Jewellery

Sarah Packington

Sarah Packington designs, and hand makes colourful dyed acrylic jewellery in her studio in Brighton. She studied Wood, Metal, Ceramics and Plastics BA (hons) at Brighton Polytechnic, graduating in 1991. Her shapes and colours of her ‘Weave’, ‘Seed’ and ‘Grid’ collections are inspired by mid-century textile designers such as Lucienne Day and Joanne Groag. She loves their joyful shapes and colour combinations. The black graphic shapes with a pop of colour of Sarah’s ‘Balance’ collection reflect the influence of abstract artists including Mondrian and Miro.

Sarah’s 2022 ‘Stack’ collection is her response to the ‘Family of Man’ sculptures of artist Barbara Hepworth. Curving forms, etched lines, and holes are elements used in the construction of the pieces.

Sarah endeavours to push the boundaries of what can be done with her chosen material. She experiments with textured surface patterns and innovative ways of joining components. Many of her designs have hand etched lines on clear acrylic which is dyed and polished back to reveal the coloured pattern. Sarah uses a laser cutter or bandsaw to cut out shapes from sheet acrylic, and hand makes all ear wires in silver. All designs are highly finished to give a precious feel.

Contemporary Art

Katharine Holmes

Ceramics

Kirsty Adams

Kirsty was brought up in a village near Selby, North Yorkshire and lived in York from the age of 15. She went to Art Foundation in York and then went on to take a degree in Ceramics (BA Hons Wood, Metal, Ceramics and Plastics) at Brighton Art College.

With a delicate style of throwing, poured and dipped glazing techniques, Kirsty has created an award-winning, unique collection of tableware and studio ceramics. Each piece contains an element of individuality and spontaneity, with refined throwing lines, combined with the incidental marks and story of the glazing technique.

Her main inspiration and methods of working were developed whilst living and working in Japan. She became particularly inspired by the Oribe style of glazing and this has influenced all her subsequent work. She is listed in the collector’s handbook of ‘British Studio Potters Marks’ and now works from her studio in Newcastle upon Tyne.

In 2017 she was selected by the Crafts Council to produce a bespoke collection for the National Trust, inspired by Nostell Priory in South Yorkshire. In 2019, she launched her Icelandic collection of moon jars, vessels and bowls inspired by the otherworldliness of Iceland’s landscapes. In 2022, she introduced her Rockpool collection inspired by the Northumberland coastline near to where she lives.

Kirsty is a selected member of Design Nation UK and of the Crafts Council Directory. She was recently selected by the Europewide Michelangelo Foundation for representation in their ‘Homo Faber Guide’ for excellence in craftsmanship.

Art & Contemporary Art

Mike Bernard

My initial starting point is to collect on the spot sketches, subjects will vary from harbour coastal scenes to street and market scenes and the occasional still life. I am selective when describing detail, I want to portray only the essence of the subject.

Back in the studio I start my paintings, (surfaces can include, paper, board and canvas), with layers of paper collage, newspapers, tissue, leaflets, magazines etc, glueing with acrylic medium.

I create shapes which relate to the abstract structure of the subject. When the glue is dry, I apply acrylic ink in bold random strokes which encourages wonderful colour and textural ‘happy accidents’. From this state of chaos I endeavour to define the subject through various drawing techniques, to a finished stage where the subject has recognisable passages, but at the same time retain a semi- abstract, impressionistic feel, engaging the viewers imagination.

I now paint almost exclusively in mixed media, combining collage, acrylics and pastel. I enjoy the way textures, shapes, colour and ‘happy accidents’ steer the direction of my paintings. My favourite subjects continue to be harbour scenes, market and street scenes both in Britain and abroad.

Mike Bernard is exhibiting 30 paintings in his new solo show Yorkshire and Beyond here at Watermark Gallery from 27 October to 11 November 2023. View the exhibition here.

Ceramics

Yvette Glaze

Yvette Glaze is a professional ceramicist based in East Sussex. She began her career as a scenic artist in theatre. and later went on to teach art and ceramics in therapeutic settings, including working with people with mental health problems and physical and learning difficulties.

Yvette describes her work with ceramics as follows:

“The inspiration for my ceramic art comes from landscapes or objects that retain a strong emotional imprint. This can be seen through layers of colour and texture or paint, rust and pattern.

I begin my process by sketching, painting and printing. These are an important part of developing my ideas. i work instinctively to capture how I feel about an image which often leads to an abstract representation. These explorations progress to my work on the clay surface. I use a multi-layered technique using slips, coloured clay, print texture and mark making. The clay becomes a canvas in which to develop my work.

