Sally Raven, who is an incredibly gifted potter, manages the gallery while her sister, Emma, runs the tea room and cafe. And you haven't lived until you have tasted one of Emma's regionally acclaimed pastries!
Below are gorgeous wood fired porcelain pieces by Sally Raven. I traded a reliquary for several of her pieces and my husband and I absolutely love them and use them every single day.
Wendy and I visited on a day that they were catering an event. They have a modern deck with sweeping views of the Cheshire Plain. This coupled with the elegant gallery full of art and scrumptious treats by Emma make for a popular venue.
I couldn't resist taking some pictures of the food, as a former caterer and restaurant manager. Yummm!
And last but oh, not least, the gorgeous artwork. They carry a very enticing array of jewelry, glass and ceramics by well-known makers as well as emerging artists.
Janice Parker is one of their resident artists. I loved her whimsical, fun works!
Based in Chester, Janice is a contemporary artist/maker
who combines various materials and techniques to produce
three-dimensional imaginary worlds. She is drawn to the
kitsch and quirky - things which make her smile such as
automata, robots and flying plaster ducks.
who combines various materials and techniques to produce
three-dimensional imaginary worlds. She is drawn to the
kitsch and quirky - things which make her smile such as
automata, robots and flying plaster ducks.
In the past she has used resin, fabric, felt, wood and
copper to realise her ideas.However, her most recent work is
copper to realise her ideas.However, her most recent work is
constructed from slip cast and hand built porcelain to
which she has applied her own illustrations in the form of
transfers. These porcelain pieces are then further enhanced
by the addition of patinated copper and wooden elements.
The design of the individual pieces harks back to the
tradition of 17th Century Staffordshire flat-back figurines.
which she has applied her own illustrations in the form of
transfers. These porcelain pieces are then further enhanced
by the addition of patinated copper and wooden elements.
The design of the individual pieces harks back to the
tradition of 17th Century Staffordshire flat-back figurines.
Entitled 'The Thieves of Time, the Magpies and the Star
Machine, this piece is a scene from a tale from my imagination.
The Thieves of Time control the movement of the stars and the
Machine, this piece is a scene from a tale from my imagination.
The Thieves of Time control the movement of the stars and the
production of 'time' - they make the world go around.
Having trapped and trained magpies (rewarding them with
peanuts!) to steal items concerned with timekeeping - watches,
clocks, egg-timers, etc - they then extract the tiny bits
of time still contained in the mechanisms by putting them
into their star machine. These stars shoot out into the
universe and thus replace the time we humans are frittering
away.
Having trapped and trained magpies (rewarding them with
peanuts!) to steal items concerned with timekeeping - watches,
clocks, egg-timers, etc - they then extract the tiny bits
of time still contained in the mechanisms by putting them
into their star machine. These stars shoot out into the
universe and thus replace the time we humans are frittering
away.
I'm a relatively new follower to your blog... and a fan of your work. This gallery looks great. I live in the US, so I might not get there until my way-in-the-future visit to the UK, but someday!
ReplyDeleteI've always had a fantasy of combining art with a great tea room/library, but I don;t want to run it, just visit frequently,so, alas, we don't have one nearby yet!
Thank you! It is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in that area of England. I, too,wish we had more craft galleries like this in the US. Sally and Emma make a visit to their place a study in warm hospitality. I would never leave their deck if I lived nearby!
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