PASTEL PAINTINGS

Dave is a professional artist who specializes in pastel land and seascape paintings of North Wales. He is the owner of Oriel Glasfryn Gallery and an extensive selection of his original paintings and prints are on permanent display.

Dave has exhibited across the UK in group and solo exhibitions. His work can be found in private collections across Europe, America and Australia.

In 2024 he was elected as a member of The Pastel Society.

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SILVERSMITH

Landscape has always been the primary inspiration for Andrew’s work. Man’s interaction with the land, the marks he makes on it, combined with a fascination in geology and the 'anatomy' of the land, the interface between engineering and nature, have been of prime importance to him.

 He works in the ‘no man’s land’ between ‘fine’ and ‘applied’ art in painting, sculpture, silversmithing and jewellery in a wide variety of media.

 Maker of two Eisteddfod Crowns. Previous studios in Edinburgh, Manchester and now North Wales.

 Formerly head of department of Jewellery Metalwork at North East Wales Institute (now Wrexham Glyndwr University).

CERAMICS

Allan and Krithia share a studio situated in the historic village smithy building in Llanrhaeadr where they make pots in their own distinctive styles. Their ‘house style’ is mostly functional, covering oxidized stoneware with sgraffito decoraton and traditional slipware with slip trailed and/or sgraffito decoration. They also are known for their medieval reprodctions. The inspirations for the designs come from naturally occurring shapes and lines and their Celtic roots have a strong influence on the forms made.

BLACKSMITH

Alan's work is made in his small forge on the edge of West Wales. The forms and textures in his work can only be achieved through working mild steel heated in a blacksmith’s hearth. Inspiration is found in the world he inhabits.

SILVERSMITH

Blae creates intricate textural jewellery from her home studio in Gower. Her designs are lead by observing and recreating the textures and organic details of her local coastline and the connection she feels to its wild, ever changing seascape. Crafted from recycled silver and gold using traditional goldsmithing techniques, sand casting, water casting and the ancient art of lost wax casting, each unique piece evokes an essence of the coast and treasures swept in by the tide.

Blae enjoyed a successful career in set and prop design for theatre, tv and film (Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sherlock) before becoming a mother of three. Re- training as a jeweller has been the most rewarding experience, honing her skills to create beautiful jewellery which holds meaning, value and brings happiness for years to come.

CERAMICS

Born in Blackburn and going on to study at Blackburn college, Connor tried a vast amount of different materials and found a love for 3D making which led to completing an Applied Arts BA (Hons) at Wrexham University, although unsure what media to work in, and after starting in metalwork, Connor turned to pottery.

“In my work I experiment with traditional pottery techniques, I try and utilise these techniques, such as throwing, carving, and glaze techniques, and combine them in ways that showcase a unique contrast of colour and texture.

Currently, I have been working on ideas involving throwing vessels on the potters wheel and combining them with sculptural bases to create pieces that are functional as well as decorative. The contrasting textures play a large role in my work, heavily textured bases and smooth finished vessels allows for interesting tactile areas. 

I was initially inspired by how insects create delicate, intricate cocoons nestled in rough and unforgiving environments. This lead me to create soft, simplistic vessel forms nestled in harsh, complex Cradles to emulate this idea.”

CERAMICS

Ed is a potter and ceramic artist, born and raised in Eryri, throwing pots in the foothills of Cadair Idris. He is now based in Oban, Scotland working as a production potter on the isle of Mull.

All of Ed’s work is inspired by life living in the mountains, the weather, flora and fauna, his ancestors work, the neolithic stone carvings, the pots of the Beaker people, Pictish, Brythonig and Gaelic myths and legends, in his own interpretation.

Ed’s signature style is defined by his masterful use of sgraffito. Sgraffito is a technique used to add decoration to ceramics which is created by scratching through the surface of the glaze before firing to reveal the contrasting layer of clay beneath.

“I very rarely plan a design; I'll have an idea or a feeling and see where the tools take me. This way I can let the images flow and develop as I carve. Clay is my canvas."

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After training as an illustrator at Brighton College of Art, I moved to Pembrokeshire in 1968. Since then I have worked as a painter, illustrator, teacher and writer. My recent paintings are influenced by the landscape of France as well as Wales, although most of my work is not, now, topographical. Rather, it has settled in a precarious hinterland between representation and abstraction, where information gained from years of drawing from nature has blended with the imagination. Nevertheless, my work in the studio is always reinforced by drawing from life; for only when I come to draw do I see that what I thought I saw is even more exciting and miraculous than it was at first glance.

