What is Art Mash?
Art Mash is an established Fused Glass teaching studio that has evolved into an inclusive Art Centre servicing our local community.
Lisa White set up Art Mash around 10 years ago from her kitchen table. It grew swiftly to the garden shed and then various locations between Ilfracombe and Braunton until recently settling on Chivenor Business Park. The size of the studio has grown with each move and along the way Lisa expanded to teaching glass classes.
The studio has lots of space and was only being used 50% of the time for teaching glass. With the pressures of rising costs and the need to re-connect with customers post-covid Lisa took the decision in Jan 2023 to expand Art Mash into an ‘Arts Centre’. A space for experienced and emerging artists to work alongside each other, aiming to share skills, encourage and inspire each other. The outcomes have already exceeded all expectations. The peer interaction has brought an energy and creative playfulness that is palpable. The walls are covered in fabulous images and Art Mash is now offering a wider range of workshops and working 1-2-1 and in group settings. The success has many layers and it feels like it is only just beginning.
Who is Art Mash
We are now a collective of six artists/Illustrators all producing work independently for sale, licence and exhibition. (Claire Coker, Issy Kingdon, Nina Griffiths, Emily Hamilton, Abbie Wheeler)
Each artist has their own professional practice, preferred media and styles.
Additionally, each artist is delivering their own, or supporting the delivery of workshops, with individuals, community groups, schools and more.
Claire Coker
I am a freelance Illustrator, based in North Devon. I love long walks along the coast and on the moors, cake and creating. I have a passion for wildlife, in particular, marine wildlife. There is a whole, weird and wonderful, world hidden by the waves, which intrigues and excites me. I use fine line pens to depict the detail in my subject and then I paint them with a variety of inks. I use inks instead of water colour as I feel that the strong pigment in inks depict the vibrancy of the animals I paint. I have, recently, started to print my work onto a variety of homewares, including, Mugs, placemats, coasters and lampshades.
Last year I collaborated with John Coker, who is a reclaimed wood and metal sculptor. We collaborated on some one-off Lamp bases and lampshades. This is something we are both keen to build on.
I also work on commissions and have recently completed 24 paintings for a company who are using the images to launch their own range of products.
Abbie Wheeler
I’m a neurodivergent artist from North Devon who works primarily in pencil. I specialise in animal portraiture.
I am fascinated with the anatomy of animals and one of the positives of my neurodivergence is that it enables me to focus on the individual details to represent them with pencil marks.
I will be re-opening my commission books in January. If you would like to be notified, please get in touch.