Paper, Scissors, Pebbles…

Hello!

This month we have been getting lots of new exciting deliveries after our annual visit to the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate. New ceramics, jewellery and textiles are all on offer, and in coming months much more will be arriving. Read on for details…

We are also coming to the end of our first exhibition this year, the wonderful ’35′ show of John Degnan’s paintings and prints. We’ve had a great response to the show, and the accompanying book, written by Ian Scott-Massie has proved very popular indeed. Now we are looking ahead to our next exhibition, opening mid May, - this one dedicated entirely to one material – paper. Paperworks explores the versatile and fascinating world of paper art – from collage to papercutting, to using paper in sculpture. It is a medium that’s been around for many years, but with designers such as Paul Smith and shops like Fortnum and Mason using papercutting as inspiration, the artform has become hugely popular in recent years. We wanted to celebrate the brilliance of this humble material by bringing together 8 of the best paper artists from across the country in what promises to be a most exciting exhibition. Have a first look at some of the artwork and get to know a little about the artists below.

We’re really pleased to have nationally recognised paper artists taking part in the show, including Helen Musselwhite, a Cheshire-based artist whose distinctive designs have been used in national and international advertising campaigns for Audi and Nokia to name a few.

If you’ve read a few children’s books in recent years then you may well have browsed Kate Slater’s beautiful illustrations, which adorn the pages of titles such as Magpie’s Treasure.

Closer to home, you may have spotted Clare Lindley’s romantic paper-cuts on display at The Station, and Sarah Morpeth’s breathtaking paper-cut window display in 2012 at The Georgian Theatre, both in Richmond.

Browse March/April’s issue of Craft and Design Magazine and you will find the work of Jennifer Collier gracing the front cover!

Yasemin Wigglesworth has designed paper-cut inspired clothing for Painswick Couture, and Elizabeth Shorrock’s handmade paper map books can be spotted at book fairs across the country, including the Leeds International Artists Book Fair.

Curator of Paperworks, Rosie Scott-Massie, has exhibited her paper-cut collages in galleries around the country, as well as in the North Yorkshire Open Studios 2012.

Although you may have spotted our Paperworks artists elsewhere, we can guarantee that seeing their work all together in an exhibition like this will be a first! We are delighted by the diversity of artwork in this exhibition and hope you will be too. See you in May!

New things…

You may have been wondering what the ‘pebble’ element of our blog’s title relates too. We’ve had  a lovely new selection of felt pebbles, handmade by Lindsay Tyson, delivered! Each one is unique and embellished with embroidery and print.

Craig Fellows

From a distance Craig Fellows’ purses and notebooks may simply look like prettily patterned fabric, but get closer and you’ll soon see wings, legs and antenna….Craig creates incredibly detailed ink drawings of bees, bugs, slugs and plants, and uses these illustrations to make his contemporary fabrics, which in turn is used to make scarves, cushions, purses and handkerchiefs. We have been lusting after some of these beautiful accessories for a while now, and are delighted to finally have them on our shelves.

Katherine Lees

Katherine uses porcelain to create her delicate range of jewellery and ceramics. We fell in love with her tiny bottles and key necklaces when we saw her work at the British Craft Trade Fair in April. Each piece is unique and intricately glazed and textured.

We also have a great new selection of felt pebbles from Lindsay Tyson, each one uniquely printed and embroidered. In the coming months we will be welcoming more new artists and suppliers, including Clare Collinson jewellery, Jessica Hogarth stationary and Hannah Nunn lampshades, so keep popping in to get a first look at what’s new.

Spring at Masham Gallery

The sun is just about coming out so we’ve decided it must be spring – we also have lovely new stock appearing all over the gallery, and a new exhibition round the corner, so winter has been definitely shaken off!

Our first exhibition of 2013 opens in just a few weeks, and is our very first solo show for local artist John  Degnan, who has been producing stunning paintings and prints for over 35 years.
From ceramics to toys, we have a lot of new and exciting items in stock, so if you can’t get here to see them yourself, read on for images and information.

