From lino printing to gel plate and block printing; from drawing to sculpting with wire; from paper craft to blind embossing; and collage to collographs (to name but a few); Liz Wellby is versatility personified. But, best of all, she makes her numerous talents accessible to all of us so that we can embark on new and as yet undiscovered journeys into her world. Lucky us! 

We asked Liz to introduce us to her life as an artist and to her gorgeous 'Slipper Studio' so that we can begin to understand her passion for the creative life she lives, and her joy in imparting her knowledge to her willing and loyal students.

Since childhood I have enjoyed making things and I was always encouraged to be outside playing or being creative. In her youth, my mum was exceptionally talented, but unfortunately she was firmly steered away from attending art college. However, creativity will always find a space in one’s life and I grew up in awe of her skills, watching her knitting, sewing, baking and creating.

For most of my time at secondary school I was fortunate to have a particularly supportive art teacher, who encouraged me to think about a career in art, so I completed a Foundation Course and then studied sculpture at Loughborough University. I then combined continuing to develop and sell my work for a number of years, alongside working with my parents in the family business. I also volunteered in primary and secondary schools supporting Art and Design teachers, as I felt it was important to give something back as a result of my own positive experience in school and I eventually completed a PCGE in Design and Technology at Nottingham Trent University.

For 20 years I worked in 3 Derbyshire schools teaching a range of creative subjects and thoroughly enjoyed it, but teaching can be all encompassing and despite continually creating resources and examples for my students, I realised that I hadn’t made any of my own work for years. It was at this point that I turned to printmaking rather than sculpture, as a way to engage with my own creativity. I needed processes that I could work on for short periods of time and despite having access to a well equipped workshop, I needed activities that could be completed at the kitchen table or in front of the TV. A weekly evening session at a printmaking class at my local college then provided me with access to presses, tuition and excellent technical support and I was well and truly hooked.

I love my studio and workshop and feel incredibly fortunate to be able to work in them, hence wishing to share it with other people.

One of the motivations for selling  our previous home was to find a work space in or attached to our next place and we’re very pleased with how this has panned out; it’s a short walk from bedroom to studio. 

A lot of hard work went into its creation, as there isn’t a surface that hasn’t been: replaced, skimmed, sand blasted or painted. I love the views down into the village and into the garden and seeing the weather and seasons change is a joy. It’s regularly commented up on, that I must get easily distracted with so much to look at. It’s a cosy and comfortable space in the winter with the wood burner lit and I feel really connected to the outside space on a summer’s day. It’s a very positive and inspiring environment to work in.

I really enjoy having people share the studio with me during workshops, seeing them taking a delight in what I also enjoy; I regularly walk into the studio carrying a tray of teas and coffees at the start of workshops, to find everyone wandering around having a good old look around, looking slightly sheepish as I enter.

The work space is divided into 2 connected spaces, with distinct personalities. Both spaces have large floor to ceiling windows, taking advantage of the light and views to the front and back. We gather in the studio at the start of the day and use the workbench for demonstrations and design work, before heading into the workshop when more space is needed and processes become messier.

I initially struggled to find a name for the studio, until it dawned on me that I spend most of my working day in an apron and pair of slippers, hence The Slipper Studio. I feel it says something quite clear about my workspace, where other makers also have the opportunity to relax, learn and create.

It’s fair to say that I run quite a range of workshops, including lino cutting and printing, gel plate and mono printing, creating collagraphs, several types of wire workshops, plus drawing and collage, mixed media and paper sculpture, alongside seasonally-inspired workshops; as a result of this, there’s quite a variation in the skills that need to be covered. I ensure that everyone learns about safe working practices relating to their chosen technique.

Many people understand how important it is to make time to relax and enjoy being in the moment and the benefits this has for our physical and mental health, but we don’t always actually do this. Taking part in a creative workshop allows for such opportunities, as we immerse ourselves in activities that engage and inspire us. For some students, learning this skill is as important as learning how to create a lino cut or form a bird using wire, and helping students to understand that being creative is good fun is also really important to me.

I am particularly keen for makers to leave with the knowledge and confidence to continue developing their new skills, as I like to run workshops which don’t require significant amounts of expensive equipment, so that more people can afford to carry on making in their own homes. I create ‘how to do’ sheets for each workshop, with detailed notes, top tips and illustrations that everyone takes away. This also avoids the need for copious note taking during workshops. I talk through which suppliers I recommend, to ensure everyone knows where to buy particular products and equipment.

I hope my workshops are just the start of a new creative activity and journey.

I am very much a solo act when delivering workshops at The Slipper Studio, but I couldn’t do it without my husband’s quiet help and support.

I was made redundant in 2014 from a 20 year teaching career, which was quite a shock. My initial instinct was that I would need to start job hunting, but my husband encouraged me to think about alternative and more flexible ways of working.

My husband was an outstanding Design teacher and is great to bounce teaching pedagogy off. He is also a sculptor, with great technical skills, so I am incredibly lucky to have him.

I should also include Bert as an essential member of our team. He’s a great little cat, a huge distraction and fun to have around. Bert is also very popular with makers who visit the studio and I fear there would be mutiny if he failed to appear at workshops!

There are no two months the same at The Slipper Studio. My time is divided between workshops, be that developing new ideas or their delivery, 1 to 1 tuition, where the focus is decided upon by the individual maker, or developing my own work. 

