Cornwall LivingIssue #146
Reasons to be cheerful
Capturing the essence of Cornwall in ceramic form. Words by Jilly Easterby. Images by Ian Kingsnorth.
Where better to be than Cornwall when the countryside wakes from its winter slumber and resounds with bright and breezy birdsong; when buds burst, bulbs pop with spring colour and the pull of the tide cannot be denied?
Spring is also a time for sprucing up, turning out and new beginnings as hundreds of Cornish creatives prepare to throw open the doors of their studios and workshops to showcase their artistry, reveal their processes and share their experiences through Open Studios Cornwall, which runs from Saturday 25th May to Sunday 2nd June.
This event heralds a cultural awakening too as we select which curious spaces in beautiful places to visit, follow the distinctive orange Os that lead us to them, immerse ourselves in the spectrum of genres – from painting, pottery and printmaking to weaving and woodturning – and be inspired by the ideas that underpin them. It enables us to meet the participants and hear their stories, purchase original, affordable art and design, and embrace the power of creativity to raise our spirits.And that is precisely what ceramicist, Julia Crimmen, delivers in abundance: creative Cornish coastal cheer.
What she creates with her hands, with patience, passion and precision, quite simply makes you smile. Whether it is her thrown pots peppered with polka dots; the spots and stripes of her contemporary stoneware mugs, or the quirky bird sculptures that she permeates with personality, Julia captures quintessential Cornwall in her exuberant homeware and chirpy collectibles.
Working from her garden studio in Porkellis, Julia designs and makes wheel-thrown porcelain and stoneware ceramics that offer stylish functionality, and imbues them with the blue hues and natural neutrals of her rural surroundings.
“I use a white stoneware clay with a beautiful fleck that shines through; stencils and wax to build up pattern and texture, and rich, glossy glazes to enhance those details,” explains Julia of her technique. “I decorate by hand with dots and dashes in gold and indigo, or, in the case of porcelain, embellish with botanical imprints, to evoke my love of the Cornish coast and the hedgerows of home.”
That notion of home is the catalyst for Julia’s creativity. An idyllic childhood, not far from where she now lives with her husband; a close family and the lifelong friends she has made along the way, infuse her work with an innate sense of joy.
“I haven’t moved very far,” laughs Julia. “Mum and Dad rented a dairy farm from the National Trust for over 50 years, and the farmhouse opposite Church Cove car park at Gunwalloe was our family home. With two sisters and a brother, growing up was filled with simple pleasures. The neighbours at the top of the hill had five children and we used to make camps and ride ponies bareback on the beach. I married my husband in the church there. I have lots of happy memories. My creative journey began there too, taking photographs of sunsets from an early age.” But it was not until Julia had raised her own family that she began to hanker after a new kind of creative pursuit.
Whilst working in a local primary school, she utilised her skills to produce learning materials for a pupil with a visual impairment and it was thanks to this rewarding experience that Julia returned to making.
“I enjoyed creating tactile pictures and Braille books, which enabled her to join in with her friends in the class,” says Julia. “With my family’s encouragement, I then enrolled as a part-time, mature student on University College Falmouth’s Foundation Diploma in Art & Design in 2006.
“Initially, I was drawn to printmaking, building up texture with collagraphs and embossing into paper. My final piece was a collection of porcelain vessels with embossed designs, which set me firmly on my path. I realised that I was attracted to texture and it is all about the feel with ceramics.
“Now, I produce three different shapes of mug and invite people to pick them up to feel which one is right for them. How things feel in the hand is all important, not just the colour.”
After Falmouth, Julia enrolled on a ceramics course at Truro College and attended intensive workshops at Newlyn School of Art, which not only informed her practice but also instilled in her a love of Cornish coastal artwork.
“I love Jack Doherty’s bowls that he creates with a soda firing technique to produce that crystal blue water colour; Emma Jeffryes’ jaunty nautical style; Benjamin Warner’s moody, misty views of Loe Bar and Emma Dunbar’s depictions of Daymer Bay.”
As an avid walker and cyclist, Julia immerses herself in the Cornish countryside at every opportunity, taking inspiration from ferns, grasses and leaves; the shadows cast by the sun, the colours of Cornwall and the birds of the air.
“Out on the cliffs, you see gorse, sea pinks, the lovely greens, heathers, the hues of the sea and sky – colours you just don’t get anywhere else. If I don’t get to the sea, I really struggle. The call of the ocean is strong! I have got to be outdoors.”
Alongside her popular thrown work, Julia models small sculptures of birds and other animals, each with their own distinct character.
“It started with Jenny Wren at the back door looking for spiders. There’s that thing about wrens being incarnations of people who are no longer with us – and robins. Wrens and robins are so delightful to make. Someone will ask me to make a chough or an oystercatcher and I will research it. Starting at the beak, I use my hands to pinch and model the shape I am looking for. Its individual personality evolves as I work. Some look cheeky, some look quizzical. My birds are popular at the craft fairs I attend because the lovely people who buy them always tell me that they make them smile.”
And that is the unerring essence of Julia Crimmen’s ceramics: handmade with care, rooted in Cornwall and designed to bring joy.
For more information about Open Studios Cornwall, and how to visit the featured artist’s studio and curate your own creative trail, visit www.openstudioscornwall.co.uk
For more information about Julia Crimmen Ceramics, visit www.juliacrimmenceramics.co.uk
Artists Profiles
some of the many artists featured at this year’s Open Studios
Sharon Reeves
Painting – St Ives
Sharon is passionate about the Cornish landscape and enjoys working with acrylics. A new garden studio awaits, bursting with paintings of local scenes. Her coastal location inspires her to paint the rapidly changing sand dunes; aiming to capture the moment, whilst imagining what has gone before and what will follow.
Russell Martin
Ceramics – Duloe, near Looe
Russell is a former art teacher who creates hand-built ceramic vessels inspired by Cornwall, its history and lore. Birds, fish and ancient tales inspire his designs, which continually evolve. He individually decorates each piece using the sgraffito technique, which he discovered as an extension of his lino and woodcut printmaking.
instagram.com/artyruss_
Veframé
Textile Art – Krowji, Redruth
Veframé keeps traditional textile techniques alive, applying them to modern and contemporary designs. Large scale handmade pieces, created from organic, recycled and second-hand materials, transform emotions into tangible beauty and embrace a sustainable work ethic that respects nature and goes against the destructive, fast-paced, mass-produced world we live in today.
Cornish Spoons
Woodcraft – Trew, near Helston
Cornish Spoons design and craft their unique wooden utensils and keepsakes by hand from responsibly resourced timber and, where possible, from reclaimed wood, sourced from the local area. Unlike mass-produced products, each spoon and scoop is individually crafted using traditional tools, and incorporates sea glass, fossils and semi-precious stones.
Angela Annesley
Painting/Printmaking – St Just, Land’s End
Angela’s striking, graphic style offers an original interpretation of Cornwall’s wild seas, rolling hills and winding streets. Her woodcuts and linoprints are defined by the bold shapes, outlines and textures of the natural world. The jewel-like colours of her paintings, in oils and mixed media, are reminiscent of stained glass.