35 – opening March 23rd

Our first exhibition of 2013 is our first ever solo exhibition for popular local artist John Degnan. The exhibition will mark 35 years since John became a full time artist, and features etchings and original watercolours inspired by Yorkshire – the landscape, animals and communities within the dales. An accompanying book will be available, giving a retrospective look at John’s career.

We are immensely excited and honoured to be showing the largest collection of John Degnan’s work ever exhibited, and can’t wait to see everything on the walls. We hope you’ll drop by to visit the exhibition too.

New Printmakers

This year visitors will be able to see a number of new artists in our exhibitions and on general display. To kick things off we are very excited to welcome the work of printmakers Emerson Mayes and Anja Percival to the gallery.

Emerson Mayes (work pictured above) is an award winning artist originally from Harrogate, whose paintings, drawings and prints can be seen in galleries across the country.  Emerson’s work is inspired by local architecture (including Fountain’s Abbey), animals, birds and plants, and has become highly collectable. We now have a collection of Emerson’s work in stock.

Anja Percival is a printmaker based in Durham, whose incredible etchings have atmospheric, photographic quality. Anja began her career in science, but has been working as an artist for over 10 years now, and exhibits her etchings in galleries and art fairs. We will be exhibiting a collection of Anja’s work in our Autumn exhibition ‘Simplicity of Colour’ later in the year, but we will shortly be stocking a selection of her prints in the meantime.

New stock!

Now that the quieter months of January and February are out the way we are celebrating with lots of new and lovely things in the gallery, so if you are looking for a perfect present you couldn’t pick a better time to call on us.

We are delighted to have replenished our collection of ceramics by Katie Almond, including cups and jugs in unique, handpainted designs. These beautiful items have to be seen up close to be fully appreciated for all their exquisite details!

If it’s a gift for someone a little younger you need, we have a toyroom full to bursting with new things from Bigjigs Toys, including spinning tops, wooden farms and more.

Hopefully we will see you in the coming weeks, don’t forget to drop in on our new exhibition – for more information visit our website.

Masham Gallery

Valentine’s Day at Masham Gallery

The day celebrating romance is fast approaching, and we are full of inspiring gift ideas, whether you’re looking for a tiny token of affection or something a little more extravagant.

If something small and lovely is what you’re after, we have lots of pretty treats for under £10, like our romantic hanging hearts and birds by Lush Designs, or sweet-smelling lavender bags made from vintage fabrics by Sumptuosity. Or what about a sprinkling of ceramic buttons in the envelope of your Valentine’s card?

Hanging heart, £5.95

Looking for a creative alternative to the obligatory box of posh chocolates this year? We have unique presents for special people, from hats to prints, ceramics to notebooks. Here are a few of our favourite ideas…

Charlotte Morrison’s ceramics are all one-off and hand painted, so your gift really is unique.

Hand-painted porcelain jugs, from £22

For writing sweet nothings, or anything else for that matter, we have a lovely collection of notebooks bound in recycled leather, or covered with vintage fabrics, from £4.50 to £25.

Notebooks by Art Box, Kate Bowles and Lovely Pigeon.

Is there somewhere in Yorkshire that reminds you of your loved one? We have paintings and prints of Masham, and of places all around the North from only £20, and many of our artists accept commissions if you wanted to plan a future romantic gift.

‘Masham from Lanquit’ by Ian Scott Massie

We have a lovely range of jewellery for both men and women, from classic to more quirky styles. So if you’re looking for some Valentine’s bling, look no further!

Moon and Sun cufflinks by Becky Crow £94

Two for Joy necklace by Helen Shere £76

We love this romantic little sculpture, by Sarah Jane Brown.

‘Semi Detached’ by Sarah Jane Brown, £45

Tea for Two? Share a cuppa and a cupcake on Valentine’s day in one of our brilliant teapots!

Red teapot by David Pantling £28. Hand-built ‘Squeak Free’ teapot by Charlotte Morrison, £75.