Away from the studio, I also run workshops for arts groups, charities, museums, galleries and more recently, supporting primary teachers in developing their creative teaching.

Twice a year I travel to Hampshire where I run creative arts weeks with Alison Butler from Blooming Designs. We met in the late 1980s when studying textiles and sculpture at Loughborough University. A long friendship has proved to be a good starting point to developing a business opportunity for the pair of us and means poor Alison gets me as a house guest for almost a month each year!

For many years, Alison ran a successful textile design business, selling designs to major retailers across the UK and in the US. With a creative flair that is not limited to textiles alone, she worked for a number of companies to produce large scale backdrops for corporate events and theatre productions, before turning her hand to illustrating children’s books. Now married to a farmer and living on a working farm on the edge of The South Downs National Park, she’s currently more likely to be developing and running diversification businesses on the farm than heading to London or Chicago for textile trade fairs.

With my background in secondary Art and Design education and experience as a successful tutor, it means that Alison and I have a wide range of skills to pool and draw from and with a venue, in the form of a restored 19th Century thatched barn, available on the farm, it proved the starting point for a joint creative opportunity and Art in the Barn was born.

In March and October we run our creative arts weeks. With a rolling programme of workshops, we cater for people who are just starting their creative journey and makers who are more experienced. There are several printing opportunities, a wire or paper workshop, batik, drawing and collage and usually something seasonal to consider. The setting and venue are stunning and inspirational in their own right, with views over the South Downs Way. 

Makers who are travelling from a distance like to combine several workshops, with the opportunity to stay on the farm in traditional yurts or shepherd huts. 

Our next event runs from Thursday 16th to Wednesday 22nd March, with full details to be found on the CraftCourses maker's page: Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn.

I also squeeze in lino cut commissions for house portraits, be that a terrace, a cottage, a country house or even a small farm. No two commissions are alike and they can generate lots of head scratching and challenge my problem solving skills; it’s not possible to leave out a couple of windows that you don’t like or are proving a bit tricky to cut, but it also allows me respond to client requests to remove a neighbour's tatty shed or garage from a view.

I think it’s important to maintain my own work, alongside running workshops and 1 to 1 tuition; I want to walk the walk and talk the talk. I ran 73 workshops last year, so it can sometimes be a challenge to have sufficient time to do this.

My work is fundamentally based around printmaking, so I explore a range of  processes, including lino cutting and printing, woodcuts and different methods of mono printing. My brain seems to respond well to variety and the range of processes complement each other.

Living and working in Derbyshire is important to me as it provides a significant visual stimuli for my work. I explore themes of home, countryside and the domestic environment, so one day I might be cutting a lino based on architecture in the landscape and the next day it might be developing still life-based mono prints of fish and lemons. I think this approach keeps my work fresh and I enjoy this range of opportunities.

Sometimes I also feel the urge to make something 3D and out comes my fine wire and pliers and a little wire bird or animal starts taking shape. There’s my need for variety again.

I am very open to ideas and curious. I see an image or an object that interests me and if I have the time and suitable materials, I like to give it a go and try to recreate it. It might be hand stitching, using paper or metal foil or trying a new drawing technique. 

I also think that if I can make something and I’ve enjoyed making it, someone else might feel the same way and then there’s the potential for a new workshop. It’s all part of my need to experiment and further develop my knowledge, skills and understanding.

I also like the immediacy of photography, and my phone is usually with me when we’re out and about or walking. It’s such an immediate process, that can be adapted so easily and it’s incredibly satisfying.

Some years ago, I was fortunate to join Peak District Artisans. It had taken me a couple of years to pluck up the courage to put in an application, so I was particularly pleased to be asked to join. Established in the early 90s, we are a group of professional artists, designer makers and contemporary artisans, based in and around the Derbyshire Peak District. 

As makers, we gain from being part of a collective of like-minded people from a wide variety of creative disciplines. We have the opportunity to show our work in prestigious venues, often unavailable to us as individuals, and we can rely on each other to show beautifully presented, quality work. 

We support each other professionally, and it’s proven to be invaluable to have colleagues and friends to turn to for support and ideas; someone is sure to have an answer or an idea to help. They are a great group of folks.

Attend some workshops and learn to understand what makes a successful workshop. Think about what you enjoyed and what you would you do differently.

Try running a couple of workshops with family and friends and ask for constructive feedback.

Don’t underestimate how much time you’ll spend with a hoover, mop and a duster to hand! Running workshops isn’t just about the time from 10 til 4.

Remember that everyone attends a workshop for different reasons, be that to learn a new skill, to have a day out with friends, or because they need time and space away from work or family commitments. Learning to accommodate a range of needs is important.

Funny moments in the studio seem to involve cats. My cat, Bert, AKA Studio Cat, loves hanging around during workshops, keeping an eye on proceedings. He is very inquisitive and playful and has been known to curl up in someone’s bag for an impromptu cat nap. 

On another occasion, I was stopped mid sentence, when someone pointed dramatically out into the garden, exclaiming “What the hell is that? It looks like a bloody lion”, as my neighbours particularly large ginger Maine Coon cat wandered nonchalantly past. 

Sincere thanks to Liz for such an insightful exploration of her life and work. It would be impossible not to be inspired but such a talented, multifaceted, resilient, motivational artist and maker.

We feel very fortunate to have both Liz and Alison in the CraftCourses family and look forward to continuing a long and happy relationship with both of these accomplished women.

Liz Wellby - Artist, Teacher and Maker

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn