Making an impression

Hi everyone!

The Gallery seems to have been so busy with Tea and Sympathy and The North Yorkshire Open Studios (both of which are still running by the way!) over the last few weeks that I seem to have talked about nothing else, so this blog is all about the other exciting business going on here. For starters, we have another exhibition to prepare for, Impression, which opens on July 15th, less than a month away. Below you will find more info about the exhibition and the artists involved.

We’ve also had some lovely new work in lately, including eye-catching ceramics and unusual handmade books. See more further down the blog.

Impression

Our next exhibition features the work of 5 printmakers, some of which are familiar to The Gallery, some of which are completely new to us. Impression showcases the extraordinary techniques and processes involved in a variety of printmaking styles, including etching, collagraph and  solar plate. Hester Cox and Janis Goodman, Helen Peyton, Catherine Sutcliffe-Fuller and Angie Rogers work will be on display in The Gallery from July 15th for one month. But just to tempt you, here’s a taster of what’s to come…

A Flight of Swallows, Hester Cox

Bracken Edge, Janis Goodman

Pennine Finch Angie Rogers

Well Trodden, Catherine Sutcliffe-Fuller

 

TV Helen Peyton

Helen has been one of the artists selected for this year’s Royal Academy Summer exhibition. We are lucky to have some of the prints reserved for us here. There’s some surprises to be had in this show that we’re sure you won’t have come across before, more to be revealed later!

Pretty New Things…

David Pantling Ceramics

We discovered David’s work at the British Craft Trade Fair earlier this year, and love the combination of sharp design and playful decoration. I particularly like this beautiful Jug and innovative cup and saucer.

Kate Bowles

Kate Bowles uses found materials such as dress patterns and maps to add a unique decorataion to her handmade books. Each one is different and equally quirky.

Vin Bootle

Vin’s work is no stranger to The Gallery, in fact our customers have been buying his unique jewellery for many years. Vin recently re-vamped his collection, and we have been lucky enough to get a few of his new designs. Many of these pieces combine various metals, making them even more precious. My favourites are these Silver and 18ct Gold Bangle and Pendant.

One more thing, and this is about the Open Studios (open again this weekend , the 18th and 19th of June). As mentioned previously in this blog, NYOS commissioned Charlotte Morrison’s limited edition teacup and saucer to commemorate this year’s open studios event, and we are lucky enough to be selling them. We are also selling a specially commissioned teatowel, designed for NYOS by printmaker Helen Roddie.

Tea and Sympathy

Hi,

Welcome to the May blog for The Gallery!

This month we are excited preparing for the opening of our first 2011 exhibition, Tea and Sympathy. The show opens next Friday, and features a number of artists new to The Gallery. To get a little sneak-peek at what to expect, check out the artist profiles below.

For this exhibition, we were inspired by the North Yorkshire Open Studios 2011 theme of tea, and decided to expand on this, by inviting artists to create work not only about tea and teapots, but about how tea plays an important part in everyday life.

Many of the artists involved have explored the way tea is used to comfort as well as to socialise and relax, and have focused on the human relationships formed around a pot of tea…

Her are some of the artists involved in Tea and Sympathy.

Tea and Sympathy:

Our first show this year features an eclectic group of artists from all over the country, many of whom have never exhibited in The Gallery before. The exhibition is all about tea, and runs alongside the North Yorkshire Open Studios I  June, which shares the theme.

Tea and Sympathy will feature work by …

Priscilla Jones

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. As well as selling her work through galleries across the UK, she also teaches textiles workshops, and runs The Edge gallery in Lancaster.

Harriet Quilty

Harriet has recently graduated from Cambridge School of Art with a BA in Illustation, and now sells her quirky drawings through galleries and commissions. Harriet uses pencil, paint, collage and digital techniques to create her vivid illustations.

Vic Sayers

Vic is an artist and illustrator based in York. As well as figurative illustration, Vic also creates landscape paintings and block-prints. The pieces here were produced specially for this exhibition

‘Tea and sympathy’ speaks to me of human relations; the primal, hard-wired need to interact with one another and the etiquette and social boundaries that circumscribe that contact. Many of my drawings celebrate caring for each other. Others mourn for those that have to make do without tea and sympathy.’

Jennifer Mackie

Jennifer studied Illustration and printmaking at Jordanstone Collage of Art in Dundee. In 2001 Jennifer won the Sekalski prize for Printmaking.

Jennifer works in relief printmaking, carving into sheets of linoleum to create her designs.

 ‘Relief printmaking has always appealed to my temperament. I find I have an affinity with the straightforward, informal process involved…I work to communicate through my printmaking – aiming for a sense of warmth, joy and sometimes humour in my work.’

Rosie Scott-Massie

Rosie Studied Fine Art at Cumbria institute of the Arts, Carlisle, and has since exhibited her illustrative collages in galleries around the north.

Rosie’s work explores the sense of a place, rather than the place itself. Using objects which can often evoke feelings of nostalgia for past journeys or adventures, such as maps, stamps and postcards, Rosie uses intricate paper-cutting techniques and collage to recreate places as we remember them, depicting dreamlike landscapes  punctuated with places of significance, rather than an accurate interpretation of the location itself.

