Studio Snoop: Patrick Woodroffe (Falmouth Art Gallery)

Last month Falmouth Art Gallery had an interesting exhibition on about Patrick Woodroffe, an artist with strong links to the gallery and Falmouth.  Within the exhibition the curators had re-created Woodroffe's studio.  They invited us to come and have a snoop, however we've decided (as we couldn't ask Patrick himself about his work) to let the pictures do the talking.  

Following the path of the exhibition, here begins our strangest studio snoop to date.... 

Welcome to the wonderful world of Patrick Woodroffe.

How his desk would have looked on a working day. You may not be able to see in this image the ultra fine points of the pencils.

Woodroffe made his easil himself as he couldn't find one that suited his needs

To do lists are an interesting insight into his organisational process

There is a lot of wit and humour in Wodroffe's work

Woodroffe was perhaps the first painter to make use of the 'tomograph' process 

Believe  it or not, the picture on the right is a painting; Woodroffe was well known for his intensly detailed work

Close up of a larger work (and quite possibly our favourite from the exhibition)

He also created a lot of etchings, drawing everything, including text, in reverse 

An artist through and through, his wife came home one day to find her trainers preserved in resin

Woodroffe would have displays of interesting objects (that often appeared in his paintings) in his studio

A doll from one of the displays

Another interesting insight into the mind of Patrick Woodroffe, collecting found coins

If you've enjoyed this post, let us know by commenting below.  For more information on Falmouth Art Gallery or Patrick Woodroffe click on the links at the top of this post.

Studio Snoop: Emily Hankins

A few weeks ago we got the opportunity to snoop around Emily Hankins studio and have a chat with the lady herself.  We've become pretty hungry writing this up so you may want to grab yourself a cup of tea and settle down for an interesting read...

Emily working on a cake

The Dream Kitchen

So, what do you do, and how did you come to do it?

I am a wedding cake designer and I specialise in bespoke, hand painted cakes. Weddings are the main foundation of my business but I am very lucky to also have the chance to create show cakes for photo shoots and magazines.

I have always painted and art is definitely my first love. After studying at Falmouth College of Arts and struggling to find a job in the saturated design world I fell into catering and discovered a huge passion for baking.

After many years pursuing this as a hobby my 'eureka' moment happened whilst creating an epic cake centre piece for my best friends wedding – 120 individual hand painted and completely edible teacups and saucers. I knew that what I was creating was individual and unique, using my strengths as an artist and my cakes as a canvas seemed to catch peoples imagination!

Hand-made edible cupcakes

What are the main inspirations in your work?

I am hugely inspired by colour and pattern and also nature and horticulture particularly. I grew up around flowers and from a very early age could be found sitting in the garden drawing the detailed faces of pansies and petunias. I even considered a career as a florist at one point during childhood but was brought back own to earth with a bump after realising that severe hayfever and flowers just did not mix!

Inspiration and planning

Flowers are often such a huge part of a wedding celebration and it seems only fitting to include them in the cake design. My floral designs are by far my most popular!

I also take inspiration directly from my clients. I find that the brides and grooms who come to me tend to have a specific creative vision and are looking fro someone to work with them to create this. I really enjoy bringing together all of their ideas into one cohesive design in my signature style.

Happy couples enjoying Emily's creations

How do you use  your studio?

My studio is not only a beautiful and inspiring place where I meet with my clients but it is also a fully functioning kitchen were I bake and create my wedding cakes.

After my initial contact with potential clients we meet together in person to discuss their ideas and requirements face to face. We sit around my lovely dining table and chat over tea and cake served on my vintage china tea sets. My clients enjoy this experience and it gives them a chance to see more of my work and to understand a little bit more about me as well as me understanding their ideas!

'Love'

My studio kitchen is a wonderful place to work. I designed and fitted it myself (with a lot of help from my husband) so it is tailor made to suit my needs perfectly. I have cupboards full of cake tins and ingredients and super organised drawers full of brushes and paints so everything has its proper place and can be kept squeaky clean!

