While the winter air hangs crisp over the Somerset Levels, Studio 3 remains a bright, inviting haven. There is a particular magic to the Craft Centre this time of year, a quiet beauty in the frost-dusted lanes that makes the warmth of the welcome feel like a homecoming. It is in this spirit, as we step into the new year, that the Studio is thrilled to unveil its latest guest lineup.
As you wander through, you’ll find that the spirit of creativity extends far beyond the Studio doors. Nestled among a vibrant community of workshops filled with talented makers, it is the perfect setting to pause, shake off the cold, and immerse yourself in the stories these artists have to tell.
This season, the gallery becomes a sanctuary for both the contemporary and the historical, featuring a diverse collective of artists who find magic in the natural world, the tactile nature of clay, and the mystery of antique lenses. From the rolling landscapes of the Cotswolds to the rugged textures of the Somerset countryside, these artists invite you to see the world through a more soulful, intentional lens.
IWAN THOMAS, CONTEMPORARY CERAMIC ARTIST: 10th JANUARY TO 7th MARCH 2026
A Journey Back to the Clay
Iwan’s connection to ceramics began in his school days; while he always had a natural affinity for art, it was the moment he first worked with clay that he felt truly at home. He followed this passion through his A-Levels and continued to develop his craft independently throughout his early twenties.
At the turn of the millennium, a leap of faith brought him to Bristol. After spotting an advert for an affordable studio, he hopped on a train to find a charmingly weathered, barn-style building tucked away behind terraced housing. He fell in love with the space instantly, putting down a deposit for a single desk and a nearby room. Little did he know then that this vibrant square mile around Gloucester Road would become his home for the next twenty-five years.
From the Studio to the Classroom
For years, Iwan flourished as a full-time maker, balancing commissions and sales with a growing interest in teaching. His path eventually led him into the heart of education, working first with excluded children in a Pupil Referral Unit and later qualifying as an English teacher. His dedication to his students saw him rise to Head of Year and Department, roles that required his full energy and headspace, meaning his time as a maker eventually came to a close.
Rediscovery and New Beginnings
After two decades in education, Iwan recently transitioned to an office based role, a shift he describes as transformational. With the mental space and time finally cleared, he has returned to his first love with renewed passion.
Today, Iwan is finding joy in rediscovering familiar forms while playing with entirely new shapes and experimental glazes. His current work is deeply thoughtful; he explores how shapes talk to one another within a single piece and, more importantly, how they relate as a group. He sees a human connection in his pottery, finding that different groupings bring out unique personalities in individual pots, much like they do in people. This connection is reflected in his patient, meticulous process of coil building. By using the thinnest coils manageable, he maintains total control over every angle and silhouette, creating pieces that range from a delicate 20 cm to nearly a meter in height.
Iwan is on Instagram, and you can get in touch with him by email
JACKIE CURTIS, ARTIST: 6th MARCH TO 10th APRIL 2026
A Landscape in Motion
Based in the heart of Somerset, Jackie is an innovative artist and printmaker who finds her spark in the ever shifting moods and seasonal rhythms of the local landscape. From the flooded levels in winter to the lush, wooded fringes of summer, her work is a personal response to the natural world and a lifelong love of the birds that travel through it. Her creative process is all about getting hands-on with printmaking, using different techniques to translate the passing cycles of the Somerset countryside into something visual and lasting.
Fleeting Moments, Lasting Textures
Her monoprints come from those blink-and-you-miss-it moments, using quick, spontaneous marks to catch the frantic energy of spring migrations or the way a low autumn light shifts across the fields. When she wants to capture the more tactile, grounded side of the seasons, she turns to collagraphs. By building up physical textures on the plate, she creates a sense of depth that mirrors the frozen winter bark, the damp earth of a thaws, or the intricate, dried weave of a finished nest.
Bold Lines and Organic Grains
Jackie also uses linocuts to bring out the decorative patterns found in the changing flora, relying on bold compositions to trace the silhouettes of birds against the summer sky. Her woodblocks are perhaps her most organic works and feel deeply connected to the forest’s life cycle; she treats them as a partnership with the timber itself, letting the natural grain and knots guide the final image. By keeping her work so closely tied to these seasonal shifts, Jackie creates pieces that are more than just technical studies; they are an authentic, heartfelt tribute to the living, breathing environment she calls home.
Here is a link to Jackie’s website, and you can get in touch with her by email or on 01278 685911
LINDA BROGAN, CONTEMPORARY CERAMIC ARTIST: 7th MARCH TO 2nd MAY 2026
Linda’s journey
Linda Brogan is a multidisciplinary artist and ceramicist based in Bristol, known for a style that balances playful observation with large-scale, soulful sculpture. Her work is characterised by a hand-built aesthetic that celebrates texture and form over industrial perfection, a philosophy built on a deep academic and professional foundation. Having studied Fine Art in Bristol before dedicating many years to teaching Art, it was retirement that finally provided the opportunity for Linda to focus on her own creative pursuits, at which point clay became her medium of choice.
Material and Method
In her studio, Linda favours traditional hand building techniques, working primarily with crank stoneware clay for its unique colour and textured, earthy finish. She deliberately employs a sparing use of slips and glazes to ensure the natural, rugged character of the clay remains the focus, allowing a raw, earthy palette to shine in both indoor and garden settings. This tactile approach is evident across her diverse portfolio, which ranges from delicate decorative items for the home to weather hardy sculptures designed to sit naturally within a landscape.
Inspiration: From West Africa to Yoga Cats
Much of her inspiration is drawn from a life well-travelled and a deep connection to her surroundings. Her imposing large-scale sculptural pieces are informed by many summers spent exploring West Africa, reflecting a deep appreciation for bold, ancestral forms and silhouettes that command a powerful presence in a space. In contrast, one of her most recognisable and beloved series features whimsical, expressive Yoga Cats. Inspired directly by her own yoga practice and her own feline companions, these pieces highlight her ability to capture movement and personality in clay, bringing a sense of amusement and joy to those who encounter them.
