Sparrows Nest Ceramics - Cara and Andrew Fitzmaurice. We live in rural West Cornwall, our cottage sits high up on a hill, protected by Ash, Oak and Blackthorn. Our studio is located in a barn at home, we share our barn with several sparrow families who return to nest every year. We are witness to the life of flora and fauna in the meadows and woodland here, much of our work is inspired from stories of home. I (Cara) journal the seasons of land and sea here in Cornwall and through this process I begin the designs. Our slow made pieces are often made from local St. Agnes stoneware clay, many of the brush-heads I use I make from natural...
For over 25 years I have been making and designing jewellery using stones collected and sourced carefully from all over the world, incorporating them with sea glass, silver, copper and brass and, sometimes, with old brooches or other artefacts.
I enjoy working with ideas garnered from the natural world. The colours of the seasons dictate the colours used in making a new piece, as do ideas put forward by customers when commissioning pieces.
Finding new stones is a constant joy and excitement. Shape and texture are an important element in the finished design.
Pat Thuysbaert was born in Beckenham Kent. She developed a passion for painting from a young age. At the age of 5 she won a nationals schools portraiture competition. Pat enjoys producing varying subject matter using different media (oil paints, pastels, acrylics and pen and ink) She is well known for her water colour work. Pieces of Pats artwork hung all over the world including in: France, India, USA, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Handmade lampshades featuring Pats artwork were sold in Selfridges & Co, Oxford street, London. Highlights of Pats commissions have been pieces for the Late Sir Bobby Robson, England's football manager; Christmas cards for the Major of Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire and stationary for Three...
Catherine is an artist and printmaker living in Cornwall, where she designs handmade artworks inspired by her coastal walks and love of sea swimming. After graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 2003, Catherine embarked on a successful career working in costume for film and T.V, contributing to productions from Harry Potter and Star Wars to Doctor Who and Downton Abbey. Her time is now split between film sets across the country and her art studio in Cornwall. Catherine draws inspiration from her surroundings, sketching on location, collecting wildflowers, seaweeds and shells. She works en-plein-air to create images rooted in the countryside of her home, often sketching on the coast path or on the beach after a sea swim. She...
Andrew has been involved in the 'Art world' for the last 15 years and has always had a love of ceramics and pottery. When we were all faced with lockdown boredom Andrew decided to pick up where he left off at art college and ordered himself a couple of bags of clay and booked himself of some refresher lessons with a pottery collective in Sussex. That was almost 5 years ago now and since then he is now lucky enough to be able to work from his own studio in his garden in Newquay after making the move to Cornwall, spending his days immersing himself in creating his wildlife sculptures. Andrews work is now displayed and sold in multiple Galleries...
