Our Artists

To find out more information about our artists, click on an image to be redirected to the artist's personal website.

Sarah Dodds - Textiles

Sarah is a textile artist based in East Durham. She graduated in 2016 with a BA (Hons) in Textiles from the University of Creative Arts. She works mainly with layering, appliqué and stitch to create textile pieces which reflect the many counties she has travelled to. In particular inspiration comes from Africa and the Middle East. Sarah has a passion for African textiles grew during her time as a volunteer in Nigeria during the 1990s and having collected many examples she enjoys sharing this knowledge with others. Sarah regularly exhibits in the North East and has undertaken a commission to provide stitched signage for the Durham World Heritage Visitors’ Centre.

Victoria McLeod - Textiles

Victoria developed a fascination with threads and textures by learning to knit as a child. The passion extended into embroidery and surface stitching on fabric and rapidly became an obsession. While fabric thread and stitch remain all important they have been enhanced with ‘extra bits’ as skills have expanded to include Felt, Paper, Printing, Painting and Dyeing as well as applying quirky recycled bits and pieces picked up in DIY shops, accessory shops and charity shops. She has been a member of the Embroiderers’ Guild since 1995 and has exhibited work throughout the North East both with the Guild and with FUSION Textile Artists, as well as with INTERFACE Arts.

Suzanne Williams - Mixed Media

Suzanne is a mixed media visual artist who lives and works in County Durham. She has made art for many years but in 2014 graduated with BA (Hons) in Fine Art from the University of Sunderland. Her current practice consists of a collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, digital photography and video. The works range from the figurative to the abstract and incorporate everyday fabrics and traditional art materials. She runs art workshops for a variety of client groups including those with mental health issues, has completed several commissions and exhibited at venues across the North East of England, including the Bowes Museum.

Gail Bell - Fine Art

Gail studied Fine Art BA (Hons) at Sunderland University, graduating in 1997, and has recently retired from full time teaching. The stimulus for most of her work is nature, using observational drawing and photographs, which are then developed in detail using a variety of media. Gail loves sketching and creating landscapes, detailed line drawings and painting of natural objects based on close observation. Gail also enjoys life drawing and creating atmosphere in installations. Most of her work is based on memories and visual stimulus from the world around her. She continue to draw on personal experiences to inform her work.

Paul Denton - Fine Art

Paul is an amateur artist who has recently joined Interface Arts. He has been painting for just a few months using a range of media including acrylics, watercolour and sometimes gouache. He is looking forward to seeing other people's work and improving his own painting technique.

Carolyn Corfield - Ceramics

Carolyn, a mixed media sculptor, currently specializes in wall mounted and freestanding individual ceramic pieces inspired by the human form. Whilst often alluding to early culture and myth, on occasion her sculpture can be boldly contemporary.
Her work first came to public notice as an artist living in the Channel Islands, however, on returning to England she further developed her sculptural interest in tandem with a career in the Education sector. Exhibiting in solo and group events throughout the UK and abroad, Carolyn’s work is now held in collections worldwide.

Erica Jones - Glass

Erica holda a B.A. in Art & Design from Sunderland University where she specialised in warm glass. Erica sells some of her work to raise funds for children in the care system in Romania, where she has been doing voluntary work annually since 2009, latterly running summer camps for the children. Erica runs workshops in fused glass and other media as a volunteer at Waddington Street Centre, a local mental health charity, and sometimes for other community groups. Erica exhibits with Interface Arts, a network of artists in County Durham. She also takes commissions for charity, often personalised 2D or 3D pieces.

Alison Lowery - Glass

Fascinated by glass and all forms of making, Alison specialises in glass fusing and studied for an M.A in Glass and Ceramics at University of Sunderland. She incorporates photography and digital images in her work, but her recent glass has been inspired by fossil plants at Wynyard Hall and the ancient ferns at Durham Botanical Gardens. Using real leaves, Alison has developed a method of printing with enamels onto kiln glass. Alison provides glass fusing workshops at her home studio and in the community.

Meryl Mathieson - Fine Art

Meryl is a practising artist living in East Durham. She paints in a variety of mediums including liquid acrylic inks. Her subject matter is mainly figurative and she has recently used subjects taken from her local area as her inspiration. Meryl paints with mixed media and enjoys weaving sculptures with natural and found materials. She works in her studio alongside other artists at Spectrum in Seaham. Meryl enjoys researching art history and gives talks on the paintings in the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle as a volunteer guide.

Wendy Parkin - Fine Art

I work mainly in oils. My preferred subject matter is portraiture and am in the early stages of developing this. Other areas include children (mostly engaged in an activity), and the depiction of clothing and fabrics, and animal portraiture.

John Grey - Printmaker

I am a printmaker and photographer, working mainly in the North of England and Cornwall. Most of my recent work has been in printmaking. I produce prints by etching and engraving metal plates and then printing from these using a traditional etching press. Currently I do most of my printing at Northern Print in Newcastle.

Caroline Corfield - Textiles

Caroline Corfield works in textiles with occasional forays into print. These entirely hand sewn collages are inspired by her own and others’ photography. She’s been influenced by the sea having worked on scientific survey ships and the natural world in general. She’s currently working on ideas based on sub-atomic physics.

Brenda Watson - Visual Art

The primary focus of Brenda’s practice is the study of colour behaviour, exploring how colours react when placed together, whether that be a jarring edge from contrasting colours or subtle changes between similar hues. Her intention is to accentuate sensory perception of colour, light and spatial consciousness using geometric abstract forms. Brenda studied BA and MA in Fine Art at the University of Sunderland, where her research into colour theory inspired her ongoing exploration of colour. She works in a diverse range of mediums, including painting, printmaking, textile sculptures and installation.

Mary Geraldine Quinn - Fine Art

Mary was born and has lived in Consett most of her life. For many years, she was busy raising six children and practicing part-time as an NHS GP in Sunderland. However, after a middle-aged Art A level, she obtained a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from the University of Sunderland. Just after, two early portrait paintings won 1st and 2nd prizes in consecutive Durham County art competitions. She paints in detail, mainly in oils, often from intense observation, photographs, or drawings. Favourite subjects are portraits and draped figures. She also is a ‘multi-media mender’ and craftswoman.

Penny Widdison - Textile Art

Penny is an eclectic textile artist with a curiosity for knowledge and understanding, marvelling at the intricacies and patterns of life. Living in the north-east of England, she is a member of the Embroiderers’ Guild, and Interface Arts, with whom she has exhibited works. She is particularly inspired by the natural environment, drawing influence from her surroundings whether that be a country-side walk, or a visit to a museum. With an academic background in geography and geology she is interested in human impacts on the environment. Nature, as well as architecture and the cultural heritage of different civilizations often feature in her work.