My work has been influenced over the years by an interest in the relationship between painting, poetry and music.  It has also been affected by a temporary injury which forced me to paint with the left hand, a practice I now continue when necessary. Painting with the left hand (and so, we are told, with the right side of the brain) has enabled me to work more freely from memory and imagination.

I love the early 20th century European painters such as Klee and Kandinsky and the British school, including Palmer, Hitchens, the St Ives painters and the Scottish colourists. My interest in the relationships between the different arts has developed over the years, and in 2001 I completed a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Wales, Lampeter. I now run workshops with young people where we explore these ideas in conjunction with practical work.

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This artist is on display in Glasfryn Hall. To arrange a viewing please email us: info@orielglasfryn.com

GLASS

E&M Glass was started by master glassmakers Ed and Margaret Burke in 1988. They have created bespoke glassware for several clients including Barneys of New York, Four Seasons Hotels and Christian Dior.

Margaret Burke specialises in the cold working of glass. She designs and embellishes a range of plates, bowls and glasses. Primarily inspired by primitive art, she has developed the technique of etching through layers of coloured glass to create designs that are both contrasting and tactile.

Amelia Burke discovered hot glass while studying for her degree in Manchester and has worked with it ever since. Amelia’s work focuses on tiny close-up details of the natural world, such as fern fronds and reinterpreting them using hot glass. Her work is now collected across Europe following her success at the International Glass Festival and the International Biennale of Glass.

Charlie Burke studied fine art at Sunderland University before transferring to a BA Glass and Ceramics course from which he graduated in 2010. He was awarded the Charles Bray award for glass excellence. Charlie’s latest work explores geodes and crystals, the arduous tasks of grinding and polishing the glass brings forth a hidden beauty.

CERAMICS

If you are looking to take a piece of Wales home with you, then look no further. Recently featured on S4C, Erin is a potter who creates contemporary ceramics using wild clay and an ancient ochre pigment that she forages by hand from her family's farm.

Influenced by her childhood on the farm and her work as a Heritage Management Archaeologist, her miniature ceramics are investigating mankind’s relationship with nature.

The process of foraging, creating wild clays/glazes and throwing off the hump on the pottery wheel combined with the ochre’s distinctive bright orange colour and its unpredictability when fired means that each piece is entirely unique and cannot be replicated.

CERAMICS

I hand-build sculptures and figures inspired by my love of Surrealist and contemporary art. Through my work, I aim to capture individuality and expression, creating pieces that invite the viewer to look closely and connect with them on an emotional and tactile level.

I live in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, surrounded by the mountains and the coastline, and I feel a strong connection to the landscape around me. The changing colours, textures, shapes and atmosphere of the natural environment continually influence the way I see and experience the world, and these observations often find their way into my work.

My work is intuitive and spontaneous. Inspiration often emerges during the construction process, allowing each piece to develop and change direction in response to my emotions and experiences on the day. I enjoy this unpredictability and see it as an important part of the creative process.

I primarily work with stoneware clays of varying textures, drawn to their strength when fired, their forgiving nature and their earthy, tactile qualities. I use oxides, vibrant coloured glazes, texture and mark-making to build character and individuality into my sculptures. I particularly enjoy working with repetitive marks, patterns and fine details, which give my pieces a precise yet highly tactile quality.

The human face is incorporated into many of my figures because it is something we instinctively recognise and respond to. Facial expression can communicate emotion without words, and I am fascinated by our ability to sense and interpret those emotions in others. Through my figures, I explore this connection, sometimes creating expressions that are playful, mysterious, contemplative or slightly surreal.

My inspiration comes from everything around me—from people, nature and everyday observations to emotions, experiences and the work of artists I admire. I allow these influences to emerge naturally rather than beginning with a fixed idea.

Ultimately, I want my sculptures to provoke thought, create a sense of curiosity and, above all, make someone smile or feel something. I hope each piece develops its own personality and finds its own place in the world of art.

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Jake Quinlan is a contemporary artist living and working in South Wales. His practice is based on the lifestyle and emotional state of the common workingman, expressed through gestural abstraction. Quinlan received a first-class honours BA from the University of South Wales and was awarded a 2-year fellowship with 56 Group Wales, an exhibiting group of contemporary professional artists working across a wide range of media and concerns.

