Artists / Autumn Collection

Cathy Cullis

I have a vivid memory of early school days and being asked to draw a picture of apostles walking up a hill. I did not go to a church school but this was about people following someone with a story to tell and it sparked my interest. I liked the physicality of drawing and making marks, the action of storytelling and also the scribbling over of secrets. I loved seeing vast paintings in galleries but also enjoyed picture books and tiny illustrations. 

As for becoming an artist - as a young adult I wanted to be a writer but then I found art and making things allowed me to tell stories in multiple ways. As a woman raising two children alone, I made the humble decision to try and sell my artwork to support my family.

Ifind inspiration in the natural world, observing trees and birds most of all. I love books, antique photography, the work of anonymous artists who made quilts and stitched samplers - and then again I am fascinated by the mark-making in abstract painting by artists such as Cy Twombly. 

I also will give mention to Madge Gill, whose work I came across in the early 90’s. She is now finding some recognition, though what she might make of that I don’t know. Her need to work creatively and explore intuitively is something I can relate to in ways.

Instagram @cathycullis

///

Rosemary Vanns

My father was a graphic artist and my mother a skilled dressmaker and knitter, so there were always signs of creativity at home as long as I can remember. The more academic awareness of art was evident in my parents' bookshelves and visits to galleries, museums, old houses and churches were always part of my life from an early age. Looking and making seeped in naturally although it was many years and a convoluted and protracted path before my hopes of becoming a professional artist and designer materialised. 

As my years increase as an artist, a back catalogue of experience made up of challenges (mistakes as well as successes), both personal and professional, constantly demands new questions, new insights and understanding. My inspirations arise more from an internal dialogue rather than external stimulus. Aesthetically, I have moved on from purely representational work (eg. still life or landscape, although these are still referenced from time to time and to a certain extent) to a more transcendent language which moves with my emotional needs ie. where I feel I am on a particular day and what I need to express. There is a lot of serendipity in my work which I can only access by being in a deeply meditative state of mind - blocking out preconceived ideas and stimulation to allow work to grow organically. I also find a great deal of intellectual and philosophical inspiration from reading about other artists' lives both contemporary and in the past - their challenges and understanding of a creative life. Agnes Martin is a particularly rich source of wisdom and insight. 

Exhibitions I wouldn't want to miss would include Tal R, John Walker, Alan Davie, Mirco Marcelli, Gary Komarin and Forrest Bess, all of whose work I experience as having a highly unique, non derivative and instinctive approach and aesthetic – a naive rawness and freedom: they are great colourists too. I suppose they all transcend the obvious/the seen and create and share their own imaginary worlds, something I find increasingly important in my own work.

Instagram @patterns_and_gestures

///

Andrea Humphries

The Art rooms were my favourite place to be at school - green leafy plants, canvas, stretchers, brushes and paint everywhere. They made a big impression on me. From there I went to Art College where we drew from observation endlessly, and I learnt colour theory and painting.
My degree in Illustration was at Cambridge, where I especially enjoyed printmaking. I've always produced my own work and have a studio in London. I also teach drawing and painting to children and adults.

Inspiration for me comes in lots of forms, from drawing in a park or garden, to collecting patterns and decoration in glossy magazines. I love utilitarian stoneware ceramics, so I'm always visiting the V&A ceramic galleries in Kensington

I look at many artist's work: Winifred Nicholson's amazing use of colour in her flower paintings. Bonnard for his beautiful interior paintings at his house in Le Cannet. Turner's watercolour sketches are so fresh and unbelievably modern, I love looking at them. You can see rain sploges on some of them. The German Expressionist, Gabriel Munter, for her quirky landscapes and bold use of colour.

Instagram @andreahumphries3

///

Georgie Richardson

I don’t recall my life without art in it, my mum and dad’s creativity shaped me. My love of nature and gardening came from my mum’s love of plants; my dad was always curious, he drew, doodled and mused. I was allowed creative freedom and when I joined a Steiner school at the age of nine my creativity was greatly encouraged which eventually led me to further my artistic interest at Winchester School of Art.

