Meet the Makers!
Here you can find out all about our members
at Craft Renaissance, and their work.
You can click on each name to reach their website or alternative links.
Keith Fenton
The love of wood that was fostered and nourished during Keith's school years has never diminished.
Keith prefers to work with timber from native grown trees; timber is selected carefully for its grain and unusual markings. The turnings are both utilitarian and artistic, occasionally combined. By turning, this felled timber is saved from becoming firewood and can provide eternal use or pleasure.
Keith is an AWGB approved tutor and demonstrator; a member of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain; Heart of England Wood turners; Gloucestershire Association of Wood turners, and is Chairman of The Forest of Dean Wood Turners.
Deborah Edwards
Deborah, who lives and works in Kemeys Commander, has been designing and making jewellery in her own unique and contemporary style since completing a BA in Jewellery and Silversmithing at London Guildhall University in the mid 90’s .
Deborah creates elegant jewellery using silver , gold and gemstones . Her designs are often playful with movement and change being themes that she likes to explore. Deborah also works to commission, creating bespoke pieces .
'I am a teller of tall tales and tiny stories, a lover of books, birds, beaches, and tea. The very best sort of tea is that drunk from a flask while sitting on a beach reading a book. My little pewter people running around on driftwood were inspired by my sitting on a beach one summer evening at sunset, watching the shapes that the people and dogs and birds made against the sea and the sky and making up stories about them. My little people tell their own stories of family outings, sinister cats, stargazing lovers, and naughty dogs.'
I am a Welsh photographer and print maker. I enjoy documentary photography and photographing people, places and things that relate to memories.
I discovered the alternative photography process of printing cyanotypes whilst completing a Foundation Art and Design course. Some of my pieces of work are layered with encaustic wax.
The inspiration for my print work comes from the wild flowers and plants that grow in my local area. I create series of prints using plants and flowers that I have collected, dried and pressed myself.
Blodau Arian - aka Jayne - designs and hand makes eco-friendly jewellery from her workshop in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Her pieces are inspired by the natural beauty of the mountains, forests and coast. As a former senior lecturer in Environmental science, sustainability has always been at the heart of Jayne's work. She uses near 100% recycled silver and gold, and only recycled or ethically sourced stones; all her packaging is plastic free and recycled, as she aims to run a zero-waste business. Jayne feels it’s only right that her jewellery, which is inspired by nature, should help to preserve it.
Contemporary seascape and landscape paintings in oil and acrylic.
Colin Davies is a full time professional artist living in South Wales. He spent 32 years in education, finally retiring in 2019, fulfilling a lifelong dream to trade life as a headteacher for that of a professional painter.
Colin's seascapes and landscapes are full of movement and atmosphere.
I produce original wildlife and landscape paintings in a variety of media.
This includes water-colour, acrylic, oils, mixed media and free motion embroidery and paint on textiles.
I produce prints and cards from some of these images. I like to focus on atmosphere, colour and the unexpected.
I was previously a pottery tutor for 9 years for various Adult Learning services.
In 2021 I moved permanently to South Wales, fulfilling my dream of living here, my family are all from Blaenavon and I have experienced a lifelong pull to settle here; the word in Wales for this longing is 'hiraeth'.
I now live on Llanelly Hill, not far from Abergavenny and teach small classes of up to 4 people from my bright conservatory/studio. My work is inspired by my surroundings, my rescue lurchers and love of humpback whales.
I exhibit and sell throughout the year at local fairs and in a few galleries, steadily establishing my small batch pottery, Melanie Made Mud.
Janet paints the landscapes and seas around south wales, showing her love for her adopted home through her colourful paintings which are full of contasts and atmosphere.
Her work is inspired by the fauves, impressionist and the colour field paintings of abstract expressionist.
She paints in a variety of scales and media and is more than happy to accept commissions.
I'm passionate about our wildlife and environment!
I love making attractive and practical items, bringing British wildlife and wildflowers into your home with form and function.
For 13 years I’ve focused the majority of my photography on the wildlife & flowers within our black mountains wildlife garden; recording visiting and resident creatures of all kinds.
The more I look, the more there is to see..
Celebrating the wildlife on our doorsteps, I encourage others to imagine what visitors they might attract to their gardens and spaces.
