North Yorkshire Open Studios

I have done dozens of Open Studio events over the last 20 years but they have all been in my London studio which shared a building with 60 other maker studios and had a whole professional marketing team to ensure that a goodly number of people (generally in excess of 2000) came along. Doing an Open Studio where people travel large distances to see you in your barn in the wilderness of the North Yorkshire dales is quite a different beast. It requires a lot more effort on behalf of the visitors . . . and yet they are prepared to make that effort.

I was sharing my studio with the very lovely Janet Browne who makes superb pictures and pictoral maps with fragments of fabric which she dyes herself. Her work is bewilderingly complex and wonderful and it was a pleasure to show my work alongside hers. Our work is very different from each other’s but sits nicely together.


We didn’t have as many visitors as in my London days but we did have a steady flow, and the nice thing about having less visitors is that you have more time to talk to them.

I was showing quite a range of work including my jewellery and cufflinks, thrown bowls and jugs, and the small colourful pinched pots made of black clay that people seem to like so much. I also have some silk scarves, and silk pocket squares on display. All of these proved popular which is heart warming for me, particularly when the pots are a relatively recent venture for me.

So now I am gearing up for Art In The Pen on the 10th and 11th of August. I have thrown more bowls and have really enjoyed decorating them in a free and colourful way. I will also be exhibiting some wall pieces which I am hoping will be a hit with those looking for a piece of art for their wall which is just a little bit different. Hope to see you there.