spring art fair & open studios

David has been working on a series of new Bamburgh Castle paintings that feature a magical sunrise. David has been experimenting with a limited palette of just three colours, red, yellow and blue. Using these primary pigments, he has mixed all of the other colours that are required, including shades of grey and brown.

Jill will be showing her colourful metal clocks and jewellery, all using her signature mixed metal style. She etches brass, copper and silver to add pattern and texture, contrasting with blue titanium details.  On the clocks there will be birds, bees, fish, cats and a sheep!

Rebecca will show her latest landscapes and seascapes printed in layers of translucent ink. With expressive mark-making and shifting colours, they have a sense of light and atmosphere. Rebecca also has new collage paintings of formal gardens with animals. In her studio, at the back of the hall, you’ll find a wide range of greetings cards and prints.

Melanie creates ceramic sculpture and jewellery from her studio at The Hearth. She has always been fascinated by how weather, time and nature mark, change and shape land and coast and this is echoed in her craggy, rugged artworks. New for this year, Melanie is introducing her ‘Shibui’ range of understatedly elegant porcelain jewellery.

Visit Cathy in her Attic Studio to view her distinctive, handmade Linocut prints. Her work is derived from her love and talent for observational drawing and design. She is happy to explain the process of this relief printing method used in the production of her work. Her strong, striking images are inspired by the trees and landscape of the North East.

Jessica is a textile artist and tutor, whose work explores nostalgia; telling stories through reclaimed fabrics, papers and found objects. Visit Jessica’s studio to browse and buy textile originals, gifts and cards featuring her stitched designs. Jessica will also have a few Robin and Belsay Arch textile art kits, which make perfect festive gifts for creative friends and family!

"Jina Gelder is a wildlife artist & illustrator based at The Hearth. She has a passion for exploring the life and movement of British wildlife subjects through her work. Jina enjoys making people smile with her paintings and hopes to inspire people to look at the world around them. In her studio you can find a range of wildlife gifts alongside original artwork, prints and cards"

Textile Artist Mandy will be exhibiting recent paper collages, prints, paintings and fabric pieces, which rework antique textiles. Key pieces from her Harrogate exhibition include work using old French fabrics and time-worn North Country utility quilts. Walk in and you will see what inspires her, recent stitch sketchbooks with lots of colour, textures and beautiful textiles. 

Handmade, soaps are Ceri’s speciality; she has developed a core range of beautiful, natural, and sustainable soaps and bathing products which tread lightly on the planet and are kind to your skin. Ceri uses only natural ingredients and many home grown botanicals, local honey and beeswax, organic goat’s milk and clays.

Bethan Laker is an illustrator based at The Mushroom Works Studios in Newcastle. She creates commissioned artwork, framed prints and amazing gift ideas. Her wonky, messy drawings and prints use bold lines and collage transformed into original witty illustrations, products, and artworks, celebrating the NE with colourful responses to everyday life.

The Hearth Café will be serving seasonal drinks and refreshments throughout the fair. We recommend reserving a table in advance to avoid disappointment. The Cafe serves teas, freshly ground coffee, homemade cakes & scones, light lunches, and the popular all-day breakfast. Vegetarian, vegan & gluten free, licensed: craft beer & wine.

Danielle is a studio potter living and working in North-East England. Her work is influenced by the natural beauty of the local coastline. Working from photographic references and sketches drawn on location, she begins to blur these recordings in her studio with memory, imagination and abstract mark making.

Diane makes a range of contemporary sterling silver and contrasting metal jewellery based around geometric shapes and art deco style.
Diane also makes a range of jewellery using sea glass found on the beaches of the North East coast.

Matthew’s intricate Tower paintings incorporate culturally and historically significant landmarks, public and private buildings, and the landscapes that characterise the city, town or area of the subject. Through his painstakingly detailed architectural constructions, Matthew captures the spirit of both a place and its people.

We are Amanda and Alison, we started our creative journey in 2016 and have worked with driftwood, sea glass, wood, and textiles before discovering the beauty of fused glass and clay, both mediums that allows endless possibilities in terms of creativity. All our work is inspired by the local scenery, from rugged coastlines to the rolling moorlands.

With a background in textile design, Ali is an environmental artist, with a passion for marine conservation. With an emphasis on illustration she enjoys exploring the aesthetics of many marine species in the chaotic underwater world, translating the natural movements and patterns to build bold designs.

Cath Hodson is a print maker based in Whitley Bay. While studying Textile Design /Surface Pattern, she developed a love for screen printing and a passion for colour. Cath's designs are taken from her surroundings, the beautiful Northumbrian countryside, seaside and things that make her laugh.

Ali and Adelin started Pattern Shed in 2019 initially delivering surface pattern, printmaking and drawing workshops together based on their mutual love of pattern and colour. Together, they develop and produce lifestyle products drawing inspiration from their surroundings and using multiple techniques.

Melissa Girling is a furniture maker and designer based in Newcastle. Using traditional techniques she creates unique, handmade pieces in wood. In addition to crafting bespoke furniture, she has partnered with metalsmith Helen Connor to develop a line of handmade wooden boxes, ideal as gifts or for storing away artist’s materials, sewing notions and jewellery.

Listen to the melodious tunes of Robson's Choice, playing the Northumbrian Pipes on Saturday morning until 1 pm. Be moved by the 'Love in Action' charity display and explore African goods, including handbags and Fairtrade items, at the stalls. On Sunday, the church will resound with Songs of Praise and in the afternoon, we gather together to share the gift of music, as pianists perform and we join in song.