Made in Winchester: The Colour Factory
“Being a creative in Winchester is inspiring due to the ever-expanding creative community” – Emily Smith, metalsmith and jeweller at The Colour Factory
Step inside The Colour Factory, a studio and gallery home to a creative family of artists and makers. From jewellers to garden designers. They first opened their doors over 25 years ago and since then, their artists-in-residence have been committed to promoting local artistic talents and sharing their skills and expertise with the Winchester community.
You may recognise some of The Colour Factory’s work across the Winchester district and beyond. The Winchester Bollard Project, funded by Winchester City Council, continues to see artists Jenny Muncaster and Rachael Alexander transform bollards in The Square into works of art inspired by the likes of Klimt, Picasso, Pollock, and Matisse. There are even more to be found on Eastgate Street, depicting life on the River Itchen.
Recent projects away from the studio include a series of art interventions with young people from CAMHS Fareham in collaboration with NHS UK and Hampshire Cultural Trust, focusing on themes of self-expression and precession emotions. During lockdown, Rosie Parmley also hosted her art classes over Zoom, helping to inspire creativity during strange and unprecedented times.
Their artists continue to inspire creativity in the local community today. An ever-expanding network of makers, The Colour Factory is a hub of both established and emerging talent. Let’s introduce you to some of their in-house creative team, as seen in our short film:
Emily Smith is a metalsmith and jeweller, working on the themes of humanity, people and positive actions. She does so by creating unusual objects with mixed metals. A frequent motif in her works are small figures, representing big ideas, as seen in her ‘Make Jewellery Not War’ Collection. You can learn from her expansive metalworking talents at her frequent workshops for ring, earring and copper bowl making – all at The Colour Factory.
Rosie Parmley is a contemporary artist and educator with a passion for community outreach. Her vibrant and expressive paintings and drawings are often inspired by memory and observation, culminating in an intimate portrait of life and landscapes. She also creates relief art that pushes the boundaries between sculpture and painting. Her community work is vast: she worked alongside teachers and children to collate the project “What becomes of the dreams of children?”, and she continues to teach drawing and painting courses at The Colour Factory.
Nicola Baldwin is a nature writer, garden designer and photographer. Her work is about reconnecting with nature and the seasons. Her blog, HerOutdoorz, uses photography, illustrations and films to tell stories about the natural world, while her garden design allows her clients to see value in outdoor spaces that are both beautiful and practical. Her Colour Factory workshops are focussed on immersing yourself in nature, whether that be though walks, talks or artwork.
The Made in Winchester campaign hopes to raise the profile The Colour Factory’s local ‘makers’ and showcase their unique talents. Find out more about the Made in Winchester campaign here.
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