Biscuit Tin opens on an artistic assortment

Nov 26 2009 by David Whetstone, The Journal

As art studios around the Ouseburn Valley prepare for their open weekend, David Whetstone visits a new kid on the block.

Daniel, who is the son of a judge, crafts furniture with a trademark double dovetail motif, resembling a bow tie.

Already he has a piece in the little gallery at the Biscuit Tin Studios, the boardroom of the old print works, and is appreciating the presence of other artists.

“I was in the gallery this morning and one of the glass makers was trying to fix a frame. I was able to help her with that and she might be able to help me when I’m making a mirror. There are these opportunities for collaboration.”

Sarah Grady, 27, did a law degree at Newcastle University but then signed up for an art foundation course at Newcastle College. “I enjoyed it so much that I ended up doing a foundation degree there and finished it at Northumbria last year.

“I think my mum would have loved me to do art in the first place but I didn’t have the confidence.”

Sarah specialises in highly unusual pictures which are part painting, part photo-montage and are based on old and new photos of Newcastle city scenes.

She was working in her parents’ loft until her mother found out about the new studios. Now Sarah has a window overlooking a pavement, the perfect showcase for her work.

Four people share one Biscuit Tin studio. Sam Knowles, who is a painter, is currently in residence with Amelia Davies, an illustrator who does delicate pen and ink drawings of people she sees on the street.

They share with Sam’s partner, sculptor Ellie O’Keeffe, and art teacher Annie Ravazallo.

Sam, 32, was born in Kent but studied fine art at Newcastle University and stayed on. “This is the first studio I’ve ever had but I’ve always rented flats with spare bedrooms.”

Sam, who is also the photography and print curator at The Biscuit Factory, is working on a series of paintings featuring birds and has made a series of paper collages on a similar theme.

Amelia, 35, was born in the Yorkshire Dales and studied illustration in Edinburgh before coming to Newcastle to do an arts management course. “I’ve been here ever since because I love it.”

Amelia takes her sketch book to cafes and captures people on the move. For the Open Studios she is offering prints of crowd scenes at St James’ Park, Tynemouth Market, the Great North Run and the Corbridge car boot sale.

As for Helen Grierson, the Biscuit Tin has got her out of her garden shed in Morpeth. “I was working in there for two years and getting cold, damp and fed up.”

Originally from Ashington, Helen spent 20 years as a primary school teacher in London before returning to the North East.

A mother-of-two, she studied glass-making at night class but is now working at it full-time.

The screen she will have on show this weekend is a collaboration with woodworker Tony Davidson.

Details of all this weekend’s Ouseburn openings on www.ouseburnopenstudios.org