It’s as easy as planting flowers for bees & butterflies or feeding the birds and hedgehogs…
We can all create habitat - from a meadow to a tiny wildlife haven in a window box - what do you see in your space?
Annie Robina
It may be an overworn cliche to say that my work is inspired by nature, because that surely applies to most artistic endeavours to a greater or lesser degree. Walking for hours on end across fields and through woodland, I became increasingly fascinated with the forms and lines within that are ubiquitous to the structure of the British landscape.
They have since evolved because of my relationship with the landscape, and furthermore my background in printmaking seems to be influencing an experimentation with simple printing techniques that are also becoming included in my designs.
The juxtaposition between the glass and wood in its more natural state encourages a perspective of bringing together the natural world from the outside into the domestic environment of the home.
Linzi Whitting
I draw inspiration from my love of song writing, poetry, and surface pattern, the re-telling of stories weaving narratives through mixed media book form, moving image song drawings and ceramic sculptures. At the core of these multi mediums is a love of line: drawing, and this can be seen through the expressive surface pattern & sgraffito techniques that resonate across the works, be it in stitch, pencil, print or scratched in line filled with under glaze, these techniques, and the excitement of re-telling stories, is what inspires me and drives me to make and share my skills and work.
Local artisanal flower grower, growing bee friendly, seasonal flowers, freshly cut & arranged for all occasions.
Grown in our cutting garden, everlasting flowers are used to create buttonholes, bouquets and pressed flowers for all occasions.
In my garden I grow and sell seasonal, fragrant, romantic, vibrant blooms. I create natural wreaths and bouquets, using plants and flowers form my garden and foraged in the hedgerows. I also run workshops for wreath-making.
Functional and decorative stoneware, wheel thrown and high fired. Colourful abstract random finishes.
Chris Heneghan is a potter, living and working in Abergavenny. His work is thrown table, kitchen and decorative wares with a range of glazes and finishes. He is happy to take commissions, and if you see something you like but for example want a different finish, have a chat, he will make it if he can.
My work is inspired by nature - both my love of birds and trees.
Working with wire to create both indoor and outdoor pieces of art.
I use various types of wire, which I then manipulate into form and shape.
All pieces are unique - no two ever the same as each is made individually.
I run many workshops, for all abilities.
Beth Giles is a South Wales based artist and illustrator, working out of her studio in her own independent Art and Craft Gallery in Pontyclun, Rhondda Cynon Taff.
A commissioned artist, Beth create a mix of natural history and portraiture in watercolour and oils; her work aims to capture the nostalgia of nature and snapshot moments, precious moments personal to beth, and shared by many.
From an early age I’ve had an interest in flowers and Art. Growing up on Anglesey, my love of the sea, mountains, flora and fauna was created.
I am an Associate Member the Society of Botanical Art and also a member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art.
Based in my garden situated in the beautiful Monmouthshire countryside, you can find my studio five miles from Abergavenny in the foothills of Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) and eight miles from the picturesque village of Usk.
Studio pottery made to be used, glazed by hand in traditional and beautiful colours.
Being a Potter has been a dream for many years. My biggest stress is which dungarees to wear and how high my pots should be!
I love the freedom of clay and the complexity and precision of making glazes.
I feel like an alchemist every time I fire up my kiln.
Ceri studied Wildlife Illustration, including photography, at Carmarthenshire College of Art, and went on to work in design management and conservation. She now takes photographs of the landscapes and natural history in the Brecon Beacons, where she is based.
Ceri produces original photographs, prints and cards, as well as her new book, Life on the Floodplain, also available at the Gallery.
Beca Beeby is a blacksmith and sculptor turned small-scale: making
organically formed jewellery & sculptural ceramics inspired by microscopic and macro exploration of the natural world.
Using traditional casting & forging techniques, Beca makes in her solar powered workshop in the Wye valley, where only natural and non toxic treatments are used (such as citric acid for pickling & cleaning), and her edible garden provides much of the inspiration and starting point of her work, particularly her honeybees, which provide the starting point for the Wild honeycomb collection.
