Families can be embarrassing…but this one enjoys performing together.
Family performance
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Author Archives: chestnutandhazelnut
Warrior
Clay and paint
Adrienne Craddock
Warrior is inspired by an image carved onto a stone font in a small Devon church. This avenging half horse half human figure looks like it has viking influence and is depicted as staving off dragon-like beasts.
We all need one of these to help us through life.
Baby
Baby
Shellie Byatt
This little character has been lying in a nutshell box all on her own for a while…when I looked at her today I thought she should have some companions so I have removed her to a bigger nutshell where she will find company at last. She started life as part of the puppet challenge on Clive Hicks-Jenkins’ Artlog. I’ll update here when she has found her new life….
The Art Shop & Chapel exhibition 25 April
The curious boxes are making an appearance in the opening exhibition in this beautiful new gallery. This newly renovated chapel is in Market Street, in the centre of Abergavenny. It’s a beautiful space with coffee shop, bookshop, childrens’ area and pretty landscaped garden. The exhibition opens on 25 April and runs until 6 June. For more details look at the Art Shop & Gallery website.
A flower for the baby
A flower for the baby
Shellie Byatt
Something in this image comes from tales of strange gifts being offered to babies….with unforeseen results.
The throw of the dice
This little nutshell piece is 10 x 10cm, so is one of the smallest so far. This odd little man with his dice has just a touch of the Frankie Howerd about him I think…
The dice
Clay & plastic
Shellie Byatt
The backing is a gorgeous lime green – made from an old coaster.
Horse frightened by lightening
Horse frightened by lightening.
Adrienne Craddock
This new piece was titled Bonny white mare but as I put it together it reminded me of that Stubbs painting ‘horse frightened by lightening’. I was horse mad and fascinated by Stubbs as a child – by all those gleaming coats and wild eyes.
Little Nativity.
I made little Nativity retablos like this one just before Christmas. They are just 7cms high and 5cms deep…difficult to capture the shadowy depths in a photo!
Little nativity
Shellie Byatt
I kept this one and have just packed it away in the Christmas box. I’ll be making some more with different themes, maybe Rumpelstiltskin or Red Riding Hood.
Stories we all know…
Shellie Byatt took part in the Clive Hicks-Jenkins’ Puppet Challenge and then used her puppets to make figures for a box in the nutshell series.
The wolf and the woodcutter
Shellie Byatt
The wolf was made from a flannel – beware the flannel in wolf’s clothing…
The woodcutter’s shirt was ripped, untimely, from an innocent dolly.
A simple, unpainted clay piece by Adrienne Craddock, refers to the Goose Girl or Mother Goose.
Goose girl
Adrienne Craddock
The figures are housed in an old leather jewellery box, much-loved but minus its lid.
In the beginning there was clay….
The kind shepherd Shellie Byatt
Air-drying clay gives great effects on its own….Adrienne added paint to hers which expanded our ideas about how we could use this medium.
Ooo ooh… a snake!
Adrienne Craddock
Shellie started adding fabric to her figures…
The unexpected message
Shellie Byatt
Adrienne developed ways of using the clay to represent fabric….
Lady with a squirrel
Adrienne Craddock
curiousboxes 