range of fairly-traded hand made gift items which we keep available for you. You will find notebooks, scarves, hangers and more in this section.

 

Unique enamelled artwork. Each design is handcut in copper and individually enamelled using traditional kiln fired enamels. Designs are either freestanding or framed in either flat or box frames (box frames have a stamped brass plaque). Unique miniature sculptures are crafted from found objects and enamelled artwork. Commissions welcome!

 

Recent work (freestanding and wall mounted objects) explores themes of authenticity and display within the natural history collection. Collections such as the D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum, Dundee, offer a survey of natural history and the evolution of animal species. In addition they provide insights into how animals were viewed, collected, preserved and used for study or display over the last century or so. The image of an animal is potentially evocative, loaded with multiple meanings. I am interested in their transformation; they have become representations, symbols, altered versions of their former selves. They are fixed in time; frozen into a chosen pose that often allude to their original context, their display cabinets a new setting. Images are reduced to silhouettes, negative spaces or are partly (digitally) de-constructed and are permanently framed by the 'boxes'. The cut out and mono-printed silhouettes are developed from the photographs; retaining and replicating the compositions as originally seen. Like the animals themselves, the form of the represented animals is fixed and static. The photographs are translucent, with sections removed, revealing the layers of colour and text underneath. Much of the text is taken from D’Arcy Thompson’s On Growth and Form. Although rendered permanently onto the surface, the animals are seemingly fragile and ephemeral. Some of the animals depicted are now extinct; their stuffed remains a reminder of the importance of preserving species.
There are multiple layers and processes in the work. Earthenware forms are built by hand with silhouettes cut out of selected pieces. Layers of coloured slip are brushed on, then mono-printing and screen-printing are used to apply layers of text and/or image. Commercial glazes are used, and transfers are applied to the fired glaze. Photographs, drawings and text are manipulated in Photoshop to be made into transfers.

 

Fiona works in a variety of materials, wood, paper, cloth, stitch and printed matter to create work based on collections and narratives. Intrigued by the lost, the overlooked, the forgotten and the hidden, she has an eye for detail and a passion to share skill and knowledge. A love of materials, texture, colour and drawing are central to her work. Paper and wood illustrate scenes from the landscape using a variety of drawing, collage and print techniques. Tactile wooden blocks are created using print making and bound threads that create intimate groupings for the wall or to be displayed on flat surfaces.

 

Heidi says; ' I love colour, illustration & the mixture of old & new materials & techniques. All the prints are from my original illustrations, usually of elegant and charmingly random ladies, birds & creatures. I am inspired by alsorts, but mostly fabulous things with perfect imperfections, vintage finds, travels & trips, friends & fools.' Heidi creates prints onto textiles and transforms them into young, lively creations including purses and tea cosies!

 

Helen originates from South Africa, her inspiration for jewellery is largely influenced by the colours and textures of the African Bush and Southern African Art. These influences are largely embedded in her metal creations which are further enhanced by the colour of brass and copper. Helen is a specialist tutor at the Beetroot Tree, look out for her regular evening classes and her day classes.

 

Textile designer Helen Hallows is inspired by the rhythms of the seasons capturing her world through a personal, symbolic, visual language that tries to capture the moment and celebrate the beauty and transience of life.

 

Ceramicist, Ian Tomii has specialised in the art of Raku since 1996. Working from his Midland studio, Ian attributes his fascination with Raku to his Japanese ancestry and to his love of serendipity. Chance plays an important part in Raku. Every pot has unique characteristics, whilst some are given by the potter others are created by the random interplay of fire, smoke and air.

 

 

Janet Wass is a contemporary silver jewellery designer based at the academy of makers, sheffield and is a member of the association of contemporary jewellery. She creates simple, elegant jewellery delicately laced with pattern.
She fuses her passion for jewellery with her love of photography, incorporating photographically produced imagery within her designs, using laser-cutting and photo-etching alongside traditional jewellery making techniques.
Magnifying often neglected details from the everyday world, she works using sterling silver and colourful synthetic materials to create inspiring and desirable, wearable pieces.

 

Janet creates smoke fired ceramic wall hangings and brooches often
finished with a crackle glaze and embellished with gold/silver leaf. Her brooches are embossed with unique textures, soft in colour, wearable and elegant.