In modern social climates, the common workingman continuously feels worthless and undervalued, often invisible to outer society. The struggle to provide a life and a sense of stability for loved ones all too often claims victims into the whirlpool of drink and cards. From my own experience, it feels like we fall into a catacomb of resentment toward ourselves and others. This chaos and desperation are what my work aims to capture. In the literal imagery, I use abstraction to record an expressive moment of angst and frustration that accumulates through the working week. I like to think of my paintings as artistic contradictions: marks rioting with anger and aggression, and overall compositions somehow sitting in an uncomfortable silence, absorbing you while simultaneously rejecting you. Combining various material types and applications, the paintings build until an initial emotion has exhausted itself. As soon as the painting is simultaneously intimidating and comforting to me, only then is it deemed a finished work.

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This artist is on display in Glasfryn Hall. To arrange a viewing please email us: info@orielglasfryn.com

Born in 1954, Jane grew up in the marshlands of Suffolk, and the valleys and mountains of Wales. She had an unconventional upbringing with little formal schooling, but was encouraged by her parents to be creative. Her mother was an illustrator and potter, her maternal grandfather was Head of Sydney Art College, and her father was an author.

As a young mother in her 20’s and 30’s she ran a craft business with her wood-turner partner, where she painted on wood, silk and designed clothes to sell in their small gallery/shop.

In 1994 Jane moved to rural Co. Clare, Ireland, where she built a house and studio, applying herself to ceramics. She is completely self-taught. Not attracted to using glazes, but wishing to use her clay forms as a canvas for her drawings and decorative designs, she inscribes directly into the surface of the unfired clay, applying layers of oxides and stains which are re-applied to her multi-fired work, often sanded down between firings. This gives a depth and texture to her hand-built ceramics.

Jane is a member of Portfolio Ireland; Ceramics Ireland; and is a selected member of the Crafts Potters Association London UK. Her work is in private collections, in Ireland, UK, and US, as well as by the OPW in Ireland. She has exhibited widely in Ireland as well as the UK.

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This artist is part of our Canvas and Clay exhibition which will run from 16th September until 31st October.

CERAMICS

Jenny Murray lives in the heart of the Clwydian Range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Jenny draws inspiration from the landscape that surrounds her: the mountain farmland bordering Offa’s Dyke, the heights of Moel Famau and Moel Arthur and the distant Mynydd Hiraethog.

Her passions include the constantly changing Welsh weather and its effect on the landscape. Her studio window looks out upon rolling hills, upland pastures and a patchwork of alternating heather, bracken and woodland. She has a deep love of nature and an hourly appreciation of how sun, light and cloud transform the most dour of winter days into something always interesting and frequently breath-taking.

WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

Jenny Ryrie specialises in watercolour. Her paintings consist of semi-abstract and abstract works on paper. These range from studies made on location to expressionistic landscapes and minimalist  abstract compositions. Her more abstract pieces have included series relating to sounds and music.

She has an M.A. in Fine Art from Edinburgh, is a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and an Associate of the Penwith Society of Arts. She has exhibited nationally and internationally for many years and is based near Chester on the Welsh border.

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This artist is on display in Glasfryn Hall. To arrange a viewing please email us: info@orielglasfryn.com

Pembrokeshire artist, Jill Jones FRSA, is based in Talbenny, near Little Haven. She paints in either oils or acrylics from her purpose-built studio and gallery, West Coast Studio. Her love of Wales is evident in her work, which alongside bold and vibrant abstracts, features huge, glorious skies, gentle moonlit scenes and wild images of the unspoilt Welsh countryside. Dramatic seas, florals and enigmatic bygone architecture also feature in both semi-abstract and impressionist style pieces. Jill has exhibited work during Wales week at RSA House in London (at The Royal Society of Art) and over the last few years exhibited in galleries and locations from North to South Wales and also England. Selling internationally, she has a growing band of collectors as she becomes wider known generally.

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This artist is on display in Glasfryn Hall. To arrange a viewing please email us: info@orielglasfryn.com

CERAMICS

Jo’s recent ceramic work is the result of a transition from a background in printmaking to using clay as a three-dimensional canvas on which to apply the same themes and design concepts that influenced her Lino cuts, buildings, places and landscape.

Jo’s work is generally hand built and slip decorated with colourful painted and scratched designs, with oxides applied to accentuate the texture and line.

