Karen Mc Phail and Eve Campbell. Creativity running in the family

There are two words that spring to mind when coming across the work of Karen McPhail and her daughter Eve Campbell, creativity and professionalism. Both graduates of Glasgow School of Art, they presently work from their family home in Renfrewshire, where you can also book to stay in a beautiful lodgehouse or take a sailing course at Carry Farm in the surrounds of Tighnabruaich, Argyll.

As someone who personally trained and worked as a Textile Designer for 25 yrs and who now presently works as a Ceramist, I was interested in finding out how each of these creatives work and think. I set both Karen and Eva the same questions and asked them to work on their answers separately. Here’s what I discovered, first Karen.

What are your earliest memories of doing something artistic ?

I think my earliest memory of creative activity was watching my dad make plaster reliefs in a tiny box room in the upstairs of our house. I distinctly remember the smell and consistency of the white plaster. Thinking back now I’ve no idea what he was actually making but he was an architect and had just finished building our house so I suppose the material was close to hand.

Who was your main/earliest, encouraging influence on becoming a creative person ?

My dad was definitely a creative inspiration, always making and building things. There was a confidence that came from knowing that if you want something you can make it. My gran (dad’s mum) was a embroiderer for Coats Thread Mill in Paisley and she always had sewing projects on the go. She was patient in helping my sister and I make little felt animals and peg dolls. She made me a simple school pinafore and I remember her constructing the paper pattern and then translating that into fabric. Yet again there was the confidence of using materials.

Who inspires you as an artist and who’s work is either influential or pleasing to follow in contemporary circles ?

Obviously I’m inspired by numerous artists and makers. In my final year of art school the sculptor Eva Hesse was a big influence. When my 3 children were young children’s book illustration gave me a lot of pleasure, John Burningham, Maurice Sendak, and Tove Jansson and many others. I think their ability to create ‘worlds’ from their imagery was an influence on my work today. The ceramicist Makoto Kagoshima currently makes work I greatly admire.

What is your favourite type of work to create and what parts of your creative process do you like the most/least ?

Part of the appeal of ceramics has always been the processes involved in turning raw clay into a fired and perhaps functional piece of work. I really enjoy every stage, working with materials and tools, trying to work out new ways of doing things. Decorating is probably my favourite time and glazing, after the first bisque firing, is definitely my least favourite activity. Opening the last firing is like Christmas morning and is a enjoyable end to the whole cycle, and then it is back to the start with raw red clay.

Karen, I can really associate with all of those feelings : ).

How does living and working in such creative surroundings play a part in the work you create ?

Working at carry farm with beautiful wild shore and woods right on our doorstep can’t help but influence my imagery. Living in such close contact with nature, changing seasons, and patterns of weather means that everyday I notice details of structure or colour combinations that infiltrate my work. My husband , daughter and sister also have studios at carry farm and we constantly consult, help and constructively criticise (!) each others practise. My brother in law has a mechanic workshop/boat yard next to our studios and so practical help is always on hand. It is a fun place to work and live.

It sounds idyllic.

Where do you see your work going in the next 5/10 years ?

I hope that people continue to want my work in their homes and that enables me to continue making.

Is there anywhere you would most like to see your work displayed or someone you would really love to collaborate with ?

I make my work hoping it will give people pleasure in their homes. Whether a daily interaction in a tactile mug or biscuit barrel, or a plate or candle holder for special occasions. I also like hiding little bits of work in nature. I took part in an archeological dig last summer and I’d love for my work to be buried perhaps to be found by a child in the future!

During lockdown my husband and I set up dreyworkshop to combine our skills in wood and ceramic. My family are probably ideal collaborators. It gives me particular pleasure to see Eve’s work develop and follow her interactions with other makers etc.

Where did your imagery of bird, arches and people first originate ?

I have only lived at carry farm for 2 years, previously I lived and worked in the house my dad built. During that time I remember driving through Glasgow and seeing a tree shadow cast on a building. The image struck me as exactly what I would like my work to project. The wonder of nature and it’s relationship to the built environment and people. Growing up Eve kept doves in our garden. The way that the birds were free but became connected to her and our house was an inspiration and the bird motif combined with architecture and figures became a regular feature of my work. On graduating Eve did a residency in an Italian silk mill. While there she visited St Marks Basilica in Venice. On her return home we poured over images of her trip and I found the cathedral mesmerising. The combination of architecture and nature through the use of stone, clay, coloured pigments felt connected to the more humble shapes seen in ruins around the Scottish west coast.

Karen states :- “My aim is to create visually satisfying objects for domestic environments that have a quality of surface and pattern, and that appeal to our sense of touch. My process involves layers of bold and playful decoration while retaining the inherent warmth of red earthenware clay. Simple forms are made on the wheel, handbuilt or using plaster moulds. I collect imagery from daily life and nature to make paper collages and, before the first firing, coloured slips are brushed on to the ‘leather hard’ pieces using cut paper stencils. Newspaper lettering on the final work echoes this process. Layers of applied slip produce a subtle raised decoration and can be drawn though to reveal the red clay beneath. A second glaze firing is followed by a third for the application of printed decals. ”

Such beautiful work Karen.

Now onto Eva’s questions.

In 2018 Eve was a winner in a competiton for Johnson Tiles and as a result got to turn some of her paper ideas into ceramic tiles.

Her sketchbooks are full of energy and ideas.

She was also asked to work with high street brand “White Stuff” and created a line of textile designs for their stores last year. (More info here.)

Thank you to both Karen and Eve for taking time out of their busy day to answer my questions. Such inspirational and creative work from both of you, it makes me excited to put this post together and I look forward to seeing where your ideas take you from here. What do you think readers ?