Under Universal Skies

Collections of new works originating in 2020, Cambridge Contemporary Art held the first showing of this new work in their three woman show in September of that year with great success. Pieces are currently available from The Whitehouse Gallery Kircudbright and The Bevere Gallery near Worcester.

This new direction of work began in lockdown in her studio near Scarborough in North Yorkshire. With the luxury of more time to appreciate peace and nature, allowing more thinking space to stages of development, it is very much reflected in how the pieces have evolved. Nature fascinates Shirley, the power and vulnerability, the lines, shapes and colour of it. She has a rich experience of nature in her own garden environment, using plant material with the surface of the clay or painting directly on to clay an emotional reaction to how the garden changes in different light or seasons.

Beasts series is an ongoing, growing world of intuitive forms originating from drawing archaeological artifacts and finds on many visits to museums on travels. Inuit carvings in particular had an emotional pull, Shirley sensed within them a genthness yet they also held a strength. The beasts make up different groups with a different purpose or role to play with this new world. Shirley is currently making a new herd along with botanical sculptures for www.yorkceramicsfair.com in March.