A mounted acrylic painti...
Susan Betty Art
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“A bucketful of Bespoke Woodworky Loveliness”
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Hi, I'm Sasha and welcome to my artistic bubble.
In an age of mass production, standardisation and cheap prints, is there still a need for handcrafted artworks? Are there still people out there aware of and attracted by unique, crafted objects? If you are reading this then the quest for individuality, the appreciation of something unique, something exceptional is alive and well. Phew!
How Things Are Made:
When I start a new piece, there are some givens and plenty of unknowns. The givens are that I will make something of lasting integrity and that is how it is made. The milling needs to be precision accurate. The detailing can be intricate and unique for every individual segment of wood. Surface preparation and final sanding is all done by hand, block by bounteous block.
The unknown aspect of what I do, is how I will blend the knowledge of wood, and its changing properties, into a cohesive, pleasantly proportioned object. How this all unfolds is a bit more unquantifiable but fun nonetheless.
Some wildly exciting experimentation can begin with an exploration into block formations and patterns. Rearranging the grain directions or selecting a complimentary height gradually moving towards a happy balance between each neighbouring brick.
Then some decision time. Does the piece work in its natural form? Is the grain, colour and texture pleasurable enough to be left as is or does one introduce additional colour by means of stains, dyes, charring effects? It doesn't necessarily stop there either with a host of even further decorative affects like gilding or some other artistic adventure? This is my day. Days.
Where I work:
My studio is in an enchanted forest otherwise known as my back garden, in a small historic town called London, in England.
The studio, which I built myself, is situated near Wandle Creek in Merton, not far from Abbey Mills Market. Archaeology has shown that the area was active even in prehistoric times. Celtic warriors were roaming Wimbledon Village long before the tennis players of today. You can find the remnants of an Iron Age hill fort to the southwest of Wimbledon Common windmill. Coins, pottery and tiles have been found at the Creek crossing. In 1881, William Morris opened a factory at Merton Abbey producing high quality goods: printed and woven fabrics, stained glass, furnishings, tapestry and carpets. Morris is famous as a founder of the Arts and Craft Movement, which rejected the mass-produced workmanship of the industrial age. His company continued trading here until 1940.
Abbey Mills was also the base for Arthur Liberty, another eminent Victorian and founder of the famous Liberty's shops. The Liberty works produced thousands of yards of hand printed silks that made Liberty a household name. Coincidentally, my Wifebot, Netta, often remarks that I take liberties.
So with various artists having lived in this community (painters, sculptors, writers, photographers, blacksmiths, musicians) over the years, to me, that adds to the charm of working here. There is comfort in knowing others have carved out a living here doing what they are passionate about.
Other Thoughts:
How can I not be affected by transforming a mighty oak into artwork? It truly is a humbling process, seeing these large trees, which stood for hundreds of years, finally die or succumb to a naughty storm, to be born-again into delightful sculptures. How can I assure their second life in as a piece of art is as noble as their first? I cannot, but I can strive to do so each time. To do anything but my best, out of respect for these beautiful trees, would be a travesty. As a child, I played in and under some of the very trees that I was later was given the opportunity to use. How that connection influences my work is a feeling that is difficult to put into words. So I won't.
Hope you enjoy visiting my shop. Please pop round from time to time to peruse my latest creations. All designs are bespoke so feel free to contact me for any colour, size or pattern requests you may have.
Sasha
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