Customer Comments

 

Jean has an enthusiasm for life and for painting which is evident in her work. Jean has worked in the circus, the theatre and as a windmill girl and now demonstrates this rich creativity in her paintings

Vivid splashes of watercolours and inks float across the surface of the canvas to create flowers that dance with passion.

Customer Comments

 

Showing now at The Beetroot Tree, a colourful range off necklaces and brooches by Jenni Burrows. She creates pieces, large and small in mixed media and stitch, using recycled materials and luxurious scraps of fabric. Jenni says: “I have always loved working with threads and fabric and my work is inspired through my travels and life experience.”

Customer Comments

 

Fine quality porcelain is used by Jennifer to produce textured intricate wall panels and brooches.
The panels are coloured with oxides and metallic lustres during a course of three firings. The main themes used are trees, leaves and flowers combined with the playful and direct qualities of naïve art. Jennifer is very interested in traditional patterns incorporating these into borders and edges.

Customer Comments

 

Having lived and served in a community of Tuareg nomads Jenny has had a unique glimpse of their lives and culture. Limited edition prints and card to share both Tuareg and British images, bringing joy and peace. 50% of the profits goes to a sustainable development projects in Niger.

 

Award winning jewellery designer and owner of Flux ’n’ Flame jewellery school, Jesa has been producing beautiful, enigmatic and enchanting jewellery collections since 1997. Inspired by dark fairytales, folklore and all things weird and wonderful she sets her imagination free through her work creating magical worlds of fantastical firebirds, ominous crows and wild woods.
Spring 2012 marks the launch of a new collection from Jesa, inspired by the Russian folktale ‘The Firebird’. As with her ever popular ‘Enchanted’ collection Jesa brings to life the beautiful story through her miniature sculptures which she casts in silver and then sets into delicately pierced scenes or hangs from chains dripping with precious stones.
Jesa’s collections can be seen in outlets throughout the UK and internationally. 2012 is also an exciting year for Jesa and her jewellery designer husband Al Marshall as it sees the opening of their first showroom, ‘Evermore’. In true Jesa and Al style ‘Evermore’ is a world of its own filled with beautiful design, dark fairytale magic and of course, fabulous jewellery.
As well as producing her collections Jesa loves to work to commission, creating something truly personal for her clients.

 

Sketch recordings from the 2012 Draycott Arts & Gardens Festival

 

Jessica Sherriff creates a unique range of contemporary acrylic jewellery. Inspired by the colours and views of her beautiful surroundings, Jessica uses her own photographic images of Yorkshire, from the overall landscape to close up trees and flowers, and displays them within the jewellery using a unique printing technique. She uses the acrylic in a variety of thickness, and combines matt and shiny surfaces to create an unusual distorted, but intriguing effect to the images. This technique allows her to create both bold and subtle colour waves and designs. She enjoys exploring the possibilities of acrylic and her enthusiasm grows the more she experiments.

 

"My work is concerned with collage and the immediacy of spontaneous drawing. I’m fascinated by handwriting, children’s scribbles and telephone doodles and I strive to maintain this kind of spontaneity in my own work. Pasted found notes or manuscripts are occasionally employed because of my anthropological interest towards mark making. Collecting printed and handwritten ephemera is an important part of my creative process and this often dictates the subject matter.
Obsessive mark making, spontaneity, accident and embracing the 'naive line ', are all continual themes in my work. This playful approach allows me to explore the endless possibilities of composition, a nod towards my interest in the formalities of constructivism and the Russian Avante-Garde.
Snippets of photographic imagery and text are surrounded by hand made marks and line drawing suggesting a personal response to stories and narrative. These ‘drawing collages’ are best compared to the pages in a book, constructed from detailed marks and materials imploring a need to be held and viewed intimately.

This approach is repeated in sculptural form, Embalmed in what was once readily to hand, the figurines are shrines to societies short-lived fancies and disposable items.
Touched by another’s hand, the objects transcend their material nature and a narrative appears. I decorate and wrap the figurines like mummies and then place them on book pillars to elevate them. An ornamental end to the books, magazines, catalogues and receipts which are quickly being replaced by the digital."

