Colour on the Moors - The Psychedelic Sheep of Fleecy Sunshine

The colourful sheep of Fleecy Sunshine have their home at one of our CADS studios. Elizabeth Crossley and Paul Sewell are two of the very talented artists of our community. Here, Elizabeth tells us a bit more about her art.

by Roxana Soica / 29 July 2015

Rainbow Ram and Son by Elizabeth Crossley

Hello, Elizabeth and thank you for finding the time to have a chat with me. Tell me, first, when did you and Paul discover your passion for painting and sculpture?

I went to Sheffield Art College for five years many years ago and I did Sculpture for my main subject. I was very passionate about it but it was very difficult to continue while also bringing up two children.

Paul, on the other hand, has only started painting just over a year ago. He used to run a pub and had never done any painting in his life before.

Old Church. Lubeck in Winter by Paul Sewell

 It is quite impressive to see Paul’s works now, knowing that he has no formal training and is very much new to this whole thing. He’s still very much in the learning process, Elizabeth tells me. But then again, she ponders, I suppose we never stop learning when it comes to painting and the arts.

When did you take over the studio at CADS?

Well, I live in a flat and, about three years ago when my son came back home, I had no room to paint anymore and I decided to take the studio. He is now gone, but I am still keeping it, because it’s a space just for me and it’s so nice and quiet! I go to there about twice a week, sometimes three times, but I also run some art groups for adults (see below for times) and take care of my grandson so I am kept fairly busy.

Tell me a bit more about you as an artist. What artists do you admire? What medium do you prefer?

I really like Claude Lorrain and Picasso. I also like sculpture very much. As for a prefered medium, I think it would be watercolours and acrylics. I have done lots of watercolours, as well as oils – and I did make some little sculptures as well. Nowadays I do acrylics mainly because they are light to move around (as I don’t drive) and because they don’t need framing.

Piccadilly Sheep by Elizabeth Crossley

What about your subject matter? Why the sheep?

I was born in London and we moved up here when I was about seven years old. When we arrived here, I was absolutely taken with the sheep on the moors and being able to go and feed them. I had seen nothing like that in the middle of London… and that was it, really. I suppose I’ve always liked sheep.

I used to do more traditional paintings – things like snow scenes with sheep and so on – and I still can do them, but at some point I decided to try and develop it into something different. Then, a few years ago, I did my first painting of multicoloured sheep. I entered the Great Sheffield Art Show and I won the Octagon Prize. I was so thrilled! And I suppose that’s what’s kept me going!

I guess you can’t keep any sheep since you said you live in a flat, but have you any pets at all?

I love animals! Unfortunately I’m not allowed to have dogs in my flat but I do have a little goldfish in an aquarium.

Colour Blind by Elizabeth Crossley

Elizabeth’s work has been exhibited at the Bradfield Art & Craft Fair, Art in the Gardens (at the Sheffield Botanical Gardens), as well as the Great Sheffield Art Show. 

She also runs art groups at the following locations:

Wood Lane Countryside Centre, Stannington

Mon (9-12): Painting for Pleasure 

Mon (7-9 pm): Structured Course

Christ Church, Manchester Road, Stocksbridge

Tues (10-12): Painting for Pleasure

St Mary's Church Hall, South Road, Walkley

Wed (10-12): Structured course

Visit www.fleecysunshine.com to view and purchase Elizabeth and Paul's artwork.

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Steel City turned Creative City

For those of us who live and have lived in Sheffield, we all have a certain connection with Sheffield's Steel Heritage. We love being the Steel City, the hard nuts, the iron men and women of the industrial era but what's happening now? What's happening to the factories and workshops that years ago were the forefront of Sheffield's character and employment?

Well, it's the unassuming Creative sector that has taken them under their wings.

The demand for creative space in Sheffield has increased - Instead of moving to London, people study at Sheffield Hallam and then stay in the city. These days, artists are even moving (to Sheffield) from London - Haroon Mirza, 34, who won this year's Northern Art Prize. Companies like CADS are at the forefront of this revolution.

CADS (Creative Arts Development Space) was established 5 years ago and has grown from strength to strength, achieving charitable status in 2013. Its main headquarters are a credit to Sheffield’s creative takeover – Smithfield Studios formerly known as Nickel blanks. This was an abandoned cutlery factory quietly resting in Shalesmoor amongst the other various disused factories and workshops which surrounded it. CADS took it on and waded through plies of cutlery templates, knives, forks, rusty machinery and many other diseased objects/small inhabitants in order to transform it into the hub of artisan productivity it houses today. Jewelers, sculptors, musicians, artists, producers, co-operatives and much, much more have nestled into the old factory.

From the outside, it doesn’t look like much, but if you step through the blue door, you are met by a wealth of artistic ingenuity.

This is the reception to set the scene.

 And the Courtyard...

 And the corridors...

So much diversity, creativity, textures, colours in one building is truely amazing and is a credit to all those involved. For more insights into the artwork at CADS follow our instagram account.

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