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.

Meet The Maker – Nick Tankard

Nick Tankard – artist

For this series of pictures of New York, Nick took inspiration from the films and photographs of 1940’s and 50’s America.  Nick has endeavored to create a vision of the bustling metropolis, a city where the grandeur of the Flatiron Building and the buzz and hum of Radio City Music Hall sit alongside late night diners, bars and neighborhood stores.  

 

FlatIron – Nick Tankard

Nick attempts to channel his fondness for films and vintage photographs by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra and Fred Herzog to conjure images that contain similar themes seen in these classics of Americana.  Mystery, drama and a hint of absurdity can be found in Nick’s pictures of a lost world, but these images are not merely an exercise in nostalgia, they are also a celebration of the individual, an ode to non-conformity, a quiet reminder that in a time of bland commercialism and corporate bluster there are friendly independent shops, galleries and museums and even beautiful old cinemas being left to fall into ruin that deserve our attention to ensure they don’t turn into lost things.

Drugstore Manhattan – Nick Tankard

Nick’s pictures are produced using a cross- hatching technique with a fine line pen, layers upon layers of cross- hatching are built up to form structures and shapes whilst other areas are left untouched in order to hint at a flickering light or billowing clouds, it’s a time consuming process but one which he enjoys as it allows him time to listen to Tom Waits, audio books and radio plays. 

Radio City NYC – Nick Tankard

Nick lives next to a cobbled lane and rumbling train line in the village of Saltaire. We first spotted his work at a local private view and we have been hankering after it and pestering him for some ever since! Nearly camping out on his doorstep whilst he finished the originals for us! We hope you enjoy your piece of Nick as much as we do.

Saltaire Arts Trail – May 2011

Saltaire Arts Trail informative booklet

Bank Holiday Monday I left my lovely ladies, Mandy and Julia, in charge at Heart Gallery to visit Saltaire for their Arts Trail. I’ve always done this on a Sunday in September before as the Open Houses have been part of the Saltaire Festival.

Saltaire with a grey and gloomy morning sky!

This year the organisers took the plunge to host the Arts Trail as a stand-alone event and I sincerely thought it worked really well despite the fact that our Yorkshire weather was rather damp for it! This did not seem to put visitors off as all the houses were really busy so I do hope that all makers/artists involved, and the organisers, felt all their hard work payed off.

Wet cobbles in Saltaire

I had a plan (of sorts)  ….. park in my usual spot on the outskirts of Saltaire so that I could get a walk in too! First stop would be Number 1 Myrtle Place which was one of my favourite houses in September as I met the lovely Laura Slater, textile artist, there and my daughter joined in a book binding demonstration making a little booklet for Grandma for her Birthday.

Laura Slater in 2 Constance Street 2011

One of Heart Gallery’s  resident artists Clare Caulfield was also exhibiting with Laura last year but this year she had decided to take the plunge and open her own home to the public exhibiting her own fabulous pen and inks alongside illustrative work by Nick Tankard.

Clare's canvases nestled into her bookshelf

Clare Caulfield - artist and printmaker

Clare Caulfield and her Dad in a very busy house!

My aim was to then amble down to the Makers Fair in Victoria Hall. After that, I wasn’t sure what my plan was other than lunch, more houses and coffee with Ceramicist Helen Russell!

One room in the busy Victoria Hall

There were quite a few of Heart Gallery’s Hebden Bridge and local makers in the hall so it did take me quite some time to get around but it was fun chatting with them and finding out how busy they had been.

Catherine Edwards - Hand Stitched Leather Bags and Accessories

Rachel Lucie - Jeweller

Anne Crowther - Textile Artist

Sue Candy - Ceramicist

Leigh Shepherd - busy upcycling scrabble tiles, domino pieces and draught pieces with Japanese papers

Had to stop for a bite to eat and then onto another few houses before meeting Helen Russell for a chin wag. I’ve recently introduced Helen’s elegant hand carved ceramic and silver jewellery to Heart Gallery and we just needed to finalise how many wall pieces she was sending me for the Art At Heart exhibition launching 12th June at Heart Gallery.

Helen Russell - hand carved porcelain and silver necklace

68 Victoria Road

Another Heart Gallery ceramicist was in 68 Victoria Road along with some very interesting work I hope to book in for 2012 so watch this space!

Sarah McDade - Ceramicist

I had a great day in Saltaire; I had my favourites and discovering unique artworks inside peoples homes was fun and inspiring. If you like to indulge your love of contemporary craft, and are also fascinated by other people’s homes then this Arts Trail is a must so pencil May in for 2012 … you will not be disappointed, I wasn’t.