In Search of Summer – July Exhibition

Artistic talent ranging from fine lacework to quirky sculptures will be on show at The Moors National Park Centre from Friday (12 July).

Work in mixed media, watercolours, ceramics, jewellery and fine lacework by five artists will charm the Inspired by…gallery’s In Search of Summer exhibition until the end of July.

Members of the public can meet the artists on 13 July between 12 noon and 3pm whilst listening to harpist Elizabeth Westhead.

The five artists are an international textile artist, a jewellery designer, a mixed media artist and sculptor, a potter, and, a water colourist.

Sue Pilkington-Hanna is an embroiderer, restorer, lecturer and tutor. Certified by the Royal School of Needlework, she has become recognised as an international textile artist. 

Sue’s work is underpinned by her love of fine embroidery, especially white work, which has been with her from childhood. 

Her use of sheer natural fabrics, including silk and fine linen, recalls the days of afternoon teas and genteel lawn parties. 

Elegance and charm are her watchwords, where wisps of silk mimic both the feel of the breeze and the zephyr playing across the moorland. 

Designer Emma Gale graduated in 1995 with a First Class Honours degree in jewellery from Edinburgh College of Art, under the tuition of one of Britain’s leading jewellers, Dorothy Hogg.

She subsequently received support from the Scottish Arts Council, and worked as a jewellery designer for Ola Gorie in Orkney for ten years, designing many of their collections, which are still available today. 

Emma’s jewellery can be seen in galleries throughout the UK and abroad. She is also the co-author (with fellow jeweller Ann Little) of ‘Teach Yourself Jewellery Making’ (published in 2000). 

Emma says:  “I’m currently inspired by flowers and vintage styles. I love old textile techniques, such as crocheting and embroidery, and enjoy the challenge of incorporating these into jewellery with a more contemporary air. The use of mixed materials has always been important to me, and my latest jewellery includes crocheted silk and mohair flowers in delicate colours, and antique embroidery combined with silver and gold, semi-precious beads, mother-of-pearl, pearls and silk ribbon.”

Mixed-media artist Shirley Vauvelle graduated from Leicester Polytechnic in 1989 and worked for 10 years as a professional designer.

Inspired by objects that are different and quirky, Shirley creates freestanding sculptures and box frames, using white earthenware to hand-build flowers, small creatures, birds and fish. 

Texture is embossed into the surface, while under-glazes and oxides are applied to give layers of colour. These pieces are then assembled, together with reclaimed maps, vintage magazines, wire, driftwood and other interesting finds from local beaches. 

Shirley has exhibited widely in galleries across the country, and her work has been included in many publications. 

Caroline Burton has been a potter for over 30 years, and makes ceramic pieces for private and public collections, both in the UK and abroad. 

Caroline moved to North Yorkshire eight years ago – together with family, pottery studio and Ryeland show sheep – and now runs the successful Hands On Traditional Crafts and Pottery Centre at Beadlam, near Helmsley. 

She works on a potter’s wheel, creating unique but functional earthenware with a soft cream finish as well as stoneware with a vintage cream look. Both are then decorated using English hedgerow plants and flowers. Caroline also makes framed ceramic wall art in the same style, producing tranquil images that complement both classic and contemporary interiors. 

Caroline says: “Earthenware and stoneware made on the potter’s wheel have a uniformity and order, contrasting with the patterns in my work which come from individual plants. This makes each piece unique ... just like us!”

Susan Neale is an artist specialising in watercolour. She also teaches watercolour painting, and has worked in publishing as a freelance illustrator. 

Her style is mainly figurative, yet Susan’s work often takes on a semi-abstract tone in response to subjects such as flowers and wildlife. She particularly enjoys working in a medium that allows expression through colour and texture, and loves manipulating the surface of the paper to represent soft-focus detail. 

Susan’s appointment as Artist in Residence at the Yorkshire Arboretum, Castle Howard, provided her with an exciting opportunity to work with the seasonal changes in this inspiring landscape. 

Sue Pilkington-Hanna

Emma Gale

Shirley Vauvelle

Caroline Burton