Keith Pettit - Wood Engraver (and friend of the fair)

This year Keith will not be at the fair as he's mega busy with his own event on Fisher St, but he has very kindly (and generously) offered to still support us at Artists and Makers by donating 10% of all his sales on the day to Artists and Makers! which we are incredibly grateful for : ) 

read on to find out more from Keith about who will be there...

"We had such an amazing time at Fisher Street during Artwave this year (as well as having enormous fun, we also came in the top three of the public vote for Artwave's 'Favorite Venue'). We've decided to open it as a Christmas Shop.

Lewes based, award winning jeweller Phoebe Sherwood and I will be joined by Eloise Nash a West Sussex based ceramicist who exhibited with me at the Hive during Artwave '15. Her beautiful, delicate ceramics are all inspired by english summer meadows.

And also joining us at our Christmas shop is Wolfram Löhr. Hove based Wolram produces sharp designs in leather accessories with an obvious passion for his craft.

We are all delighted to announce that our shop will be supporting the Artist and Makers Fair at the Town Hall on Saturday 3rd of December - with 10% of all sales going to support the Friends Of Western Road School. So do drop in during your visit to the incredible Artist and Makers fair next door, at the Town Hall.

You can meet all of us at our launch on the night of Lewes Late Night Shopping - Thursday 1st December 6pm to 9pm. I shall be there working on my latest wood engraving - the Adana printing press will be set up for young - and the not so young to have a go on - to produce you very own print.

Our shop will be open daily from the 1st of December 10 until 4.30 Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

We really look forward to meeting you at our shop during December!"

AURICULA - Hand crafted jewellery

Natasha Caughey designs and creates elegant, timeless jewellery inspired by the shapes, colours and texture of gemstones and freshwater pearls. These stones are hand-selected on her trips to China and India, and she is especially drawn to stones with unusual cuts and tones. 

Each piece of jewellery is hand-crafted, and you can find pieces to suit any occasion, from a chunky bold statement necklace to exquisitely delicate items. 

Natasha founded the company, Auricula, in 2006 after working for five years as a jewellery buyer and designer in central London.

www.auricula.co.uk

Kathy Laird - Ceramic Artist

I am a ceramic artist based in Brighton. I studied at Aberdeen Art College but have been making pots in my Brighton studio since 2001.

I like to use my love of plants and trees as influences for my work and have recently been really inspired by our feathered friends and I'm creating robins and seagulls for the Lewes Artists and Makers Fair There will be an assortment of Christmas decorations and affordable unique hand made gift ideas in porcelain and stoneware.

To find out more visit : 
http://www.kathylaird.co.uk/ceramics

Julie El French - Artist

Julie El French

Using the sewing machine as a tool for continuous line drawing, my work explores

movement and texture with often unpredictable outcomes, which have been likened to

ink illustration.

My current work has a focus on the wild side of nature and dance, each piece is unique and one off. 

The speed and capricious nature of the sewing machine, when used in this unconventional way reflects characteristics of the subjects. 

Using reclaimed fabric, paper and handmade felt opens new opportunities to discover how the stitched marks respond to different surfaces, pulling or embossing a piece of work in sympathy with the surface.

Threads are purposely left loose over or around the image to allow the illusion of more depth and movement.

Clare Beaton - Childrens Book Illustrator

Clare Beaton is an illustrator working in fabric and paper collage. She mainly works as a children's book illustrator but has also produced greetings cards, posters, prints and a variety of other products designed and illustrated by her. Original artwork is for sale and viewing!

To find out more about Clare and her work go to her website

www.clarebeaton.com

Clare Buckle - Illustrator and Screen Printer

Clare Buckle’s striking graphic images explore the shapes and structures of industrial and urban spaces including power stations, storage sheds and processing and distribution units.  She is particularly interested in places where access is denied, allowing an interplay between observed exterior and imagined interior.   Her screen prints employ block colour with a photographic layer providing a level of ‘reality’ that is sometimes more, sometimes less distinct, allowing the viewer to invent the interior space in their own mind.

Clare studied Illustration at the Royal College of Art, and has worked as an artist and illustrator since graduating.

www.clarebuckle.com 

Leigh Hodgkinson - Wonky Button

Leigh Hodgkinson graduated from the University of Hull in 1998 with a first in graphic design and went on to study Animation Direction at the National Film and Television School. Leigh has worked in the animation industry since then making award winning animated short films amongst other more commercial projects.

Leigh is passionate about writing, illustrating and making things. Since 2008 she has created a gaggle of picture books (published by Orchard, Nosy Crow and Bloomsbury) which have been translated into many languages around the world.

Leigh also likes to design and make things for her Wonkybutton online shop and is quite terrible at relaxing. She writes a diary every day and likes swimming, stripes and buttons. She is not so keen on slugs, tidying or parking.

She is currently art-directing an exciting new animated pre-school television show "Tolibob" for Cbeebies which is due to hit the screens early 2017. She co-created the show with her husband Steve Smith (of Beakus).

www.wonkybutton.com