Tag: dioramas

Out & About in Spring 2025

Hooperhart

Hello! Once again time has gotten away from me and somehow it’s May already, and I have yet to post about my new work as I had intended.

I will get to that in a mo, but first I need to tell you about upcoming events, the first one being only 2 weeks away!

First up is the Big Summer Weekend at the gorgeous Green Gallery in the beautiful Stirlingshire countryside. This is my first time at this event, but I know lots of artists and makers who have taken part before and they all say very good things, so I am very much looking forward to it.

Entry is free, there will be refreshments available from Fallen Tree Coffee (some of the best coffee I’ve had) and I’m fairly sure it’s dog friendly!

Big Summer Weekend & Exhibition

Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May, 10-4pm

The Coachhouse, Ballamenoch, Buchlyvie, Stirlingshire FK8 3NX

The following weekend (I won’t know what’s hit me – I’ll be very thankful for May’s numerous bank holidays I can tell you) is the stupendous Spring Market & Open Studios at Perth Creative Exchange

PCE is where I have my studio share and my day job, and is home to many talented creatives…

“Join us at Perth Creative Exchange for another fantastic market weekend – a feast of the visual arts where you can not only browse and purchase beautiful things made by the actual professional makers and artists, but visit 12 open working studios to see how things are made and chat to/buy from the artists who work there too!

All under one roof you’ll find oil and watercolour painting, ceramics, jewellery, felt work, embroidery, papercutting, printmaking, textiles, homewares and much more!

This is the third year of this truly unique event, run by the artists themselves, so discover what goes on in this creative hub, formerly St. John’s Primary School. It’s a great opportunity to meet and buy directly from the makers & artists and to visit working studios to find out how things are made with lots of new things to discover for our regular visitors.

After all this you can kick back with a delicious cuppa from our pop-up cafe run by Perth’s Catering Twist.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to celebrate Spring with us!”

Spring Market & Open Studios

24-25 May 2025, 10-4pm Daily
Free Entry, Accessible, Dog friendly
Cards and Cash accepted.

Perth Creative Exchange (Wasps), Stormont St, PH1 5NW

Much of my new work will be making its debut at these events, and I’m really looking forward to the response; I’ve been really enjoying designing these new pieces and experimenting with different techniques and textures. Here’s a little flavour:

Clockwise from top left: The Cry of the Gulls, Memories of a Mountain, Shell Cottage, Wild Salt Air

These pieces have all been inspired by locations around the wilds of Scotland. I’ve been incorporating laser-cut mount board, initially in order to give me room for extra layers; as it turns out mount board cuts really well, and I can achieve a whole other level of detail than I can with wood. It even engraves really nicely, which enables me to include very fine detail. I’ve been enjoying seeing just how fine the laser cutter can go…

So that’s just a wee taster of what I’m up to – hopefully you can come along to see me in person but if not, I’ll be back with more news in the summer.

Thanks for reading

Cal

Spring Exhibitions

Hooperhart

It’s been a while!

Needless to say the first couple of months of 2025 have zipped by – I don’t know why I think I’ will’ll have time at the start of each year to do things like read books, do jigsaws and generally chill-out, it’s never happened yet! And suddenly we’re into March (and joyously) lighter evenings, so I for one am not complaining, it would just be nice if time could slow down for a wee while and give me the chance to catch up…

So anyway I’m here to give you the heads-up on a couple of group exhibitions which you should definitely check out if you can:

Whimsical Imaginings, Artisan And, Aberfeldy:

I’m very happy to be back at Artisan And – a lovely gallery in Aberfeldy in Highland Perthshire. The owner Angela thought the theme of Whimsical Imaginings would suits my work perfectly, and I have to agree! The exhibition is open until March 18th 2025, Thursday-Monday 11am-4pm

New Perspectives, Green Gallery, Buchlyvie:

I’m very excited to be showing at the gorgeous Green Gallery, located outside the village of Buchlyvie in Stirlingshire. New Perspectives is a mixed exhibition showcasing work from artists and makers new to the Gallery, so is sure to be well worth a visit! It’s open 11am – 5pm every day except Thursdays until Sunday 30th March.

