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Noddy Holder papier mache model at Art Fair

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

A papier mache model of music legend Noddy Holder was a smash hit at Art Fair Cheshire.

It sold within minutes for £208, even before the one-time Slade front man had chance to admire the clever artwork created by Patty Callaghan.

The talented artist is more than happy to make another copy of Cum On Feel The Noize, named after the glam rock group’s No 1 record in 1976.

Noddy Holder with his papier mache model. Picture courtesy of Suzan Holder via Instagram.

Proceeds will be donated to East Cheshire Hospice where Noddy and wife Suzan have become patrons.

Patty said: “I’d be delighted to make another version, especially for such a good cause.

“I’m thrilled that Noddy and Suzan liked it so much and I grew up listening to Slade.

“My brother Chris was always keen to get home on Christmas Day to watch Top of the Pops and Slade were always on.

The sculpture of Noddy Holder. Picture courtesy of Paul Quirk.

“Chris sadly died, so it felt quite poignant to make it and I always think of him and feel nostalgic when I hear Noddy singing Merry Xmas Everybody for the first time each year.

“I use magazines for the colour layer. Noddy’s shirt came from a Christmas edition of the Radio Times and, if you look carefully, you can spot the word ‘Christmas’ which seemed fitting.

“Making the guitar on that small scale was fiddly. Luckily, my husband Paul has a similar guitar, so I studied that as finding photographs which show the strings and other detail isn’t easy.

“I’m not sure whether the next mini Noddy will be raffled or auctioned, but it’s a great fundraising idea.”

A spotlight on Clive and Janice Byrne

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

When artist Clive Byrne has paintings exhibited at Art Fair Cheshire no-one will be prouder than his wife Janice.

The East Cheshire Hospice volunteer wears many different hats to support the Hospice, close to her heart.

Janice will again be helping behind the scenes at the event at Macclesfield Town Hall from Thursday, September 26 until Thursday, October 3.

Janice and Clive Byrne with his art work.

She uploaded images and biographies of exhibiting artists to the website, one of them about Clive who turned his love of art into a career after he was made redundant as a welder.

Clive gained a Fine Art degree and used his artistic skills to help teach youngsters with special needs for 20 years.

The couple are committee members at East Cheshire Sub-Aqua Club which will again loan tables and chairs for the pop-up café.

Artwork created by youngsters using the Hospice’s childhood bereavement service will have a dedicated space at the exhibition, staged every two years in aid of the charity.

Janice helps with admin at the bereavement unit, though her involvement with the charity goes far beyond there.

She is also a befriender to patients and drives visitors to the Sunflower Living Well Centre to and from their homes.

Janice also knits teddies and hearts for families attending the inpatient unit and uses fabric from swatches to make handbags sold at the Treacle Market.

All proceeds go to the Hospice for whom she trekked to Camino de Santiago and Iceland. In 12 months she will hike through the Swiss and French Alps, admitting she is ‘not a natural walker.’

Such dedication runs in the family. Mum Lorna Searls, who died last year aged 79, was a volunteer in the charity’s lottery department.

Youngest sister Angela Black (48) died at the Hospice nine years ago. Ever since Janice and older sister Katrina have been busy helping however they can.

Janice said: “Clive is a first-time exhibitor at this Art Fair and is excited and nervous about having his work displayed. I usually end up volunteering doing something and last time registered the artists.

“The Art Fair is brilliant. It’s for a wonderful cause and admission is free.”

The event is run by volunteers and is sponsored by AstraZeneca.

It features original art and sculptures, paintings, prints, jewellery, photography, glassware, ceramics, millinery and willow weaving.

The event opens from 10.30 am until 4 pm each day. For more details visit www.theartfair.org.uk

Step back into your childhood with Papier Mache Patty

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Step back into your childhood with Papier Mache Patty at Art Fair Cheshire.

Artist Patty Callaghan will be explaining how to make papier mache models at Macclesfield Town Hall on Sunday, September 29, at 2 pm.

Her 45-minute talk is one of many attractions at Art Fair Cheshire which is sponsored by AstraZeneca and is in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.

Patty Callaghan with her models.

The event (Thur Sept 26-Thur Oct 3) showcases work from more than 50 artists who donate a percentage of proceeds to the Hospice. Admission is free.

Patty, from Macclesfield, has been an Art Fair regular since it expanded to include a craft gallery.

She said: “I’m taking along my models, some partly finished, and others completed, to talk through processes, materials and answer questions.

“My bread-and-butter work is running art classes and workshops, but I also spend a lot of time making papier mache models.

“I like reusing stuff due to be thrown out. The models are made of newspaper and I use magazine pages to find the right colours.