The items she produces range from functional ware to tall sculptural vessels and curved freestanding pictures, linking a two-dimensional element to the three-dimensional forms.

CERAMICS

Josh has been potting for over 40 years.

The majority of his work has been thrown, domestic ware & garden ornaments.  In the last year he has been experimenting with sculptural items, generally based on a thrown vessel. A vase/bottle shape is altered into a marine creature using hand building techniques.

Josh makes all of his own stoneware glazes & currently works with approximately 30 colours. He has learned from painful experience which glazes work best layered on top of each other.

CERAMICS

Katherine Breaks (she/her) is a ceramicist recently graduated with a BA(hons) from Cardiff School of Art and Design in 2025. Originally hailing from London, she has flown the nest and is figuring out life as a fledgeling and where her practice fits into the real world. 

She enjoys functional, narrative and sculptural work, tessellating between the 2D and 3D by bringing pen to paper before delving into clay.

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I make a point of looking for the beauty in the every day.

All too often we simply walk straight past and don’t notice the ordinary things. And I especially love shapes.

I tend to fill the canvas with shapes, spaces and colour, not necessarily including all of the subject within the frame, but rather, enjoying the challenge of the composition.

Painting and drawing the animal - including the human - shape and form is my first love.

Animals and the natural world have always played a large part in my life, from an unconventional childhood on a Pembrokeshire farm in the sixties to the present day. On walks along the country lanes and tracks where I now live not far from where I grew up, past beasts in the fields, I watch, as they pause in their grazing, lifting their heads, to watch me.

I try to capture the subtle tensions within these animals – an awkward stretch of a leg, angle of a neck, tilt of a head, or the watchful eye that reminds us that these are sentient creatures.

My work is ever evolving as I try out different ideas, though I never stray far from attempting to capture, and appreciating always, the living form.

I keep away from the sentimental.

Creating art reveals a part of me that is otherwise hidden; it shows how I see and interpret things that I can't express in any other way.

I work mainly with oil paints on canvas, layering colour to build up depth.

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This piece is part of our Canvas and Clay Exhibition on display from 16th September - 31st October.

CERAMICS

Born in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, living on the edge of an ancient woodland and the Welsh mountain Zoo, as a child Kim would hear strange primeval animal sounds through the night that fed her imagination.

After studying Illustration at Wrexham she moved to London and became a freelance fashion and children’s book illustrator. She now lives on the Wirral.

Kim exhibits across the UK and her work is in private collections both in the Uk and internationally. Kim has been drawing and painting most of her life and has only worked with clay for the last couple of years but the first day she felt and formed creatures with clay, she knew it was where she needed to be, drawing with clay.

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CERAMICS

Kirsti’s work is influenced by the natural world and our place within it. She hand builds in a variety of stoneware clays in her garden studio. The bottles with their shoulders and necks stand in family groups or alone. They feature glaze and slip applications reminiscent of seascapes and landscapes.

“When out and about I’m drawn to old iron gates and fences, ruined farm buildings often with corrugated iron roofs, earthworks, burial chambers and stones. In museums I love the ancient things of ordinary life, spinning whorls, nails, tools and pots!”

CERAMICS

Louise Schrempft gained her first degree in illustration and graphic design before going back to university in 2000 to complete her MA at Wolverhampton. Since then, she has had solo exhibitions, and group shows across the country.

“Taking influences from stories, myths and legends, plays, poetry, overheard conversations in a pub…. I listen, I observe, and I always have a sketch book with me.”

Louise is a prolific artist, successfully running her own pottery studio and gallery ‘Two and Throw’ in Dyserth until June 2025. It is her unique ability to animate clay and her sense of humour that has made her work a favourite with local collectors. Her personality and skill radiate through every piece she creates, from her miniature animal figurines to her larger dioramas depicting the legendary figures of Welsh mythology.

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SILVERSMITH

Since 2009 Lydia has been working from her studio in her home town of Cardiff as an independent jewellery designer/maker. She uses traditional smithing techniques to create jewellery. Her inspiration often comes from the materials themselves; taking cues from the forms of the stones, minerals and precious metals she uses. Lydia is autistic; part of which makes her sensory relationship with the world unusual. Her work is often informed by this and she frequently incorporates sensory aspects to her jewellery. Each piece of jewellery she makes is made with the intention of inspiring the happy feeling of found treasure.

