Meet The Maker – Colette Halstead

Colette Halstead – Glass Artist

Inspired by nature, Colette’s unique leaf and landscape collections capture the true essence of the British countryside. Delicate hedgerow and riverbank greenery are introduced into each piece, capturing permanent memories of their once leafy existence.

Glass Coasters

Colette’s landscapes are autobiographical responses to her surroundings, silhouettes in the distance representing poignant places from her childhood. Where she lives is remote and rural, with big skies and quiet surrounding her which is reflected in her work.

Glass Platter

Colette also produces a colourful glass jewellery range, contemporary designs and affordable bespoke one off pieces of jewellery, a fun and stylish collection.

Glass drop brooch

We will have a small range of Colette’s jewellery alongside a lovely showcase of her glass homeware launching at our ‘I DO’ Wedding Exhibition.

Glass bracelet

landscape pendant collection

Saltaire Arts Trail and Makers Fair 2013

I was honoured to be asked to judge Open Houses this year at Saltaire Arts Trail. As a gallery owner I try to get along to this great event every year anyway to find new gems for Heart Gallery but this year I had a role to play … and it wasn’t an easy one I can tell you! Armed with my programme and with hubby by my side we set off in glorious sunshine to pound the streets of Saltaire and nosy round the homes that were part of the Bank Holiday weekend event.  (We did see a few naughty houses that had tried to sneak in under that ‘umbrella’ too! but we didn’t go in them!)

Arts Trail and Makers Fair programme

It took longer to get round them all than I had first thought when I realised there were 13 Open houses and 3 exhibition spaces but it was great fun!

Having fun snooping in and out of the Open Houses and Exhibition Houses!

Clare Caulfield – as busy as ever in her Open House and exciting times ahead for Heart Gallery as she will be having a Solo Exhibition with us Spring 2014

Having fun snooping in and out of Open Houses and Exhibition Houses

Our very lovely Kate Lycett unveiled her new Whitby lantern

I found the installations really interesting too so if you are heading over to Saltaire tomorrow or Monday do pop to 15 Caroline Street to see performance artist Christopher Mollon (so pleased for him that yesterday’s weather was nowhere to be seen, he would have been so, so cold and wet otherwise):

Christopher Mollon, 15 Caroline Street. The Arc of Orange

And then pop over the road to 44 Whitlam Street to see her critical but playful look at domestic tasks and also these fab colour co-ordinated bookshelves which tickled me:

Yvonne Carmichael, 44 Whitlam Street, Chore-ography

I bumped into quite a few of my current makers over in Victoria Hall at The Makers Fair:

Andy Poplar (won Best In Show)

Helen Russell (hadn’t had much sleep getting ready for Saltaire)

Leigh Shepherd (a rare opportunity for camera shy Leigh)

Fiona Cameron (her birdies fly out of Heart Gallery!)

Moira Fuller (will be back at Heart Gallery soon I hope)

And here are a few gems found along the way … some which will be appearing in Heart Gallery at some point over the 12 months I hope for your enjoyment too!

Charlotte Morrison’s ceramics are part of our ‘I DO’ Wedding Exhibition launching 23 June 2013

I met the lovely Anne Brook, a textile artist who makes the most amazing stitched canvases in muted colourways that will sit lovely in Heart Gallery

I spotted Adam Harvey’s delightful ceramics so I hope to work with him one day

I’ve met Emma before and seen her beautiful glass so it was lovely to bump into her again at Saltaire. She had the perfect spot for the sunshine to dance on her butterflies

I didn’t meet Beverley Gee but her decorative porcelain was right up my street!

Roz’s papercuts adorned the fireplace beautifully and would be perfect in Heart Gallery as my customers love papercut work

Sian’s little rocks glistened with gold leaf

My brief for the Best of Open Houses Award was to give the award to the artist or company behind the best presentation of a body of work in my opinion. So who won I hear you ask? It was a very difficult decision to make as you can imagine with so much wonderful work to see and so many homes showcasing artists work so well too. The flow that 6 Harold Place achieved by bringing the outside in from its stunning garden surroundings made it the best Open House as a whole for me so if I could have given more awards out I would have!