“I often do commissions. It might be a family pet, recreated in papier mache as a special gift for that person who is hard to buy for.

“Most figures are made as commissions, usually portraits to mark a special anniversary or birthday. I had one request for a narrow boat as an anniversary present.

“When people come to my workshop, they always say it’s a nice and relaxed thing to do and  like being a child again, messing about with glue and paper.”

Patty runs regular workshops and there will be an opportunity at the talk to sign up for her next session.

She said: “I make my own glue. You don’t want to dip your hands in glue when you don’t know what’s in it.

“I use flour and water and add vinegar and sugar to act as a preservative. It’s then cooked to make it really sticky and it works well.

“Using household ingredients is eco-friendly. It’s quite niche and there aren’t many artists making things out of paper mache. It’s also cheap, accessible and great fun.”

* Visit www.pattycallaghan.com to find out more.

Art Fair Cheshire, run by volunteers, features original art and sculptures, paintings, prints, jewellery, photography, glassware, ceramics, millinery and willow weaving.

The event opens from 10.30 am until 4 pm each day. For more details visit www.theartfair.org.uk

Peter Davis’s Art Fair talk

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The mobile phone and its presence in everyday life is depicted in a series of contemporary paintings by prize winning Cheshire artist Peter Davis.

A fascinating theme which features in his 45-minute talk entitled ‘Painting the Zeitgeist’ at Art Fair Cheshire 2024 on Sunday, September 29, from 11.30 am.

The exhibition, sponsored by AstraZeneca, is at Macclesfield Town Hall (Sept 26 to Oct 3) and in aid of East Cheshire Hospice. Admission is free.

Artist Peter Davis who is giving a talk at Art Fair Cheshire 2024. 

Peter said: “I like capturing the world and the era we live in. I’m fascinated by the urban environment and inner cities and how quickly they’re changing.

“My overriding obsession is people and their relationship with technology. I remember life before people had black rectangles in their hand. They might have gone on a train and read an actual book made of paper, looked out of the window or walked down the street and didn’t just look down at their phone.

“If you took a snapshot of people walking down the main street in Macclesfield, 90 per cent will be on their mobile.”

A sample of Peter Davis’ award-winning work.

Peter’s talk will highlight parallels with American painter Edward Hopper. Peter said: “He painted in the 1920s and I’m painting in the 2020s. I’m interested in how he documented life, particularly in New York, and what we can learn from that.”

A member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts, Peter currently has a portrait of a young woman exhibited in a prestigious award at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Visit www.theartfair.org.uk.

The countdown is under way to Art Fair Cheshir

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The countdown is under way to Art Fair Cheshire which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

The biennial event in aid of East Cheshire Hospice runs from Thursday Sept 26 until Thursday Oct 3 at Macclesfield Town Hall.

The exhibition, sponsored by AstraZeneca, will showcase work from more than 50 artists who donate a percentage of sales to the Hospice.

Art Fair Cheshire is looking for volunteers to help run the exhibition which has raised around £450,000 for the Hospice.

They will continue the good work started by grandmother Anna Rains who had the idea for an art exhibition.

Volunteer Anna Rains who helped inspire Art Fair Cheshire.

Back in 1998, she chaired a fundraising appeal to mark the Hospice’s 10th anniversary.

The dedication of Anna and her fellow pioneers provided the financial help to build the Sunflower Centre which remains an important hub for patient care.

Indeed, it was fitting that Anna and her original fundraisers attended the reopening of the refurbished centre a few weeks ago.

Their vision and drive provided the inspiration for the initial project with the art exhibition a key fundraiser.

This year’s displays will be organised in-house by the Hospice after previous co-chairs Georgie Johnson and Steven Dalton stepped aside after running the last two exhibitions on a voluntary basis.

Hospice Community and Events Fundraiser Claire Gorton said: “Georgie and Steven did a wonderful job with the support of volunteers and we’re so grateful to them all.

Macclesfield artist Francesca de Campora with her work at Art Fair Cheshire.

“Art Fair Cheshire has established a superb reputation and our aim is to build on that success. We want to organise a unique event which showcases art and celebrates community and giving.

“We want to further strengthen its links to the Hospice and what is happening here, including involving our Memory Tree unveiled last year.

“In addition to a fantastic exhibition, we’ll have a pop up café, artist tours and talks. Artists of all ages will hopefully take part, including school and college students.

Visitors enjoy works of art at the last exhibition in 2022.

”The Assembly Gallery will feature original art and sculptures, while the Capesthorne Gallery will exhibit jewellery, photography, glassware, ceramics, millinery, willow weaving as well as paintings and prints.

“We want it to be accessible and will need plenty of volunteers to get involved with the many different aspects of such a large project.”

