Public Art
We like to take the opportunity to promote our work to a wider audience wherever possible. Last year we produced a sculpture for TRAIL which was displayed on Teignmouth seafront and admired by thousands of visitors. The work, entitled Flotsam and Jetsam, was woven by the residents at Stallcombe and incorporated some finds from a visit to a local beach. Those who worked on the project then came along to supervise its installation and talk to people about their sculpture.
We are always happy to take commissions.
If you have any ideas you would like to see turned into reality, please contact us for a quote, and we will then try to schedule it into production.
Craft Therapy
Crafts and Workshops to encourge creativity and learning.
Weaving
At Stallcombe House we have a weaving workshop with a full time weaving instructor. We have table looms, floor looms, rug looms and also tapestry frames for beginners. Many of our residents have been weaving for several years and are very skilled in their chosen areas. The weavers create their rugs, tapestries, bags, cushions and scarves using their own artwork as a basis for creating their own designs. We use yarns from a local spinning factory or we spin from our own yarns. We use chemical and vegetable dyes and have our own dye garden where we produce a range of plants for processing in the weavery. Within this broad framework of textile activity residents are encouraged to experiment and explore using equipment and techniques, often specially adapted, to enable them to excel in their chosen area.
Paper Making and Other Crafts
In our craft workshop we also recycle waste paper from our offices to create our own unique handmade paper. Residents learn to sort, shred and make the pulp, and flowers and leaves from our garden are added. We use the Indian method whereby the paper is allowed to dry in the frames. Residents use the paper to make envelopes, books, cards and boxes for sale. Experiments with paper marbling have also produced some very beautiful work.
Silk Painting, Felt Making and Batik are other popular crafts enjoyed as part of the Art Therapy Programme. We have recently been experimenting with Shibori - a traditional dyeing technique from Japan - and producing some fabulous results. The conversion of the former West Wing into an Art Room has provided much improved facilities. We can now offer additional activities including pottery with finished articles being glazed and then fired in our own kiln.
Art Workshops
We offer two group workshops on a weekly basis where art and craft merge to create some very interesting results. These workshops concentrate on the use and celebration of natural materials or explore the meaning of special days or festivals throughout the year. These group work sessions are very popular forums which result in some unique and fascinating collective pieces of work.
Woodworking
The woodwork room is a very popular facility for the residents. Their enthusiasm has only been equalled by the quality and variety of the projects they have undertaken and completed. Residents work on a close one to one basis with their instructor, thus encouraging safe work whilst maintaining creativity and freedom of expression. A wide variety of articles have been produced including bird boxes and bird tables, coat racks, CD and tape racks, bedside cupboards, shelving and many other useful items for their own and others rooms. Woodworking encourages a sense of achievement, improves co-ordination and posture and promotes self esteem.