Meet the Artist

Anne Smithies

Anne in PragueWelcome to where the art is colourful, tactile, engaging, beautifully designed and made with attention to detail with a splash of humour.  It is upbeat, sunny and thoughtfully created. 

Passionate about colour, details and tactile materials, light, split second connections, solving puzzles and unpacking conundrums, Anne has a thirst for learning, understanding and mastering new skills and extending her knowledge base.   Her extensive expertise spans many disciplines and she attends workshops learning from topic experts while supporting them in their practice. 

Anne is a serial researcher, student and developer. Eternally curious and always tweaking results in a happy turnover of multi-disciplined art.

Anne loves encouraging others to explore the joy of making and creativity. Anne offers knowledge and experience along with space, time, materials and enthusiasm.  She is naturally generous and enthusiastic when sharing her experience and knowledge offering extra snippets of information and ideas.

Creative Development/Engagement opportunity

Potential to run one-off creation specific workshops (with a standalone cost per person).  Glass fused ornaments, weaving bands, Linocut cards and ornaments, sewing projects, making books and needle punching for example. 

Experience 

Anne at the Millenium Galleries, Sheffield
  • Self taught artist across many disciplines
  • PTTLs certification 
  • Established, curated and ran a successful arts and crafts gallery in Hawes, Wensleydale, UK
  • Independently curated, run and taught many workshops in multiple crafts/disciplines.
  • Public Art exhibited in Millennium Gallery, Sheffield and galleries in Saddleworth Moor, Dronfield, Wiltshire, Surrey and Derbyshire + more.
  • Community Engagement workshops in deprived areas of Sheffield for Burngreave New Deal, Sheffield Museums Trust, Sheffield Theatres as well as, Dales Countryside Museum and Gayle Mill Trust, Wensleydale.
  • Schools: delivering art activities in class and for extended families and carers within junior/primary school setting. 
  • I have worked collaboratively with a number of artists and institutions on small and big projects.
  • Host of drop in open sessions; facilitating and supporting other creatives; Textile Tea Party and Creativity Sessions.

 

Some of the many disciplines I have experience in

Textiles, sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery, felt making, quilting, paper making, cards, applique, embossing, linocut, printing, painting, drawing, spinning yarn, weaving, gift making, glass fusing, junk art, mixed media art, fabric painting, printing and dyeing, cross stitching, punch needling, fabric sculpture, memory items, automata, mosaic for starters…