6 Harold Place

But … I only had the one award to give and it went to a husband and wife team from Lancashire called Bonkers Clutterbucks! Yes, it’s a strange name I know but it sort of sums up what they do and who they are quite well; bonkers about art and passionate about all things creative and collectable. Take a peek at some of their work I fell in love with and when it arrives at Heart Gallery I hope you fall in love with it too:

I chose work by a husband and wife team in Lancashire as the winners because … well you know me – I’m a sucker for the whimsical!

I chose work by a husband and wife team in Lancashire as the winners because … well you know me – I’m a sucker for the whimsical!

I chose work by a husband and wife team in Lancashire as the winners because … well you know me – I’m a sucker for the whimsical!

Find out more about Saltaire Arts Trail here and if you can visit today or tomorrow then please do, you will have a fabulous time.

Andy Poplar and his new work for Heart Gallery

Andy Poplar

We have featured Andy here before so hop across to our previous post to read more about him and also this one on branding. What I want to tell you about today is the new ideas Andy constantly comes up with and below are our new glasses coming for Father’s Day and our milk bottle that can be commissioned for your Wedding/Civil Partnership.

Father’s Day glass

Father’s Day glass bottom

Mr and Mrs milk bottles available for commission as a keepsake of your special day.

He’s a clever lad that Andy Poplar isn’t he? A man so full of ideas I’m surprised he doesn’t pop! If you are in Hebden Bridge this weekend pop in to see his current work and if you are in Saltaire call and see Andy and say hello to him at the Saltaire Makers’ Fair.

Branding

Recently I went to a ‘new-to-me’ eatery in Leeds to celebrate my daughter being offered a place at Leeds City College in September, RED’S. Before I’d even had my food delivered I knew I was in for a treat … why … because their branding was so strong; they had got it spot on!

A shot of the menu at RED’S, Leeds

A shot of the menu at RED’S, Leeds

I even pulled one of the lovely waitresses to one side and asked her to pass my comments on to the two owners and then accosted (in a friendly manner of course) another member of staff thinking he was the owner! I apologised but also asked him to pass on the much deserved praise.

The condiments at RED’S, Leeds

And when the food arrived I was not disappointed in the slightest  ….although I couldn’t go too regularly, not good for the waistline with those generous portions! I should have known as my hubby said that he thought that Adam Richman (Man V Food) had paid RED’S a visit but I’m not sure how true that statement is.

Pulled Pork and Slaw at RED’s, Leeds

Onion Ring Stack at RED’s, Leeds (They also do one a metre tall!)

This got me thinking about how important branding is and how so many people get it wrong and dilute the strength of their brand by straying and not remaining true. One of my makers who is so spot on that we love here at Heart Gallery is Andy Poplar and this is why … just received today from him:

A brief history

Creative Juices Andy Poplar

Kindred Spirit Andy Poplar

Half Full Andy Poplar

Watch our for his Fathers Day offering coming soon to Heart Gallery, Mothers Day was a huge hit:

‘Thanks for Delivering Me’ etched milk bottle – Andy Poplar

Love isn’t love until you give it away

Whilst researching for the new displays for the run up to Valentine’s Day it got me thinking about love of course so here is a little blog post of things I love that are now in Heart Gallery for you to love too …

Bear Hug – Julia Ogden

Original pencil drawings, giclee prints and cards based on Love, Friendship and Support by our very own super talented Julia Ogden.

‘And on’ partnership pair of silver rings with diamond

Diana Porter’s jewellery range includes her signature ‘and on’ partnership rings, ‘and on’ bangle and ‘I who is you who is I’ set of silver bangles.

close up of detail on the notebook case

Fabulous leather pieces concentrating on music lovers and bookworms by emerging local artist Rod Boyes.