Everything has a place

When I am not with clients or busy baking I can be found sitting at my little desk listening to Spotify, drinking tea and sketching out my new cake designs or answering emails!

Working on a cake

What have you got coming up?

This year is shaping up to be my busiest to date and I have lots of exciting wedding cakes to look forward too! I am also really excited to be demoing my skills in front of an audience and writing all about cake for a new national online magazine!

Often the show cakes I create for photo shoots tend to become my favourites to work on as I can push the boundaries of bridal design a little further to create something inspirational! 

If you are a fan of Emily's work, check out her website here.  

Or to make your newsfeed that bit more beautiful follow her Facebook and Twitter.

Studio Snoop: Zoe Howarth

It's that time of year again, when the nights are still long and dark, and the rain somehow always manages to soak through even the most waterproof of coats.  Christmas and New Year seem like distant memories, and you've forgotten all about Summer.

Before Christmas we got the opportunity to sneak around Zoe Howarth's kitchen Studio in Porthleven and her bright, beautiful and happy textile designs will bring a smile to your face, and the glow of Summer back into your hearts.

This series is so interesting as it lets us into artists personal spaces, from purpose built studio spaces, converted schools, barns and now kitchens!

Zoe, on her studios very own balcony

Since our 'artist introduction' blog post about you what have you been up to in your professional practice?

I felt this year I really needed to get out there and sell face to face and really connect with my customers which has actually helped all aspects of my business. I have spent the summer selling my work at the Porthleven artisan harbour market. Getting customer feedback is invaluable. It has also been a fantastic place to test new products and gauge what's working and which products need tweeking so that they really fit what the customer is looking for.

We were very interested in (and jealous of) Zoe's book collection

Positive notes and unique storage 

Have your inspirations changed at all?

My work has come on leaps and bounds but if anything this passed year has re-reaffirmed my inspiration of the Cornish coast. I have expanded on my original concept which is now more focused as my work has expanded into jewellery design as well as textiles my concept embraces the coast as the blurred boundary where the sea meets land; water vs rock; dyed textiles vs jewellery!

Experimenting with jewellery making is really therapeutic for me. Having trained as a weaver I am used to working with fine fiddley processes involved in making with my hands so this suits me perfectly. I love the challenge of working with an entirely new medium and am really excited to see where this is heading!

Experimenting in jewellery

Zoe's studio is small, but bright and welcoming

How do you tend to use this studio space in a typical day? 

I tend to always have several projects on the go at once. Im such a scatter brain and my throught process really doesn’t work in an organised linear fashion so I tend to hop from one thing to the next. This works well for me as it helps to stimulate my creative ideas.

My 2 year old is always around somewhere. He loves to paint so I will often get out the big mat to cover the floor space so that we can have a painting session. Working from home fits perfectly with family life.  When he is busy playing with his cars I get a chance to get some making done! I wont usually get a solid chunk of time in the studio so having several projects on the go at once works perfectly for me as it means I can literally dip in and out, even if its just for 10mins to get some bits and pieces made.

Her work is beautiful and mesmerising 

How have you found working with midsummer nights?

The Storm Front exhibition was a really turning point for me. I really felt like I had begun to find my creative direction and since then it has moved from strength to strength with my hand dyed textile pieces. Working large scale was a refreshing change for me and I felt this project really helped to free up my creativity in ways I hadn't envisaged before. Since then I have been more focused on my textile art pieces and have developed new processes for my hand dyed pieces.

Samples and work are hung everywhere

We love nosing at peoples mood boards!

Plants

If you're interested in finding out more about Zoe and her work, here are the links to her website and Facebook:

Website

Facebook

Studio Snoop: Suzy Sharpe

This is fast becoming one of our favourite bits about blogging!  We get to talk to artists who inspire us and get a unique glimpse into their studios and methods of working.  This month we visited Suzy Sharpe.  You may remember we did a Snoop on Bethany Robinson, well let us introduce you to her Mum...