Catherine Marks
Hi, I’m Catherine, the artist behind CM Creative. I’m inspired by nature and have a passion for wildlife which is reflected in my work. I love to use coloured pencils and my drawings are highly detailed, capturing the beauty and vibrancy of the wildlife around us. As well as wildlife drawings I also specialise in pet portraits, where coloured pencils enable me to capture the personality of a much-loved pet.
I hope you like my work and that it inspires you to get out and explore the nature on your doorstep – why not visit The Makers gallery at the same time!
My art and designs are inspired by the natural world and Celtic and Pagan mythology. At my home studio I weave folkloric symbolism with native flora and fauna in my creations, which include paintings, prints, stationery and home accessories.
I am located in the South Wales Valleys, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The scenery is diverse and beautiful throughout all of the seasons. I enjoy walking the hills and coastline of Wales and it is here that I find my inspiration. I am immersing myself in the landscape, referring to Welsh mythology and trying to gain a deeper understanding of my homeland. I take elements from paintings and drawings made on location and in the studio to design the products you find here.
Andrea Wojcikowski
Handmade individual ceramics inspired by the Welsh coast and countryside.
I make all my ceramics by hand from start to finish without the use of moulds to give individuality to each piece.
For the botanical inspired ceramics, I use live plants from my garden imprinted into the wet clay to create one off pieces for wall display or household use.
My creations are firmly rooted in where I live, in the wild and special landscape of north Wales. The natural world around me provides not only the materials for my work but also the inspiration. Working with these plants is an ongoing exercise in relinquishing control, tuning in to natures natural rhythm and appreciating her beauty throughout the seasons, in all her forms..
I work with Welsh and native, responsibly sourced fleece. More recently, I have begun experimenting with clay and slow, wood-smoked firing techniques.
I love to combine traditional skills with contemporary designs; working with wool and clay allows me to explore my relationship with natural materials and the environment.
I am also a qualified tutor and love to teach felt-making, running many workshops across Wales and the UK at various venues, locally and further afield, as well as festivals.
Wyldwood Willow began in 1999 when I found a passion for basketmaking.
This has developed into a thriving business today, and I create bespoke willow baskets for home and garden.
Alongside the baskets, I also weave willow coffins,decorative fencing and create willow sculptures.
I can often be found at Usk Castle Chase where I run a wide range of willow weaving workshops from baskets to coffinweaving.
Please contact me via my website for course dates.
Megan designs and creates handcrafted felted sculptures using a variety of natural materials such as wool, wood, wire, and bamboo fibres.
In addition, she is also a wildlife and natural history illustrator, creating identification charts, drawings, and paintings.
Her work is inspired by the beauty of the natural world. She strives to source local materials whenever possible with sustainability and the environment in mind.
Megan is dedicated to using plastic free packaging, and creating unique and eco-friendly artwork and gifts.
I am Hong Kong Chinese, and have lived and worked in UK for decades.
I paint in my own style developed from traditional Chinese techniques. I write in English.
My books are mainly of my own paintings accompanied by quotes from classical Chinese writings in my own translation: some have been published abroad and translated into 14 languages.
I offer original paintings, limited edition fine art prints, books and greeting cards.
Researched, deveoped and created during the pandemic, Lavender & Lemon is a boutique range of true eco-friendly, cruelty-free, artisan products, made by hand by Morgan,.
'Lavender & Lemon is on a mission to transform household cleaning products.
Say goodbye to brightly coloured, toxic ingredients in single-use plastic bottles hidden away in cupboards. Instead, say hello to cleaning products with a purpose: eco-friendly, non-toxic, ethically-sourced ingredients in beautiful, refillable aluminium bottles that will take pride of place on any counter and can be reused infinitely.'
Sarah Thatcher is the artistic creator behind Foliage & Flotsam. She uses knotting techniques to create intricate and often highly colourful wall hangings and plant hangers. With a love of all things yarn-y she has more recently started making crocheted pots and baskets with a strong belief that home wares can be both beautiful and practical.
She currently uses recycled cotton cord to create her pieces.
Debbie Hortop
Having fallen in love with natural soap making after a course 8 years ago, I am now delighted to have taken the plunge and am an artisan soap maker myself, making cold process soaps, as "All about the Soap"!
(I use recyclable packaging in all my products)