Latest News and Progress

5 July 2019

Contemporary Passions: Jane Mahood

Jane Mahood is one of the nine SHAF artists whose work will be on show at Harbour House for the Contemporary Passions exhibition.

Teresa Barlow
Nick Cotter
Jane Davarian
Crystel Dauth
Brett Hornby
Cherry Lyons
Jane Mahood
Elaine Sibley
myself, Stephen Thomas

In this series of blogs, some of them share their process. You can read about Elaine Sibley here and Cherry Lyons here and me here.

WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS, JANE?

My aim is to create mosaic art from waste and friends have taken to calling in on me en route to the tip and leaving me their chipped or broken china.

Jane Mahood's stock cupboard — Jane Mahood’s stock cupboard

I now have quite of stock of gifted materials that would otherwise have ended up in the landfill!

Also, my son and his family help me to collect bits of broken china from the mud of Kingsbridge estuary. I have no idea how it got there but some of it is very old.

Jane Mahood's treasure from the beach — Treasure from the shore

This stock is supplemented with glass tesserae, mass-produced for mosaic work.

I use nippers to make the pieces of china a suitable shape, and then glue it and grout it.

Jane Mahood's work bench — Work in progress!

I never quite know how things are going to turn out, but it’s a new lease of life for the broken ceramics which would otherwise have gone to the tip or remained buried in the mud.

Here are two other pieces that Jane has produced for the Contemporary Passions exhibition on the theme of Elements.

Jane Mahood's mosaic table — Table top mosaic

MORE ABOUT JANE MAHOOD

Jane is a member of SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) and she is featured on the SHAF website.

Because her designs are driven by the material that she has to hand, and she finds it impossible to guess what people are going to like, Jane has not undertaken any commissions.

However, Jane has ‘revitalised’ some much-loved pieces of China that have been accidentally broken, reconstructing them into a new and usable form. Jane also produces a lot of birthday and Christmas presents for friends and family, and – she says – her house looks like a mosaics shop!

You can contact Jane by email at jane.mahood@btinternet.com .

WHEN IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

As ever, we are at Harbour House, Kingsbridge TQ7 1JD.

And the exhibition runs from Tuesday 16 July until Sunday 28 July.

MEET THE ARTISTS!

6-8PM TUESDAY 16 JULY

Come along to meet the artists and see their interpretation of our theme: Elements.

All are welcome and refreshments will be provided

1 July 2019

Contemporary Passions: Cherry Lyons

Cherry Lyons is one of the nine SHAF artists whose work will be on show at Harbour House for the Contemporary Passions exhibition.

Teresa Barlow
Nick Cotter
Jane Davarian
Crystel Dauth
Brett Hornby
Cherry Lyons
Jane Mahood
Elaine Sibley
myself, Stephen Thomas

In this series of blogs, some of them share their process. You can read about Elaine Sibley here and Jane Mahood here and me here.

WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS, CHERRY?

With a passion for making and sharing art, nature – in all its glory – provides me with endless painting opportunities, particularly sketching and painting en plein air come rain or shine.

As an experimental mixed media artist, seeing magnificent colour-drenched textures through ever-changing light and climatic conditions is particularly motivating. I am constantly challenged to capture such fleeting atmospheric moments-in-time in my sketchbooks.

Back home, in the studio, the fun begins when subjects are uniquely painted with originality, whatever media is chosen.

Found objects, watercolour, acrylics, oils, pastels, printmaking and the ancient art of encaustic wax are significant media choices for my artwork.

For Contemporary Passions, my focus is mainly on the ancient art of encaustic wax, used decoratively for over 2000 years. This captivating art-form involves melting beeswax with damar resin and fusing molten wax in pigmented layers with intense heat.

Responding to the elements of air, water, fire and earth, my new encaustic paintings have a raw elemental feel. Imagining how our earth was formed and how it may evolve in the future were in my thoughts as I built up the many layers of coloured and pure wax, carefully fusing each with a blow-torch, adding found objects and minerals, watching closely as metamorphosis transpired.