My continual inspirations are my garden and the natural world, my husband is also an artist which is wonderful. Being a mum; domesticity all feeds my work and books I return to, for example ‘ Flowers & Trees of Tudor England’. My father’s books of cigarette cards, textile designs, patchwork quilts, fabrics saved from old - full of memories - handmade tablecloths, napkins and lace.

I enjoy botanical illustrations and Dutch still life paintings, not surprisingly the ones with black backgrounds!

Artists that particularly inspire me are Emil Nolde, Cedric Morris and Milton Avery.

Instagram @georgierichardsonart

///

Inouk

Thinking back, art was initiated through winning a primary school competition. My young mind probably noted and associated that creating art equated to feeling good. I wasn’t a reader as a child, preferring my imagination to get lost in illustrations and colour and not the monotone type of a book. That still stands today but the notion of art truly flourished for me through some friends my parents got to know, Tim and Diana Birch. He a graphic designer, she a hairdresser from Soho - warm, generous with a noticeable flamboyance for life and a mystery to what these people were doing in a fenland backwater. It made no logical sense but they were such a tonic to our lives. I was intrigued by his craft, his beautiful bright loft studio, showing me the skills of airbrushing and being so taken by all the colours and designs that he created - it was a space of unending wonder, which included their home; a menagerie of kitsch, objet d’art, colour on the walls (unseen and alien in such a parochial place), and a handmade floor to ceiling library. It felt like stepping into a different world that was interesting and inspirational.

My continual inspiration is colour and form, the way I see things which makes me think of the book ‘Ways of Seeing’ by John Berger that seemed to be the God of all books in my Visual Cultures Degree. I’m not sure I ever read it, I probably skimmed it to get through an essay or two but the very words of the title have forever stuck with me. Yes, the way we see things and how this is art and life, no wrong or right, just our unique perception cultivated through influences, beliefs and experiences. I also place much importance on the feeling as an inspiration and a guide in the right direction when working. Does this colour, shape, and what I am seeing in front of me, feel right? It’s that subtle sense of knowing, a contented completion point that feels connected from within.

I am continually drawn to certain artists and spaces, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Charleston Farmhouse in Sussex another huge influence in my life, David Hockney, wild gardens, flowers, animals and plants, folk art, Martin Parr, Ivon Hitchens, Christopher Wood, Matisse, children’s book illustrations, stones, wood, the way the sun and moonlight create shape…If something makes me feel good and at peace then I know it’s true inspiration.

///

Elsa Lehrfreund

I was first drawn to clay as a means to mediate the difficulties of chronic illness. In this time, I was able to recognise the dichotomy of my body's fragility and its strength. Although when fired clay transforms from malleable to rigid, ceramic is not strong enough to avoid its own fragility, and the materials vulnerability, although less visible, stays quietly present. Living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), I am at times unable to physically experience the world around me, forcing me into a life of quiet observation. Clay enables me to engage with tangibility, grounding me back into a physical experience. The tactile, dynamic process of wheel-throwing is a much needed contrast to the still space I often find myself in.

Ceramics is such a widespread discipline, with so many routes to explore, that I find myself continuously inspired by the ever-evolving and expanding craft. But, I have always been drawn to the more traditional, organic foundations of pottery and this has paved the path for my practice. My approach to my work has always been underpinned by connecting myself deeper to the natural world around me, through the raw materials I use, my colour palette, and more recently, the way in which I’d like to fire my work. I used clay as a means to ease the difficulties of chronic illness, and so, not only is my practice shaped by my growing connection to the earth, but also myself. As a result, I often feel inspired to create pieces that provoke moments of reflection – for one to step out of their head for a moment, engage with the tangibility of the piece, and be present with themselves and the space around them.

One overarching theme I am drawn to is the respect and care for the artist’s local landscapes. This is particularly poignant and evident in potters Mike Dodd and Anne Mette Hjortshoj, whose work has inspired me since my first experiences with clay. Their approach is rooted in tradition, using the natural materials and clays local to them, with Hjortshoj based in Bornholm, Denmark, and Dodd closer to home, in Somerset, UK. Their work, amongst others, has directed my own making as I explore traditional techniques.

Instagram @elsacoralieceramics

///