DIANE TREMARCO IN AWE OF …
I have always greatly admired fellow musicians and creatives and I am thrilled to be able to tell you about those I know well and those I have recently discovered . Please take a look at my Instagram profile for more of the artists I am in awe of .
ALISON BUTLER – CONTEMPORARY ARTIST , PAINTER
Alison works in a variety of mediums at present , enjoying learning new techniques and exploring different styles ; however , her love of architecture always pulls her back to exploring the same theme . Through her artwork she aims to explore the history of a subject and the relationship it has with the space it occupies . Alison said : " I am fascinated by strong , solid forms being constantly surrounded by the movement of light and life ; both inside and out . I try to capture this in my mixed media work using layers and texture . My digital pieces focus on the local landscape and the starting point for these are my photographs , which I then sketch and scan into the computer . Once the sketch is on my computer , I will add colour and more detail . Through my digital work I want to capture the beauty of our landscape and share it with the viewer ."
WIRRAL OPEN STUDIO TOUR - WIRRALARTS . COM
Wirral Open Studio Tour is the event in which local artists invite the public to visit their studios , workshops and display spaces . It ’ s an excellent opportunity to talk firsthand to the artists and to view their work , potentially in the environment in which it was created , or to just enjoy exploring the various venues and experience first-hand the creativity that Wirral has to offer .
However , not all artists can accommodate the public ( particularly if they have a loft studio ) so often creative outlets are used to display their works . One such venue is The Barn , situated in the centre of Heswall on Pye Road . This creative craft venue opened its doors in June 2018 to coincide with the tour and they therefore share a birthday . The Barn has participated in this unique every year since , except for 2020 , when the tour took place online due to the pandemic . However , whilst the event is delayed until the weekend of 11-12th September as opposed to its usual mid-June fixture , it will not dampen the spirits of the participants nor the host venue , The Barn . Sam Peddie , owner of The Barn commented , " As a venue that profiles and sells local artist ' s work , we are thrilled to once more take part in the tour . We will be devoting our entire upstairs to Jude Gill and Clare Watson , local ceramicists , for them to exhibit their works for sale and deliver live
JO BURTON - SCULPTOR , WOODWORKER
Jo an experienced sculptor who lives and works on the Wirral . She uses traditional hand carving techniques to create beautiful , tactile , unique carvings . This year she has been experimenting with abstract shapes , the human form and portraits of characters such as Gandalf and Gollum and has also been working on a range of bowls based demonstrations throughout the weekend . We are also thrilled that we can now also offer our visitors the option to grab a barista coffee or herbal tea infusion and experience one of our locally made cakes in our coffee shop whilst they mooch . ' CoffeEco ', was created to coincide with the re-opening of their doors in April 2021 and prides itself on using coffee cups made from recycled grounds , bamboo toilet rolls , composting their waste and essentially avoiding single use plastic whereever possible . Sustainability is very important to both me and those that stock and shop with us and therefore we aim to source as locally and ethically as possible to minimise the carbon footprint we leave . This is a theme running throughout our venue as we have renovated it using pre-loved materials ."
Indeed , you will find a table made from the timber from disused boats , counters made from scaffolding boards and offcuts of used timber adorning the walls .
Sam Peddie continues ' In this era , I ' m increasingly seeing artists thinking about and introducing recycling in many of their pieces whether it be eco silver in jewellery making , ceramicists using left over clay or mixed media artists using natural materials . It ' s an exciting time to be a creative and now more than ever , I feel that people are keen to explore their own creative side having reevaluated their priorities during lockdown .'
Whilst the upper floor of The Barn will be devoted to the ceramicists during the weekend of the tour , it is traditionally used as a workshop space to enable people to learn and enjoy a new craft in a relaxed , friendly and inclusive environment . The workshops are varied and wide ranging including everything from weaving , macrame and felting to candle making , calligraphy and zentangle .
Details of workshops and events , along with the on-line shop can be found at thebarnwirral . co . uk
on leaves and shells . Jo makes a range of hand carved natural , organic pendants and earrings and silver plate and antique bronze woven wire jewellery which incorporate reclaimed components resulting in highly individual pieces . Jo has exhibited with Wirral Open Studio Tour , Oxton Artists , and sells her work at Arts Fairs across Merseyside and local art shops including The Barn in Heswall . She does commissions and has pieces in private collections across the UK . She has a passion for sharing the traditional art of wood carving and runs workshops at The Barn in Heswall .
52 wirrallife . com