‘Line’ The Artists Journey

Opening its doors this May, ‘Line’ is an exciting new exhibition for the Footprint Gallery.

Curated by Jan Park, who has a studio at Fusion in Jackfield and her close friend and fellow artist Jane Wilson, ‘Line’ features the work of six Shropshire based artists. Each artist has been carefully selected to ensure that all displayed works complement each other with paintings, 3D art, furniture, glass fusion, ceramics and silversmithing all being exhibited.

Adjacent to the Jackfield Tile Museum and situated in the heart of the Ironbridge World Heritage Site, the Footprint Gallery is a contemporary art gallery featuring local, regional and national exhibitors throughout the year.

Jan Park, Abstract Painter

Learn more about abstract painter Jan Park

Jan Park started studying at the School of Art at Wolverhampton University in 1991. As the only mature student, Jan was delighted to be joined by fello mature student Jane Wilson just one year later and they immediately hit it off!

“From day one we had much in common,” explains Jan, “we would be working on completely different projects but we were able to share conversations about the progress of our work, or lack of it!”

But, the most important thing that glued them together was cake! “Whenever things weren’t going so well, we would retreat to the refectory to drink coffee and eat cake! We were surrounded by a large number of male artists who loved to haul large sheets of steel around whole trees. These creations would eventually become a stunning piece of furniture, with the common answer to ‘what are you making’ was a double wardrobe, whilst everything Jane and I seemed to create would usually fit in a shoe box!”

The majority of the students seemed oblivious to the fact that Jane and Jan were older, and being younger and away from home, often turned to Jan and Jane for domestic, cooking and medical advice!

Fast forward 33 years, and Jan and Jane have consistently worked as artists to develop their professional art practices.

“It takes years of continuous work and study to finally find your own style. I originally trained as a textile designer in embroidered textiles. Painting was at the core of my design work and eventually, I found the pull towards painting was stronger than textiles. Today as a fine art painter, my unique style and narrative includes creating textures and layers in my work, similar to the effects achieved in textiles.”

Jane Wilson, 3D Artist

Learn more about 3D artist Jane Wilson

Having studied at the School of Art at Wolverhampton University from 1992, Jane Wilson works from a dedicated studio space in rural Shropshire using reclaimed materials, wood, metal and plastics to make both functional and decorative pieces.

“I work only with reclaimed materials. Much of the wood and metal is sourced from the discarded pianos, and I have also collected painted driftwood, plastics, glass and natural materials from beaches for a number of years,” explains Jane, adding that “the materials that I use as my palette give the work a painterly and tactile quality.”

Jane’s work includes small sculptural constructions, abstract and patterned wall panels, and occasionally small pieces of sculptural furniture, with many of her artworks being extremely complex and made up of hundreds of components.

Debs Hart, Furniture Designer

Learn more about furniture maker Debs Hart

Having trained in technical theatre and stage management at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Debs Hart love of furniture making came the long way round.

“After touring theatre shows around the country for many years, I was ready for a change, explains Debs. “I realised that I really enjoyed making the props and building the sets, and so the idea of furniture making was born.”

Having gained her City and Guilds qualifications at Shrewsbury College, Debs went on to learn ‘at the elbow’ of Tony Sibbick, a Shropshire based local master craftsman.

“This was an invaluable traditional style training. I learnt to make things with just hand tools, using traditional jointing methods that have stood the test of time. Where appropriate, I do now use machinery and power tools, but I’m not a slave to their limitations. Designing and making bespoke furniture has three big challenges. Firstly, a piece must be beautiful, or at least be attractive and interesting to its owner. Secondly, it must completely fulfil its intended function, and thirdly, it must have integrity. This means it must be constructed in a way that respects and works with the nature of the material, so that it could last for hundreds of years.” 

It’s these challenges that spark Debs creativity and have kept her interested in her work for over twenty five years.

Debs mostly works in solid hardwoods, as she loves the variety of texture and colour, giving many of them a second long and useful life. “I love trees! Each piece of wood is unique, some are straight grained and plain, whilst others are wild grained, almost making pictures with their lines and colour. Putting the right piece in the right place adds to each piece’s structural integrity, giving beauty and unity to the finished furniture.”

Ruth Gibson, Ceramist

Learn more about ceramist Ruth Gibson

Having graduated from the University of Wolverhampton in 2003 with a First Class Hons degree in Ceramics and Sculpture, alongside winning The Potclays prize for ‘Outstanding work in Clay’, Ruth Gibson works in porcelain and stoneware.

Ruth’s signature style is to combine a love of photography, printmaking and ceramics to evoke a sense of place, inspired by the rugged Shropshire hills and the Welsh mountains and coast. Her imagery includes winter trees, textures in nature, birds in flight and rocks beneath the surface, and her use of the inclusion of maps roots each piece to its place of inspiration.

“My inspiration is from nature,” explains Ruth “I’ll be inspired by ancient standing stones found scattered across the hills, which I’ll then echo in the shapes of my ceramic pieces, to depict stormy seas and wild moorlands.”

Working from her garden studio in Shrewsbury, Ruth’s pieces includes framed wall art, sculptural standing stones, chunky platters, delicate shell-like bowls, and a range of complimentary jewellery. 

Ruth exhibits regularly at major ceramic events like ‘Potfest’, ‘Art in Clay’, ‘Celebrating Ceramics’, and ‘Made by Hand’, as well as in galleries throughout the UK.

Ruth has taught to degree level at the University of Wolverhampton, and gives talks and demonstrations across the country, whilst running ‘Clay Club Lunches’ from her own kitchen in Belle Vue, Shrewsbury.

“As I enter my 7th decade, I am focussing on a transition in my creative practice away from more commercial ceramics, as I wish to explore my connection more deeply with the natural world. The new work may involve sound recordings, music, poetry, found clay, clay paintings, photography and film, and ephemeral sculptural installations in the landscape.”

Jo Newman, Glass Fusion Artist

Learn more about glass fusion artist Jo Newman

Having studied three-dimensional design and specialising in glass at West Surrey College of Art & Design in the 1980’s, Jo’s career initially started in higher education at the University of Wolverhampton where she taught for over 25 years.

Now a full-time artist focusing on drawing and painting, Jo Newman works from her studio at the Ruskin Glass centre in Stourbridge.

“Observational drawing and working outside are at the heart of my creative practice,” explains Jo. “Through drawing, visual connections and selections are made, connecting to the familiar. Landscapes, journeys, objects, patterns, daily routines and seasonal changes, or fleeting moments and glimpses, all remembered, yet fragments of experience. Over time ideas are forgotten and fade away, whilst others develop and grow in importance. What remains becomes the work to document a language in marks and colour.”

Sue Chadwick, Silversmith

Learn more about silversmith Sue Chadwick

Sue Chadwick is an artist whose preferred creative media is sterling silver, and more specifically silver jewellery. Her abundant inspiration is mother nature’s contrasts and bounty, and her love for silver, combined with her passion for design, brings beauty and individuality to life through her creations.

Having grown up in Zimbabwe, Sue now lives in Shropshire which undoubtedly influences her designs. The cultural richness of these two distinct locations infuses her creations with a diverse and vibrant energy.

“Each piece tells a story of my experiences, and of my encounters with different landscapes, people and traditions, making my jewellery as unique as the individuals who wear it.”

Open to the public and free to enter, the ‘Line’ exhibition is open everyday from 10.00am to 4.00pm from Thursday, 1 May to Monday, 26 May inclusive.