 

 

John Hoyland RA has been called ‘Europe’s answer to Mark Rothko’ and is regarded as the leading abstract artist of his generation. Hoyland’s works are powerful and richly coloured, built up from layers of thick paint. Rivers of colour run over the surface, often focussed on a cell-like central focus to the composition.
Hoyland’s first solo show was held at the Marlborough New London Gallery, London in 1964. Hoyland’s work has also been included in numerous international group exhibitions from 1964, when his work was selected for the New Generation exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London. More recently he has participated in group exhibitions at the Tate Gallery, Liverpool and the Barbican Gallery, London in 1993, and at Galerie Josine Bokhoven, Amsterdam and the Serpentine Gallery, London in 1994.

Hoyland has received many awards throughout his career, including the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Purchase Award (1963) and a Peter Stuyvesant travel bursary (1964). He was also a Prize Winner at the John Moore’s Liverpool Exhibition (1964) and later won First Prize (1982). He received an Arts Council purchase award (1979), joint first prize (with William Scott) in the Korn Ferry International (1986) and first prize of the Athena Art Award (1987). In 1998 he won the Wollaston Award for the most distinguished work in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

 

"Themes for my work derive from character observation. The ceramic figures aspire to embody interaction and memories, as well as an exploration of habit, ritual and social identity.
Within my ceramics I aim to create a texture of movement within the rigid form, bestowing the characters an artificial life to the observer. The work aims to provide both amusement and personal reflection whilst playing alongside societies darker undertones.
Within a historical or cultural context, where the figurine has embodied a certain spiritual link to a subject, my figurative artefacts pay homage to a forgotten, but non-the less present heritage within UK culture.

Jon Williams graduated from Wolverhampton University in 2000 with a 1st class honours degree and award for Excellence in Ceramics. He has since built his reputation teaching and exhibiting throughout the UK and at international ceramics festivals in China and Japan. In 2012 he will begin his MA studies at The Royal College of Art, London"

 

Julia is an independent crafts maker producing a small range of textile products from her workshop based in the Scottish Borders. Julia works mainly in scrap tweeds that are made locally to her, because of the small amounts of fabric she can get at any one time her designs are very unique. She also likes to incorporate any interesting selvedges and discrepancies in the fabric into the final piece. Her work includes the quirky but incredibly fashionable 'Wee Nebbies' bags and the corsages to decorate jackets and scarves.

 

I work with mixed media using a variety of fabrics, paper, metal, plastic - anything which produces a richly textured and colourful surface. For inspiration, I look to the countryside and coast of Northumberland where I live and draw upon the rich Christian heritage of the area. My work includes wallhangings, framed textiles, book covers, bags and other items and I've recently begun to incorporate my own photographs printed onto fabric with added hand or machine stitching

 

Karen William's love for the quirky and faerie leads her on a constant quest to sculpt the fairies, cats, dogs, bag ladies and grandads she meets. The sculptures are created to resemble bronze, but are in actual fact fabrics and a special resin which is suitable for outdoor display all through the year. Each fairy comes with his or her own birth certificate!

 

Kate takes her inspiration from gardens, landscapes and woodland, photographing and collecting found objects whenever possible to assist development of her ideas. Elements of plant life, mosses, fungi and cell structures have all been used to explore themes of repetition, movement and layering.

 

 

 

Kumi Furuhashi Middleton's work is inspired by her Japanese influences and nature. Her neutral palate is juxtaposed with deep purples, dark blues and vibrant reds that are achieved through dying and bleaching. Her range of fabrics includes vibrant pieces of original Japanese Kimono’s inherited from her family. Kumi manipulates, distresses and emboiders her materials to produces beautiful sculptural bags and jewellery.

Customer Comments

 

Lauren uses luxury silks and woollen fibres, sourced from traditional Scottish and English mills, to design and produce 100% hand made fabrics for those who love something unique and special. Her stunning range of fashion accessories are suitable for all occasions and include scarves, skinny scarves, corsages and wedding garters.

Available in rich colours and styles, fabrics are woven on a 16 shaft dobby hand loom, before being machine felted, air dried and hand finished.

Accessories feature innovative double sided woven structures and textures, inspired by Venetian opulence and architecture.