Don’t forget the card…We’re very proud of our collection of Valentine’s Day cards this year. They’re enough to make hearts flutter!

We have lots more ideas on our website, and in the gallery, so why not visit us and pick up a little something special?

Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!

Masham Gallery’s Gift Guide #4

Masham Gallery’s Christmas Gift Guide #4; Have a Handmade Christmas

We can help find the perfect present for those who are hard to buy for, whether young or old, or somewhere in the middle. This week’s guide is all about having a handmade Christmas; from decorations and table adornments to special stocking fillers and unique gifts, we’ve got everything you need.

Ceramic Buttons £1.20 – £4

Our ceramic buttons are popular all year round and are a great little decoration or stocking filler. Choose from our funky mixture from stockwell ceramics (pictured) or go for handpainted and unique from Charlotte Morrison.

Festive Decorations £1.50 – £12.50

We have a great selection of handmade christmas decorations this year, including adorable felt baby robins by Feltmeup designs, papercut baubles from Sarah Morpeth and porcelain reindeers by Charlotte Morrison. So if you fancy a change from the usual baubles and fairy lights, come and take a look!

Fairies by Shirley Vauvelle £15

For a bit of instant Christmas cheer hang one of these in your house! Handmade for our Treasure exhibition, each fairy is unique.

Handmade jugs by Katie Almond £12 – £65

Katie Almond uses transfers of vintage packaging and photos, along with hand-painted patterns to create her eye catching ceramics. Beautiful and useful!

Fused glass tealight holders by Sally Page £27

These amazing tealight holders are made by Yorkshire based glass artist Sally Page, and would make a beautifully eye catching centre piece at the dining table.

Winter Hare by Hester Cox £85

Local printmaker Hester Cox takes inspiration from animals and wildlife, particularly hares, to make her limited edition collagraph prints. A prefect pressie for any lover of the outdoors and the seasons.

Screenprint by Ian Scott Massie £75 – £119
This lovely wintery piece, titled ‘Stags in the snow’, is one a a large selection of original screenprints by Masham artist Ian Scott-Massie. Check out our website for more pieces.

Merry Christmas!

Masham Gallery

Masham Gallery Christmas Gift Guide #3

Masham Gallery’s Christmas Gift Guide 3; Creatives, individualists, dreamers and adventurers.

We can help find the perfect present for those who are hard to buy for, whether young or old, or somewhere in the middle. This week’s guide is for creatives, individualists, dreamers and adventurers. That person you know who has their head in the clouds, and their rucksack always packed…

Know your knots kit by Flights of Fancy £4.95

A pocket-sized kit containing everything an adventurer needs to know their knots! Educational a fun, an unusual stocking filler.

Notebooks £1.95 – £25

We have a notebook for all uses, whether it’s jotting down a quick idea or exploring your thoughts more deeply. For the traveling adventurer these recycled leather books by Artbox are perfect for slipping in your bag, and come in a wide range of colours.

Buttonbag Kits £10 – £12

For creative youngster we have exciting project for a rainy day in the form of a Buttonbag craft kit. Each kit contains all the materials you need to make anything from button jewellery, personalised medals, to something more festive like this family of cute felt penguins!

Lampshades by Lush Designs £24 – £100

These hand-printed lampshades depict illustrative adventures within a rolling landscape and are definitely the first choice for anyone with an imaginative sense of style. We love this ‘London’ shade.

Moon and Clouds necklace by Becky Crow £

Brighton based jeweler Becky Crow creates stunning precious metal jewellery inspired by wildlife, trees and the elements. This dreamy necklace is ideal for someone who wishes to take to the skies…

The Fabulous Nesting Hippo automaton £

A unique gift for someone with an adventurous sense of humour! Turn the handle and watch the tale of the Fabulous Nesting Hippo play out before your eyes. Created by automaton maker Neil Hardy.

