Breaktime News meets Sheron King and talks workshops, wombles and texture.
I’m sitting in the gentle warmth of a September day being bathed by the sunlight on my back whilst chatting with the founder of Plympton’s Mad Hatters Studio, Sheron King.
It’s a cosy place to be in. A long room with a long dining table. We’re sitting opposite each other and I’m surrounded by art. Immersed by it. Every pore absorbing its wonderful healing qualities, writes Duncan Little.
On the floor, under the open cupboard space next to me, are a number of large tubs with various descriptions on them (denim and scrim, velvet, sequins, pink and red).
Behind Sheron is a wall with shelves neatly aligned with 50 to 60 jars. All of them collected from second-hand shops. Contents include an array of Victorian looking buttons. Sitting next to them is a vintage sewing machine. Rare finds indeed.
There’s nothing new here. And that’s one of the many beautiful things about Mad Hatters Studios.
And I haven’t even mentioned its location! It’s on the site of a medieval manor which stretches back some 500 years.
Sir Francis Drake was a regular visitor to these parts. There are arrow slits in the walls and you feel the place’s sense of history is seeped into its very walls.
In short, I don’t want to leave. And that’s a good thing as this is a place designed to make you feel good.
Workshops to create ‘happy and inspired’ feelings
‘I run a monthly community group called StitchIN,’ explains Sheron. ‘I have eight to ten people come along and they love it. It’s always full and they go home happy and inspired.’
‘It’s nice to share a space with people as I’m looking to be creative all the time. People who come here have a wonderful time. What is here is special and the space is special.’
‘Someone said that the space here is like a warm hug. It’s creative, it’s inspirational and it relaxes me. I also provide my guests with plenty of fresh coffee, teas and homemade cakes.’
‘I’m reluctant to say it’s therapy but it’s certainly a chance for anyone to take some time out and have some ‘me time.’ That precious time which gives us nourishment for the soul.’
And it’s certainly good for my mental wellbeing as I continue to absorb its atmosphere. Ah, yes, the cake. I’m quietly demolishing a homemade slice of sticky ginger cake at the moment. Another piece? Don’t mind if I do!
There’s a gentle, soothing sound of bees outside (Sheron also produces honey from the beehives in the garden). It’s hard to believe Plymouth is just a few miles away.
And it’s that coziness. That sense of being sequestered into a homely place. Warm. Protected. Nurtured. All of the things which we crave in modern society but which can be so quickly snatched away from us by the pace of our hectic lives.
‘The things around me feed into my own creative work with their narratives – real or imagined. They also feed into my workshops as people are inspired by the creative space. They find my approach to be very calming which is very important for people coming here.’
‘When my children were small, I joined an adult education course in textiles and it gave me a buzz. I became quite addicted to it and it opened up a whole new avenue for me.’
‘I studied for a certificate in education and then was inspired to study for a degree, followed by a Master’s in Contemporary Design. Near to the end of studying, I set up Mad Hatters Studio.’
A creative focus on all things artistic
Years later and Mad Hatters Studio is going strong with its regular art workshops which have a creative focus on all things artistic and a strong focus on reuse and upcycling.
And that goes from making Christmas decorations to ceramics to jewellery to stitched textiles to mixed media through to cake decorating. So, where does the inspiration come from?
‘One of my methods is to work through old magazines, papers, books etc. and take out anything that inspires me – and I then collate them into an album.’
‘I focus on grouping colours, textures and themes. I organised them into piles ‘that speak to me.’ She smiles as I comment on the Korean stamp which is emblazoned within its pages.
‘It is an artistic piece in its own right,’ she says. It most certainly is!
‘The things around me feed into my own creative work with their narratives – real or imagined.’
We chat about other artists who’ve provided the creative flair for what Sheron creates in this corner of Devon. Perhaps unsurprisingly, William Morris is a big influencer for her.
‘William Morris is inspirational with the beauty and busyness of it. He was ahead of his time. His work is beautiful, colourful, intricate, very detailed and sophisticated with rich colours.’
We chat about where some of the items in her living area come from. It turns out she’s a bit of a collector of ‘stuff.’ Or, to use the correct term: ephemera.
It’s the things that, to use her phrase, ‘things that ordinary people throw away.’ I think of The Wombles and we both laugh at the memory of the Eighties’ characters who lived in Wimbledon. Happy times. Happy memories.
Workshops to upcycle textiles and objects into something a bit special
I ask her about the future. Sheron’s planning to develop cake decorating workshops with a view of emphasising sustainability in the kitchen. Afterall, for ceramics, she’ll undertake a single firing to save ‘a bit of energy – even if it does limit you a bit.’
In the meantime, she’s already planning for her upcoming workshops which will allow people to make their own Christmas wreaths using harvested willow.
There’s also a chance to turn your hand at making crackers, cards, tags and hand printed wrapping paper.
All of them with re-used and sustainable papers with the idea of using yarns and beads to ‘upcycle’ your existing decorations and transform them into exquisite centrepieces for the Big Day itself.
William Morris became well known as his work went on to grace the walls of homes up and down the country. Well, Sheron recently set up Rosa King Designs to develop a creative brand to be turned into art print and wallpaper.
In short, this place is the perfect paradise for someone who is environmentally conscious.
‘The upcycled textile jewellery workshop uses reclaimed fabric with stitch, along with items such as buttons, beads and old counters,’ she explains as I help myself to (another) slice of cake (it really is quite delicious).
‘There is even a chance to include tiny toys or something especially meaningful for each person so together we work out a design to incorporate them into a necklace.’
And then there’s a mixed media workshop using paper with stitch and print to create various types of artwork.
The sun is beginning to fade gently into the western distance and it’s time for me to go. But, the warmth of the company will be with me for a while – along with the colour of the work which surrounds me.
‘Bright colours give joy and happiness,’ says Sheron as we say our farewells. ‘I couldn’t live without colour. I appreciate all sorts of styles but for me it’s bright colour and texture along with a passion for reuse and upcycling’