Lydia’s gemstones are carefully sourced and, where possible, repurposed from jewellery bound for scrap. She uses recycled or single mine origin gold and silver. Her cast pieces are made using NHS AgAin silver which has been recycled from x-rays otherwise destined for landfill.

She has recently created a collection of jewellery for Ncuti Gatwa for the television series ‘Doctor Who’.

TEXTILES

Lynda is a textile designer making stylish collections of hand-printed bags using a combination of high-quality Irish linen and leather.

Unexpectedly, Lynda draws inspiration for her patterns from historical artefacts. She photographs interesting abstract details and textures of old tools, military items and mechanical devices which she develops into contemporary designs through computer manipulation. Each design is then silkscreen printed onto fabric and combined with a beautifully soft leather strap to add textural interest and durability.

“This is what I love about the process of design, the possibilities are endless and the journey is extremely individual.”

STONECARVER

Meic Watts is a stonecarver with a workshop in Porthmadog. He was fortunate to be an apprentice to the sculptor Jonah Jones after finishing in Norwich School of Art. Jonah introduced him to letter cutting and carving in the local slates of North Wales and various other stones. Over the years Meic has worked on public art commissions and residencies. Nature is his inspiration, walking the local beaches and mountains.

 Meic is a member of The Makers Guild of Wales.

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GLASS

Originally from the Wirral, Moira has been working with glass for over 30 years, developing her style of kiln-fusing. The pieces are directly influenced by the landscape of Wales, with a lean towards the abstract. Moira layers the glass, working with sheets and powders and incorporating metal leaf, paints, enamels and organic materials as well as printed and pre-fired components. A favourite technique is to include ferns and feathers into the firing process.

“Landscape, colour and texture are the elements that tie my work together. Seemingly disparate pieces lead one into the next, weaving a story across the spaces. It’s a story that runs deep through me, of the environment and the natural world – much of my spare time is spent walking, swimming or just sitting still in the moment.”

It’s a solitary, introspective, process-focused work which by its very nature cannot be rushed – there is plenty of time to pause, reflect, layer and adjust. Most of Moira’s pieces involve multiple firings where layers of design are added at each stage.

CERAMICS

Bryony grew up playing in her father's pottery Studio. Making pots became second nature at a very early age. After school she studied at Carmarthen CCTA Art College , specialising in fashion and textiles. This interest took her travelling to Sri Lanka and Thailand visiting ceramic and silk painting workshops.

On her return, she divided her working life between the pottery studio with her father and cooking in restaurants that specialised in international cuisine. Bryony has been doing this balancing act of having two careers for five years,however, she is now working full time in the studio and has taken over the gallery.

CERAMICS

Neil has worked with ceramics for over 45 years and has been a member of the Society of Wildlife Artists. He worked in Canada for 13 years and moved back to North Wales in 1985 where he was based at Ruthin Craft Centre for 30 years.

Neil produces freestanding sculptures, sculptural wall murals, birds, human forms and mythological creatures as well as some functional wares. His style is inspired by nature, fully researched and realistic, he manages to incorporate movement when recreating wildlife. 

Neils sculptures are made of hand-built stoneware clay and fired in an electric kiln to 1230 degrees. His main colours are basic ceramic oxides often under a white matt glaze. He is continuously experimenting with his subject matter and his making process.

CERAMICS

Nic Stace makes ceramic sculptures that explore identity, change, and how we move through different roles in life. She works using a mix of handbuilding and slip casting, combining rough, heavily grogged clays with smooth porcelain. Her figures stand strong and grounded, but they have interchangeable heads and no clear front or back. This reflects the idea that identity is not fixed, and that we often shift how we present ourselves over time. Nic allows cracking, texture, and imperfections to remain visible, seeing them as an important part of the work rather than flaws. Humour is used to create warmth and connection, balancing more vulnerable themes. Drawing on personal experience, memory, and the physical realities of ageing, her sculptures invite viewers to reflect on resilience, adaptability, and the shared human experience of change.

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SCULPTOR

Nick was born 1960 in Hartley, Kent, and started sculpting aged 14. He attended Maidstone College of Art from 1979 to 1982, where he attained his degree in sculpture. He set up a mould making, casting and restoration business in South London, which operated for 5 years. He moved to Merseyside in 1991 and worked from Liverpool city centre. During this time, he lectured at Bolton Institute in Fine Art and Sculpture. He later moved to North Wales with his family in 2002, and continues to work from his home studio in Cilcain. Nick's sculptures are inspired by natural forms. In recent years, Nick has unveiled pieces in situ in both Cilcain and Ellesmere village.

