Winter Art Market 2024

Come and browse the beautiful, festive artwork being sold by Pyramid artists and other local makers at this year’s Winter Art Market. There will also be delicious hot chocolate to keep you warm and a family-friendly creative workshop!

This year’s Winter Art Market will feature:

Nourishing People
A social enterprise promoting learning and employment for people with disabilities, organised through People Matters, selling delicious natural snacks.

Yellow Holly
An independent designer selling a selection of handmade Christmas decorations and prints.

Alfie Fox
A Pyramid artist selling limited-edition screen prints.

Dragons Nest Community
An inclusive Dungeons & Dragons group in Leeds selling custom dice and sharing information about their events for gamers who are neurodiverse.

Clod Studio
Poppy from Clod Studio is a Leeds-based artist and Pyramid facilitator who will be running a drop-in family friend clay workshop.

Pyramid Fundraising Stall
Our fundraising stall will be selling stickers, jewellery, lampshades, artist books, postcards, zines, badges, tea towels, canvas art, t-shirts, tote bags and notebooks all made by Pyramid artists. Proceeds from the stall will go towards our work to support artists with learning disabilities and/or autism.

Everyone is welcome and we’d love to see as many people as possible, so please help us to spread the word!

Event details

This is a fundraising event for Pyramid, and all money raised will go towards improving access and inclusion in the arts for people with learning disabilities.

Winter Art Market 2024 artwork by Pyramid artist Ria @lakexy_design_artist

Date: Saturday 7 December 2024

Time: 11am – 3pm

Location: Pyramid Studio, Unit 3, 18 Croydon Street, Leeds LS11 9RT

Access: Please see pyramid.org.uk/access for full information

Share: Click here to download a shareable event flyer and here to download an Instagram graphic by Pyramid artist Ria.

Marvel screen printing with Alfie

Alfie Fox works with photography, digital art, print, text, collage, and making films. He enjoys experimenting with new techniques and building his skills across different art mediums.

His artwork advocates and challenges people’s perspectives of access for people with disabilities and incorporates the difficulties he has personally faced as a young man with multiple disabilities.

Alfie enjoys showing his favourite themes of Dr Who, Money, Prime Minister of the day, and people he works with at Pyramid.

Alfie uses screen printing as his main art form, using the facilities at Leeds Print Workshop to create vibrant and fun sets of images. Often distorting the obvious into a fractal display of shapes and colours that takes the viewer by surprise and need a moment of observation to work out what they are looking at.

Behind the scenes with Alfie

Alfie created his Iron Man prints through various stages. First, he used his skills in Adobe Photoshop to create the iconic image of his favourite Marvel Superhero, Iron Man.

“I chose Iron Man because I like how he uses technology to help people. I like that he is an ordinary man who uses technology to become super. To make the print, I found images on google and collaged them together in Photoshop. After I have the final image, I change the mode into CMYK. I split channels which creates separate layers of colour to print – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and ‘Key’ or ‘key plate’ (black). I change the mode to a bitmap to make a halftone screen – this makes each layer dotted and they are off set so that they don’t just stack on top of each other.”

Once separated into its CYMK parts, acetates were printed to allow for a silkscreen to be made. By passing light through a specially coated screen, the areas blocked by black ink remain soft, whereas the exposed areas harden. This means the soft parts can be washed away to reveal the image on the screen (image 1).

Each layer is then printed to build up and create the final print. Ink is pulled through the screen using a squeegee, evenly coating the paper with a thin layer of smooth ink (images 2 & 3).

“I practiced a lot to to do it right. I found a way that works for me. I have someone to help put pressure on the squeegee while I pull it – this helps me get my best prints.”

Your Patreon exclusive print was created during the Leeds Print Workshop and Pyramid collaborative working project ‘Prints of Possibility’, which gives Pyramid artists closed access to the print workshop to freely explore different types of printing processes.

“I like having more Pyramid artists in the space. I work with Carl at LPW once a week, but on Prints of Possibility days I get to work with other artists too. I like working with new people.”

Stop Motion Film with the Ribblehead Group

The Ribblehead group meet at the Pyramid studio every Friday and take their name from the Ribblehead viaduct, which was the focus of their first project.