Limited Edition print by Ian Scott Massie £39 and upwards

Masham based artist Ian Scott Massie captures the spirit of a place in his atmospheric and vibrant paintings and prints. A range of limited edition giclee prints, such as ‘Sun and Storm over Ullswater’ (pictured) are available from Masham Gallery, along with Ian’s original watercolours and screenprints.

Paragon Pirate Ship £45

This is one of our favourite toys and is amazing value. Perfect for any little adventurers, the easy to assemble wooden ship comes with pirates and accessories.

‘Sitting Pretty’ sculpture by Elizabeth Price £195

This thoughtful figure is handmade from delicate porcelain and is one of a kind. Sculptor Elizabeth Price uses people around her as inspiration behind her compelling figures, and captures human emotion and mannerisms perfectly. A very special gift for a thinker.

Happy shopping!

Masham Gallery

Masham Gallery’s Christmas Gift Guide #2

Masham Gallery’s Christmas Gift Guide. 2: For tea drinkers, wine lovers, coffee connoisseurs and quaffers..

We can help find the perfect present for those who are hard to buy for, whether young or old, or somewhere in the middle. This week’s gift guide is for tea drinkers, wine lovers, coffee connoisseurs and quaffers; for those who cherish their breakfast beverage or relish the relaxing tipple at the end of the day. Explore our great selection of ceramics and glass wear, as well as some lovely drink themed artworks.

Knitted teapot brooch by Angela Knipe £12

Great for anyone who likes to show off their love of tea! Angela Knipe creates quirky knitted jewellery in a range of designs including fruit and veg, in case you want something to have with your tea….

Etched glass tumblers and wine glasses from Four hands glass £15 – £16 per pair

These etched glasses are ideal for swirling your preferred tipple after a long day. Available in a range of designs, including this gardening-inspired pair.

Cappuccino mug and saucer from interlude ceramics. £15.50

Generous enough to hold all the foaming milk you could ever wish for, these hand-thrown stone wear cups are perfect for any true coffee lover.

Etched beer tankards by Four Hands Glass £16

For those who prefer a nice pint, we have a range of beautifully etched glass tankards from Four Hands glass.

Jugs from Charlotte Morrison £22 – 65

Charlotte takes inspiration from vintage packaging when designing her hand made porcelain ware. The jug collection come in long and tall, thin and ‘tubby’ sizes, and each one is unique and hand painted. Mix and match for a quirky set or choose one as a lovely teatime centre piece.

Teapots, £45 – £75

We have a great collection of teapots ranging in colour and design to suit all tastes, from subtle stoneware from Harding and Palmer to stunningly innovative hand painted designs from David Pantling (pictured).

The remains of the tea, Janis Goodman £90

This beautiful etching from Leeds artist Janis Goodman would look great on any teatime fanatic’s wall. Limited edition, hand made and signed by the artist.

Baker’s Dozen Print by Kirsten Jones

This delicious print by artist Kirsten Jones features everyone’s favourite accompaniment to a cuppa and would certainly be enjoyed by any fan of afternoon tea.

Happy Shopping!

Masham Gallery

Masham Gallery’s Christmas Gift Guide #1…

Masham Gallery’s Christmas Gift Guide. 1: For Writers, Doodlers, Readers and Planners….

We can help find the perfect present for those who are hard to buy for, whether young or old, or somewhere in the middle. This week’s gift guide is all about writers, doodlers, readers and planners – those people you know who can’t live without a list, or maybe love to draw. Or perhaps they adore words? We have ideas big and small, for even the most modest budget. Read on for inspiration…

Ideas and Lists books from Lovely Pigeon. £4.50

For the organiser, who loves to start the day with a list. These cute little notebooks are perfectly sized to slip in your pocket, for emergency ‘jot this down’ moments.

Twig pens from Flights of Fancy £1.50

For those who enjoy writing or drawing whilst strolling through woodland (or pretending they’re a hobbit), these funky rustic pencils are a must have item.