Kindred Spirit

Andy’s etched glass work was a hit at Christmas and we are so chuffed with his new pieces. Perfect for homemade drinks such as damson gin, lemoncello vodka but these lab bottles work really well in the bathroom for shampoo and conditioner too.

Silver and 9ct gold heart rings

Karen’s popular silver and 9ct gold heart range now has a cute little addition of these rings.

Silk Scarf digitally printed from a hand-dyed original design

Sarita’s Reminiscence Collection of floaty scarves and lavender filled pouches and eye-masks will make a lovely gift not just for a Valentine but for a Mum too as Mothers’ Day is not that far away.

Ethical recycled silver jewelery

Ali’s ethical jewellery is inspired by her love of dancing and the dynamic lines of movements she creates whilst dancing.

Ceramic Hearts (can be personalised)

We love Laura’s ceramic hearts and they are certainly the perfect little love token at this time of the year. Our personalised service includes bridal favours matched to the wedding colours where possible with the wedding date stamped on as a great keepsake.

Ceramic Hearts (can be personalised)

And there you have it, a little snippet of new pieces we love and hope you love too….Love isn’t love until you give it away.

Speaking of love, I can’t end this blog post without an image from Kate Lycett though. A customer sadly lost her Dad recently and with a little bit of money he left her she really wanted something that reminded her of him and where he lived so every time she looks at this she will remember the years filled with love that they spent together:

Waterfront – Kate Lycett

Thinking outside the (GIFT) box!

So ‘silly season’ is most definitely upon us now in Heart Gallery and we are positively glowing with cheer and enjoying the festive atmosphere in Hebden Bridge. The Valley of Lights events recently really brought our community together and it was an amazing celebration for businesses and homeowners that had been affected by the floods but got through it and renovated and re-opened. With a sense of pride for what we have all achieved the Valley of Lights attracted approximately 10,000 visitors from far and wide and gave the upper Calder valley the boost it needed to face Christmas.

With the Festive Fandango now well and truly underway we can see at Heart Gallery that people are making more of a conscious effort to stay local and support the many small independent shops in our great town. Every year I do this as I feel so blessed to have a wealth of choice on my doorstep but this year more and more people are supporting Hebden Bridge businesses which is fantastic to see. Festive Fandango is now in its third year and gathering pace. It’s not rocket science! All you need to do is spend a minimum of £5 in 5 separate Hebden Bridge shops, get a sticker, collect all 5, complete the card and hand it in or post it to our Visitor Centre by the Marina. You are then given a discount voucher booklet for January and entered into the draw to win a £750 hamper of goodies donated by all the lovely shops in our great town.

So many of our fabulous customers are thinking outside the (gift) box this year and I just wanted to share a couple with you that have got our creative juices flowing here at Heart Gallery so thank you to those that planted the seeds for those ideas!

Andy Poplar’s amazingly clever etched glass lab bottles have been bought to fill with home infused damson gin for presents by one very artistic customer who is also a member of our fabulous Hebden Bridge WI. Then this last weekend two guys bought the larger version of Andy’s lab bottle for their bathroom to keep purple shampoo and conditioner in … I will be borrowing that idea too!

I think everyone in our town should bottle a bit of Hebden Spirit don’t you?

The same lovely lady who has been making damson gin all year came back for one of Rosie’s handmade mini wooden chopping boards we have in Elm, Oak, Tulip and Zebrano …. not for cheese but for lemons and limes to go with the gin of course!

So there you have it folks, a few ideas thinking outside the (gift) box and keeping your pennies in the town along with the chance to win a £750 hamper – simples I say!

Meet The Maker – Colette Halstead

Colette Halstead – Glass artist

Colette is a glass artist based in Lancashire who enjoys working mainly with kiln fused glass but she does also use stained glass techniques.

Colette Halstead Glass – Landscape Dish

Colette’s artistic background is as varied and colourful as Blackpool, the town she was born in. She trained professionally as a fine art printmaker and on returning to her home town she worked for fifteen years as one of three artists at ‘Blackpool Illuminations’. She was the only female in a team of forty skilled workers and as artists they we were responsible for translating the designers’ ideas into the brightly lit six mile display.

