THE Coach House Studios at Yeldall Manor is expanding to offer workshops to all and is inviting people to come along to its next open studios in November.
Bespoke furniture maker Steve Hedger initially set up Chissock Woodcraft on the site in 2006 and has since been joined by seascape and landscape artist Claire Howlett, ceramicist Vallari Harshwal, embroiderer and artist Ekta Kaul and graphic artist Joseph Hayward.
The five resident artists and makers will be joined by seven guest artists, including jeweller Wendy Penrose and ceramicist Hannah Wilson, showcasing their work in woodcraft, art, pottery, embroidery, jewellery, lampshades, drawings and photography, which will be available to buy.
The exhibition will be in the Coach House, a barn in the grounds of the manor, which is a drug and alcohol recovery centre for men in Bear Lane, Hare Hatch. Steve was treated there for alcoholism when he was in his forties, several decades ago.
He is passionate about working with reclaimed timber, to fashion it into contemporary, beautiful and useful pieces of furniture.
He says: “We have begun to offer creative workshops to those in recovery from drink and drugs. We have been trialling workshops this year, doing pottery and woodworking. I hope to develop this over the coming months so that we can offer regular creative therapy sessions.
“The results have been very rewarding — the chopping boards made by the guys sold out at our last open day.
“All of our resident artists are committed to providing creative workshops. These are not only therapeutic but also allow our residents to try out different creative activities. This is important for long-term recovery as it can be the beginning of a new hobby or pastime. Many of our guys have not been able to explore their creative side.
“In the near future, exciting bespoke courses and workshops will also be offered to the general public from the Coach House Studios by the individual artists, so the open studios event is a great time to find out about that too.”
The artists are all passionate about their fields and have many years’ experience between them, having exhibited around the world. They are delighted to be showcasing their works at the second open studios event.
Claire, who lives in Rotherfield Greys, has just moved into a larger studio space at the premises. She will be joined by Shiplake jeweller Wendy Penrose, one of the organisers of Henley Arts Trail.
Claire says: “It’s such a beautiful place and I so wanted to be there in that working environment. When I first moved there, the only place they had was a tiny little attic, which was utterly charming but very small and in the eaves with a windy staircase, so getting wide canvases was just tricky.
“So, in June, half a barn became available in the grounds, it’s beautiful, wooden and large with double doors.
“Steve kindly put another couple of windows in, so it’s now the perfect art studio. It’s big and airy and my little dog, Forest, can sit at the door and he can run round the grounds.
“We’ve got acres of grounds, so it’s really lovely. It’s a wonderful place to be and as far as wellbeing and peace, there’s something really quite magical about it. Yeldall Manor is a Christian rehab centre for men who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction issues. Steve went through the programme many years ago and subsequently developed the Coach House as a training centre.
“All of the work that has been done there has been facilitated by him and his vision and dedication has turned it into something quite spectacular.
“You just don’t expect it to be there. You drive down the drive and there are these massive redwood trees either side as you come in and then there’s the manor and the coach house and other subsidiary buildings. It’s just beautiful, there’s no two ways about it.”
Taking her inspiration from the beauty, wildness and serenity of the natural world, Claire says she aims to capture the raw mood and essence of a place, with a focus on water and light. This is translated in a non-representational way into her paintings.
Claire says: “For me, the energy that is born from the sense of a place is what inspires the work, the residual memory of being immersed in that landscape.
“The natural world, especially the coastline, rivers and mountains, resonates deep within. It is my solace, my joy and my sanctuary. I find the seascape, the energy that comes from being by the coast, even if it’s quite a tranquil day, there’s something about the atmosphere that’s quite bold, whereas the river is always more gentle.
“For me, my painting, the landscape, the environment translates on to the canvas, so it’s really, if I’m in a wilder environment, by the sea, that comes through.
“I have always felt a deep connection with the earth, an ingrained, visceral love that is stored in the core of who I am — it is that I strive to share, via my work.”
Claire has plans to open up her studio to visitors once a month and in the new year, she will be running classes and workshops on expressive landscape painting from her new studio.
Vallari Harshwal and Ekta Kaul are also doing workshops and all are welcome.
Potter Vallari trained as a ceramic designer in India, gaining a scholarship to study ceramics at Edinburgh College of Art. She has been practising ceramics for nearly 30 years. Her handcrafted and hand-illustrated tableware is influenced by her childhood memories and connections.
Embroiderer and artist Ekta grew up in India and trained at the National Institute of Design. She came to the UK to do a master’s in textiles nearly 20 years ago. She likes to tell stories of place, identity and belonging in her textile creations.
Joseph Hayward creates three-dimensional, tactile, textured art. Inspired by time spent living in Japan, he works with wood pieces, building up layers of ceramic acrylic modelling paste on a base layer of black gesso.
• The open studios at the Coach House at Yeldall Manor, featuring Steve Hedger, Claire Howlett, Vallari Harshwal, Ekta Kaul, Joseph Hayward and seven other artists, take place on Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17 from 10am to 5pm. There will be live music and refreshments including cake, with the revenue from this going to support Yeldall Manor. There is free entry and ample parking. For more information, go to clairehowlettart.com, www.chissockwoodcraft.co.uk, vallariharshwal.com, www.ektakaul.com or josephhayward.wordpress.com