Stoneware mug from Harding and Palmer £9.50

Lets face it, how is anyone supposed to do their best work without a hot mug of tea on the desk? Hand made and generously sized, fill it with your choice of beverage and wait for inspiration.

Pencil necklace from Zinc White £17

Amazing jewellery celebrating the magnificence of the pencil! Made from recycled pencils, transformed into stylish rings, cufflinks and more. We particularly love this rainbow necklace.

Artist’s books, £15 – £30

We have a fantastic selection of books from some of our artists, including Ian Scott Massie, Hester Cox and Simon Palmer. Find out more about the artist, learn about how they make their work and explore more of their artwork.

Handmade Notebooks by Kate Bowles, £5 – £25

These stunning hand-bound notebooks are made with vintage fabrics and recycled papers, making each one totally unique. A very special notebook for someone who likes to write down their ideas in style.

Scrabble tile necklace by Leigh Shepherd £26.50

Leigh Shepherd collects old scrabble tiles and combines them with Chinese-inspired surface design to make these eye catching necklaces. Each piece features decoration on the front and reveals the scrabble tile in question when turned over. Come in a matching metal display box.

Porcelain by Charlotte Morrison £12 – 65

Something a little different for a lover of words. These beautiful and functional ceramics are inspired by vintage packaging, and are hand painted with phrases and words, as well as delicate patterns. Many designs are one-off but every piece is made by the artist and is unique.

Hand printed books by Hester Cox £65

Made as part of our Of a Feather exhibition, artist Hester Cox has created a selection of limited edition hand made books, inspired by the activities of birds. Unusual, delicate and breath taking, these treasures will delight any book lover.

Book Eating Bug by Particle Article, £82

New to Masham Gallery as part of our Treasure exhibition, and created by Particle Article (aka artists Claire Benson and Amy Nightingale) this bewitching little bug is made from recycled and vintage materials, and lives in a white box frame. A great pressie for a book love with a good sense of humour.

Papercut map collage by Rosie Scott-Massie, £125

Rosie uses old ordnance survey maps as the material for these unusual 3-dimensional artworks. Inspired by follies and other unusual buildings, each piece is original and one-off. A great gift for a map lover.

Limited edition papercuts by Sarah Morpeth £170

Artist Sarah Morpeth is inspired by stories, and creates limited edition laser-cut pieces from snatches of sentences and words from films, poetry and fiction. Each piece is hand painted and signed by the artist.

Happy Shopping!

Masham Gallery

Treasures and Treats

Hi there!

Todays blog is all about unique gifts and where to get them; here at The Gallery, or at this Sunday’s Crafted By Hand event in Masham Town Hall. We are starting to feel the tiny tremblings of Christmas and are stocking up on all our favourite jewellery, ceramics and more, as well as preparing for our last exhibition of the year Treasure, which opens next month. More on that later. For now, read on for the best reason ever to start your seasonal gift shopping in Masham this weekend.

Crafted By Hand

This Sunday the town hall on Masham will be a sea of creative people and beautiful stands brimming with the cream of handmade british contemporary craft. From glass to ceramics, jewellery to printmaking, a selection of 38 artists and makers have been hand picked to take part in our very first Crafted by Hand art market. Organised by Creative Masham (who are behind the Masham Arts Festival) and sponsored by ArtisOn and Masham Gallery, Crafted by Hand is the perfect place to begin your Christmas shopping, or simply get a taste of the amazing things being made around the country today. You can also meet the makers, enjoy homemade refreshments in the onsite cafe, and even try your hand at a few things, like stone carving and weaving. And the best news? It’s £1.50 to get in. We will be there enjoying the fun and trying not to spend all our pocket money, so hopefully we’ll see you there.

If you’re now tempted to visit Masham on Sunday, why not pop in and see the gallery. Our current exhibition, Of a Feather has been hugely popular and and features the work of two Yorkshire based printmakers, Hester Cox and Pam Grimmond. Here are a few of my tops picks from the show.