 

I am a self-taught, part-time artist living in Chesterfield; when I am not painting I work as a psychotherapist in private practice. Although I’ve always been interested in art and creative expression and “dabbled” in drawing and painting over the years I believe that it’s only through the personal development I have done as part of my training to become a therapist that I have found my other passion in life – painting.
Since I discovered my passion I have taken the opportunity to attend workshops with people whose work I admire and that I find exciting. At the moment I am exploring colour and mark making. I like to working with a limited palette looking for a range of colours for each picture that, for me, captures the light and reflection I see in the moment and begins to express the mood and emotion of my experience. And I’m really interested in how the simplest of marks can convey, and what the perception of the beholder does with those marks. I’m enjoying painting landscapes and seascapes some local and some further afield as I travel. I paint those scenes that have meaning for me – usually a moment of peace or connection to the natural world.
Most of my work is done in acrylic and oils, however I like to experiment and explore new ideas and techniques and as I feel that my skills as a painter are emerging then watch this space!

 

Since having left University where I studied Art and Education for three years my art has progressed from studying collage work towards contemporary free hand embroidery. When I left my studies I was using images and themes from the story of Alice in wonderland which lead me to become fond of the idea of collecting and sourcing different material and colours to create unique styles and encouraged me present my art in distinctive ways. The theme of using figures and faces arose from this topic as well, and here I explored for different ways to present them. Using a sewing machine to create different images of figures has been a theme which I have become more interested in and have therefore continued with through all my canvas pieces. An important aspect for me with these images is the colour used. All the colours selected were purposely chosen and contracted together to build a vibrant and bold representation of my design. These images were inspired from illustrations from a variety of artists as Mucha and Klimt who I have studied and admired for many years and from these been motivated to develop and create my abstract characters.

 

Louise says ' I am a contemporary wire artist. I use wire and found materials to create 2 and 3 D drawings and sculptures of everyday items. I also include anything I find that has an interesting line in the environment around me. The wire is simple and elegant allowing the focus to be on the line of the object, something so simple and yet so often missed. I aim to bring a feminine and personal touch to the wire using thread wrapping, twisting and rolling, and also including real objects and textiles within my work.
Each piece is handmade and individual which is important to me as I feel every object has it's own history and story to tell and I allow this to happen through the use of wire and found materiasl. No two pieces are exactly alike, just like our lives and experiences.'

 

"I walk in the countryside to collect delicate seedheads and insects, I’m interested in finding things that would decay into the ground, turning them into precious wearable objects. With climate change affecting our wildlife, my work may become a record for the future of the insect and plant life we have today." says Lucy. The result of Lucy's close observational techniques are close representations of delicate and ephemeral natural structures including seed heads, leaves, snails and flies made in silver and formed into rings, bracelets, earrings and brooches.

 

After graduating with first class honours from Cumbria Institute of the Arts in 2006 I returned home to Banbridge, Co. Down and set up as ‘Lynda B Jewellery and Ceramics’, producing a range of decorative ceramics and porcelain jewellery.
I have always loved making. While at college I enjoyed working across disciplines incorporating aspects of each into my work. Ceramics, textiles and jewellery were my three main disciplines. As a result I approach my ceramics discipline from a textile inspired angle, often trying to create a fabric-like quality with the porcelain. I love the individuality of hand building as no two items are ever identical. I attach little handmade ceramic buttons to each piece before firing, adding character and personality to each one.
I find porcelain is the ideal material for me to work with, its properties allow me the flexibility I need from my material and its sensitivity enables me to imprint delicate patterns onto its surface. Texture is a strong feature of my work and so imprinting is a favoured technique, I will experiment with anything I find, from lace to air filters!
Member of: Craft and Design Collective

 

Mary makes wheel thrown, slip decorated, earthenware pottery. In a modern urban environment our relationship with the earth can feel distant at times. Mary’s pots reflect this complicated situation. She applies decoration and images, based on her drawings and paintings of the cluttered back gardens and allotments of the city. She glazes the work with a honey coloured or clear lead glaze to 1080 degrees C to give a warm, smooth and traditional feel.
Mary is a member of the Design Factory and the Northern Potters Association.

Customer Comments

 

Melanies colourful brooches take their inspiration from Romanian folklore, where butterflies and flowers are a recurring theme. The brooches are hand printed onto sheet tinned steel and then cut, floded, pressed and sewn together. When finished the metal gleams through the surface decoration adding visual depth to each piece.

 

Michelle creates these eye catching, very wearable, pieces of jewellery which everybody loves. Michelle’s work uses fused dichroic glass nuggets to construct into these elegant items of jewellery.
Dichroic glass is a type of glass which contains multiple micro-layers of metal oxides giving the pieces their optical properties. Enjoy!
We are the exclusive online outlet for Michelle's work, and new pieces are regularly added to her collection.