Also, I don’t think I’ve mentioned that you can now find my work south of the border! I’ve not long topped up the beautiful Blue Tree Gallery in York with a selection of dioramas and I hope to keep doing so in the future, so if you’re in the area please pop in. One day I hope to do just that – I’ve never been to York but it looks a really fascinating place.

I’ll be back to let you know what else I’ve been up to soon – new things are afoot!

TTFN,

Cal

Winter Events 2024

Hooperhart

So once again time has befuddled me and we are somehow on the cusp of the clocks going back and being plunged into darkness once again. Yes, it’s late October and the busy season is just around the corner, so I’m going to cut to the chase and let you know where you can find me and my work in person this winter.

Tea Green at the Burrell Collection:

On November 9th & 10th I will be returning to the glorious Burrell Collection in Glasgow with Tea Green Events which are always top notch, showcasing the best of Scotland creative talent. Open 10-5, free entry.

Something Different For Christmas:

Another Perthshire one, this time in our nearest village, the delighful Dunning! It’s a special occasion, being SDFC’s 25th and sadly FINAL year, so you will not get another chance to visit this lovely, twinkly, super festive event. Doors open at 11.30am on Sunday, November 17th at Dunning Village Hall, Perthshire.

Creative Exchange Winter Market:

Creative Exchange in Perth is where I spend most of my time – home to my studio share and my part-time job! The winter market will showcase work from super-talented creatives from Perthshire and beyond. PLUS there will be an Open Studios event where you can find, among others, my sibling Ceri White and my studio buddy Ali Price. Not only that – there will be mulled wine AND a pop-up cafe! It’s a great building and a hub of activity so this will be a really enjoyable event.

You can find me there on November 30th & December 1st, 10am-4pm.

The Briggait Winter Market:

Back to Glasgow for my second WASPS event, this time at the beautiful Briggait. There’s been a major refurb and development of the Briggait’s Clydeside Market Halls which is due to be unveiled imminently – another reason to stop by on the market weekend of December 7th & 8th. Doors open 11am – 5pm.

Made in Stirling Christmas Market:

For those who live somewhere in between Perthshire and Glasgow, there’s the Made in Stirling Christmas Market, which runs for 2 months starting on November 4th.

Hope to see you at one of these events but remember if you can’t buy from me in person this year, I will be stocking up my online shops Folksy the week beginning December 9th. And you can always drop me a message through Instagram and Facebook.

Ta ta for now!

Cal x

Inverness Creative Academy & Perth Creative Exchange

Hooperhart

So amazingly there’s only two more events left in the festive fair calendar and it’s two that I have really been looking forward to!

First up we’ll be hitting the road north once again and heading for Inverness to the beautiful Creative Academy! The newly restored former Inverness Royal Academy building in the heart of the city is now the first creative hub of the Highlands established by Wasps, providing studio/office spaces, events spaces and galleries. The Winter Market will take place in the beautifully refurbished Gym Hall and Science Room.

Spread over 3 days, we’ll be there on Friday, Nov 24th 4pm-8pm, Sat 25th & Sun 26th 10am-4pm.

The following weekend we will be back closer to home at one of my favourite events: the Winter Market & Open Studios at Perth Creative Exchange!

I spend a lot of time at Creative Exchange, whether it’s using the machines at the Famous Grouse ideas room, or having stationery printed at Craigrossie Printing or even just visiting Ceri White Studios, it’s a hub of activity and this is always a really enjoyable event.

You can find me there on Sat Dec 2nd & Sun Dec 3rd 10am-4pm.

Remember if you can’t buy from me in person this year, I will be stocking up my online shops Folksy and Etsy the week beginning December 4th.

One final thing before I go – just a wee reminder that the HooperHart 2024 calendar is available from my online stores and at all my events! Each month is illustrated by a miniature scene reflecting the time of year, inspired by the wonderful wildlife, countryside and coastlines of the British Isles. I am donating £1 from the sale of each calendar to Hogscroft Hedgehog Rescue, Perthshire, who were flooded during October’s storms.