Suzy and her sweet dog Sausage

After a much needed mug of tea we stepped out into the drizzly November day to Suzys studio, a converted barn in the Cornish countryside. 

The Barn Studio

Her art spills outside into the environment

Can you tell us your story through art so far?

I was born in Manchester and grew up in Stockport,  after school I started a foundation course at Stockport College, but for a variety of reasons didnt complete it.  I then went on to a career in Financial Services until I had children.  We moved to Cornwall in 1995 and since then I have been intermittently studying, Access and Foundation Degree at Cornwall College, BA Fine Art at Plymouth, PGCE and most recently MA Illustration:Authorial Practice at Falmouth. I have exhibited quite widely with the largest show being at the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre.   I also get involved in projects whenever I can, most recently the Ghosts of Gone Birds 'Live Art Studio' in which we were asked to resurrect extinct species of birds for a day whilst being viewed from a birdwatching hide by members of the public. 

Inside the studio

What are the main inspirations in your work?

Birds, animals and the complex and symbiotic relationship between humans and animals.

A piece in response to the BP oil spill

And nature comes back into the studio

We loved you MA Authorial practice pieces, can you tell us more about this project?

This was the culmination of 2 years of intense study into our relationship with animals.  It seemed the more I looked the more difficult it became to see anything positive in this relationship from the perspective of the animal.  The paintings explored this in often contradictory and damaging relationship as I tried to consider it from the perspective of the animal.  I wanted my humans to walk in the shoes of the animal and I wanted the audience to question what this maybe like, just for a second!  

Read more about Suzy's MA practice here.

We got to see Suzy working her magic on the press

How do you use your studio?

I use my studio as a place to make a mess and not have to tidy up,a place to think, storage space and a place of focus...although it is usually too cold in the winter and I have to retreat to a spare room in the house.

Ready for printing!

Paints and bones 

We loved all the magazines

Throughout the month of November Suzy is taking part in a 30 art challenge where she paints, draws, collages or prints three images a day every day in November. Most of the paintings will be for sale at £30 plus P & P with 1/3 (£10) split between her 3 favourite charities which are Mousehole Bird Hospital, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Compassion in Wild Farming. 

Find out more about Suzy and her artistic practice in Cornwall visit her:

Website

Twitter 

Facebook

Thank you for reading, and remember if you have an artist (or are an artist) whose studio you'd like to snoop on send us a message (midsummernights21@gmail.com) or comment below.

Studio Snoop: Laura Menzies

If you've been following  our blog you would have seen our 'Artist Introduction' series for our Storm Front exhibition.  Well, we've revisited one of our artists from that show to see what she's up to now (and to have a good old nosey around her new studio!)  If you want to read a bit about how Laura got into art and her processes, click here before you read on!

Laura in her studio

Lauras Studio is located in the Troubador building on Falmouth Wharves.  We climbed four flights of cold concrete stairs to a dim corridor but once inside Laura's studio we could see why she chose it, so read on to find out what Laura's been up to, and to have a glimpse inside the studio...

 

Another Space on the Warf

What have you been up to in your artistic practice since we last spoke to you?

I moved into my studio at Falmouth wharf in Feburary and have started work on a new body of paintings which are slowly taking shape. I have also been involved with several exhibitions and in July I completed my first residency at TAP project space in Southend, which was a fantastic experience that I learnt a lot from. 

Laura's Desk

Have your inspirations changed at all?

The paintings I make are abstract works that reference my surroundings, my personal life and my everyday experiences.  I have recently been introduced to Japanese aesthetics and the concept of Wabi Sabi which I am excited by, as it directly relates to some of the principles I strive to achieve in my paintings such as simplicity, suggestion and incompleteness. 

New work

Laura uses layers in her work

Are there any other areas of art you want to explore within your practice?

As a painter I feel I have just scratched the surface on what I hope to achieve artistically and want to keep challenging and extending my painting practice.  Having said that I would like to incorporate some printmaking back into my practice, to see how another element would change the dynamics of my paintings and open up new possibilities for different formal and narrative relationships to become evident. I am also becoming increasingly interested in poetry and text and would like to experiment with these in some way in the future. 