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SILVERSMITH

Each piece of Ondine Designs jewellery is one of a kind and is handcrafted with sea glass collected along the coastline of Wales. Sea glass is created from glass that has been discarded to the sea with years of being worn by the ocean forms the small pieces into smoothed gems of glass. They are defined by a lovely frosting from the salt water and luminous glow under light. These gems with their beautiful irregularities and character are then crafted with a combination of recycled 925 silver along with fine silver into unique, elegant, pieces of jewellery.

FURNITURE MAKER

Paul’s career began with a Masters Degree in Furniture Design before setting up a workshop making bespoke pieces. This led to further opportunities to work for larger scale businesses, designing and manufacturing upholstery and cabinet product ranges for the main UK furniture retailers such as Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Next and key independent stores.

“My underlying ambition, however, was to eventually return to artisan design and my attendance at a creative green woodworking course in 2018 ignited my desire to make this happen.”

Based in beautiful North Wales with an abundant supply of sustainable and natural raw materials, each piece is crafted by hand using techniques such as steam-bending, green woodworking and decoupage. Favouring ash, oak and chestnut, Paul sources his timber from managed woodlands local to his workshop.

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CERAMICS

Paul works from a studio in Cardiff, producing individual pieces of stoneware ceramics, in which the emphasis is on ceramic form. Some pieces are thrown on the wheel, others coiled, and some produced using both techniques.

Coiling is a slow process, but has the advantage of allowing more time in which to consider and adapt the form of the vessel as it emerges. The pieces are fired to 1250-1280°C either in an electric kiln, or in a gas kiln which Paul has built himself. He has developed his own glazes sometimes using local materials especially wood ash.

In the field of ceramics, Paul’s creative influences range from prehistoric pottery to the work of modernist studio ceramicists such as Hans Coper.

Penelope Timmis is a distinctive British artist whose expressive paintings are rooted in a lifelong connection to nature and beautiful surroundings. With over two decades of professional practice, Penelope brings together bold colour, energy, and character in every brushstroke.

She paints from her studio beside a converted chapel nestled in the hills of Shropshire, where she now lives. Her rural surroundings, combined with a background spent raising a family whilst working on a dairy farm, influence her work. Nature is not just her subject, but also her lifelong environment, evident in her vibrant depictions of landscapes, animals, and florals.

Penelope frequently travels across the UK, from the coasts of Cornwall and Scotland to the mountains of Wales - as well as further afield to Europe and Australia. Whether painting a sweeping landscape, a stormy shoreline, or a flock of lively birds, her work is full of movement and personality, grounded in draughtsmanship and an intuitive sense of colour.

Animals, particularly birds, are popular alongside her landscapes, florals and interior paintings. She paints with flair and humour. She paints primarily from life, using sketchbooks and occasionally photographs to help translate her own experiences and commissions into a distinctive and uplifting visual language.

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This artist is on display in Glasfryn Hall. To arrange a viewing please email us: info@orielglasfryn.com

CERAMICS

Starting my adult life I trained and worked as a Toolmaker and development engineer. This satisfied me for a while, but I was desperate to be more creative. I had always had a passion for art and this was always a primary focus for me since childhood and an urge to pursue it was not going away. 

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I taught myself how to paint with oils and made sculptures with metal and other materials, but I didn't know how to be an artist or how an artist should work, this kept me in a kind of limbo of producing some pieces, but not knowing what to do next. Eventually at the age of

thirty two I sold my house and enrolled on a Foundation course at Hereford college of Art, where I discovered I was interested in ceramics as I felt this gave me everything I wanted as regards form, colour and texture. This led onto a degree course at Cardiff where I honed the

skill of throwing on the potter's wheel and studying stoneware glazes.

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As well as working at my studio I also ran the ceramic department at Hereford college of Art and then moving to teach at the Royal National College for the Blind. This work allowed me to develop a direct way of working with clay which came from constantly doing quick demos

for the students which is still active in my work today. I also gain an incredible amount of knowledge in this field during this time.

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This artist is on display in Glasfryn Hall. To arrange a viewing please email us on: info@orielglasfryn.com

OIL PAINTING

Rachel Stewart is a landscape oil painter from Llysfaen, North Wales. Rachels art education was at Bangor Art College.

Having grown up on the coast of Anglesey and Colwyn Bay, observing the weather the Irish Sea throws at it. This laid down a desire to capture it in paint. 