Well, I had better go and get on with more making before our impending road trip to the Highlands! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic festive season!

Hello February!

Hooperhart

I don’t know about you but I’m usually quite relieved to get January out of the way and this year is no exception. February feels to me like the start of the year proper, so to celebrate I’m offering free postage on everything in my HooperHart Folksy and Etsy stores! No need for a discount code – zero postage has already been applied, and will continue for the whole month.

Dream Wheels

A wee update on what I’ve been up to as Rudy and the Rowan Tree, the offshoot I use as a place to experiment and try out ideas which are unrelated to my Hooperhart work, and often more playful – I love creating my HooperHart pieces incidentally, but sometimes it’s nice to mix things up a bit! I’m currently loving making spirograph-inspired hanging decorations using embroidery thread and wooden discs – I call them Dream Wheels and you can find them on Folksy and Etsy Free postage also applies to my Rudy and the Rowan Tree stores for the whole of February!

Gift vouchers are go!

In other news, I wanted to draw your attention to my newly launched Gift Vouchers.They can be emailed directly to the recipient so make gifting super easy! They are exclusively available from my HooperHart Folksy store. There’s so many gorgeous products on there you might want to make it your go-to for gifts in the future though – all made in the UK to boot!

Thanks for reading and have a fabulous February!

What makes me happy

Hooperhart

Hello! Thank you for visiting my little corner of the internet 🙂 I have been neglecting it quite badly – I was a little shocked to see that I have only done 3 posts on here in the past year…3!!! That is very poor I think you’ll agree…in my defence it’s been a difficult year and my mind has been elsewhere for much of it. Health/work/money issues, bereavement and moving to a different county (and not yet having a home of our own) are all things which have really gotten in the way. Making my work always makes me feel better by taking me out of myself and giving me focus, but there have been so many times when I’ve felt ‘what’s the point?’ However, the only thing for it is to keep going and keep doing what makes me happy (where possible)! So in lieu of any new work, here’s a wee round-up of some of my favourite pieces from the past year…

I’ll be back at some point with some new pieces and hopefully more positive news! Thanks for reading and remember, you can follow me on Instagram Facebook and Twitter for all my latest news

Artist Support Pledge

Hooperhart

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding the period we’re in at the moment more of a challenge than when we were in full lockdown; normality is returning, but not necessarily the good aspects (traffic levels springs to mind), and other things are still a very long way off (cultural hubs re-opening etc)…I think I accepted and adjusted to lockdown in the knowledge that it was a temporary situation, and in a few months we would return to our old lives and move on.

Of course it’s not proving to be that straightforward, and the ‘new normal’ is a pale imitation of our old lives – another way of living which we have to accept and adjust to all over again. Thousands of people have no jobs to return to and thousands more are facing the same prospect in the coming months; tourism and culture (both a hugely vital part of the Uk economy) will struggle to recover from the effects of COVID-19 for years to come.  I actually feel more anxious and pessimistic than I did 4 months ago. So, to try and gee myself up a bit I’ve decided to take part in the Artist Support Pledge.

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Artist Support Pledge is “a culture and economy in support of artists and makers established and led by artist Matthew Burrows on 16th March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now a global movement of connected communities committed to an equitable and sustainable economy for artist and makers of all countries, media and ethnicities”. The concept is a simple one – when an artist/maker sells £1000 worth of their work, they pledge to spend £200 on other artists’ work. It is mostly focused around Instagram but I’ll also be posting about it on my Facebook page.

As we approach the tail-end of summer (!!!!) I would normally be starting to plan ahead for the autumn and winter’s markets and fairs, but these are very much up in the air at the moment, which is a huge concern. So I’m hoping the Artist Support Pledge will generate some sales and of course enable me to spend money on lovely things (I’ve already compiled a want list)!

Thanks for reading x

What’s in the Box?

Hooperhart

There’s always a bit of a post-festive lull here at Hooperhart Headquarters; stock has been depleted to the point of non-existence, I don’t have any trade fairs to prep for, and if I’m honest, I use January as an excuse to take things a little easy. It’s a time to contemplate the year ahead and consider how I want to develop and avenues I fancy exploring…to mix things up a bit I’ve signed up for a weekend course using a material which couldn’t be more different to wood, but more on that at a later date!