My ceramics are slab built forms and all are one -off pieces that are completely unique.”

Art & Contemporary Art

Caroline Bailey

Landscape and still life and the use of strong vibrant colour form the basis of Caroline Bailey’s work. She studied Printed Textiles at Manchester Polytechnic from 1972 to 76 leaving with a BA (Hons) and MA in Textile Design. She then taught and worked freelance until the mid 1980’s, by which time painting had become a full-time occupation.

Caroline has exhibited widely in the UK and was elected a full member of The RSW (Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour) in 1998. She has also exhibited at the annual exhibitions of The Royal Scottish Academy and Royal Glasgow Institute and also with The Royal Watercolour Society.

She works in water-based mixed media most particularly watercolour, gouache and acrylic. These act together to create layers of colour and texture. Still life in which flowers are the major subject are seen against colourful textiles with hints of land and seascape in the background. Caroline now lives and works in The Isle of Skye where paintings are based on days spent working in sketchbooks while walking in the landscape. The colour and textures are descriptive of this wild and beautiful landscape that has always inspired her and which she now calls home.

John Crossley

Originally from North Yorkshire, John Ayrton Crossley is a designer/maker of furniture and homewares, based in the Cotswolds. Having worked in museums and galleries for 10 years and more recently as a shepherd’s hutmaker, John launched All In The Making in January 2023.

Working with planes, drawknives and spokeshaves, John uses traditional joinery methods such as wedged mortise and tenon joints, to create sculptural, robust pieces, seeking to balance a simple aesthetic beauty with everyday practicality.

Inspired by a love of folk art and vernacular furniture, John uses sustainable British hardwoods and natural finishes, such as traditional milk paint, to explore the tactile nature of wood with carving tools, creating striking furniture for use in all parts of the home, made to last a lifetime. All of the pieces shown can be used either for decoration or as pieces of furniture. They are all made from solid wood.

We are delighted to see that John was the winner of “The Best New Business” award at the Cheltenham Craft Festival in 2023. Very well deserved!

Art & Contemporary Art

Tom Wood

Tom Wood has a solo exhibition of recent still life paintings at Watermark Gallery. View the exhibition in our Harrogate gallery or online here. This exhibition runs from 6-21 October 2023.

Tom Wood was originally born in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika in 1955 and in 1959 moved to West Yorkshire. He graduated from Sheffield School of Art in 1978 and since then his work has been exhibited worldwide. His numerous portrait commissions include paintings of Professor Lord Robert Winston and Alan Bennett, both of which were commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery. Other notable commissions have included portraits for HRH The Prince of Wales, Yale University and Cambridge University.

Tom was visiting Professor of Fine Art at the University of Leeds and is a Fellow of Sheffield Hallam University.

Tom has also been heavily involved in the creation of The West Yorkshire Print Workshop and also the Yorkshire Printmakers in Leeds. He was one of the first artists to have a studio at Dean Clough in Halifax and created a large studio gallery at Phoebe Mills, Halifax.

He has worked in Hong Kong as Art Adviser for The English Schools Foundation and, whilst there, was instrumental in developing art projects for gifted and talented art students, including large scale painted and digital mural projects in numerous schools. Upon returning to the UK he created the Art Academy at Redbrick Mill, Batley, where he continues to teach. He has also been featured in the BBC ‘Star Portraits’ arts programme in which he painted the actress Barbara Windsor.

Art & Contemporary Art

Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas is a Yorkshire based visual artist, working predominantly with painting and drawing. Her work explores responses to plants in the environment. Helen’s practice includes field and studio work, alongside educational and collaborative projects.

Helen studied Fine Art at Falmouth School of Art and a year postgraduate study with Turps Art School. She is now based at The Art House in Wakefield and is a member of the Prosaic curatorial group.

In 2021 Helen’s project ‘Dandelions and Double Yellows’ – inspired by the overlooked, and sometimes contentious, self seeded plants in our everyday surroundings – was supported by Arts Council England and Wakefield Council. The project culminated in a solo exhibition of sixteen site responsive works at Wakefield Cathedral and a digital showcase of pictures of pavement plants contributed by over 60 people ‘Dandelions and Double Yellows – Your Gallery’.

The Hepworth Wakefield commissioned Helen to work with a group of young people to co-create visuals for ’What does Wakefield Sound Like?’ with musicians Duncan Chapman and Supriya Nagarajan from Manasimitra.

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