Collection: Linda Bates

Linda’s family makes stuff!  Paintings, clothes, houses, boats, sculptures, machines and jewellery, etc…….

She grew up with access to all of the art materials you could possibly want, and the encouragement to use them.  Painting, sewing, plaster craft and puppet making were all on the agenda.   Then her teaching degree introduced her to the joys of batik, leatherwork, and clay sculpture.  Classes as an adult added wheel thrown pottery,  silversmithing, felting and glass bead making.

Her first love, however,  is clay sculpture.  She makes whimsical caricatures of the myriad of birds and animals living in our beautiful natural environment.  Some pieces are quite realistic, whilst others are completely fanciful.  None of them are terribly serious, and they exist to make people smile.

Working with glass comes a close second.  When glass is melted and wound to create beads the minerals in the glass combine and react to make beautiful organic patterns.  I use the beads to make necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  No two beads are ever exactly the same.