A little later than I had hoped for, but here’s the low down on the most recent guests at Studio 3.
HELEN MARTIN, whose work I love, sadly leaves on the 13th of May. Helen explained that she has been creative in one form or another for many years, despite not being allowed to take art at school as she was not good at drawing. My jaw dropped at this point!
Helen’s creative output has included all sorts of papercraft, knitting and crochet, patchwork and quilting and mixed media art journaling. Like many people, she used being creative in lockdown as a way of dealing with the strange times we were living in, and that was where she discovered her love of collage.
She became part of a supportive online community of artists and has continued to spread her creative wings since.
Helen describes herself as an abstract collage artist and her style of working as ‘painting with paper’. Her primary technique is to use a gel plate and acrylic paints to produce monotype prints on tissue paper, which are then used to make collaged pictures that invite the viewer to look more closely at the layers, implied textures and the colours that are created when layers overlap.
Helen’s work is influenced by the passage of time, whether that be the cycle of life in nature or decay in industrial buildings and urban places. She likes to explore the different layers, colours and textures that build up with the passage of time in those diverse environments.
If you’d like to learn more about Helen, she is on Instagram @lifeincollage, and her email is helenmartin.art@gmail.com.
VAL NEWMAN is also set to leave early in the month on 10th May. After graduating with a first-class honour’s degree in Fine Art five years ago, Val has concentrated mainly on painting landscapes in oil. She loves the beauty and fragility of the British landscape and is constantly fascinated by the magical effect of light, flickering through branches or changing the colours of hills from gold to black in an instant.
Val sees the landscape as being full of hidden stories, past dramas and secret liaisons. Sometimes it has a brooding stillness, bordering on the eerie – other times it is open and sunny, bathed in birdsong. She attempts to recreate these sensations in her work.
Wherever possible, Val loves to paint ‘en plein air’ as the colours are more vivid, and the sense of place is stronger. When this is not possible, she makes watercolour sketches, takes photos and works from memory.
Her project at college was to bring Family History into the landscape. She researched the background of various ancestors and placed them in a landscape or scene which was appropriate to them, with a contemporary style to the painting.
Her current project is to produce a short series of paintings portraying the cold-water swimmers of Clevedon and, from these, to produce some quality limited edition prints.
Val is currently a tutor for Seasons Art in Clevedon and also teaches small groups at her home in Banwell.
If you’d like to learn more about Val, this is the link to her website here:, and she is on Instagram @Newmanval8. and her email is mailto:valheathernewman@yahoo.com
GABBIE GARDENER is a professional designer/maker with many years of experience in creating jewellery and artwork. She has also worked as an adult education tutor in a wide range of creative arts. Gabbie is at Studio 3 until the 8th of July.
A degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing at the Birmingham School of Jewellery, found in the heart of the historic jewellery quarter, was the perfect start to her lifelong passion for designing and making.
As a Clevedon resident for over 25 years, Gabbie has found inspiration in the textures, shapes and colours of west country land and seascapes. Much of her work brings into focus details of the natural world, which may be easily overlooked in our busy everyday lives. The fascinating textures of lichen or the patterns on pebbles could find their way into both jewellery and other artwork.
The original jewellery is principally made from silver using hand tools and traditional techniques such as piercing, forging and hammering. Some jewellery pieces may include gold, semi-precious stones, pearls or enamelling. All are created to be practical and timeless, giving the wearer a unique item to treasure for many years.
Gabbie also loves drawing and painting, experimental printmaking and working with textiles and embroidery. Often these facets of creativity overlap or are combined, providing yet more ideas for development.
If you’d like to learn more about Gabbie, she is on Instagram @gardner.gabbie, and Facebook Gabbie Gardner Designer Jewellery | Clevedon; her email is gabbie@gabbiegardner.co.uk
CORINNE RANDALL is back at Studio 3 from the 10th of May to the 14th of June. The aesthetic of Corinne’s artwork is inspired by the Bahá’i Faith which also provides the framework underpinning the books that she has illustrated.
When you visit a Bahá’i sacred space, you circumambulate around it first before entering. As you do this, you try to free your mind from worldly thoughts and move towards a mindful state of tranquillity.
Corinne tries to depict this inner journey as she takes the viewer’s eye on a wander around the painting. Flashes of inspiration expressed by the lines of the oil paint gesturally lead into realms of rich detail and pattern, which grow out of nine-sided star motifs. Areas of emptiness give space for the eye to rest in light reflecting off the metallic surface.
