Wednesday, 24 July
Warwickshire Open Studios
Staff
It's that time of year again and the Live & Local team are busy expanding our fabulous collection of local art. This year Warwickshire Open Studios ran from 22nd June - 7th July with over 400 artists displaying work at over 121 venues across Warwickshire and Coventry.
This year we continued our commitment to support local artists, and with our ever-growing and diverse team at the ready, we set out on a mission to fill our office with new, exciting and affordable art!
So let's find out what incredible artworks our team chose and the reason behind their selection...
"I was first drawn to a ceramics tent showing some unusual vases and other pieces and asked the artist about them and how she created them. Her name is Bridget Aldridge and she creates thrown, sculptural and experimental pieces in the garage of her home in Rugby, with her old cat for company.
She was really delighted that I was interested in her creations and happy to explain the process of Saggar firing, which involves burning any kind of organic, combustible materials - for example dried seed pods, copper, sawdust, around the outside of an existing pot or vase, to create amazing and varied patterns and textures on its surface. The fascination of this process is that Bridget never knows how the vases are going to turn out or what they will look like, so they are all totally unique and she has the pleasure of discovering each pattern as the item emerges from the Saggar kiln. I particularly liked one with brown-ish shades and spark-like patterns created by burning steel wool." - Laura, Programme Administrator
"I was immediately drawn to Steve Davies' work, as printmaking happens to be one of my favourite art forms. I love the distinctive texture linocut printing creates and I'm particularly interested in the role it has played in protest and activism. I chose his artwork 'Guy of Warwick Slaying the Dun Cow' because I enjoy learning about British myths and folklore, and this legendary figure was a new discovery for me when I starting working in Warwick for Live & Local last summer. I'm glad that Guy will preside over the goings-on in our office as Live & Local weaves itself into the tapestry of Warwickshire folklore." - Beau, Admin & Marketing Assistant
"I chose this piece by local artist Anthea Yeo (@AntheaYeoMetalArt) because it's inherent whimsy moved me. There's something so light-hearted about it's size (around 10cm high) but it's really solid and heavy as it's made from upcycled copper!
It's also very folkloric, it reminds me of vintage folk art and legends. It's silly and serious all at once. I love it!" - Aster, Rural Hub Towns Community Engagement Officer
"I chose Anya Simmons' 'Over the Moon about Warwick' as I like quirky, distorted views of real places and this was a playful view of where we are based and of my home town." - John, Executive Director
"I chose a bright red 'Thunder Gourd' with a music note shape cut into it from John Ingall's amazing collection of creative pieces.
John grows the gourds in his greenhouse and creates unique and quirky pieces out of them. Using the natural shapes as a starting point - he cuts various holes in them to make a sound box. He attaches a drum skin and spring and the piece 'rumbles' like thunder when shaken! I thought this would make an unusual and creative addition to the Live & Local office art collection!
John is exhibiting his work at Leasowe Farm (just outside Radford Semele) alongside his wife Jane and two other artists - all of whom use natural materials in their artwork." - Kristie, Office Manager
"The second item I bought was a small framed picture called Sea Breeze by an artist called Susan Watt from Bishop’s Tachbrook. I was drawn in by how sunny and bright and cheerful it is, with lovely summery colours and whirling birds over a choppy sea. Only when I got chatting with Sue did I realise that she actually makes her pictures from tiny pieces of old magazines, all cut to random shapes and arranged in a beautiful collage.
Sue also creates some bolder pictures, such as big red poppies, highland cattle, comic farmyard birds and animals, and creates prints from them as well, so her stall was really colourful and cheerful to explore. You can attend workshops that she runs too, if you are interested in trying your hand at collage, though I don’t think I would have the patience myself!" - Laura, Programme Administrator
"My second choice was this ceramic pot from artist Jim Elliott. This beckoned me from the top of his display; nothing more prosaic than colour and shape! It was labelled 'Pot of the Day' which seemed sad as it was the end of the day.... but as it turned out it had just been chosen as the 'Pot of Tomorrow' by Jim!" - John, Executive Director
"David Jones' ceramic mice are irresistibly charming - I love the mixture of earth tones and different glazes and finishes, the quizzical way they peer up at you, and the idiosyncratic ways their tails wrap around their bodies. Aside from anything, they remind me of the kind of special rock I would pick up and carry around in my pocket as a child, which I find very comforting and nostalgic." - Beau, Admin & Marketing Assistant
"Finally, I selected Lawrence Storey's painting with no title. Quite why this one grabbed me out of a group of paintings inspired by sardines on a fishmonger's slab I don't know. Perhaps it was because it was the least obvious, and the artist had 'let loose' a bit with the paint application!" - John, Executive Director
"I chose this piece (modelled by my friend and colleague Beau!) Because the colours are really striking, and even though it's a painting it looks like a particularly luscious collograph print. I love how it's of flowers, but not flower-y..."
Artist: Rebecca Judge (@bec.judge)
- Aster, Rural Hub Towns Community Engagement Officer
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