We are very lucky in Corsham to have our own Arts Centre, dedicated to providing a year round programme of performances, workshops, youth theatre and exhibitions. The Pound Arts is a very short walk from The Almshouses and is home to 3 of our artists who can be found in residence at The Pound.
Caroline is a fine artist and animator and illustrator. She works primarily in the beautiful medium of Egg Tempera, producing rich portraits and still lifes which evoke icon and medieval painting. In watercolour, Caroline produces diverse works showcasing the natural world, and also delicate and detailed miniature portraits. As well as being artistic, she is also poetic; when asked to tell us a little about herself, she said:
“I’m a painter….Egg Tempera, gold leaf, Watercolour, oils, silverpoint…..
Printmaker…..linocut is my thing….
Illustrator…..digital, traditional…..
Animator…..stop mo, paints, paper cut-outs…..
Artist…..living the dream….”
But, Caroline is also rooted in reality; a typical day involves; “Admin, nail biting, procrastinating, tea drinking, deadlines, panic, elbow grease, podcasts and the occasional paintbrush!”. All this takes place in “my lovely studio at Pound Arts Centre which is mostly organised chaos with paintings on walls, easels, and sometimes stacked on the floor – all being looked after by Stuart the Studio Skeleton.
Possibly, the grooviest artist on this Peacock Arts Trail, Alex is a full-time professional guitar luthier specialising in the construction of gypsy jazz guitars. As well as building guitars, he also teaches guitar playing (in the style of Django Reinhardt), holds private guitar making classes and offers a full repair service for stringed musical instruments.
Alex says, “My passion as a guitar maker comes from a life-long obsession with making things. From a young age, I have always tried to manipulate objects and materials in order to create something entirely different. I find that working with wood is a way for me to connect with nature. The simple act of shaping wood to make something functional or beautiful brings me endless satisfaction.”
Libby’s cool, calm and collected ceramics are inspired by a childhood spent growing up on an island:
The colours and forms that I make are all inspired by my upbringing on the Isle of Wight; I find that this has such a calming effect on me and I try to portray this in my work. I use photography as a starting point to capture my interests in colour, shape and form and make my own glazes from tried and tested recipes, which I hope produces a blend of colours that people can see the coastline in. My work is all hand thrown on the potter’s wheel. I use a blend of stoneware clays to get the perfect speckle that I am after.”
Libby enjoys being an Artist in Residence at Corsham’s Pound Arts Centre. “It’s lovely to have studio in a creative hub where there is lots going on and having fellow makers nearby. My studio is usually pretty full of pots in progress, pots to be glazed and loaded into the kiln and also parcels to be sent out. I try and keep it tidy but this often runs away from me!”
Caroline & Alex will also be offering workshops/demonstrations during the Trail.