MAKER GWENIVER EXTON
‘Maker’ is a glimpse into the world of five extraordinary creatives. It celebrates the individuality of these makers and their practices, whilst examining how these spac es, and the objects and work within them reflect their creative existence. These studios are the beating hearts of their inhabitants’ jour ney; personal and expressive spac es that project the artists’ character. EXTON
2
GWENIVER
RICHARDWILLS
4
Upon entering Richard’s home, I was welcomed into a beautifully light and crafted space. A life time of his work spanning the walls, telling the journey of his artistic journey so far. Upstairs, a tall ceilinged room with the far wall made up of a large floor to ceiling window, beams light into the loved and lived-in working space that is his studio – the beating heart of this artists’ home.
“I’m surrounded with my work, which is reassuring, and comforting.”
6
“You get these connections; you see things and you meet people, and suddenly it triggers something.”
Richard’s home and studio are one and the same; interconnected spaces where one feeds the other and are a true re flection of self. He is sentimental about his belongings and sense of place. Sur rounded by items that have come from different periods of his painting life; a robe gifted to him whilst he worked on his portrait of Archbishop Rowan Wil liams, a gifted overcoat, or a standing fig ure he’d made of a friend who posed for him. In turn, the work he creates becomes objects of the journey of his existence.
Wills’ portfolio comprises of portraiture, sport, landscape, and his interest in the Welsh Marches where he was born and always lived. Many of his impressive largescale works were commissioned; his reper toire of leading figures ranging from con temporary sportsmen to the Archbishop of the Church of Wales and His Royal High ness Prince Richard Duke of Gloucester.
Working in both watercolours and oils, Wills’ enjoys the physical element of paint ing large scale, “I like making big marks, they sort of come naturally to me”. His pro cesses are a journey, made up of building and layering, continually adjusting. Acci dents lead to subtle corrections, a build-up of different information that is left at dif ferent stages, “I like the errors, not to stand out, but to be there, so that the viewer can see how you’ve come to this conclusion”.
8
RACHEL WOOD
Nestled in the countryside of the Welsh borders, on a little yet perfectly sustaining small holding with her family, lives maker and multimedia artist Rachel ‘Rew’ Wood. After completing a Foundation course in Applied Arts and consequently meet ing Matt, a sculptor and metal worker, Rew started assisting and working along side him, helping to build his business, Sanderson Scultpure, into what it is today.
Now, Rew works between various medias, such as pottery, textiles, and painting – or a blend of them all. During the time I spent with Rew, she split her time over her differ ent creations; collecting clay spell pots fresh out the kiln, sewing and painting the rosy cheeks on her sweet dolls, and painting on a mixed media piece for an upcoming exhibi tion. Her work isn’t confined to one avenue; she is continually inspired and influenced by those around her, the natural world, the changing seasons and her Shamanic training.
“That’s our rule in the house, it has to have a story, to be able to be here.”
Fittingly, her beautiful light studio sits over looking the rolling hills through one curved glass window that spans the front of the structure, allowing you to feel completely immersed in the view. Tucked neatly away in cupboards and drawers are endless amounts of materials, found and gifted items for her use that were once so loved and adored, kept safely to be used and adored once again.
10
Rew’s personal artistic career began in sculp ture too; primarily small, stylised animals in bronze resin, before moving on to bronze sand casting. With the arrival of her chil dren however and the changes that brings, her sculpture work unfortunately came to a stop, encouraging Rew to revisit the ap plied crafts that she had previously studied.
Whilst her studio is kept separate from her home, the two spaces blend very much together. Her studio is a place where she knows she can leave work out to come back to, but she often finds her self working at the kitchen table –where all family life unfolds.
14
“I have boxes and boxes of people’s beautiful fabrics, and I can never say no because they’ve always got a lovely reason.”
Baz Mehew’s home and studio are quietly hidden in the center of Penzance, a peaceful sanctuary amongst a busy community. A self-taught artist, his practice has been crafted and inspired by the many different experiences, careers, and avenues his life has taken him on so far, a true jack of all trades.
MEHEWBAZ
16
Baz’s main influences derives from his interest in primitive cultures, Inuit espe cially. The associated ancient artefacts, as well as the natural world, provide rich material for his abstract carvings. A natu ral sculptor, he has an eye for recognising shapes in their natural form. His studio is decorated with inspiration to guide his processes, and stepping inside their home reveals artefacts, sculptures, art, pottery, and books neatly on display. You will only find a few of his own pieces dottedhowever,around
Throughout all this Baz was always drawing, something he has done almost daily since he was a child. He created oc casionally, he recalled working in bone and making little fish for friends. Even tually moving down to Cornwall, where he met his partner Maureen, it was at this point that his ‘making’ really took off. They opened the little gallery that was ‘Dick the Dog’, and a work bench at the back became the home to the begin ning of Baz’s work. “I like working with my hands”, a statement supported by the many roles contributing to the skills and knowledge that he puts into his artwork.