Customer Comments

 

 

I am a local wood turner who has always loved the look and feel of wooden things. All the wood is locally sourced from trees that have been usually been cut down due to disease or wind damage.
The majority of the designs evolve during the turning process and are therefore unique. The characteristics of the wood often determine the shape and characteristics of the finished article.
I am very keen to create a smooth and therefore tactile finish so I am often seen touching and caressing the items before I reluctantly let them go!
For me turning is a hobby not a business and so I am always looking for a challenge regardless of the time it might take to complete. If you have an idea that could be converted into turned wood please let me know and I will see what can be created.

 

I work mainly in embroidered textiles, producing 3D and 2D works that can be dark and subversive but are also often playful and quirky. I tell stories with my objects, incorporating found objects, ephemera and handwriting. It is important to me that people are intrigued, engaged and encouraged to tell their own tales.

 

Since graduating from University I’ve continued to develop my work and learn new skills. It’s important to me that I can utilise the skills I’ve been taught but like most artists find it challenging to pursue that end goal of making a living from what we create, especially when work and life take over.

For the last couple of years I wanted to take a step back from
producing my own work to do something which I’d never done before, I decided to concentrate on running workshops within NHS trusts,
which involved working with service users of all ages and
abilities to create work for their units as well as exhibitions within their communities. These workshops taught me so much
and helped me enormously to develop my own practice.

Since completing the workshops I’ve returned to my studio and
am developing the ideas I shelved a couple of years ago. I’ve finally started to create a collection of work which encompasses both of my passions – printmaking and collecting. The ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ is a new, early collection of prints and other items which are inspired by Anatomy, Botany, Entomology, and Ornithology. Each one is an exploration of imagery and technique.
Each of the subjects are very much works in progress, and are
developing all the time.

 

Neil Bottle is a printed textiles specialist with international experience in design, product development and education. Since 1989 he has designed and manufactured fashion and interior accessories under his own label 'Neil Bottle Designs' from his studio on the Kent coast.

A combination of the latest cutting edge digital print techniques such as digital print and dye sublimation combined with craft traditions such as hand pleating and Shibori have been developed in the new work. Neil is intrigued by the relationship between digital textile print and craft techniques and how these seemingly opposing practices can coexist. Neil comments:

Right now I am experimenting with dye sublimation printing on synthetic fibre which can be heat pleated or moulded permanently into three-dimensional shapes. The concept behind the project is about hiding and revealing imagery, text and pattern. I am really excited about the new pleating experiments, the interaction between the physical movement and the printed imagery seems to illustrate perfectly the new ideas.

 

The inspiration for Nicki's illustration and printworks comes from a love of drawing life around her, capturing fleeting moments of passers-by going about their daily lives and routines. The work evolves through a series of stages transforming rough sketches into distinctive hand made prints with rich velvety tones contrasting with fine drypoint lines. To satisfy her own curiosity Nicki constantly seeks information and inspiration by researching subjects and gathering ephemera. She endeavours to create something in which the viewer becomes curious and involved. The plate from which the images are printed are re-used and re-worked in a final voyage of experimentation until each image is finally exhausted. Music, words, mood or even the weather can change the path of a single piece or series of work.

Charlotte Salomon's 'Life or Theatre?' in which the text and pictures are read like a diary, 'The Diary of Frida Kahlo' and Nicki's training as an illustrator have all played an active role in influencing her work.

 

Pat, known to many at The Beetroot Tree for her craft workshops, uses her sensitivity and skill with art materials to produce delicate and thoughtful pieces. Always beautiful and often shimmering her work makes lovely keepsakes and her cards are suitable for many occasions.

 

In a technological world where copying is part of daily existence, nature fascinates Paul in that it is unique, raw, endlessly new and inventive.

Paul is an horticulturalist inspired artistically to work with nature, to draw attention to natures mysterious energy, power to inspire, intricacy and effortless charisma. He paints on tree bark and other natural materials.

All of his 'barkart' is made from various leaves, barks and other natural materials, painted with gouache, water colours and oils.
We feature his gift cards at the gallery.

 

The ceramics forms Pauline creates are inspired by sea creatures and fossils from ammonites to sea urchins and other marine forms.
Pauline colours her clay bodies using oxides to achieve intricate ‘rock strata’ effects. She uses a variety of methods of construction; thrown, coiled, slab, press moulding, slip cast and combinations of these processes.
Her pieces are decorated by inlaid colour slips sprayed with underglaze and oxides. She has developed her own glazes which create unusual and often unpredictable results.
The stoneware and porcelain is fired at 1220 degrees C in an electric kiln.