Working in her studio from observational drawings and watercolour sketches, she paints with vigour from eye to heart to hand. Laying down oil colour using a variety of techniques.

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This artist is on display in Glasfryn Hall. To arrange a viewing please email us: info@orielglasfryn.com

SILVERSMITH

Rebecca is a multi-award-winning designer, jeweller and silversmith based in Cardiff, South Wales.

​With a background in design and manufacture, a Bishopsland Educational Trust Fellow and honours graduate from Cardiff School of Art & Design, Rebecca has the ability to, as a maker, utilise a wide variety of processes to achieve her designs, often creating her own tools in wood and metal to both construct and decorate her pieces.

Rebecca’s works are predominantly inspired by a method of material and process exploration whilst considering notions, styles and artefacts from the past. More recently Rebecca has been examining the beautiful patterns and structures found within microscopic imagery and exploring how to incorporate and expose these hidden details into her work through texture and surface decoration.

​Texture is applied to Rebecca’s small- and large-scale pieces though ancient techniques such as; hammering, engraving, chasing, granulation, fusing and reticulation. Her work often incorporates a display Hallmark which is a mark stamped by the London Assay office -a process which began in the 1300’s, on articles of gold and silver certifying their standard of purity. Her latest designs, feature a sparkle texture which is created by hammering small diamonds onto the metals surface.

CERAMICS

Living and working within the Clwydian Range and lovely Vale of Clwyd, it seemed natural that Rebecca’s sculptural work would be influenced by her surroundings.

She is fascinated by the changes brought about by the seasons, erosion and the marks of man on the land. She uses black or white stoneware as her canvas, adding marks and texture before introducing colour through underglaze and various oxides. She prefers to leave the pieces unglazed which for her, seems more natural.

Her work hints at a journey...over a wall, through a gate, up the hills or perhaps down to the sea.

SILVERSMITH

Rock Rose Jewellery is made in Pembrokeshire by Welsh jeweller, Abigail Fosdike. Abigail began working with jewellery in 1998,managing a costume jewellery boutique in Bond Street, London. In 2006 she completed a silversmithing class and began making her own designs. Her first collection was a group of daffodils, the national flower of Wales. The jewellery is formed by hand, in silver, copper & gold using traditional jewellery making hand-tools and lost-wax casting of organic forms.

ACRYLIC AND COLLAGE PAINTINGS

Ronnie is a Professional Artist, now living and working on the Wirral. She was an Art Tutor in the North Wales Community for 20 years. When Ronnie retired from teaching, she continued her creative path and has become a recognised Artist in her own right. She was recently elected as an Associate Member of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art. She uses collaged papers and Acrylics to create the textural effects that have become recognisable as her personal style. She Exhibits and sells her original work in local and National Galleries, and has won several awards. Ronnie has recently completed a Commission from the National trust, Penrhyn Castle, where her design was selected for their Enhanced Giftware Range.

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This artist is on display in Glasfryn Hall. To arrange a viewing please email us: info@orielglasfryn.com

COMING SOON: NOVEMBER 1ST

Rosa Harradine is a broom and brush maker living in wild West Wales. Working with natural materials and traditional techniques, she creates objects that are both functional and beautiful - tools that impart a sense of presence. Her brushes and brooms are made to be used, yet they also hold their own as sculptural forms, honouring the everyday act of sweeping.

Rosa was chosen as a TOAST New Maker 2022 by the fashion and homewares brand who selected five makers demonstrating excellence in skill, originality and craftsmanship. This year, she was selected as one of the King’s Foundation’s ‘35 under 35,’ a network of makers and changemakers.

Rosa is passionate about sharing her heritage craft skills and regularly teaches brush and broom making workshops around the UK.

SILVERSMITH

Silver Hellebore Jewellery is handcrafted by Lise. Having always had a passion for jewellery and having fallen in love with Silversmithing, this new chapter for me brings together an exciting opportunity to be creative, produce beautiful objects and leave a legacy that can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Using 925 sterling silver and semi-precious gemstones my designs are influenced by the textures and landscapes around my studio in North Wales. Using various techniques including hammering, rolling, etching and folding, the play of light on my pieces is a key design principle and everything is made by hand.

Inspired by hills, plants and trees & rock formations, many of my designs are influenced by an ever-growing interest in our ancient landscapes & the way human’s respond to a sense of place.