In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about making more boxed dioramas and developing the storytelling aspect of them in a visual way. I started making them in 2017, initially using domino boxes and wooden cubes:

I’m always on the lookout for interesting boxes which will be suitable for housing little worlds – towards the end of last year I found some with lovely little clasps and lids:

They’ve gradually become more elaborate, and I’ve started using transfers alongside screenprinting and painting as a way to get fine detail and text onto the boxes and their interiors:

So far the boxes have all been fairly small but I’ve recently acquired some larger boxes which I want to use but I’m concerned the little scenes I have in mind might lose their charm the bigger they get…I could certainly fit plenty of detail in though. I’ve even been considering designing some around a character from literature – and I usually steer well clear from actual humans in my work! Sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone, we’ll see…I’ll continue to mull this one over – first step is to sit down with the sketchbook and put pencil to paper…

Thanks for reading 🙂

Out & About

Hooperhart

Hello! I promised a quick post about where you can catch me out and about this summer, so here we are – I’ve only booked two fairs so far (commitment-phobe, moi?) but they are goodies!

First up this Saturday, June 22nd is Perthshire Creates: there will be 52 talented makers exhibiting over two venues – Perth Civic Hall (where I’ll be) and Perth Museum & Art Gallery. Open from 10am -4.30pm

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Design credit: Perthshire Creates

Then in August I’ll be at the fabulous Tea Green Market Weekend at Bowhouse, St Monans, Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th, 10am-4pm with lots of great contemporary craft, artisan food and cool tunes…

Bowhouse_Fife-10-978x624
Photo credit: Scottish Field

It’s been so long since I did a fair but I’m quite impressed with how laid back I am about it all, but then that applies to most things these days (see last post)! As long as I remember my stock, float, phone and card machine I should be alright…

Deer in the Forest
Green Garden
Into the Woods
Cabin in the Woods

I’m going to blow my own trumpet here and tell you that I’m kinda loving how my work is looking right now! Hopefully other folk will agree. It’s always a dilemma deciding on how much to take to fairs but this time I’ve got myself a super new trolley/cart thingy so at least it’ll be no bother to transport everything to the venues!

So if you’re in the Perth/Fife area this summer, pop along to these fab fairs and support Scottish contemporary craft and small business 🙂

The Fox in Winter

Hooperhart

So it’s January, and it’s cold. No surprise there then! We haven’t had any snow yet here at Hooperhart Headquarters but I’ve got a feeling February might oblige… Myself and Mr Biscuits are snuggled up on the sofa under a variety of blankets this afternoon, watching the birds in the garden fluttering around the feeder, reflecting on the past few months and ruminating on plans for the weeks to come.

The festive season seems like a distant memory now – it’s amazing to me how events which happened three weeks ago can seem like months ago just because they happened ‘last year’. But it was a successful few months, a nice way to end the year. It’s great to finish the year with hardly any stock left, and a huge relief, as nothing is ever guaranteed.

2018 was definitely the year of the fox – I only began making works featuring foxes last summer and they have been far and away my bestsellers. I love foxes but I wasn’t aware so many other people did too! There are families of foxes living in the woods at the end of our road, and we quite often come across each other on the dog walk. I think it’s such a privilege to live in close proximity to wildlife and it lifts my spirits to know they are there, quietly going about their business.

The fox is such a symbolic animal and has been used countless times in art and storytelling to convey intelligence, elusiveness, trickery, transformation, wildness, freedom, magic powers, and so on. A forest setting adds to the sense of a story to be told…

I recently read a lovely description by Unit Twelve from their upcoming exhibition Into the Woods: ” The forest acts as a potent symbol of adventure and discovery, a place where the barrier between reality and fantasy begins to thin…the wonder and whimsy of these magical places, a whimsy that is subtly shaded by with undertones of the sinister and the macabre”. I think this actually sums up what I aim to capture in my work in general – the creation of a little window into another world, an imaginary place just a little bit more magical and intriguing than our own…