 

Pauline is a textile artist who loves colour and texture. Her works show a love of colour and surface textures. She has a range of artist gift cards with the gallery.

 

Blake developed an early taste for many kinds of popular entertainments including cinema, the circus, wrestling matches, jazz, and popular music.
Blake’s early work was an unpretentious and a sincere response to his emersion in popular culture. Some of his earliest work ‘Children Reading Comics’(1954), and his celebrated ‘Self Portrait with Badges’ (1961), in which he is festooned with metal badges, holding an Elvis Presley fan club magazine, were autobiographical.

The directness with which Blake expressed his enthusiasms for mass culture during the 1950’s, bought him to the forefront of the Pop Art movement before it had ever been named. In the book ‘one man show’ by Marco Livingstone, he states that Blake firmly made a break through before Warhol as regards Pop Art.

His roots have grown out of brilliant collages, everyday objects, and brought a joy and magic to them, as seen in his stunning Tate Gallery retrospective in 1983, and again at the Tate / Liverpool retrospective a few years ago, who used phrase ‘godfather of Pop Art’.

He is held with great affection and respect by his admirers and the collectors of his work have been very pleased with the way it has gained in value in such a short period of time.Blake’s work is such a legacy to pass on to our families and children.

 

 

 

Polly Doherty is a young and innovative new designer currently embarking on an exciting career as a studio jeweller. Having recently graduated with a prestigious Central Saint Martins Jewellery design degree her work is beginning to develop a unique identity and style.

Taking her visual influences from modern interior design, Polly creates a unique comparison between the natural materials and geometric clean shapes. Letting the materials guide and determine the final shape achieved Polly creates the natural patterns and forms that could only be found within nature, then contrasts these with clean forms to demonstrate the combinations observed in interior design.

With Awards from Goldsmiths including a Travel scholarship Polly is looking to continue experimenting and indulging in her new love of slate and finding new ways of incorporating its natural beauty into wearable piece of jewellery.

 

Priscilla has been producing contemporary, stitched, mixed media pieces in 2D and 3D since completing her degree in Embroidery at Manchester Metropolitan University in 1997. Her work focuses on the use of found materials creating pieces that evoke personal memories of her childhood and love of sewing. Constantly inspired by her environment Priscilla lives on the Northwest Coast of England and working from her studio and gallery she reflects the faded beauty of her surroundings. Her work describes an absorbing observation of the soft tones and textures of nostalgic imagery from a bygone era. Priscilla pieces are sold and exhibited across the U.K. and Europe, with many pieces held in public and private collections.
Priscilla has lectured in FE and HE for 13 years and also runs workshops for schools, colleges and independent galleries.
Professional Memberships:
National Register of Makers with the Crafts Council
LAN ARTS
Associate Member of Luneside Studios

 

 

My work has its own pictorial language which has evolved over a number of years since graduating in 2001 from Derby University where I studied Arts Therapies.
My work is about everyday life, people, places and landscapes, which are influenced by the emotions of that time and place.
I concentrate on the aesthetic value of my work and the painting process itself involves working intuitively.
I manipulate and explore materials and I am interested in the processes that are involved and the physicality of the materials. I enjoy the practicality of painting itself.
My work usually involves the process of building up layers of paint, paper and other materials. These are then rubbed, scraped and scored so as to reveal previous layers; this is then either left revealed or covered with yet more layers of paint. And so the process continues until I have achieved a desired effect. I enjoy working with colour and this is evident within my work.
I am currently interested in the role that paper and text, as a material, can play.
These materials are used creatively within my work to add texture and interest.
Text is used and incorporated into the paintings in a random manner.
Decisions are made about what text I include in my work by the feel and texture of the paper and the pattern of the text on the pages of the books.
The words that are left uncovered within my work are coincidental. Often the words can provide the viewer with a way into the image, although this is not intentional.
I much prefer the viewer to interpret my paintings and decide what they mean to them, rather than explaining word for word the literal meanings.

 

Richard Highfield creates beautiful glass panels influenced by nature. Small meadow scenes, flowers and trees reflect the tranquillity of his source material and the translucency of his medium.

 

Robin uses resilient stoneware and porcelain to create ceramics that combine ideas, image and colour.
Her panels and brooches incorporate highly detailed and textured areas interspersed with painted glazes in delicious, rich and subtle colours.

 

Roger is an experienced photographer who is especially interested in images of the seasons and the environment. He shows with us a range of his gift cards and mounted works.

 

Sally offers a unique range of handcrafted textile items including cards, bags and covered books.
These she produces in distinctive designs using bright coloured and boldly patterned fabrics embellished with machine and hand embroidery, patchwork, appliqué, sequins, beads and ribbons.

 

When looking at an artwork by Sandra Blow the viewer will experience an emotional reaction, her work can be meditative, sensual, uplifting. For many of us it will feel strange to have such a reaction to a picture that contains no figurative subject matter. We doubt our own reactions; assuming that abstract art must be difficult to relate to, or that it is simplistic twaddle with no meaning.

In fact Blow’s work is full of meaning. She is an artists’ artist, an academic artist, but this does not mean that her work is pretentious or too intellectual for us mere mortals to understand. It is actually because the work is wholly abstract that it becomes universal: every individual reacts to it in their own way, can take a feeling or a meaning from it that applies to them, can see whatever they like in it; it is at once highly personal and universally applicable. Abstract art can communicate before it is understood.

 

Sarah endeavors to make everything as environmentally-friendly as possible, using found and re-used fabrics, biodegrable and recycled packaging. Her series of Lichen art works, crocheted threads finished in second hand frames.

Sarah Says: 'Lichens are a measurement of atmospheric pollution; they will only grow where there is little or no pollution. With our society growing at a rapid rate, it is a wonder how long they will survive. Therefore capturing a glimpse of history and protecting the sight of lichen is my aim within my representation boxes.'

 

Sarah's sculptures are inspired by the shapes, textures and colours of both urban and rural landscapes. As a result they often reference ornithology and the human figure; their intriguing forms inviting the viewer to touch and find their own interpretation or meaning.

Customer Comments

 

Sarah is a textile designer and maker with over ten years of experience. She creates my beautiful and innovative designs inspired by trips near and far, gathering inspiration and sourcing exotic materials.

 

Porcelain To Make You Smile.

Sarah J Miller creates cups & saucers, delicate trinkets and mirrors with quirky statements to adorn your home all year round. From the purely decorative heart series, to the phrases on angels. All of her work is made from porcelain, making the finished pieces almost translucent.
Her mugs are dishwasher safe, though Sarah says that as with any decorated items placed in dishwashers, the writing will eventually fade.

 

Codger bags are individually hand made by designer maker Sharon Walker. No two bags are the same. They are inspired by vintage photographs of real people, combined with traditional woven textiles, eclectic mixes of new and recycled fabrics, embellished with vintage buttons and beads, patching and distressed appliqué. These fabric bags are very robust and designed with practicality in mind.

 

Stephanie creates quirky ceramic clocks and coasters inspired by the natural world, music and playing cards (though not all at once!).

The subtle neutral shades of glazes make the pieces suitable for either a traditional or a contemporary living space and are perfect for gifts.

 

My work deals with human impact upon landscape and habitat. 

I live in a post-industrial landscape where the scars left by coal mining and steel making are still apparent but gradually fading from and from memory. I reflect upon this process of destruction and recovery by rusting and burning my materials. The action of fire and water upon iron and tin create fragile surfaces on which to work. Burnt coal, wood and paper mixed with gum arabic provide a palette of primitive colours and candle smoke makes shadows. These are dirty substances, sometimes noxious and difficult to work with, but beautiful and evocative too.

I became interested in moths when the British Library asked me to develop a body of work in response to the Lindisfarne Gospels. Moths provided me with a mysterious and ephemeral subject and motif whose powdery wings and subtle markings lend themselves to interpretation in dust. On summer nights I capture their fleeting presences using a humane light trap, fixing their images with traces of ash and smoke.

 

Construction and manipulation techniques are key to Stevies practise and all work is designed and produced by wrapping various sections of glass, hundreds of times, with wire. The process of wrapping wire, by hand, around chosen pieces of glass, not only creates decorative designs but also constructs the restrictive grid that forms and shapes the piece through numerous firings.Stevie tutors glass fusing and slumping workshops at The Beetroot Tree Gallery - have a look at the Workshop programme to find out when the next course is coming.

