Meet The Maker – Rachel Elliott

Rachel Elliott – Glass Artist

Rachel works from her studio in Edinburgh, which opened in January 2009, where she uses techniques including screen-printing in enamels and traditional lost-wax casting as well as more cutting edge technology such as water-jet cutting and rapid prototyping to make her work. 

Glass Feather Fox

She is inspired by the intricate details of life and her work is essentially a representational comment on the world surrounding us as well as a constant challenge to her technical abilities.

Glass Daisy Leveret

Glass PaisleyLeveret

Mostly working with kiln-formed glass, which essentially requires great planning and preparation of the glass, whether that is with moulds or applying enamels, prior to placing it in the kiln and programming it to heat and cool the glass in a certain way.  It can sometimes take weeks to prepare a firing and unexpected things can occur, but it is this troubleshooting element that Rachel relishes and keeps her engaged with the material.

Yellow Black Hare Brooch

Rachel loves working with glass in many different forms, creating never before seen entities and it never ceases to enthrall her.  It is this passion and excitement that she instills into her work as well as sharing with other people who either visit at shows or the studio or even book onto one of her workshops to learn how to do a bit of glass magic themselves. 

Black on Pink Bird Earrings

Black on Turquoise Bird Earrings

Rachel completed her BA (Hons) degree in Architectural Glass at Edinburgh College of Art in 2007 and has since undertaken further master class workshops to gain additional skills at Northlands Glass, Caithness, the Glass Furnace, Istanbul and the International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge.

White on Black Flower Earrings

Heart Gallery loves Rachel’s work and hope that you do too.

Orange Paisley Fox

White on Orange Flower Earrings

Summer Showcase and Garden Party

Summer Showcase invitation

Summer Showcase invitation

Our Summer Showcase will introduce new makers to the gallery from June through until August 2012; celebrating the very best of British Contemporary Craft.

Suet Yi ceramics

At GNCCF October 2011, Heart Gallery was asked to be a prize sponsor and proudly offered an exhibition opportunity to Suet Yi Ceramics which set the ball rolling to find makers that would compliment Suet’s work which is inspired by the beauty of wild flowers, falling leaves, autumn trees and resting birds.

Suet Yi ceramics

Suet Yi ceramics

This showcase will be a delight and a visual feast as Natasha Newton’s painted wood and stones will sit proudly with Suet’s terracotta plates and bird gardens.

Keeping Watch – Natasha Newton

Abstract Seed Pods – Natasha Newton

Complimenting Suet and Natasha’s stunning work we are showcasing ranges from other UK designer/makers inspired by the natural world including the following:

Gold plated Bird Heart Necklace – Alice Stewart

Oxidised silver raven necklace – Anna de Ville

Jewellery range – Belinda Norrington

Hand dyed and hand painted anodised aluminium wall butterflies – Caroline Parrott

Silver jewellery – Caroline Watson

Glass Landscape Dish – Colette Halstead

Ceramic Pumpkins – Fiona Mazza

Peacock Feather Studs – Kirsty O’Donnell

Silver jewellery – Christine Kaltoft

Ceramic submarines – Nicola Cheers

Our Garden Party to celebrate the Best of British is Sunday 01 July, 12pm – 5pm, but work will be on show from Sunday 10 June. Please join us for fizz and nibbles and a mooch around the gallery and garden as part of the amazing Hebden Bridge Arts Festival.

13.11.11

A great day on Sunday started with a very moving sight for me which I hadn’t realised would be happening.  I had been getting the gallery ready for opening for our What A Cracker Exhibition and I heard a brass band. I was just in time to see this band and people walked through Hebden Bridge and along Market Street at 11am.

Market Street 13.11.2011. 11am

What a great way to start the day which just got better and better so here are a few little piccies of our launch, please enjoy:

Fizz

There just had to be pink fizz …

Chocolates

and chocolate treats …

Tinsel

and because they are re-pointing the outside of the building I just had to trim up the scaffolding with tinsel and hearts …

Customers enjoying browsing the gallery

and customers browsing, sipping, chomping, marvelling and buying …

Contemporary craft on the shelves-small wire tin by Louise Wilson

and contemporary jewellery and craft including new collections from old favourites and new and exciting makers …

Baubles and Makers - Jacqui Sharples with her letterpress framed work

and baubles and makers adorning the gallery.

