Below is a selection of biographies of the designers that we regularly feature in our Arundel store. We may not always have items from all these designers.
- Lyn Antley
Jewellery designer maker - Lyn creates fairytale inspired jewellery from gold, silver, platinum.
- The animal brooches have distinct personalities and each have their own names such as 'Dancing Hare' or 'Naughty Fox'.
- Lyn incorporates secret inscriptions and images to the underside of her pieces.
- Her work is known in America, Australia, Germany, Austria, Norway, Japan and Arundel!
- Cathy D'Arcy
Ceramicist - A childhood spent in Kuwait and Africa has translated this experience into a personal creative and contemporary statement.
- Porcelain bowls are thrown, disks and cylinders formed, and assembled to create vessels.
- Working from the East End, London, Cathy decorates surfaces in bold bands of black velvet, striking a contrast with the white porcelain.
- Cathy's work has been exhibited from Newcastle to Southwold, and now Arundel.
- Dee Ayles
Jeweller - Dee loves to explore the shapes of nature within her designs, and uses stone where possible to add colour and texture to the silver and gold.
- Janet Bolton
Textile artist - Creating textile pictures using the simplest of techniques.
- Working directly with the fabric, she combines colour and imagery, re-arranging her materials until the composition is complete.
- Drawing is done by cutting the shapes and turning in the edge of the fabric with the needle.
- This process allows a wonderful directness and freedom.
- The observations that seed her imagery are made while sketching.
- Janet is on the Craft Council Selected Index of Makers. Her work is in the British Council Collection the Craft Council Permanent Collection and the Embroiderers Guild Museum Collection.
- She exhibits worldwide and has been a visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art and the V&A Museum.
- Diana Cox
Ceramicist - Inspired by delicate textiles, shells, and seed-pods, Diana combines these elements into her work.
- She hand-builds her pieces with white earthenware paper clay, and fires the glaze at 1,120 degrees. The emphasis is on achieving a preciousness of both form and texture.
- Diana won the 'Best Decorated Piece' award at the Morley Gallery in 2001, and won a 'Judge's Commendation' in 2002.
- Carrie Anne Funnell
Fused glass art - "...the creation of beautiful one-off glassware, looking to combine the hard, soft, light, dark, smooth and rough textures that glass provides..."
- Her work is moving towards the realm of fine art adapting a more minimalist style.
- Public and private commissions are in progress and our gallery has been supplied with unique pieces.
- Carrie has a 1st class BA in 3D glass design, exhibits across the UK, and is sponsored by a major glass manufacturer.
- Polly George
Contemporary ceramics - Butterfly vases, teapots, bowls, and jars in stunning white designs - it's no surprise that Polly is stocked by Heal's, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Conran and JAM!
- Hand-made by Polly in her studio in Kent, using slip cast techniques, the butterflies are then individually made and applied.
- She has won awards at the renowned Country Living Fair, and her work has featured in Elle Decoration, House & Garden, Homes & Garden.
- Rupert Johnstone & Alice Hartford
Ceramicists - Highly individualistic ceramics ranging from functional domestic ware such as mugs, teapots and jars to one-off large studio vessels.
- Each piece is hand made and only available in limited quantities.
- Rupert and Alice also work with schools and the community running workshops and creating work for public places.
- Peter Lloyd
Boxmaker - A craftsman from Cumbria, Peter made this jewellery box from Burr Oak, found fallen in a Lake District valley.
- The pegs 'bog-oak', are 4,000 years old, stained black by time.
- The excitement, enthusiasm and skill with which he creates his pieces is self evident.
- The trays fit with precision and are lined underneath with watered silk.
- The nature of wood makes every piece, perfectly, a one-off.
- Jane Martin
Silversmith - Often exhibiting in Londons West End, Jane skill at producing highly unusual, almost organic jewellery has given her well deserved recognition.
- Each piece is individualistic and takes many hours working carefully at the silversmith's bench.
- Chris Rose
Textile artist - Each cushion is a one-off following a theme.
- The embroidery around the bobbles depicts pollen.
- Chris also makes cushions that would look great in any garden or conservatory, and they are often mistaken for large seed packets!
- Heather Swain
Potter - Heather Swain lives and works two miles from the sea in beautiful Cornwall and has produced her colourful range of handmade tableware since 1986.
- She works in her garden studio in a leafy valley, making pieces to order for shops, galleries.
- Inspired by the working environment of a rural farming area, the stunning views of moor-land, the wonderful rugged North Cornwall coast, the wild seas, and all the creatures that inhabit these.
- Belle Walker
Designer & maker - For over 15 years Belle has received worldwide recognition for the work produced in her West Midlands studio.
- Originally a glassware designer, she felt restricted by the physicality of the medium.
- A passion for the beauty of wood developed.
- The warmth and beauty, together with the colours and textures of the wood are predominant in Belle's designs. Precious metals and sandblasting enhance the design.
- Belle has a reputation as an exciting wood-turner of our times.
- Chrissy White
Inspirational jewellery - A unique collection of crystal jewellery.
- Each piece is designed to increase your level of awareness, and enhance the connection with your authentic self.
- Allison Wiffen
Urban vernacular textured vessels - Allison Wiffen graduated with first class honours from Camberwell College of Art in 2003.
- Since then she has continued her exploration of the vessel as a sculptural piece.
- Shards of vessels - utilitarian, decorative and sacred - are amongst the earliest human artefacts we have, and as such connect us strongly with the past.
- But reminders of the past all around us; the peeling layers of paint and paper left on walls, decades, even centuries old graffiti, traces of previous lives, reminding us of the fleeting nature of human existence.