Ultimately, Linda work is a blend of the playful and the profound; whether she is sculpting a zen-like cat or a towering stoneware vessel, her creations remain deeply tactile, grounded in heritage, and full of character.
Linda is a dedicated member of the Bristol creative community. When she isn’t working with the Montpelier Potters, you can find her showcasing her latest work during the North Bristol Art Trail each November.
Linda is on Facebook and Instagram and you can get in touch with her by email.
SUE TURNER ARTIST: 7th MARCH TO 4th APRIL 2026
A Lifelong Creative Impulse
For Sue Turner, the impulse to create has been a lifelong companion. Her work is a deeply personal response to the environment, driven by a desire to translate the sensory experience of the world into a visual language.
The Natural World as Muse
Sue’s practice is rooted in the natural world, with a particular fascination for the structural elegance of trees, the vastness of landscapes, and the kinetic energy of birds. While the organic forms of the countryside are her primary muse, she also finds beauty in the shapes and textures of busy city streets.
Capturing the Emotional Moment
For Sue, the process begins long before the brush touches the canvas. She is happiest when immersed in the outdoors, witnessing the fluid transition of the seasons and the fleeting shifts in light. Her goal is not merely to document a scene, but to capture the emotional resonance of that moment, to convey the quiet awe or sudden vitality that nature evokes.
Technique and Tactile Exploration
Sue’s technical approach is one of constant evolution and tactile exploration. While acrylics serve as her primary medium, she frequently pushes the boundaries of the paint through mixed media experimentation. Lately, she has been drawn to the expressive potential of pastels and inks, enjoying the contrast between the soft, blendable nature of the former and the fluid, permanent marks of the latter. A key element of her work is the use of textured surfaces, which add physical depth and a sense of history to her compositions.
The Sanctuary of the Studio
Working from her private studio, Sue treats her creative space as a sanctuary for both focused labour and quiet reflection. She views the frustrations and failures inherent in the artistic process not as setbacks, but as essential components of growth.
Ultimately, art serves as Sue’s lens for appreciation. It demands a level of observation that forces her to truly see the world. That state of being completely absorbed, where time slows down and the focus narrows to the interplay of colour and form, is a feeling she treasures above all else.
Sue is on Instagram, and you can get in touch with her by email or on 07340732491.
HOLLY DUNHAM ARTIST: 7TH FEBRUARY TO 7TH MARCH 2026
Meet Holly: A Life Painted with Heart and Spirit
Based in the quiet beauty of the Cotswold countryside, Holly is a fine artist who captures memories and emotions on canvas. Her work—ranging from magical seascapes and landscapes to vibrant florals—is designed to bring a sense of joy and peace into any home.
The Journey Back to Art
Holly’s love for nature began as a child, spent exploring the meadows and streams of Coombe in Gloucestershire. This connection to the outdoors eventually led her to study Fine Art at the University of the West of England. Her talent was clear early on; she earned a First Class Honours degree and won the prestigious John Hulla Award.
After university, Holly became a qualified Art Teacher at a Master’s level. While she spent several years away from her own canvas to teach others, she eventually listened to the “whispers of her heart” and returned to her true calling. Today, she is a full-time artist, a leap of faith she feels grateful for every day.
How She Creates
When Holly paints, she goes into a total meditative zone where she’s not just capturing a view, but rather how that moment actually feels to her. It all starts out in the fresh air, where she sketches on location to really soak up the vibe of her surroundings. Back in the studio, things get even more hands-on; she reaches for way more than just brushes, using everything from lace and sponges to palette knives and even forks to get those cool, signature textures. Ultimately, her process is all about letting go, she loves to let the paint move organically and follow where the colours lead until the piece just evolves on its own.
Art for the Soul
As a romantic and a spiritualist, Holly believes that art has the power to heal. Her paintings are more than just décor; they are an invitation to be mindful and present. Whether it is a stormy seascape or a bright field of flowers, her goal is to transport the viewer to a place of clarity and calm.
Holly’s work is available as original paintings, high-quality prints, and greeting cards. She loves connecting with her customers and feels blessed to see her art bringing a bit of magic into people’s lives. Here is a link to Holly’s website, she is also on Instagram. You can get in touch with her by email.
SIMON WILLIAMS, PHOTOGRAPHER: JANUARY 10th TO 7th MARCH 2026
What began as a simple experiment to see if a 100 year old camera could still function has evolved into a deep seated passion for hand crafted imagery. For Simon, photography is less about literal representation and more about capturing the underlying sense of a subject or place. Drawing inspiration from the techniques and aesthetics of early pioneers, Simon has spent years refining not just his technical skills, but his creative eye. Each antique camera, film format, and historical printing method he discovers offers a new lens through which to view the world, allowing him to exploit the unique quirks of every piece of equipment.
In a world filled with pristinely clear digital images that are often scanned and instantly forgotten, Simon aims to create something that lasts. He believes that an image should draw the viewer in to explore and imagine, creating a lasting sense of value. Echoing the philosophy of Edgar Degas, he feels that a photograph requires a touch of mystery, fantasy, and ambiguity. Rather than pursuing the dishonest perfection of modern manipulation, he embraces the honesty of the imperfect, celebrating the character of old lenses, the light leaks in aged bellows, and the tactile marks of hand made processing. By using antique cameras and historical processes, he creates images that find beauty in imperfection and offer a more soulful connection to the viewer. Here is a link to Simon’s website. You can get in touch with him by email. or on 07403407054
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 are worth mentioning as they differ from those of 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.