Artist Statement
JO TOFT
I live in Hayfield in the High Peak and much of my inspiration comes from the natural world around me. My hand built sculptures are all individually designed, making each piece unique. I use a mixture of oxide colouring and glaze and fire to stoneware temperatures which makes my work suitable for outdoor use.
DAVID TOFT
My photography aims to capture aspects of life and nature from around the world, caught in a split second click of the shutter. I use a full frame Sony camera and do very little or no after-shot processing. I do my own printing.
In my travels around the world, I am constantly fascinated by the diversity of places, wildlife and of course people – and hope that my images reflect how much we all have in common, despite everything that governments, religions and social structures do to divide us.
ANN LYON
I simply enjoy working with clay, the immediacy of clay, the texture and its ability to react to every touch.
My hand-built work uses the techniques of slab building, coiling and press moulding. Using stoneware and earthenware clay I aim for strong and simple forms and look for interesting ways to colour or provide texture. I make individual pots, often inspired by the attractive Derbyshire countryside, for both home and garden.
Intrigued by the flexibility of clay, I contrast work on ‘pots’ with the detailed work on figures and heads.
FAITH FRASER
Working as a set and costume designer has led to other interesting occupations designing interiors for churches, dentist waiting rooms and at Madame Tussauds. I especially enjoyed making life size puppets for plays and operas, from Carol Churchill to Benjamin Britten. This nature of this work, along with a keen interest in mask making, has influenced my tiles and figures which, although small, require the same liveliness and character that I hope to reveal in clay.
SUSAN McCALL
Landscape is my dominant theme and my work reflects this continuing fascination.
I usually begins with movement - a walk, a boat trip, or a cycle ride through the natural landscape.
The drawings and paintings are memories of those experiences. The excitement and awe of the colour, light and texture seen whilst cycling along a green lane or glimpsed whilst boating through the landscape or walking on the moors is still overwhelming.
The smells of bluebells, heather, hawthorn, bracken and earth: the blues and greens, the pink and whites and the gold and reds of the landscape, the sounds of bees, grouse, curlews and skylarks combine feelings, visual observation and physical experience.
