Collect Cumbria

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Rosalind Ormiston reports on a selling crafts exhibition in a stunning location

Until 31 December 2013 a major exhibition of handmade crafts is on display and for sale at Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts House, in Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria.

From over 50 top Cumbrian craftspeople 25 were chosen to display their wares in 'Collect Cumbria', a showcase exhibition organized by Lakeland Arts with items for sale ranging from £15 to £4,500. At Blackwell, 'The Arts and Crafts House', in its beautiful setting overlooking Lake Windermere, the collections are presented in the upper rooms of the building, which was designed in 1898 by architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (1865–1945). Here one finds truly original ceramics, etchings, rug making, bookbinding, wood turning, lace making and glass. The 25 were chosen by the exhibition's originator, the artist, author and curator Rachael Matthews with Sarah Maxfield area director north for Arts Council England, and Nick Rogers, curator Lakeland Arts. The event has been supported by Cumbria's best-known magazine, the award-winning Cumbria Life.

On the afternoon I visited Blackwell, many of the artists were in residence to demonstrate how they had created their works on display. Joanne Edwards, a ceramic sculptor, outlined the complex process of producing her vessels. Her observation of culture, architecture and the environment and the historical landscape of the Lowther Estate and Gardens in Cumbria, its gardens and 'ruins' and 'living' summerhouses all contribute to her creativity. Her sculptures are handmade in stoneware with a combination of slab building and coiling. . Her ceramics sell from £25 - £500.

Another local ceramicist not to be missed was Hilary Harrison, who gets inspiration for her slip-cast porcelain from the shape, form and texture of spices. On display were small ‘cardomom pots’; incredibly tangible objects that It was impossible not to want to pick up and hold.

Victoria Relph makes stunning hats. A studio-based artist and textile designer she specializes in millinery with her inspiration taken from the natural world, ornithology and historical fashions. Her materials include silks, straws, and her own naturally dyed wool felt and feathers. On display were three of her remarkable designs: Knipe (£532), Cawdale Cloche (£349), and Tam O'Shanter (£602).

Edward Teasdale, an artist and furniture maker often finds materials for his handmade work on the shoreline of Morecambe Bay and from unwanted items in builder's skips. He stated 'I'm drawn to the weatherworn patina of the Lakeland landscape and, in construction terms, by local traditional building'. On display was his simple, elegant and practical 'Orkney Chair' (£1,900). 

Close to Teasdale's furniture were a series of five hand-cut relief prints by artist and printmaker Marion Kuit. These relate particularly to her visit to Kendal's local snuff works, 'I realized the endless potential presented by the wealth of ancient machinery, tobacco dust and encrusted paraphernalia and general glory of the live workshop'. Her remarkable prints, which make one want to discover more about their subject matter, are £285 each.

What stood out when touring through the main rooms of Blackwell and the Collect Cumbria exhibition spaces was how these 21st-century craft pieces were timeless, comfortably fitting into a late 19th-century arts and crafts house. The displays of new creativity by Cumbria's finest craftspeople fit in with furniture, sculptures and ceramics that 'live' permanently in the house, managed by Lakeland Arts since 1999.

At Blackwell, giving a demonstration of how she makes her miniature 'map' books, Elizabeth Shorrock, a mixed-media artist, showed how she used old guide books and maps as source materials, and experimented with methods of cutting, folding and stitching to produce exquisite miniature books, sold individually or in a 'bookcase' series. She makes artist's notebooks and sketchbooks too, from around £75 upwards.  Three glass makers, Jo Vincent, Heather Gillespie and Katy Holford are included in the 25 artists featured, each approaching their raw material in a remarkably different way. These are but a few examples of the originality found here through 'Collect Cumbria'. The collections are on display at Blackwell until the end of December. Items can be bought when visiting or from artists through their websites and galleries.

The 25 artists selected are Stella Adams-Schofield, Gordon Baddeley, Rebecca Callis, Christine Crofts, Joanne Edwards, Heather Gillespie, Hilary Harrison, Cecilia Hewett, Katy Holford, Peter Hodgson, Owen Jones, Andrew Kay, Marion Kuit, Jim Malone, Peter Merrett, Tom Philipson, William Plumptre, Victoria Relph, Bill Robinson, Laura Rosenzweig,Lucy Sandys Clarke, Elizabeth Shorrock, Edward Teasdale, Jo Vincent, and Charlie Whinney.