“I feel a bit like an alchemist and my studio sometimes resembles a science lab where I am often found with blow torch in hand, looking like an extra from a Star Wars movie!”

Here are three of the pieces that can be seen in the exhibition.

Silvered Shoreline by Cherry Lyons — Silvered Shoreline

Fissure and Fire by Cherry Lyons — Fissure and Fire

MORE ABOUT CHERRY LYONS

Cherry Lyons exhibits widely, and enjoys membership of South Hams Art Forum, Devon Artist Network, several art societies and is Vice-President of the Devon Art Society.

Cherry says: It was incredibly refreshing to take part in Devon Open Studios and the SHAF Arts Trail. I appeared in the televised Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2015, 2016 and 2018 and was a finalist in the Devon Life Landscape Painter of the Year and these have been exciting achievements.

You can contact Cherry Lyons by email artscaper@live.co.uk and see more of her work on her website www.cherrylyons-artist.co.uk.

Commissions are welcomed and, as a qualified educator and demonstrator, Cherry shares her knowledge and techniques through inspiring workshops and demonstrations.

WHEN IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

As ever, we are at Harbour House, Kingsbridge TQ7 1JD.

And the exhibition runs from Tuesday 16 July until Sunday 28 July.

MEET THE ARTISTS!

6-8PM TUESDAY 16 JULY

Come along to meet the artists and see their interpretation of our theme: Elements.

All are welcome and refreshments will be provided.

24 June 2019

Contemporary Passions: Elaine Sibley

Elaine Sibley is one of the nine SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) artists whose work will be on show at Harbour House for the Contemporary Passions exhibition.

Teresa Barlow
Nick Cotter
Jane Davarian
Crystel Dauth
Brett Hornby
Cherry Lyons
Jane Mahood
Elaine Sibley
myself, Stephen Thomas

In this series of blogs, some of them share their process. You can read about Cherry Lyons here and Jane Mahood here and me here.

What’s your process, Elaine?

I live on the edge of Dartmoor. It’s just across the road and up the lane. The weather and landscape are a wealth of inspiration and the colours can change very quickly. I am usually looking for something dramatic which I can translate into a semi-abstract painting.

I use a camera or sketchbook to record anything of interest such as stormy skies or the sun highlighting a particular part of the landscape.

These are some of my sketches of the moors. If I’m not on the moor, then I’m off to the sea. My favourite places are Mothecombe or South Milton Sands – they both have excellent cafes!

Then it’s back to the studio where I do a lot of sitting and looking and wondering where to start. I often go back to paintings and rework them which is why I like to use acrylic.

This one is just finished; it’s called ‘Morning Light over Dartmoor’.

And here are two more of my creations:

From Mothecombe to wonwell — From Mothecombe to Wonwell

A walk from Spurrells Cross — A Walk from Spurrells Cross

More about Elaine Sibley

Elaine lives and works on the edge of Dartmoor. She studied at Plymouth College of Art and then the College of St Mark & St John where she gained a PGCE. She taught Design and Technology for twenty years while designing and making silver jewellery which she continues to sell through local galleries and open studios. Since retiring from teaching in 2016, she has found time to experiment and expand her work and has developed a passion for painting.

Her contemporary landscapes emerge from natural surroundings; namely Dartmoor and the local coastline. She is aware of the ever changing weather conditions on Dartmoor and attempts to capture the effect this has on light and colour in her paintings. She walks, sketches and takes photographs. Back in the studio, she is currently enjoying the immediacy of acrylics and uses texture and a variety of tools to try to convey the mood and atmosphere of the place rather than a true representation.

You can see more of Elaine’s work on her Facebook page, and you can contact Elaine by email at elainejsibley@gmail.com or call her on 01752 895134.

When is the Contemporary Passions exhibition?

As ever, we are at Harbour House, Kingsbridge TQ7 1JD.

And the exhibition runs from Tuesday 16 July until Sunday 28 July.

Meet the artists!

6-8pm Tuesday 16 July

Come along to meet the artists and see their interpretation of our theme: Elements.

All are welcome and refreshments will be provided.