THE Wool Clip co-operative is welcoming a guest exhibitor to the Caldbeck shop when it re-opens in December (Thursday 3 December). James Underwood, an artist whose work includes studies of native sheep as well as local landscapes, will be the second such Spotlight guest to exhibit and sell his work in this way.
“Phil Bradley, a willow weaver, was the first Spotlight back in August,” explains Wool Clip member, Marion Rae, “and he was able to sell work during his exhibition as well as contributing something a bit different to our shop and space. The idea is to extend an occasional invitation to local artists and makers who share our ethos of adding value to a traditional material or who feature a different aspect of British wool and sheep in their work.”
James Underwood, who lives near Cliburn in Eden, started to draw and paint after retirement from a career in medicine. “It had been a longstanding ambition,” he says, “but only then did I have the time! At first I concentrated on sketching landscapes and then painting them in watercolour but I also particularly enjoy using charcoal and pastels.”
The Wool Clip spotlight, which will be James’s first public exhibition, will include six of his paintings and drawings, most focusing on sheep. “My wife, Alice, is a member of The Wool Clip cooperative and she is also very involved with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in Cumbria,” he explains. “We have a small flock of Manx Loaghtan sheep at home and I’ve come to appreciate their individual characters and characteristics. I have to work from photographs as sheep rarely pose long enough for even the quickest sketch.”
A range of James’s work will be on display and for sale throughout December and then again later in January at The Wool Clip. All profits will be donated to Médecins Sans Frontières. “They work in far more challenging circumstances than anything I experienced during my medical career,” says James, “so it seems appropriate to support their vital humanitarian work around the world.”
Ruth Strong, current Chair of The Wool Clip co-operative, hopes to see the Spotlights thrive in 2021. “Phil’s exhibition proved a useful initiative for us earlier in the year,” she explains “and James’s work also fits well and will be of interest to our customers. We’re keen to help and support other artists and makers if we can and are considering options for later in the New Year already.”
The Wool Clip shop is in Priest’s Mill, Caldbeck and is open Thursday to Sunday each week, 11.30am to 4pm until Sunday 3 January. Further information, directions and details of The Wool Clip can be found online at www.woolclip.com.