Abstract qualities speak of order and meaning hidden just below the surface. We are still in the place of sense perception, so can only hint loosely towards the concealed world which inhabits the inner sanctum of the shrine itself that lies beyond the edges of the circular composition or in the unknown place at the centre of the spiral.
If you’d like to learn more about Corrinne, check out her website here:– you can also view her work here: Corrinne is on Insta @corinne.randall, and these are her contact details: corinnerandall@blueyonder.co.uk
JOAN HUDSON, a regular at Studio 3, is exhibiting from 30th May to the 9th June. Joan trained for her art degree in Bristol as a mature student, but she has been painting, drawing and creating art all her life. All subjects interest her, especially if she can introduce a sense of design into her work.
For the past few years, Joan has been studying contemporary art and the work of current abstract painters, and she has been developing a looser, less representational style. She feels it is important to continue to develop and grow with one’s art and to keep work as fresh as possible. She also finds that it is essential to be very familiar with the subjects she paints and so, having lived in Clevedon for thirty years, she is constantly drawn to representing her wonderful town and coastline. Joan plans to keep on developing her more contemporary style with enthusiasm, energy and new ideas.
If you’d like to learn more about Joan, she is on Instagram @joan.hudson3, and her email is joan.hudson3@btinternet
LIZ WILLIAMS is at Studio 3 until the 1st of July Liz works with porcelain, earthenware and stoneware; she takes a watercolour approach to her glazes. While her work is sometimes functional, its point is always to give pleasure.
Liz works very hard for The Julian Trust, donating all her artwork sales to this amazing charity.
The Julian Trust Charity based in Bristol, Little Bishop Street, St Paul’s, is an emergency night shelter for homeless people and those who sleep rough. The service was founded by Meg Grimes in 1986 in response to homelessness at that time, and sadly the need still remains.
The service is run solely by unpaid volunteers who manage all aspects of the building, organisation, administration, finances and the delivery of services to its users and is supported wholly by Charitable donations, both financial and in kind.
If you’d like to know more about the Julian Trust, here’s the link: https://www.juliantrust.org.uk/
Liz does not have a social media presence but you can contact her by e-mail at liz.vj.williams@gmail.com
And last but by no means least, Paul and Renate from WOODNTHINGS. They will be exhibiting until the 12th of July.
Paul and Renate met, in 1979, in Bavaria, where Renate had grown up amid the strong tradition of Bavarian crafts, using natural materials to produce decorative objects for the home. Paul was working there as a cabinetmaker, antique restorer and musician. They decided to combine their skills and sell their work at Christkindl Markets. The products flew off the stand!
Paul, by then, had been in Europe for nearly ten years and decided it was time to return home to Somerset. Renate came with him.
Whilst he was looking for work as a cabinetmaker, they discovered the British craft scene and began selling their work at Craft Fairs. At that time, he was a member of the British Toymakers Guild, winning awards three years running.
Paul’s unique groups of interlocking animal families continue to grow in popularity and he is still adding to the range. He has also become well-known for his Heirloom pieces, such as the Ark and the Living Oak, which have attained front-page coverage in various magazines.
Three years ago, he began to make his original and very unusual mirror designs, often using burr wood, when it is obtainable. These have become so popular that he finds it hard to keep up with demand.
Much of Renate’s work is based on tree shapes, using natural roots, seedpods, nuts, spices, etc., from all over the world, and she is never short of ideas for new designs, which can always be guaranteed to be eye-catching and original. She is renowned for her beautiful floral designs.
If you’d like to learn more ablout Paul and Renate’s work, this is their website http://www.woodnthings-uk.com and their email address is info@woodnthings-uk.com
If you’d like to know more about Studio 3, you can check it out here: http://www.studiothree.art and these are the contact details: Studio 3, Clevedon Craft Centre, Clevedon, BS21 6TD Telephone: 07557331967 E mail: studiothree111@gmail.com They are also on Instagram @ studiothree_galler
A quick reminder of the opening times, which it’s worth mentioning are not the same as the Craft Centre: open Monday to Saturday from 10.00. a.m. to 5.00 pm and Sunday from 11.00. a.m. to 4.00. pm
Thank you for another great Blog about Studio3. It is very informative indeed and I love the use of Helen Martin’s artwork to illustrate it.
Thank you so much Joan.