“As I get older I’m more unsure of myself, and that predisposes me towards an abstraction
Baz spent 10 years in the Royal Navy, but after leaving due to injury he dabbled in many areas; fish mongering, pottery, hotels, building, painting, cooking, and carpet fitting to name a few. He bought, renovated, and sold houses, ran a small holding in Wales, and owned a success ful bistro, plus a couple of shops selling antiques, plants, and herbs.
18 Baz is not sentimental with his work. Yet there is one piece that seems to have gained significance, a carved bear, which has become his sort of talisman.
When asked about the link between his home and studio, he simply replied with a comparison to a new apron he wore - “a bit like this hemming, one folds over the other and is tacked down, and it’s fold ed over again and tacked down, which makes it very strong”, one clearly influenc es and is a strong component of the other. - but I would rather do something abstract than something literal or figurative.” “I’m inspired by everything.”
20
“Which is like life isn’t it? they fold each experience over and it makes you strong, and eventually you get so many folds in it you realise that it’s time to die. And that’s to look forward to.”
Nigel Lambert & Mariette Voke
The Potter and the Painter, bet ter known as Nigel and Mari ette, live and work harmoniously in their quaint little cottage on the idyllic edge of the Forest of Dean. Wander down the brick path beyond the cottage and you come across their respective stu dios, nestled against the expan sive landscape beyond. Their home and studios alike provide an array of treasures to discover. Nigel and Mariette met during college, where they both stud ied Ceramics. Although a ful ly trained potter, Mariette has adapted and changed her main practice to painting. Her ceram ics work consisted of large-scale pieces, but due to the costs of ma terials and firing it gradually be came no longer feasible. So, when their children were young and she was in search of something new, she turned her hand to painting, of which came very naturally. These two artists compliment and influence one another, they have created an idyllic life to gether, supporting and encour aging the other in everything they do and their shared respect and connection to their work and belongings is truly evident.
22
24 “It’s massive everymakesatisfactionjobtosomethingday,somethingthatwasn’tthereyesterday.Ilovethat.”
Stepping into Mariette’s studio is a magical experience, jam packed with objects and things, new and old, yet all loved and kept careful ly until they may be needed. Ma riette’s paintings are a celebration of all the items and possessions that make up the journey of our existence. A toy car that has been so well played with that the paint is wearing from the driver’s head, a single glove, an old paint tube, or a beautiful vintage dress. Her work comes from objects, and commemorates the stories behind them, or the narratives that can be created. She is interested in the way that things wear, chips and bends or the clumsy repairs lov ingly made to keep it for just that bit longer. Mariette’s studio, filled to the brim with all these posses sions, is like a mini museum of sto ries. This enchanting space is a true reflection on Mariette’s character and her care and value for items that otherwise may be discarded. Each painting is individual, re flecting its own narrative, de pending on the selection Mariette has chosen to include. All these items are ready and waiting to be picked and delicately painted on to paper or canvas. Her paintings become an artefact in themselves, rich with the untold stories of the painted subjects, ready to be passed on and loved by others.
“My work comes from objects, all the stories behind them, and the way things come together.”
26
Whilst Nigel’s studio is predomi nantly a practical and functional working space, it is still much the individual and inspiring environ ment that perfectly represents its inhabitant. Pots at different stages of completion lining the shelves and tabletops, barrels of slip with the lids just resting on top ready to be used, and not a surface in sight that hasn’t got splatters of clay all over it – the signs of a thriving and well used workshop. Nigel commented that most of his inspiration is in the items and pots on display in their home, and whilst that is of course true, there are unmissable signs around his studio too. A line of dif ferent pots, from other makers and old designs line a high shelf and the Terry Frost look-alike prints bring a burst of colour to the usual shades of browns, creams, blues, and greens.
“Making work that you can use really appealed to me, being used, being part of a table, and family life.”
28
30
“We both make things, but we’ve also chosen this lifestyle to lead, and the two are very interconnected. We have a lifestyle which we’ve made, and we want, and that feeds into the work.”
Aligning with Mariette’s interest and passion for preloved items, it is Nigel’s intention for his crea tions to be functional; for one of his mugs to become someone’s favourite and just to become a part of everyday family life. This appeal reflects a passion and real personal connection between Ni gel and his possessions and how he values them. His practical view on his studio makes parallels to his feelings about how he wants his own creations to be treated.
Moreover, the act of creating itself, making and doing, “moving for wards all the time”, is enough inspi ration for Nigel, no design is ever the same and the joy of experiment ing with shape and colour and the happy accidents that appear brings enough motivation to keep going.
© Gweniver Exton 2022