Customer Comments

 

Born in Potters bar in 1944, Storm’s career took off in 1968 when he and Aubrey Powell formed Hipgnosis, a graphic design studio specialising in creative photography mainly for album covers. These included Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, 10CC, Yes, Peter Gabriel, Black Sabbath,
Paul McCartney and many more.

In 1983 Storm, along with Aubrey and Peter Christopherson, formed Green Back Films and embarked on producing numerous rock videos.

In 1994 Storm directed six short films for Pink Floyd which were screened at concerts during their world tour.

Storm continues to design album covers and direct the occasional film along with writing and designing several books.

 

Sue studied Fashion Design at Derby College of Art between 1976 & 1979, and went on to work as a designer in the fashion industry.
In 2001 she gained a BA (Hons) Degree in Printed Textiles at University of Derby, and now produces limited edition prints using a wide range of techniques including:- silkscreen, linocut, collograph, etching & drypoint.
She takes inspiration from nature, simplifying or abstracting natural forms & combining these with colour, pattern & texture.
Influences from Fashion & Textiles can be seen throughout her work & she sees the finished pieces as being an integral part of the modern interior.

 

Susanna believes that jewellery is a reflection of the wearer’s personality or mood. She loves the idea that there is only one piece, as unique as the person wearing it. Her work is inspired by diverse elements from nature, art and conversations.

The exquisite ‘Misu’ collection at the Beetroot Tree is created from silver and 9ct gold and a variety of gemstones including diamonds are used to add extra life to the pieces.

 

Tim uses a variety of methods and materials; a fusion of style, art and originality in the creation of his contemporary metal clocks.

Before becoming a designer of metal art, Tim has had diverse careers which include being a butcher, baker and, yes, a candle stick maker!

 

Tom Butcher designs and hand-crafts a contemporary range of unique and beautiful ceramics.
Tom produces both sculptural pieces and functional tableware from his studio on the shores of Loch Long, Scotland, where he overlooks the Arrochar Alps and is surrounded by the inspirational scenery of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
The Loch Long Stoneware range is inspired by back to basics rustic living. Originating as a range of simple, functional items designed for family and friends, and has now developed into a full and rapidly expanding collection of earthy, multi-functional and robust pieces ideal for everyday living.

 

Using old and decorative cutlery Tom creates attractive and individual items of jewellery. These include rings and bangles which are very popular and certainly a talking point Another of his unique, specialist ranges is a collection of rings carved from natural items such as friut stones, then cast in bronze, brass and silver.

 

Tracey uses porcelain intricately wrapped with fine silver or coloured wire to create her fine and beautiful jewellery. Geometric patterns are a strong influence and all the surface decoration is precisely applied. Her jewellery suits all ages and occasions, whether you are wearing jeans or evening dress!

 

Trevor Price was born in 1966 and grew up in Cornwall. He studied in Falmouth and then at Winchester School of Art. The next very important stage in his life was learning the skills of professional printmaking by way of an old fashioned apprenticeship that influenced Trevor’s life at a later stage. It is the love of the process and the opportunity to experiment that draws him to the medium. Most of his recent figurative prints are dry points, usually on zinc or Perspex. The abstract monoprints are made from rolling various coloured inks onto a metal plate and then printing the results

Trevor returned to Cornwall, which is the core of his influence. The abstract, highly coloured, textured work originates from wave patterns, reflections on water and an imagination that looks beneath the surface

Moving in a once linked but now different direction, his figurative work often shows a Cornish influence. Settings may be coastal but a more personal level appears, reflections on his life, obsessions of a man and some complete fantasies.

 

Vida is a dance professional and academic. She brings theory and practice together in her research. Her publication 'TRACE: Improvisation on a Box' is a response to her practical performance experiences and aims at helping other practitioners and students to understand and work with the process of improvisation.

 

Wayne has been working with glass for eight years fusing it with various materials. Enamel is one of his favourite as its variety of effects emphasize his passion for colour. Inspiration is drawn from various sources, from manmade structures within the urban environment to organic textures found more rurally.
He uses these colours and forms and combines them with the fluid and technical properties of glass. Working with the material, rather than against it, he lets the designs evolve from one piece to another to produce a signature range of bowls, coasters, clocks, and lighting.
Wayne makes all the work by hand and individually engraves each piece. Due to the nature of the making process each piece may vary from one to another ensuring that each piece is truly unique.