Description
‘Little Bird and Heart’
Driftwood and Ceramic Sculpture
Collect from gallery £60
Including UK delivery £70
H 16.5 cm on driftwood base
Shirley worked for 10 years as a professional designer/ maker after graduating from Leicester Polytechnic in 1989. Taking time out to raise her three boys she is now re discovering texture and colour in the form of ceramics and painting.
She creates wall hung or free-standing sculptures, using white earthenware to hand build flower components, small creatures , birds and fish. Texture is embossed into the surface. Under glazes and oxides are applied to give layers of colour. These are then assembled together with driftwood, wire, reclaimed maps, vintage magazines and other interesting finds from the local beaches.
Her inspiration comes from her continually evolving garden, her love of the coast, country walks with her dog and the fun of creating objects that are a little bit different and quirky. Influences emerge from Scandinavian art and design and naïve art. She likes the idea of layering texture and colour to create pieces that are totally individual, each has a little tale to tell.
Shirley has always had an interest in paint as a creative medium. With the encouragement of commissions and offers of exhibiting that she has begun to build up a collection of paintings that are concerned with exploring colour, texture and space on the canvas rather than representational responses to the moments that inspire her . These moments can be a particular view of a landscape, object or response to something that has happened in the day, which offers excitement in it colouration combination of shapes and line. By layering paint and texture, then rubbing away she creates energy in the painting.
” I do not restrict myself to brushes to work with. I much prefer to use things that are to hand if they give me the right quality of mark making such as sticks, wire, household brushes, cardboard and my fingers. “
“I create narrative pieces contructed with a passion for texture and colour . I use materials that I can reclaim. I use mark making in clay surfaces that have a weathered, worn feel. Most of the surfaces are very matt. I have a love of the colour turquoise.”