  

Stacked work

You are doing a talk as part of your week in the 'limelight' at Falmouth Art Gallery.  Can you tell us a bit more about that?

I approached Falmouth Gallery several months ago now enquiring about their Limelight space and was told that I could have the space for a week in October and could do a talk to coincide with my work being in the space. I thought that doing a talk on my work would allow me to engage with a new audience, would push me out of my comfort zone (which I feel is important)  and would also be a good opportunity for me to reflect on my practice and review where I current am. 

Work on an easel 

Could you tell us a bit about how you use your studio? 

When I am working I am very messy and have lots of paints, pallets, tools and paintings all around me. I do however always make sure that I leave the studio clean and tidy so that when next go in everything is in its correct place and I can start working straight away. 

Ready for work!

In these posts we like to give you a taster of the artists work environment but if you want to see more of Laura's work, head to her website:

lauramenzies.co.uk

And if you want to keep up to date with her work here's a link to her Facebook, and the event page for her talk at Falmouth Art Gallery tomorrow:

facebook.com/laurajmenzies

Click here for the event page

We hope you've enjoyed this post.  If you are an artist and you are interested in having us snoop around your studio comment below, or drop us an e-mail!

midsummernights21@gmail.com

Studio Snoop: Bethany Robinson

We're back!

After a bit of an absence we are back blogging!  We're going to be introducing you to artists we love, bringing you to events and exhibitions with us, and sharing our love of all things creative and quirky in Cornwall. Feel free to comment about anything you think we'd be interested in, or you want us to blog about!

So, without further ado, let us introduce you to Bethany Robinson, an interesting jewellery maker working in the Krowji studios, Redruth. She is a member of Handmade England and we went to her studio to take some photos and chat to her about her work.

Bethany's beautiful jewellery

Bethany working in her studio

How did you get into art and design?

My family have always been pretty creative and I was encouraged to mess around with materials for as long as I can remember. I took art as a GCSE, A level and then my Foundation Diploma in Fine Art at Falmouth University where I discovered more craft based processes and absolutely adored making. Since then I've not been able to stop making, no matter what the material or context. 

Bethany's work is inspired in part by her unquenchable curiosity

Have you studied art and design? If so where?

Yes, I studied Contemporary Crafts BA(hons) at Falmouth University. 

Her studio serves as an inspiring, yet practical place

What are your main inspirations in your current work? 

Lately I am particularly fascinated with the intricate detail found within nature, particularly insects, bones, skulls and seed pods. I'm inspired by the childlike curiosity that you experience when you discover something; discovering more the closer you look. I want to recreate that within my jewellery, making the object permanent by casting in precious metal. 

Work in progress

For those who haven't seen your work before can you briefly some up your work/process? 

I create lost wax investment cast jewellery with a slight gothic/punk influence moulded directly from natural objects using a complex and extensive cold moulding process that preserves the fine intricate detail. This amount of intense detail cannot be achieved with any other process to my knowledge. 

Attention to detail

Are there any areas of art and design you hope to explore further? 

I also create conceptual sculpture based around similar concepts. I plan to experiment with digital processes, such as 3d scanning and printing, within both areas of my practice. I also hope to create some art jewellery that is possibly more sculptural and less wearable using a combination of the skills I have already learnt. 

A cabinet of curiosities 

How did you get involved with midsummer nights? 

I completed my Foundation Diploma in Fine Art with both Cathy and Natalie, the founders of midsummer nights. After hearing about their exciting ideas after they won the pre incubation award, I was excited to get involved. 

Her jewellery is sculptural 

We loved snooping around Bethany's studio today, with artists like this at Krowji, we can't wait for the Christmas open studios!

If you want to contact Bethany here are her details:

Website bethanyrobinson.co.uk
Twitter @Beth_SRobinson

Facebook facebook.com/BethRobinsonDesigner