Val from The Chair in Hay contacted me to tell me about an artist she thought I would like to meet and perhaps share an exhibition space with. She said that our work had parallels in terms of inspiration and technique and thought we would make a beautiful show together.
I was blown away when I looked at Bethany’s work. It is stunning.
Delicately strong shapes, beautiful organic marks, sensitive clever use of colour.
All things I try to find in my own work and love in others’.
We’ve shared conversations around art, life, career, music, the importance of a good biscuit.
Strangely, we both grew up in Bedfordshire and went to the same schools (me rather earlier than her!) and now both find inspiration in the hills of Wales.
Both of us come from a place of taking inspiration from nature and working with our chosen materials to create sensitive work that echoes nature and landscape and the human connection.
Our work is process driven. We explore the balance between control and un control that comes from using materials in an organic and fluid way, leaving room for ‘accidents’ to be embraced as an intrinsic part of the work.
In my case it is pouring, splashing, letting ink and oil settle, adding charcoal and leaving to the elements.
In Bethany’s, it’s dressing her exquisite coil built ceramic vessels in natural materials and using a primitive pit firing method to make that connection with earth.
I am so excited to see our work together.