The event is open from 10.30 am until 4 pm each day. For more details and to find out how to exhibit or volunteer visit www.theartfair.org.uk

Art Fair Cheshire Success

Posted on by Luke Brightmore

Art Fair Cheshire returned in style with art lovers hailing its success.

The prestigious exhibition, run by volunteers and in aid of East Cheshire Hospice, ended on Sunday (June 5).

Visitors admired over 1,000 pieces of artwork, including a display by Bollington artist Sue Asbury whose exhibit won a Cheshire Life award.

Artist Jennie Gaywood with her work on display at Art Fair Cheshire 2022

Judges included Hannah Williamson, from Macclesfield, curator at Manchester Art Gallery for 11 years.

Hannah said: “The standard of exhibits at this year’s fair was once again of the highest quality showing the immense artistic talent out there.”

Artists donated at least 40 per cent of sales to the Hospice which will help support its art therapy unit, run by Fay Mitchell, who was also a judge.

Art Fair Cheshire, with AstraZeneca and Little Greene as headline sponsors, was last held in 2019.

From left, judge Hannah Williamson; Art Fair co-chair Georgie Johnson; Cheshire Life editor Joanne Goodwin;  Art Fair co-chair Steven Dalton and East Cheshire Hospice Chief Executive Karyn Johnston.

Co-chair Georgie Johnson said: “We’re very lucky to work with some fantastically creative and talented people. We’d like to thank our sponsors, volunteers, artists and curators for supporting the Hospice.”

Hospice Chief Executive Karyn Johnston said: “The galleries are amazing. An unbelievable amount of voluntary work has gone into staging the event and I’d like to thank all those involved.

“The Hospice only receives 12 per cent of its income from the NHS and needs to raise the rest, so this is one of the major events in our fundraising calendar.”

Exhibitors included Celia Davies, from Whalley, Lancashire, who runs art classes on cruise ships. She said: “This is my first visit here and having exhibits helps raise the profile of my work.”

An oil painting called ‘A Dream in Motion’ by Lara Balcerzak, from Manchester, featured in an emerging artists gallery. Lara said: “I’ve always wanted to be an artist and got my art degree in 2019.  It’s nice to have my work displayed at such a prestigious art fair.”

Winners of the Cheshire Life gallery awards, presented by editor Joanne Goodwin, were:

Assembly Gallery: Ghislaine Howard, Olga Geoghegan, Sue Asbury. Capesthorne Gallery: Francesca de Campora, Rachel Cooke. Emerging Artists: Sarah-Joy Ford.

Artwork on display in Macclesfield Town Hall

Artist Karin Sheldon shares her art story

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Grandmother Karin Sheldon enjoys making things – whether it is delicate jewellery, or restoring her stone cottage.

Karin Sheldon who is exhibiting at Art Fair Cheshire.

Her hand-crafted jewellery and silversmithing will be proudly on display at Art Fair Cheshire.

Her days are taken up either creating art work, or renovating her Bollington home once owned by her mum Helen Daniell.

Home and jewellery maker Karin Sheldon with tools at the ready.   

Karin said: “I’ve been a maker all my life and if you want it, make it. My parents were makers as well. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I left school but heard about art school where you could make stuff so took a degree in jewellery and silversmithing.

“I’m a DIY person and doing a lot of the work on my cottage which is nearly complete. I only get the experts in when I need to.

“If you’ve grown up using materials you have an innate understanding of them and mine stretches to precious metals as well. ”

In addition, Karin has donated a necklace to help further boost Art Fair profits  and she has a soft spot for the Hospice which cared for her late mum who died in 2008, aged 81.

She said: “They looked after my mum and looked after me as well which is the wonderful thing about hospices. It is a marvellous place and I’ve also had friends cared for there. ”

The Sheldon name is synonymous with design. Karin’s family once owned Paradise Mill at the Silk Museum.

Art Fair Delayed

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The organisers of Art Fair Cheshire have reluctantly taken the decision to postpone the event until May 2022. The biennial art fair takes place at Macclesfield Town Hall in support of East Cheshire Hospice. The decision has been taken because of the on-going uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic. The popular event had been scheduled to start at the end of September.

Co-chair Georgie Johnson said: “We’re disappointed to have to postpone the event but strict limits on numbers allowed in the Town Hall, along with rising Covid cases, means that we felt we had no choice. “We’ve had such generous support from sponsors this year and rather than risk that funding if the event were cancelled at the last minute, we’ve decided to re-book the event for May 26 until June 5 next year. “All of our participating artists are on board to take part again and we look forward to seeing everyone then.”

Visitors at the last Art Fair in 2019.

