CLAY, LEATHER & PAINT EXHIBITION, 1-7 JULY, 2021

This summer we welcome three talented local artists to West Acre Gallery with their eclectic showcase of paintings, pottery and leatherware.

Diane Hunt, her husband Paul, and Debbie Davis’s complementary artistic skills bring together a striking portfolio of work for ‘Clay, Leather & Paint’.

Visitors to this exhibition can expect to find pieces that they will fall in love with, and are available to buy and to treasure at a price to suit most pockets.

DIANE (DEE) HUNT

Working from her log cabin studio in west Norfolk, Dee Hunt combines her passions for pottery and gardening to make unusual and contemporary stoneware planters, vases and wall planters. Her large vessels make strong statement pieces for the garden. Her homewares include quirky vases, for those who love displaying cut flowers.

Dee had a 30-year career in the commercial world, and came to pottery during that time, originally as a form of relaxation. She has a degree in biology, and has always been fascinated by botany, and admits to being obsessed with plants. She found that being creative was extremely therapeutic and it helped balance her out!

She retired from her career a couple of years ago, and with ceramic training and experience under her belt she now works at a gentler pace. Using a variety of techniques, including slabbing and coiling, the vessels are built by hand with texture and colour being incorporated at various stages in the making process.

Never short of new ideas, she takes inspiration from her rural environment. The colours and textures of the patchwork landscape of agricultural land, and the brighter hues of the coastline filter into her work, as does the natural weathering and erosion of structures by land and sea.

PAUL HUNT

It all started for Paul in 2002, just before he retired from business, and he wanted to get back into art and making. It was over 50 years since he had finished art school. He wanted to engage his brain and hands by becoming creative again. He rolled back the years to the ’70s when he had previously done a lot of reclaiming and recycling using scrap leather.

Now he makes quality items from discarded products, majoring in leather bags from old leather sofas and industrial reclaimed boot leather. He uses scrap industrial copper pipe, which he strips and cleans before making household items, coat hooks, bathroom accessories and lights.

His latest product range are Scribble and Tear Noticeboards, made from reclaimed wood, copper pipe, old industrial rulers and recycled paper.

Paul and Dee Hunt (the potter ) have their workshops and an art gallery, set in their Mediterranean style garden at their home in north-west Norfolk.

DEBBIE DAVIS

Debbie is an artist based near the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border. She produces mixed media paintings and drawings together with individual 3D sculptures and illustrated hand built ceramics using a variety of methods including coloured slips, underglazes, inlay and sgraffito.

She grew up in Windsor and after school she studied Three Dimensional Design before embarking on a career in interior design. In 1986 she moved to The Fens where she set up and jointly ran a successful interior design business for many years.

A change in circumstances and a chance trip to the Norfolk coast led her to restart her love of painting and pottery. Her work is strongly influenced by her love of wildlife, nature and colour.

“I have always dreamed of pursuing what I enjoy most and now find myself in the enviable position of being able to do just that. Based ‘on the brink’ of the River Nene, I have been able to go back to my roots to dabble in what I love most: drawing, painting, ceramics and more.”

See the Clay, Leather & Paint exhibition 1-7 July at West Acre Gallery.

Opening times:

  • Thursday 1 July 12-8pm
  • Friday 2 July 12-8pm
  • Saturday 3 July 12-6pm
  • Sunday 4 July 10am-4pm
  • Monday 5 July 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 6 July 10am-4pm
  • Wednesday 7 10am-12pm