Category: designer desire

Designer Desire: Denys Short

Montage of paintings by Portrait of Denys Short

Born in Bideford in 1927, Denys Short studied painting at Goldsmiths during the 1950s. He won the Gold Medal in the 1958 National Eisteddfod.

He’s primarily known for his sculptures, but it’s his paintings that really resonate with me. I love the ordinariness of the Welsh streets and interiors that he depicts in his works.

He has exhibited widely, including at the Serpentine Gallery, Hyde Park, London; Margam Sculpture Park, Neath Port Talbot; and Bishops Palace, St David’s.

He created a sculpture garden on the two acres around his house which he open to the public each summer. He lives – with his wife Eirian, a quilter – in Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire where they’re both members of their local Fishguard Arts Society.

Portrait of Denys ShortAt the opening of the ‘Generations’ exhibition at Fishguard Library in 2016 – Denys Short is standing on the far right
credit

Additional image credits:
Art UK

Designer Desire: H. Stern

Montage of Hans Stern jewellery designs

Do you watch Antiques Roadshow? What have been some memorable moments? On the programme a couple of weeks ago, someone brought in a stunning piece of jewellery designed by H. Stern – a company I hadn’t come across before. The piece was absolutely sensational!

Hans Stern (1922-2007) was born to a Jewish family in Essen, Germany. At the outbreak of World War II, when he was 17, he immigrated to Brazil. In 1945, after working for a Brazilian gem exporter, he founded his own company, H. Stern. Four years later, the first H.Stern store was opened on the Rio de Janeiro docks – the entry point for international cruise ships. Since then, they’ve expanded to over 160 stores worldwide in cities such as London, New York, Frankfurt and Moscow. The family-run company is currently headed by one of Hans’ four sons, Roberto.

The designer has a number of high profile and celebrity fans; including Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez and Janelle Monáe – modelling the creations on the red carpet at film premières. the Oscars and Golden Globes.

The designs are primarily semi-precious stones such as amethysts, tourmalines, aquamarines, peridots, topaz and citrines set into 18k yellow gold.

Find vintage H. Stern jewellery on eBay, Etsy and 1stDibs.

Portrait of Hans Stern credit

Additional image credits:
Wilson Estate Jewelry

Designer Desire: Muriel Delahaye

Montage of Muriel Delahaye artworks

This summer, we made a couple of day trips out to the seaside visiting Borth and Ynyslas; this week’s highlighted Designer Desire artist lives & works on this part of the Welsh coast.

Originally from Oldham in Greater Manchester, Muriel Delahaye moved to Borth around 50 years ago.
She described herself as a figurative artist.

In the mid 1970s, Delahaye won the MOMA Tabernacle Art Competition the theme that year was “The Sea! The Sea!” The subject of her winning painting was from the 7-part Greek book, Anabasis by Xenophon. It’s one of the paintings she has kept in her own possession. It was after this success that she began to concentrate on figures in a coastal landscape; she can actually see the beach from her studio.

Growing up in Oldham, our trips to the seaside were always a great event. I have always loved the sea, and the landscape around Borth is fantastic. It’s such a change from living in Oldham, which was full of people and had no landscape whatsoever. In an industrial town you don’t stop and say, ‘Oh what a wonderful sunset.’ You’re surrounded by people all the time; people coming from work, going to work, people talking about people. Coming to Wales I’ve found I have the best of both worlds – I’ve got the background of people plus the wonderful landscape to incorporate with it.

A lot of Welsh artists concentrate on landscape without figures but for me the figures are important. I’m interested in figures in the landscape, and how they’re reacting to that landscape or to whatever situation they find themselves in.

I concentrate on the people – they give me my ideas – but the sea often sets the atmosphere. I live opposite the sea and that’s the first thing I see in the morning when I get up and its always different – I love looking at it. Walesonline

Original works can be bought from Oriel Mimosa Gallery in Llandeilo and Oriel Tir A Môr Gallery, Borth. Prints and greeting cards can be bought from Delahaye’s own website.

UPDATE: Muriel passed away peacefully at her home in Borth on Friday 4th December 2020.

All images: Muriel Delahaye©

Additional image credit:
The Wales Weekly

Designer Desire: Esmé Eve

Montage of Esmé Eve illustrations

Esmé Eve, A.R.C.A (1920-2001) was a British author & illustrator. At the age of 5, she won a toy cash register in a drawing competition; it was just the start of her artistic career! She studied at Croydon College of Art from 1937-41, followed by the Royal College of Art from 1941-44. She taught at the Royal School of Needlework and various at schools. She lived for many years in Seaford, East Sussex.

I’ve seen her referred to as both Frances Olive Esmé Eve and Florence Olive Esmé Eve. I couldn’t find a great deal about the artist, and only came across one (fairly fuzzy) image of her. She has illustrated many, many children’s books of her own and for other authors, including series of Wonder Starters and Big Golden Books.

On the back flap of a 1965 edition of her Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes is the following author information:

Hobby: sunbathing
Other interests: reading, architecture, the theatre, walking, collecting Victorian earrings, talking to little cats and having a look at somebody else’s country.
Objects for happy contemplation: cats, elephants and the Brighton Pavilion.
Future plans: to illustrate more books, to meet more little cats, to sunbathe.

Prints of her illustrations come up at auction occasionally. Books are currently available on Abe Books, eBay, and Etsy. There are also Christmas cards illustrated with her artwork for sale here.

Portrait of Esmé Eve

Image credits:

Arts and Humanities Research Council | Sulis Fine Art