Feather and Fin: Celia Smith

About

Celia’s intricate sculptures of birds are full of life and energy. Celia uses wire as other artists use a pencil, collected and gathered wherever she finds it from the side of the road to scrapyards. Celia’s work will be on display together with Willow’s personal collection of nearly 100 “end of day” fish which he has collected during lockdown. Willow no longer has any room left on the shelves at home so it’s time for them to find new admirers! 

Celia’s love of wire was inspired by a visit to Sophie Ryder’s studio, and although she is a huge fan of the iconic mobile kinetic sculptures of Alexander Calder, she often cites her father’s creative use of baler twine and mending gates and fences on the farm she grew up on as another subconscious influence.

Not unlike the glass blowers of Murano, using whatever pieces were left over at “the end of the day”, Celia’s careful choice of reclaimed wires and materials produce her intricate and ethereal pieces, animated, swooping and gliding, across sky and paper.

Celia says of her work: 
“I have always loved birds and had a fascination with them. As a child I found a very young sparrow that had fallen from its nest - I hand reared it and eventually it fledged. Though birds came into my work a little by accident... I started off making wire hens - they were featured in a magazine and it launched me into self-employment. After a couple of years I became tired of making hens and went travelling in New Zealand, while I was there I started making and sketching the new and colourful birds I came across. When I came back to the UK I started going out drawing birds and suddenly realised that we have a wealth of amazing birds in this country too! 

I think the wire suits the birds and so feel no need to make any other species as I am continually inspired by what I see. I discovered wire when I was a school - our art teacher took us to see Sophie Ryder’s studio and I was hooked! I see wire as drawing material so to me it the perfect middle ground between sculpture and drawing.”

Celia’s sculptures and prints will be available for purchase throughout the exhibition with prints from £150 and sculptures from £550. The glass fish will be on sale with prices from £30 - £100. All art works will be available to purchase from the gallery ONLY for the first week of the exhibition to encourage people to visit the gallery and other businesses in town. They will then also be available online