For about three years I have been making small sculptures from recycled copper and wood, plaster and concrete, plus a recent exploration into ceramics.
I have followed a simple theme of 'On the Edge'.
This evolved as I am interested in the idea of communities that are living 'on the edge' of coastal areas. I am a regular visitor (holiday maker) to North Norfolk and some of Suffolk. It's there I see coastal erosion where people's property have literally fallen in the sea !!
I also like to question 'What is home' ?
For my Cromer Open entry I wrote this;
'My art is about the 'home' within the landscape. It can be any kind of
'home'. 'Homes' can be lost, stolen, damaged and destroyed. As I
travel around the UK I see issues with coastal erosion and the impact
on people and property. Hopefully my sculptures show that tension in
the environment, to tell stories, evoke nostalgia, deal with the
human condition and have a feeling of loss.
I make my work from recycled materials and a recent exploration into
ceramics'.
Inspired by this, my sculpture work has been a new art journey.
Letchworth Open 2025 Sculpture Prize
In June this year I won the Letchworth Sculpture Prize for my copper, wood, stone and string piece, called
'On The Edge'. This piece was exhibited at The Broadway Gallery, Letchworth.
Cromer Open 2025
This year I am lucky enough, to have had my ceramic sculpture called 'On The Edge No 1' accepted for the Cromer Open 2025 at The Cromer Art Space up in stunning Cromer, North Norfolk. And I took it up there recently. The private view is soon and I will be going up there to see the exhibition. Can't wait !!
And last year I was in the Cromer Open 2024 with my Copper Shed No 3 piece.
My copper sheds are made from recycled copper gas pipe and reclaimed wood pieces. The wood I inherited from my father in law, I think he used this piece in my sculpture to rest his solder iron on, hence it has a burnt look. The copper pipe was challenging to flatten out, but copper is very soft, and once flat it was easy to cut out and solder together.
I made a series of copper sheds. These were exhibited at The Tremenheere Gallery, Penzance in 2023, as part of my Studio Practise year long course with Newlyn School of Art.
Below is a selection of my copper sheds, plus my 'On The Edge' sculpture piece I had exhibited at The Broadway Gallery, Letchworth.
In 2023 I had three of my copper sheds selected for the Royal West of England Art Academy annual exhibition. I sold the middle one numbered 285. This was such a fantastic show and I was thrilled to be part of it.
Finally, I had some of my Copper Sheds and little ceramic houses in the St Albans Art Society Summer Exhibition 2024 and 2025. I was commended for one of the sheds.
The journey of making these sheds is labour intensive, and I am going to write another blog all about it.
Can't wait to tell you my process !!!
See you soon.
Love,
Ann Marie x