Colette Halstead Glass – Seedhead Dish

 Her desire to work with glass started with a leaded light course in 2003. Glass captivates Colette like no other material; its translucency combined with the muted colours she uses, create beautiful lighting effects. She uses recycled and reclaimed window glass in her work and whilst temperamental it has a particular uniqueness of its own. Old window glass previously used to view landscapes through now hold another landscape between the layers. 

Colette Halstead Glass – Landscape coaster set

Colette’s work is always a response to the surroundings and situations that she’s in. She developed her work taking inspiration from both urban and natural landscapes, big skies and open spaces. Leaves taken from the landscape gift her work with the beauty of their organic shapes as she fuses them into the glass to create a simple composition of a tree.

Colette Halstead Glass – Hawthorn Landscape Wall piece

Inspired by nature, Colette’s unique leaf and landscape series capture the essence of the British countryside. Hedgerow and riverbank greenery from the landscapes are introduced into each piece and mark their organic silhouettes in the glass, capturing permanent memories of their once leafy existence.

Colette Halstead Glass – Landscape DIsh with Mill

Above all Colette creates pieces that she hopes give a joy and happiness to those who hold them.

Colette Halstead Glass – Hedge Parsley Rectangular Dish

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.

MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE

May all your dreams come true exhibition invitation

May all your dreams come true exhibition invitation

We are all so excited at Heart Gallery about this magical exhibition and hope that you are too – it is going to be one of our best, we can sense it! The wire Mergirl on the invitation has been made for us by Rozie Keogh and we have 3 of them swimming around the gallery to keep an eye on you all as you browse the amazing new work we are showcasing. Here are a few sneaky peaks but please make sure to come to the launch on Sunday 13 May – you will not be disappointed!

Alice in Wonderland framed papercut by Yasemin Wigglesworth

Mars necklace by Rachel Lucie

Storybook by paper/textile artist Alix Swan

Feather Fox by glass artist Rachel Elliott

'Like Ghosts from an Enchanter Fleeing' Nicola Taylor, self portrait photographer

Lovers' Triptych Brooch by Catherine Chester

'Untaken' Cyanotype print by Moira Fuller

Recognised phrases and stories on bags by Alison Hughes

Lucy Palmer's fairytale inspired silver jewellery

Lucy Harding's illustrations inspired by customers she meets on her milk round

So, a few images to whet your appetite but if they haven’t tempted you enough then maybe Ursula Holden Gill can! Ursula is one of the North’s most innovative, award winning Storytellers. Her quirky, unique sets are influenced largely by 19th Century Music Hall, Lancashire Dialect, Westmorland Clogging, Folk, Traditional and Original Song, Contemporary Dance, Puppetry, Clean but Cheeky Stand Up Acts and essentially, life. This has led her to be frequently described as a cross somewhere between Gracie Fields and Billy Connolly!

Urusla Holden Gill

Ursula will be spending Sunday 13 May with us presenting a song and story set she calls Sightings of the Little People – suitable for adults and children alike. It explores the idea that fairy sightings have been associated with – and are responsible for – the naming of more places in the British Isles than anywhere else in the world and that in the North of England alone we proudly boast numerous fairy bridges and glens, a few sets of standing stones, waterfalls, cottage gardens, and a variety of hills and wells! By revealing how such places came to take their title Ursula will welcome all who attend the launch into a most controversial debate that has fascinated artists for hundreds of years – are fairies real or not… and if so, what are they? Fanciful Friend or Malevolent Foe? Further, who can see the little people and how?

See you all at Heart Gallery, Hebden Bridge on Sunday May 13 from 12pm – 5pm for fairy cakes, angel dust and magical stories and of course an eclectic mix of jewellery and craft inspired by fairytales, folklore, myths and dreams to tempt and delight xXx

Dreaming of the dwelling place original painting by Gillian Lee Smith