I’ve lived by the Ouseburn Valley for thirty years. It’s a fabulous place for a budding artist to live, with galleries, workshops, bars and cafes within a ten minute walk. My friends and their kids work or have worked here over the years, making art, pulling pints or volunteering at the City Farm or the Ouseburn Trust.
The Biscuit Factory and The Mushroom Works are both worth checking out if you’d like to buy some art, and there is no shortage of excellent glass and ceramics pieces – with a particular shout out to fellow student Penny Riley-Smith whose glass bowls are available to buy in The Biscuit Factory, to our wonderful glass technician and artist Jo Mitchell whose glass creations can be found in 36 Lime Street Studios, and to maker friends Multiminded, who are based in the Mushroom Works.
I’m a big fan of Sam Wood’s work – a young artist who is starting to make a name for himself and now sells from the Biscuit Factory. In his recent work (as with this work entitled ‘Down by the River’) he paints scenes from the past, but I prefer the paintings (mainly in oil) where he has slightly grungy take on contemporary Newcastle. All have a moody quality to them and rely on a rather restrained use of colour. Sam used to have a studio in the Biscuit Tin – the rather grubby little sister of the Biscuit Factory – and it was there that I first viewed his work. The Biscuit Tin only really opens twice a year (during the fabulous Ouseburn Open Studios) and it is a bit of a maze that doesn’t really scream hospitality. However, art isn’t found only in the studios and galleries – a visit to Earnest Cafe Bar, the Kiln or Brinkburn Brewery will reveal many delights.
The fully interactive map of these amazing places can be found here but before I sign off I will share my favourite place for a drink and a marvel at the ingenuity, imagination and dedication of local business people – open only at weekends and full of surprises – the Old Coal Yard