Chaffinch, Linocut, Pam Grimmond

The Rookery Book, handmade book, Hester Cox

Jackdaw, linocut, Pam Grimmond

Migration iv, Solar Print, Hester Cox

Treasure

We are currently preparing for our final exhibition which will take us right up to 2013 (where has the time gone eh?). Opening on November the 17th, Treasure is a mixed exhibition of small but perfectly formed artworks, all priced below £200. Artists include Ian Scott Massie, Shirley Vauvelle, Sarah Morpeth, Josie Beszant, Rosie Scott-Massie, Claire West, Zinc White and more. To tempt you along, here are a few pictures.

The Banqueting House, Hackfall, Pinned Papercut, Rosie Scott-Massie.

Little Clarice, Acrylic, Claire West

Pencil necklace, Zinc White

We really hope to see this weekend, or later in the year. Have a great October!

Summer Time

Hi there

We’ve been a little distant from our blog for a while, partly due to our continuing work on the new website, partly due to the busy summer season here in the gallery, and the preparation and launch of our current exhibition. So if you thought we’d vanished, fear not. We are here, and we have lots to catch up on….

A week ago we opened our summer exhibition Edge of the World, which takes it’s theme from the 1937 Michael Powell film of same name. We invited seven contemporary landscape artists to explore isolated, overlooked and untouched locations that have meaning for them, and as a result have a breath taking journey through moors, coastlines, ruins and more in our exhibition room. We enjoyed a fantastically bustling preview evening and have already seen a few sales, so please drop by soon if you fancy a look. Edge of the world will be on display until August the 31st, and features work by Ian Scott Massie, Pamela Knight, Heather Gatt, Catherine Sutcliffe-Fuller, Gareth Buxton, Lesley birch and Winifred Hodge.

Here’s a little taster of the exhibition to tempt you:

Another reason to visit our new exhibition is to test out our latest foray into the technological age! QR codes are the little square barcode-type things cropping up all over advertising, posters and even food packaging at the moment, and can be used by smartphone owners to access websites and pages relating to whatever they are looking at. We decided that this is just what the gallery needs, so that our customers can get a more in depth, interactive experience when they visit us. So currently dotted around our exhibition room are several QR codes just waiting to be accessed, containing exciting info on the artists and their making techniques, plus more on the inspiration behind the exhibition. Just scan your smartphone over the code (using a free QR code app) to access. Or ask a member of staff to help you. Here’s one for practice, enjoy…

Lastly, we have lots of new exciting things in The Gallery right now – some from familiar makers, some from new suppliers. We have some beautiful new driftwood and metal sculpture from Richard Shaw, whose work we have enjoyed displaying here for many years. Check out this lovely nautical piece

For the more modest budget we have some charming and affordable ceramics from a new supplier, Dove pottery, based in Saltaire. We foresee this stuff being collectable, so visit us soon to set the trend!

Pop in over the summer, or check our facebook page to see more.

Bye!

Close to Home Exhibition and Preview

Hi there,

I’m excited to annouce that our first exhibition of the year, Close to Home, will be opening this weekend. The exhibition features a collection of contemporary artists working in the north in various disciplines, including printmaking, ceramics, collage and painting, and is supporting local charity Herriot Hospice Homecare. We’ve been getting deliveries of beautiful new work all week I just know it is all going to look great when hung together. Printmaker Helen Peyton, whose eye-catching Teapot print features on our exhibition poster, popped in this afternoon to drop off her work for Close to Home, and if you like the teapot I can assure you you’re going to love the rest. My personal favourite is this lovely reduction linocut of a vintage Ekho Radio, but you’ll have to drop into The gallery to pick yours.

We’re also really pleased to welcome back Elizabeth Price, whose delicate and touching ceramics have always been a favourite of our customers. I can’t wait to display ‘Stargazing’ (below) next to some of our new pictures…

We are holding a special preview evening for Close To Home this coming Friday evening, from 7.30pm until 9pm, so please pop in for a glass of wine and a chance to meet some of the artists.

 

We hope to see you there!