One of the many things that makes Studio 3 at Clevedon Craft Centre so special is the opportunity to engage directly with the artists. Hearing their stories, understanding their creative journeys, and asking questions adds a whole new dimension to appreciating their work. Their passion is truly contagious, and I rarely leave without a piece of art that speaks to me.
Last month, Studio 3 welcomed a new resident artist, Liz Marsh. Liz, a felt artist based in Portishead, discovered the joys of creativity through felting after retiring. She’s particularly drawn to wet felting, a technique she aptly describes as ‘painting with wool.’
Liz, a member of the International Feltmakers Association, is dedicated to reducing her environmental footprint. She primarily uses wool from British breeds and incorporates various other fibres and embellishments to create unique textures. Her passion lies in Nuno felting, a process that combines silk fabrics (often hand-dyed) with extra-fine wool to produce stunning scarves, hats, and handbags.
Beyond Nuno felting, Liz is also an enthusiast of eco-printing and botanical printing. She uses these techniques to create beautiful, permanent prints on felt, silk, and even upcycled clothing. Eco-printing is a remarkable process that produces vibrant designs while remaining environmentally conscious by avoiding traditional powdered mordants.
You can contact Liz about her work on 07727106219 or by email jpmebm@gmail.com
All the best for your time at Studio 3 Liz.
Next, let’s meet the guest artists who will showcase their incredible work at Studio 3 throughout November. Prepare to be inspired! by a new wave of talented guest artists, each bringing their own unique perspectives and creative visions.
ALISON MERRY EXHIBITING FROM 9th NOVEMBER 2024 TO 11th JANUARY 2025
Alison is a contemporary artist based in Portishead, North Somerset, whose work explores the interplay between inner emotions and the natural world. Her background as a midwife for many years deeply informs her art, where she sees parallels in the cyclical nature of life, the seasons, and the ever-shifting landscapes. This perspective translates into a dynamic and expressive style that captures growth, flow, and transformation. She is fascinated by the way life unfolds, constantly changing and adapting, much like the landscapes she portrays.
Alison describes her technique as “happily and unapologetically rebellious,” a freedom born from being largely self-taught. She embraces a vibrant palette and diverse media—acrylics, inks, pastels, and mixed media—building layers, excavating forms, and incorporating sketching, scraping, and sanding into her process. Each piece is unique, evolving organically until it reaches its final form, reflecting the inherent unpredictability of life itself.
Her recent series draws inspiration from the vibrant energy of Portishead Marina. As an avid sailor, Alison is captivated by the movement of boats through the lock gates, the reflections of masts in the water, and the area’s rich maritime heritage. The juxtaposition of industrial elements with the natural beauty of the water and sky creates a compelling visual tension in her work. You can often find her sketching in local coffee shops, capturing the essence of the marina and translating it onto canvas.
Beyond her artistic pursuits, Alison is a qualified trauma resolution midwife, passionate about the healing and therapeutic role that art plays in everyday life. She believes that connecting to our creativity can have profound life-enhancing effects, offering solace, self-discovery, and a sense of connection to something larger than ourselves. This belief is woven into the fabric of her art, inviting viewers to engage with their own emotions and find resonance within her vibrant and evocative paintings.
For more information about Alison, check out her website here. Alison is also on Instagram @alisonmerryart
MINI RADISH AND DEMON POTTER EXHIBITING FROM 16th NOVEMBER 2024 TO 8th FEBRUARY 2025
This talented duo are the Demonpotters. They started making ceramics in Hampshire in the early 1990s and became Demonpotters when they moved to Bristol in 1999.
Denise Lonsdale has been a keen artist since childhood and has worked in a variety of media over the years. She was first introduced to the possibilities offered by clay while at school, soon graduating from making pinch pots to creating menageries of small animals to take home as presents!
Denise now divides her time between making ceramic sculptures and pots and enamelling. Her work aims to explore the properties of both media to produce beautiful and unusual pieces.
