Studio 3 is delighted to welcome the first guest artists of the new year at Clevedon Craft Centre. Barry Stanton and Jenny Henneberry, both potters and abstract artist Stephano Baldon, will be joining the very talented and diverse group of resident artists. Whether you are looking for a unique gift, a beautiful piece of art for your home, or simply want to enjoy browsing the creative displays, you will find something to inspire you at Studio 3.  

BARRY STANSON POTTER EXHIBITING FROM 13^TH JANUARY TO 6^TH APRIL.

Barry is a part-time potter living and working in Bath. His first introduction to pottery was watching the BBC interlude in the mid-50s. The ‘Interlude’ was a common sight in the 1950s on British television. The films were made to cover for the many intervals in programming, to allow for changes between studios, or for the frequent studio breakdowns. There were fourteen of them, with some of the favourites being the potter’s wheel, although the finished pot was never shown. Apparently, it was scrapped before filming stopped. Nevertheless, it made a big impact on five-year-old Barry, who was mesmerised as he watched the pot being thrown on the wheel and the transformation that took place, albeit not completed.

Years later, Barry went to college part-time to try pottery for himself and became hooked.  His semi-retirement has enabled him to have more time to spend in his studio. He works with white and red earthenware clay which he decorates with coloured slips, predominantly using the three primary colours. His work is continually changing as he seeks to find that elusive form and surface that pleases him.

Barry is his own greatest critic, and is always challenging himself to create traditional forms with a modern twist. He is inspired by many things around him: lines, texture, form and colour; it could be on fabric or even a crumpled piece of polythene. The list is endless. 

You can see more of Barry’s work here; he’s on Instagram @stansonceramics_ and his Email is  stansonceramics@gmail.com

STEPHANO BALDON ARTIST EXHIBITING FROM 20^TH JANUARY TO 13^TH APRIL.

Stefano is a Bristol-based artist living in Portishead. He has never had formal art training, but as a teenager, he could always be found with pencil or pen in hand, drawing old buildings and landscapes. He had a special affinity with line work and architecture, particularly old buildings steeped in history.

Over the years, Stefano’s artistic pursuits have been eclipsed by the demands of everyday life, but he would often return to it because he found it a peaceful, relaxing distraction.

In 2019, the Pandemic hit, and Stefano found himself with a lot of spare time on his hands; he started working with acrylic, a medium he was never really good at. He found blending to be tiresome and always preferred pencil or pen and ink.

Stefano discovered some incredible artists online who did some beautiful abstract work with deep colours. He wanted to see if he could emulate what they were doing but develop his own style. His biggest inspiration was from the abstract artist John Beckley. He found his work with colour so impressive, and it inspired him to create some beautiful pieces. Check out John’s work here.

Over the last four years, Stefano has come to the realisation that Abstract art is his calling. The style of his painting means that everyone sees something different in his work, which fascinates him. He describes his work as being about wild and energetic colour explosions inspired by his surroundings. He tries to capture the energy of the world around him with the use of explosive acrylics, rich pigments, and vivid colours.

Stefano has recently found an American artist called Kre8, who uses black and grey scale with colour, which he has found incredibly interesting and has inspired him to do more liquid abstract painting. Check out his work here.

You can see more of Stefano’s work on Instagram @AbstractByStefano or @Stef_baldon, and his Email is mailto:buster_1989@hotmail.co.uk

JENNY HENNEBERRY POTTER EXHIBITING FROM 20^TH JANUARY TO 13^TH APRIL.

Jenny works with earthenware clay, making hand-thrown functional vessels using coloured slips and sgraffito decoration. Sgraffito is a term used to describe a technique of ceramic decoration that involves painting a coat of a coloured slip onto a leather hard pot and then carving through the slip to reveal the clay colour below. She mostly uses octopuses as a design tool, together with other sea creatures and seascapes, including landmarks such as such as Clevedon Pier.

Jenny likes her work to be fun and light-hearted, which reflects her love of the sea and the creatures in it.

Much of Jenny’s inspiration has come from Clevedon, where she lives.  Some of her work uses slip sourced directly from the estuary at Clevedon Beach.

You can see more of Jenny’s work on Instagram @seasideceramics_, and her Email is jenny_henneberry@hotmail.co.uk

If you’d like to know more about Studio 3, you can check it out here 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_galler

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.