Four super-talented new guests arrive at Studio 3 in September to join Adrienne Hughes, who remains until 14th October.
In case you haven’t had the opportunity to visit and see the last group, these are their departure dates: Michael Hayter, Rachael Cawley and Natalie Thomas leave on13th September. Denise Lonsdale and Simon Melican, Demonpotters, leave a little later on the 23rd of September. If those are names you don’t recognise, then check them out here.
In September, we have:
MANDI BAYKAA-MURRAY, EXHIBITING FROM 9TH SEPTEMBER TO 14TH OCTOBER 2023
Mandi creates the most unique, exquisite, detailed paintings on real feathers! We’re not talking about any kind of special feather; the majority are found on her daily dog walks in the countryside, and others are collected by her friends and followers.
Mandi has always loved drawing and painting for as long as she can remember. She studied Printmaking as a ‘mature student’ in her 20s. This enabled her to discover a working process that offered unlimited options to experiment where the subject didn’t matter – everything she did back then was Abstract. After college, Mandi specialised in photography. She realises now that was being an artist too – just making beautiful images using a camera rather than paintbrushes or a printing press!
In 2009, Mandi met a falconer and his birds of prey. She was compelled to paint them, and she hasn’t looked back. She didn’t have a clue how to paint – it just happened. Spending time with the birds of prey has inspired so much of Mandi’s artwork – particularly her greatest achievement to date, ‘Feathered Friend’. This piece was selected as a finalist in the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of The Year 2014, where it sold during the Exhibition in The Mall Galleries, London. https://davidshepherd.org/wildlife-art/wildlife-artist-of-the-year/ This success gave Mandi the recognition she had worked so hard to achieve and a huge confidence boost to keep doing what she was doing!
Mandi has won numerous awards for her paintings and is proud to sell regularly to collectors in both the UK and internationally. Now represented by several galleries throughout the UK, Mandi also sells directly from her website, where you can find all the information about where and when she will be exhibiting.
If you fancy having a one-of-a-kind, beautiful feather painted just for you, then check out Especially For You on the website. Mandi also enjoys painting domestic animals and regularly takes on Pet Portrait commissions.
If you’d like to know more about Mandi, check out her website https://thefeatherlady.co.uk She is also on Facebook www.facebook.com/wildwithpaintbrushes and Instagram: @mandib
LESTER DURSTON EXHIBITING FROM 23rd SEPTEMBER TO 13th JANUARY 2023
Lester is Somerset born and bred and grew up on a farm in nearby Tickenham. Lester attended the local village school, then The City of Bath Technical School, where his interests in woodwork, painting and drawing were nurtured.
At university in Nottingham, Lester graduated in civil engineering, in which he made his career and still works part-time. He has been involved in a number of engineering projects in and around Somerset, especially the Levels.
Lester took up watercolour painting and marquetry in his late teens. Then an interest in pen and ink drawing, especially on architectural subjects, led him to develop a letterpress printing business as a side-line to his main career.
Marriage, family and a shortage of funds resulted in improved skills in furniture making and house improvements, which have continued over the years.
Lester resumed his marquetry craft work some years ago and now specialises in small, detailed designs depicting local architectural and landscape scenes, which have proved very popular, together with abstract designs. Some are finished as framed pictures, whilst others are crafted into wooden caskets using native hardwoods.
The level of detail and the intricacy of Lester’s designs are stunning, I particularly love his landscapes.
Lester exhibits in a number of galleries, notably The A2 Gallery in Wells https://a2gallery.co.uk and One Craft Gallery in Shepton Mallet https://onecraftgallery.wordpress.com
Lester can be contacted at lgkm.durston@btinternet.com
PIPPA DAVIE, ARTIST EXHIBITING FROM 23rd SEPTEMBER TO 27th JANUARY 2024
The process of turning metal into something beautiful fascinates Pippa, with its changing colours and temperatures, until you get just the right shape and level of polish.
Each unique piece is handmade in Bristol, but ideas come from her travels as well as locally.
Pippa is inspired by patterns, shapes and textures everywhere she travels, picking up acorns and stones on her travels and taking pictures of anything and everything, from frost on grass to a stained-glass window and a brass manhole cover! These ideas inspire her to create pieces using silver, copper, brass and gold alongside enamel and semi-precious stones.
Pippa is on Instagram @pivodesigns and can be contacted at pivodesigns@gmail.com
RUTH WHITE, EXHIBITING FROM 13th SEPTEMBER TO 11th OCTOBER 2023
Ruth’s work is concerned with the human condition and our innate fear of mortality.
She feels strongly that:
“While this has been a feature of many cultures since time immemorial, the current state of the world and the impending emergencies faced by the planet and its inhabitants perhaps create a greater feeling of anxiety, casting a greater shadow over humanity than ever before.”
Ruth focuses this on experimental pieces exploring the cycles of life and death, the marks left by the passage of time and the process of decomposition and erosion.
Ruth feels strongly that the process of making is as important as the outcome, and this informs the materials and methods that she uses.
Her work very often starts with a photograph, taken when a texture or atmosphere catches her attention. This could be anything from a bleak landscape, a long-abandoned building, or even a rotting lemon found at the back of her fridge. Within this larger theme, she is also interested in how these diverse subjects sometimes combine, particularly the mix of manmade and organic elements.
Ruth studies these themes through mixed media works, encaustic wax pieces, print and photography. However, she does not limit her range of materials, as she feels it is necessary to mix materials, creating layers and textures in diverse ways to achieve the aesthetic she is looking for.
Check out Ruth’s website here: http://www.ruthwhiteart.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 Email: studiothree111@gmail.com They are also on Instagram @studiothree_gallery
And finally, another reminder of the opening times which it’s worth mentioning are not the same as the Craft Centre: Studio 3 is open Monday to Saturday from 10.00. a.m. to 5.00 pm and Sunday from 11.00. a.m. to 4.00. pm.
WONDERFUL, AS ALWAYS.