Rosie lives and works in York.

Viv Smith

Viv originally trained as a potter, but became interested in making jewellery, and decided to study silversmithing. After pursuing a career in teaching for 34 years, Viv now produces her fun cupcake jewellery from silver and oxidised copper sheets and solder, in her studio.

Karen Turner

Karen is a designer/maker based in Northhamptonshire. Her main focus is ceramics and sculpture, both functional and decorative. For Tea and Sympathy, Karen explored the association between the teapot and the family.

‘The teapot is a universal domestic item that is very much associated with the family, but by taking away the objects functionality it becomes a piece of art, an object of beauty that contains within it a meaningful narrative. My past experiences working as both a nurse and carer, have led me to create a collection of fragile and deteriorating porcelain teapots that visually communicate the issues of ageing but in particular the issues faced by the elderly in care homes. My intention is for the teapots to reference function but to contain within them a sense of preciousness and vulnerability. These imperfect, dysfunctional objects suggest a ghostly presence and an imagined history. ‘

Tea and Sympathy update – Exhibition is now OPEN!

Just a quick note to update you on the progress of our first exhibition this year. Tea and Sympathy opened last Friday, and so far has attracted a lot of attention. Hanging it was an absolute joy, especially since many of the artists are new to The Gallery, so deciding how to display everything was a little more difficult than usual. But we love a challenge!

Our exhibition room has transformed into a deliciously summery space (I’m sure you’ll agree), and we’ve already had a few sales and lots of compliments about the new work.

 

If you fancy taking a look, remember that Tea and Sympathy finishes on June the 27th, so pop in ass soon as you can. In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful weather!

Hi everyone!

I don’t know about you, but it seems like an eternity since new year! Thankfully, March is nearly here, and here at The Gallery we have a few things to get excited about….

After a well-deserved post-Christmas break, our local creative hub ArtisOn opened it’s doors again on February 12th for a rather unusual workshop…Knicker Printing! This year the course programme is incredibly varied, and although some courses are full, there are still plenty of spaces left on a wide range of creative and exciting workshops. Check out the course programme here.

So what else is going on in March? Well, we are ecstatic to have finalised our exhibition schedule for 2011! This year for the first time we are holding two open exhibitions, so that we get the chance to see some exciting new work from artists who may not have worked with The Gallery before. have you can read more about this below.And we certainly have some things to look forward to  – one being the British Craft Trade Fair, one of the most important dates in any craft maker or craft gallery owner’s calendar.

It also allows new and emerging craft makers an oppurtunity to promote themselves to a huge number of potential suppliers. Every year a little team of us from The Gallery head over to theBCTF for a day to find exciting new suppliers and catch up with our existing ones.

Heres some of The Gallery’s suppliers that we originally discovered at the BCTF….

Becky Crow

Becky’s nature-inspired jewellery has been incredibly popular since we first ordered from her at the BCTF a few years ago. We love her animal designs in particular, including these pheasant cufflinks.

Virginia Graham

Virginia’s floral ceramics have been some of my absolute favourites for some years, and I’ve always looked forward to visiting her stand at the BCTF. Last year The Gallery started stocking a selection of this stunning and quirky kitchenware, and I never tire of looking at it!

Melanie Tomlinson

Melanie’s stand at the BCTF is particularly eye-catching, as she displays a dressmaker’s dummy completely covered with her tin insect and bird brooches! Our visitors and delighted and a little squeamish about these highly detailed and unique pieces of jewellery.

Tea and Sympathy – 27/5/11 – 27/6/11

For the last few months I’ve been mentioning The Gallery’s 2011 exhibition schedule, without giving much away. Well, I am pleased to our blog readers the first of four shows this year, Tea and Sympathy. This year’s North Yorkshire Open Studio‘s is following the theme of tea, so we thought we’d align our first show’s theme with theirs, especially since NYOS will be during our exhibition. Tea and sympathy is the first of 2 open exhibitions The Gallery is running this year, and we are currently accepting submissions to exhibit.

Call for artists – how to apply

If you are interested in applying, please send 4 images plus an artist’s statement and an idea of the type and size of work you would like to exhibit. We are looking for work that linked to the title, is presented to a high standard and is perhaps slightly quirky. All pieces must be for sale and retail for under £1000. Deadline for submissions is March 31st.

Please contact Josie or Rosie for more information;

Email:- enquiry@mashamgallery.co.uk

We look forward to your entries – please mention our blog when you apply, it will make us smile!

Website of the Month

Katgotthecream– The blog of Kathryn Sharman

This month I have chosen a blog, which belongs to an attendee of my recent recycled jewellery workshop at ArtisOn. Kathryn Sharman is a creative enthusiast who writes about anything crafty and interesting. Take a look through this blog and you’ll find lots of inspiring ideas and finds. Enjoy!

That’s all from me for now – enjoy March, lets hope that’s the last of the snow!

Rosie