Texture, surface additions and inclusions are features of Denise’s ceramics. Her figurative work uses various techniques to shape and texture clay to capture the essential character of the animals. Her vessels are also hand-built but use surface additions, including moulded shapes, impressions and oxides, to produce unusual, individual pieces. At the other end of the scale, she builds up layers of enamel on metal to make textures and patterns, creating brilliantly coloured enamel jewellery and pieces to go on the wall.
For Denise, the joy of art comes from the feeling experienced when the piece turns out well. If, through the process, there was a sense that it might not quite work, it’s always a pleasant surprise when it eventually comes together.
Denise has exhibited at galleries and various venues in and around Bristol. She is a member of the North Bristol Artists group, Clevedon Art Club and The Wildlife Art Society International.
If you’d like to know more about Denise’s art before you visit, check out the demonpotters website here Denise is also on Instagram @miniradish. Her contact details are deniselonsdale@btinternet.com
Simon Melican started making ceramics in 1994 as he wanted to learn to throw. He has been hooked ever since. His work is quite diverse but the common factors are that it is still all thrown, mostly stoneware fired and reflects his ongoing interests in experimenting with new techniques, glaze ingredients and textures.
At present, Simon is experimenting with different effects inspired by geological and marine sources using surface techniques, colouring materials such as oxides, and the inclusion of grits and gravel in the clay body. However, he keeps returning to sgraffito as the failure rate is lower!
Simon’s sgraffito pieces use a very matt black slip, which originated as a potential base for a synthetic wood ash glaze, over white stoneware clay. The designs are generally linear and inspired by sources such as bamboo and, in this case, a drum from West Africa.
They were originally intended as decorative pieces, but they will hold water. Simon recommends placing them on a mat and not directly on pervious surfaces, as they can form condensation if they have cooled down overnight and then the central heating comes on.
The mugs have a silky white glaze over them to make them which makes them nice to hold (and dishwasher proof)
Simon’s clouded sky blue glaze is a glaze that seems to be highly dependent on the clay, the thickness and the firing temperature. Where thinnest, the underlying clay burns through, and with crank, this gives an iron orange colour; slightly thicker, it gives the sky blue and then where thicker, the clouds start to emerge. The work here shows some of his latest trials with this endlessly variable glaze.
His aqua range is based on the black slip, which contains manganese and cobalt with a white glaze applied over it. At sufficiently high temperatures, the glaze reacts with the oxides in the slips to produce combinations of colours. To achieve this, the glaze has to be applied thickly and fired sufficiently hot to give the effect but not so hot that the glaze runs or drips off the pots. These experiments are still a work in progress.
If you’d like to know more about Simon’s art before you visit, check out the demonpotters website here. Simon is also on Instagram @demonpotters. His contact details are simon.melican@btinternet.com.
JO WHITELAND EXHIBITING FROM 24th NOVEMBER 2024 TO 8th JANUARY 2025
Jo Whiteland, a renowned Batik artist from Bristol, first discovered her passion for the art form during her travels in Kota Baharu, Malaysia in 1991. Immersed in the vibrant artistic community there, she was captivated by the intricate process and expressive potential of batik. Upon her return to the UK, she settled in Bristol and embarked on a journey to refine her unique style.
Jo’s signature lies in her skilful repetition of motifs, a technique that infuses her works with a dynamic sense of life, depth, and movement. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, her pieces often feature intricate depictions of flora and fauna, reflecting a deep-seated love for wildlife instilled in her from childhood. This passion was nurtured by her father, John, an avid birdwatcher and fisherman, who fostered her appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
Jo’s creative process involves working on delicate white cotton lawn fabric, utilising traditional wax pens and brushes to apply wax and paint meticulously. Layer upon layer of vibrant dyes is built up, creating a rich tapestry of colour and texture. The final step, a dip in a dye bath, produces the signature crackled effect that distinguishes batik as an art form.
Jo’s artistic expression extends beyond traditional framed paintings. Her exquisite batik designs also grace a range of products, including cards, cushion covers, and lampshades, bringing her art into everyday life.
If you’d like to know more about Jo, the link to her website is here.
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
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 through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.