Art Fair Cheshire involves more than 80 artists, each of whom donates 40 per cent of the sales of their work to the Hospice. The event has been running for 22 years and is proud to support artists from all over the north west. The next event will feature a new gallery of emerging and recently-graduated artists as well as many artists from across the region and beyond. Local primary schools are also involved and have been busy designing sunflowers, which feature on the Hospice logo. These will be displayed as a huge wall of celebratory flowers when the event opens next year.

Sunflowers drawn by pupils at Alderley Edge School for Girls as part of a project to involve schools in the next Art Fair in May 2022

Two years ago the event raised £45,000 to provide funds for the Hospice’s art therapy unit. It has donated around £300,000 to the Hospice since 1999. To sign up to the Art Fair Cheshire newsletter, or for more information about events, talks and artists, visit www.artfaircheshire.org.uk. It is the latest fundraising event in aid of the Hospice to be delayed by the Covid crisis. The Hospice has already put back its Memory Miles walk at Adlington Hall from late August until Friday, March 25.

Art Fair Cheshire Returns this Autumn

Posted on by Luke Brightmore

Art Fair Cheshire returns this autumn featuring works by established and emerging artists.

The biennial event will take place at Macclesfield Town Hall from Thursday, September 23, until Sunday, October 3.

Organisers are dedicating specific gallery space to artists who may have recently graduated from creative degrees.

The move is an opportunity for the next generation of artists to exhibit work, reach a wide audience, make sales and gain recognition.

Each exhibiting artist donates a percentage from the sale of their work to East Cheshire Hospice.

Two years ago the event raised £45,000 to provide funds for the Hospice’s art therapy unit. It also attracted record sponsorship with organisers now aiming to build on that success.

Art Fair Cheshire – showcasing work by more than 80 local and regional artists – has donated around £300,000 to the Hospice since 1999.

Co-chair Georgie Johnson said:  “In addition to our fantastic exhibition, we’ll have a pop-up cafe, artist talks as well as lively debates with experienced gallery guides.

“For the first time, we’ll be hosting a gallery of newly-graduated and emerging artists. We’re keen to support artists who might not have exhibited before and look forward to showcasing their work.

“We love working with artists, makers and creators to develop a truly unique event which not only showcases art, but celebrates community and giving.  We invite people to join us and support East Cheshire Hospice and discover some wonderful art while they do so.”

* For more information visit www.theartfair.org.uk.

 

Visitors enjoying Art Fair Cheshire in 2019.

Anna Rains

Posted on by Luke Brightmore

Grandmother Anna Rains has moved home an incredible 46 times, living on boats, a converted bus, in a caravan and a haunted Cheshire farmhouse.

Her nomadic lifestyle is long gone and she is a permanent fixture at Art Fair Cheshire which she set up in 1998.

Anna was chair of the Hospice 10th Anniversary Fundraising Appeal to build the Sunflower Centre. Her team raised £300,000 and one of her ideas was to hold an Art Exhibition.

Friend Liz Taylor-Webb, mentored by L.S. Lowry, was the first artist Anna asked to exhibit.

A signed print of a painting by HRH Prince Charles fetched £3,000 at auction at that first Fair. Overall, nearly £400,000 has been donated to the Hospice.

Anna said: “I’ve moved into the background now and love talking to the artists.  A new generation have taken over successfully and I’ve spent a lot of money over the years on artwork.

“With dedicated helpers, I’ve made thousands of canapes since the first exhibition.  We handed out about 1,500, which flew off the plates, at the last Art Fair.”

Anna has lived locally since 1983 and still helps the biennial exhibitions.

She has seen tremendous changes and professional advancements.  “I’ve always enjoyed art, especially traditional work, but I’m a better writer than an artist.”

She wrote a book entitled Will You Take the Dogs or the Diamonds? chronicling her life and family history.  The title was inspired by a remark between her grandparents before a long train journey.

Anna Rains with the book about her life.

“The book is about my mad family.  My mother was pretty eccentric.  She sent me off with a one-way ticket to Hong Kong, waving goodbye and telling me to go and see the world.  I was 19 then.

“Born in London, we moved to Wales when I was three weeks old to escape the War and moved into a remote cottage without sanitation, running water or electricity.  Wishing to travel to Sussex, my parents bought a bus.  I was four and we were moved on by the police because we weren’t bona fide showmen.

“Joining a funfair and a circus sorted that and we put posters up at night on other people’s properties.”

In 1969, Anna moved to California at the height of hippies and flower power. “My life hasn’t always been easy – but it has been interesting,” said Anna, who was convinced she shared one of her homes with a ghost.

Anna Rains at last year’s Art Fair.

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