What A Cracker

If you couldn’t make it on Sunday don’t worry as the exhibition runs right through until January but we have another surprise event planned for Sunday 11 December so watch this space and see you soon xXx

WHAT A CRACKER – Christmas Exhibition at Heart Gallery 13 November 2011

Heart Gallery kindly invites you to WHAT A CRACKER launching on Sunday 13 November at 12pm

What goodies can you buy this Christmas at Heart Gallery? Here’s a sneak peek of what’s new for you, for your loved ones and for your home.

Louise Wilson - Mixed Media Artist

Karen Dell'Armi - Jeweller

Tania Sneesby - Textile Artist

Caroline Cowen - Jeweller

Jacqui Sharples - Letterpress

Heart Gallery has now launched a fantastic Loyalty Scheme and we have been really busy cutting, stitching and preparing lovely little heart shaped felt pouches for you to keep. Feedback from customers has been amazing so here is some info for those of you who haven’t heard about it yet:

Heart Gallery Loyalty Card

Collect your loyalty card from Heart Gallery when you spend over £50.

Receive a heart stamp every time you spend £50 or over.

Collect 5 heart stamps on your loyalty card and exchange it for your Heart Gallery 10% Token.

Your Heart Gallery 10% token is a pewter heart and is yours to keep, for life.

Use your Heart Gallery 10% token every time you spend over £50 in Heart Gallery.

Heart 10% Loyalty Token

Live with the art you love …

It’s easy and affordable to buy and collect contemporary art and craft at Heart Gallery with Own Art which lets you spread the cost of your purchase over 10 months with an interest free loan.

Own Art loans allow you to borrow from as little as £100 up to a maximum of £2,000 for the purchase of works of art by living artists.

Own Art loans are available from Heart Gallery for the purchase of contemporary art and craft of any kind, and in any media. That means you can choose more or less anything you want from Heart Gallery from paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture, to glassware, ceramics, jewellery, furniture and textiles.

There is no limit on the number of times you can use Own Art, but we recommend that you don’t apply for more than one loan at a time. This is because each loan application is subject to a credit check, and your application may be declined if you have not yet already established a repayment record for an existing Own Art loan, or if the bank considers that the total amount of credit you are asking for is too high in relation to your income.

The minimum you can borrow is £100 (monthly repayment of £10), but this can be used to cover a group of lower value items whose combined total adds up to £100 or more. This means that at Christmas you can purchase a number of presents for your friends and family interest free so there is no need to use your credit card!

If you are buying something more valuable than £2,000 you can use an Own Art loan as a part payment. Please note that you cannot apply for multiple Own Art loans to cover the costs of a single purchase.

Own Art is available to all UK residents over the age of 18, subject to status. This means that you must be able to meet the following criteria in order to be approved for a loan:

• Over the age of 18
• A permanent UK resident
• Working at least 16 hours a week (employed or self-employed)

If you are not working but are married to or living with a partner who does have a full time job, then you may still apply provided that your partner is happy for their employment details to be included on your application form.

You’ll need to have proof of ID with you in the form of a driver’s licence or utility bill, along with a credit or debit card as proof of signature and it only takes 10 minutes!

Staff in Heart Gallery will take you through the loan application process and once you’ve given all the information we need, you’ll get an instant decision.

Once your application has been approved and you’ve signed the paperwork you can take your purchase(s) away with you – simple as that!

Own Art bank partner Hitachi Capital Consumer finance will send you a welcome letter and the 10 monthly payments will be collected by direct debit from your account starting a few weeks after you’ve made your purchase.

GNCCF

GNCCF at Spinningfields 2011

This little post is a wee bit late as after this show I was flying off to Tenerife with my family for a much needed holiday after a difficult summer in hospital and time off recuperating. Since I got back from Tenerife it has been chaos climbing that paperwork mountain and getting ready for Christmas at Heart but this show had to get a wee mention so here goes ….  oh and by the way the Tom Dixon lights, supplied by Ferrious, in the window and foyer were amazing; I have drooled over the copper shade pendant for a very long time but unfortunately cannot afford it – I need 3!

