Heidi’s brush skills on show
Chris Barber 23-02-07. Heidi Berry Artist and illustrator.
pictured at her home and in her home studio in Chipping.
Published on Sunday 17 October 2010 23:44
BRABIN’S Shop, Gallery and Tea-Garden in Chipping has launched at exhibition
of work by local watercolour artist and writer Heidi Berry.
Heidi lives in the village and writes a regular column in Lancashire Life
about the trials and tribulations of combining self-sufficiency with raising
a son and running a creative business.
Her show is on the ground floor of the barn, to the rear of Brabin’s Shop, and includes original artwork and hand made greetings cards.
She has recently produced a new range of local cards featuring various places of interest in the Forest of Bowland. Her art commissions range from £30 – orders for Christmas are being taken – and she will be in the barn working on them during specific artist-in-residence days.
Brabin’s owner, Paul Hunt, explained that the permanent exhibition will compliment those held in the gallery, which usually change on a monthly basis during the summer months.
“This year there will be a Winter Open Exhibition featuring 12 local artists and craftspeople running from November to the end of February,” he said.
Brabin’s Shop is reputed to be the oldest continuously trading shop in the country, and the Brabin’s Trust is still hoping to facilitate the building of affordable homes in the village. The shop sells a wide range of gifts including a recently added range of garden giftware.
Brabin’s Trade Token – a halfpenny bearing the inscription ‘John Brabin, Chipping, 1668’ – is also on permanent display in the shop. having been purchased by a local consortium including Chipping Local History Society.
l For more information call 01995 61221 or visit websites www.brabins-chipping.co.uk or www.heidiberrydesign.co.uk
Local
artists: Heidi Berry
Illustrator and furniture designer Heidi enjoys working from a cottage
in the Forest of Bowland, doing something she loves.
Heidi's profile...
"For as long as I can remember I have loved to draw and be creative.
It is extremely satisfying creating something out of nothing and I find
the process quite addictive.
I’ve worked in the field of Art and Design for over 15 years and in 1996 was awarded a first class honours degree in furniture design. Since then I have worked freelance as an illustrator and designed furniture for several manufacturing companies.
In 1999 I took a year off work to travel the world
during which I continued to draw by documenting the trip
in sketch form. Many of my illustrations have a story behind them, from
flamingos in Chile, albatrosses in New Zealand to European boats and architecture.
I now live an idyllic life working from my cottage in the Forest of Bowland,
doing something I really love.
I have quite an unusual style of drawing which I think comes from my technical drawing training. I work mainly in fine line ink and watercolour. I hate cluttered, fussy art and like to create a flow to the piece. I feel that the spaces are as important as the subjects featured and try to limit the number of colours I use.
While working freelance, my illustrations have been used in advertising, corporate art installations, merchandising, publishing, greetings cards, personalised stationery and exhibitions. I happily accept commissions; my preferred subjects are architecture, boats, flora and fauna, but will always consider other themes (most recently I’ve been asked to draw a telephone box and a wedding cake).
I have a permanent exhibition a the Old Mill, Berry’s Chairworks, Chipping, Preston and as a member of The Art and Craft Guild of Lancashire exhibit across the area throughout the year.
Click here to see
Heidi’s help for Chipping’s young artists
Published on Tuesday 22 February 2011 09:27
SEVERAL budding Hockneys and Turners may soon be emerging from a village
primary school after a local artist gave them some special tutoring.
Heidi Berry’s art day at Brabins Endowed Primary School in Chipping saw
its senior classrooms awash with all sorts of ideas as she delivered the
art and landcape sections of the Ribble Valley Settlers Project.
Years 3,4,5 and 6 were split into six groups then given mini digital cameras, which they used to record scenes around the village and on the local landscape. The images were downloaded and printed out onto paper and then, using acrylic, watercolour and collage, they were recreated as works of art.
“There was a lovely mess in the classrooms, but great fun was had by all,” said Heidi. “I’m sure we’ve now got several budding new artists in the village – and I did stay and make sure the classrooms were restored to their original condition!”
During the day she also demonstrated how to paint trees using using watercolours, pencil sketching, three dimensional work and perspective, and she is hoping to stage an exhibition nearer Easter of all the resulting artwork.
Heidi is also setting up a permanent exhibition of her work upstairs in the Cobbled Corner Cafe in Chipping. She explains “We have just decorated and installed the lighting this week, I will then be hanging pictures and should be ready to start running art and other classes soon after that.
“As well as the lessons, I will be doing ‘Artist in Residence’ days when visitors can come upstairs and watch me work.”
