Thanks for all the comments on Facebook during the past couple of months. Glad some of you enjoyed seeing the work. I’m now sharing the blog address so all the artists’, craftspeople’s and makers’ work can be seen together like a private view. Have a glass of Pinnock’s Gin, and browse. Cheers!
Today I’ve got to my 50th creative and will now only add artists to my blog/page from time to time. If I’ve missed anyone, it’s likely to be down to a failure of my detective skills to find a set of images. So today I’m sharing the work of an ex-colleague who left arts academia to focus on his nano-distillery. #50 Dan Beckett of Pinnock Gin. It’s fitting as it’s his birthday today, (Happy Birthday, Dan!), and since I am also sharing my blog address, you could have glass of Pinnock at a virtual private view of all the artists’/makers’ work.
Although a relatively new kid on the block, multi-award-winning Pinnock Gin has already been featured in Vogue and GQ magazines. The distillery is named after the cottage where Dan creates his products and he uses locally sourced honey, lavender and quince, accompanied by juniper, coriander, angelica, cassia, cardamom seeds, orange peel and cubeb pepper from around the world. With it’s stylish packaging and unique taste, it makes a great gift but equally inviting as a treat in these trying times for those who like to imbibe.
For local stockists check out the website and facebook page.
https://www.pinnockdistillery.com/
My artist of the day is no stranger to the Warwickshire arts community even though he left the nest nearly twenty years ago, first for the capital, and then to live the good life in Suffolk. #49 Bill Jackson. As an artist, Bill never stands still. He is a photographer, filmmaker, conceptualist, performer and sound artist.He trained in the radical early 70’s at Coventry School Of Art and his formative experience of drawing and mark making continues to inform his thinking and work practice. Always an early and enthusiastic adopter of technology his work has moved through analogue photography to combine with digital formats, exploring conceptual, fine art and documentary projects. He has recently been involved in the production of a film for The Sainsbury Centre at UEA and Messums Gallery on the sculptor Laurence Edwards and the creation of a new work ‘Man Of Stones’ for the Sculpture Park at UEA. This was nominated for Best Short Documentary for the Carmarthen Bay Film Festival 2020 and a Semi Finalist for Best Short Documentary at the Cannes International Independent Film Festival 2020.
Bill has become an expert in night photography capturing the sea, meteorological events, and the natural energy of the environment, leading to some exciting and enigmatic images.
His work has been exhibited worldwide, and he has won many international awards for his prints and films, including a Gold and Silver at The Tokyo International Awards and screened a film at the 2019 Venice Biennale. https://www.billjackson.photography/
My lockdown artist today is also keeping within the family. #48 Rodney Philcox, my father. My father studied at Hastings School of Art where he met my mother. He studied painting, graphics/typography, printmaking, and also did some ceramics. He went on to make a career in visual merchandising when shop windows offered cavernous spaces for the creative imagination, first with Plummer Roddis and then the Alders Group. He won various awards and as kids we had the excitement of having privileged entry to his magical Christmas grottoes as well as having the best Christmas decorations at home! He was also a prolific signwriter, screen-printing and hand lettering at home almost every night. Because of him, I had an awareness of, and interest in, typography from childhood, and shop windows were something we would specifically go and look at on trips to London and examine at holiday destinations. Dad’s interest in art has never waned.,He works mainly in watercolour and with my mother, was an active member of the Tunbridge Wells Arts Society before moving to Leamington Spa where he has exhibited with the Stratford Art Society.
My artist in lockdown today is Judith Philcox – my mother. The photos don’t do her work justice as I’ve scanned small photos, but my mother studied at Ealing and Hastings art schools specialising in embroidery, printmaking and painting. She has also experimented with pottery. She developed precise seamstress skills in the workrooms at Jacqmar in London which meant as kids my sister and I rarely needed to buy clothes in a shop! Having us, and then a career in teaching meant that she sadly wasn’t able to pursue her aims of becoming a theatrical costume designer, but she passed on her love of theatre to my daughter who has found herself somewhat following in her footsteps (combined with quite a few of my Dad’s). A claim to fame is that she taught Joanna Lumley way back when at St Mary’s Convent School in Hastings, but she has had an influence on many young people’s lives, kick starting their education in reception using art in every corner of their curriculum.
Today for my artist in lockdown I’m sharing the work of emerging artist #46 Sophie Perkins. I first met Sophie when she was a toddler and I was lucky to develop a friendship with her lovely family before they escaped the Midlands for Teignmouth. I have therefore only been able to watch her work evolve from afar. She has blossomed into a thoughtful and confident fine artist, having just graduated with first class honours from Falmouth University. Her work explores the idea of the inner landscape, a painterly embodiment of the interplay of the body, mind and the physical environment, encapsulating the experience of, and engagement with a place, In recent months she has been experimenting with the soak-stain technique favoured by Helen Frankenthaler, a process that involves physical gesture and elements of chance but also carefully considered control. You can see her development as an artist on her website: https://www.sophieperkins.co.uk/
Artist of the day today is Mo Enright. Mo has been working as a professional artist for many years. I met her even longer ago when we both worked at Warwickshire College. We even shared an office at one point, and I was able to benefit from her experience. Mo is from North Yorkshire and holds a first degree in Fine Art, and a Masters in the History of Art and Design, and is particularly knowledgeable about Cornish painting. South Leamington residents may have seen her large scale paintings either side of the altar in St Mary’s Church but her work is widely exhibited and held in private and corporate collections worldwide.
My artist in lockdown today is one of my oldest friends, #44 Rupert Gilham. I used to travel down to sunny Hastings on the train every day with Rupert when I was first at art school. What larks we had, especially at the end of year party. Since then he’s worked as a senior art director for a big agency but now works more with local businesses down in Sussex. He creates bespoke caricatures for birthdays, anniversaries, retirements and corporate events under his company Rupert Red Boots Caricatures. www.redboots.co.uk
Another potter for my lockdown artist series. Zoe is a specialist in naked raku. That isn’t, thankfully, creating raku pots in the buff but rather a variation of the raku technique which I would encourage you to explore on YouTube in case I explain it wrongly! Zoe hand builds, and casts, but also uses the wheel. As with many potters, organic forms inspire her, and life drawing is an important ongoing practice to inform her work. I have had the pleasure of watching Zoe experiment in Warwickshire College’s studios, generously sharing her knowledge. In normal circumstances you would be able to see her pieces at ceramics festivals, makers’ fairs, exhibitions and open studio events.
Demiurge 