Inside the window display looking towards Suet Yi Ceramics

I had been kindly asked by Angela and Ann-Marie, GNCCF organisers, to be a prize sponsor and offer an exhibition opportunity to one lucky exhibitor and this was a tough decision to make as there was so much talent in that building! I only had 1 1/2 hours to go round all 141 stands and make up my mind, not an easy task at all, although I did have a glamorous assistant with me, Lisa Murdoch and a  glass of white Pinot!

This display of Suet's caught my eye very early on

Close up of Suet's ceramic plates/sculptures inspired by nature and observations of every day life

Suet was really pleased with her prize and although really busy herself we shall be working together in the Summer of 2012. In the meantime, take a peek here for what beauties are in store for you when her work arrives at Heart Gallery.

Handing over the certificate to Suet Yi was a pleasure and I can't wait to work with her in the Summer of 2012

Once the decision was made I could relax slightly and chat to past, present and future makers of Heart Gallery before racing back home to get ready for my early morning flight! Here are a few of my highlights, some work has been showcased in Heart Gallery over the last five years and some is yet to come so watch this space!

Always great to see Tamsin Howells and her amazing acrylic jewellery

Adele Taylor's jewellery is amazing - I should know I've bought a fab ring similar to the large one on the poster!

Hannah Nunn was glowing, as always

Sally Pawson's colourful aluminium and silver jewellery arrived at Heart just before GNCCF

Her customised stand made me smile - I love rainbows x

I have admired Emilie Taylor's handbuilt ceramics for some time now

I had to fight, well grapple actually, with the girls from The Craft Shop in Manchester over Kate Lulham's work. Perfect for Heart Gallery and it will be coming but they will showcase her work before I do in 2012 so you must get along to see it

Katherine Richmond wasn't on her stand unfortunately but her jewellery was stunning and I will be in touch with her soon

inspirational jewellery from Kayleigh Biggs

Jennifer Collier's recycled and transformed papers are making a return to Heart Gallery in May 2012

Neighbours over the road on Market Street, ethical and sustainable Makepiece, managed to set up in record time

This blew me away. Leila Arzaghi, fragile and precious

Faye Power - hand illustrated ceramics, fabulous wedding gifts

The stories behind Catherine Chester's conceptual jewellery had me engrossed for some time, her stand was amazing and she had one proud mummy with her and rightly so

I collected my order from Sarah Tyssen. Limited edition woven scarves and blankets

Jill Ford's contemporary ceramics are a delight

Alix Swan I gave a prize to when she exhibited at Holmfirth earlier this year, her stand was amazing again

Another peek at Alix Swan's work

Finally, inspired and exhausted I set off for home dreaming of one day owning one of these!

Meet The Maker – Fiona Cameron

Fiona Cameron - Jeweller and Enameller

Fiona Cameron trained in jewellery making and design at Edinburgh College of Art and she has been producing jewellery for galleries all over the UK for twelve years.

Fiona Cameron Circle Bracelet 2007

Fiona’s work predominantly features traditional kiln fired enamels. Fiona’s jewellery range that was inspired by the Scottish coastline where she grew up was one of the first ranges Heart Gallery showcased when we opened in 2006.

Fiona Cameron Pod Necklace 2007

Although Fiona still makes jewellery she has recently produced a new range of artwork inspired by the many weird and wonderful collective nouns used in the animal kingdom.

Enamelled birds waiting for a home

It is this work that Heart Gallery wanted to showcase for our Fifth Birthday celebrations.

A Parliament of Owls - Fiona Cameron

Ornithological inspired pictures, from a bosom of bluetits to a flamboyance of flamingoes are all hand cut and enamelled by Fiona, providing original and quirky pieces of art for your home. 

One for Sorrow, Two for Joy - Fiona Cameron

Heart Gallery adores these and hopes you do to.

A Brood of Hens - Fiona Cameron