Before Summer break, the group were working on an animation project with storyteller Matthew Bellwood, sculptor Edward Mortimer and artist Cassy Oliphant.

“Inspired by a series of Balinese wooden carvings, provided by our guest artist, Edward, the group began to explore the ancient art of Indonesian shadow puppetry. We watched some videos of traditional shadow storytellers and experimented with different ways of creating projected images using light and shadow – exploring silhouettes, transparencies and 3D objects.

We then used the different techniques we had learned to create our own shadow puppet characters and backgrounds. We projected these onto fabric screens using Overhead Projectors. To finish off the project we all created a short animation sequence of our characters interacting with a bouncing ball. The finished film brings together these sequences and showcases the different ways the group members went about the task.”

Stop Motion Shadow Film

Follow one ball’s journey across the land, encountering different people, creatures and places! How many familiar faces and places can you spot?

Behind the scenes with the Ribblehead Group

Before bringing together their ideas into one film, each member of the Ribblehead group explored ideas of character, setting and storytelling.

The group used overhead projectors and shadow screens (large wooden frames with white fabric stretched over them) and experimented with different materials, such as acetates, paper cuts, transparent fabrics, gels, papers and feathers. Learning how these worked on the projection helped them refine each of their stories before linking them together with a ball.

3D printing with Edward Mortimer

As we draw closer to the spooky season, we thought artist Edward Mortimer would be the perfect artist to share next!

Edward is one of Pyramid’s artist facilitators and has recently worked with both the Eden Group and the Ribblehead group.

Inspiration comes from Edward’s “morbid and absurd sense of humour.”

When making the Frankenstein head, Edward had prints from the internet and Hammer archive. He used a blue glaze and some over glaze colours. “I enjoyed sensual and tactile modelling and colour and spent time laughing while working. I often start a project with objects as jumping off points and improvise.”

Edward is a collector of many great things, which are led by research into different aspects of sculpture.

“Generally speaking I am both craftsman and conceptual artist. It’s great to create things that resemble everyday objects and situations, reconfiguring them into something altogether more surreal and hybridised. The true value of underlying creative forms, chains of thought, sequences running along may be concealed by superficial appearances, and worlds may open from within worlds.

I did the Jan Van Eyck Akademie in Maastricht Holland 1992. International program included Mona Hatoum as a professor.

I won a £14,000 award from the Mondriaan Foundation. Consider inflation since then.

I have work which appeared in Exhibit A International magazine which was on sale in the Tate Modern, Barbican ICA and others.

I exhibited a show at Leeds City Art gallery called ‘The Fungus Suite’ which was broadcast on BBC Look North.

I have created different types of hand crafted of sculpture since 1999.”

Explore 3D Model Collections

Frankenstein

Follow this link to rotate, zoom in on and explore Edward’s Frankenstein 3D model. This 3D model belongs to ©EdwardMortimer2024 and permission from Edward must be approved for use.

Gorilla Mask

Follow this link to rotate, zoom in on and explore Edward’s Gorilla Mask 3D model! This 3D model belongs to ©EdwardMortimer2024 and permission from Edward must be approved for use.

Yoda

Follow this link to rotate, zoom in on and explore Edward’s Yoda 3D model!

This 3D model belongs to ©EdwardMortimer2024 and permission from Edward must be approved for use.

Gas Mask Mickey

Follow this link to rotate, zoom in on and explore Edward’s Gas Mask Mickey 3D model!

This 3D model belongs to ©EdwardMortimer2024 and permission from Edward must be approved for use.

Memories and dioramas with the Legends

The Legends group was Pyramid’s over 55s who met on Wednesdays. Many of the members have been part of their group at Pyramid since it started, almost 35 years ago! The group was made up of members who have PMLD, and some members with dementia. The group are very sociable and have become great friends. They like to explore themes of nostalgia and memory within their projects. In 2024, The Legends created journals and dioramas as a way to store and share creative ideas.

There are some fabulous characters in the group who bring joy to one another in lots of different ways. Antony’s has a cheeky slap stick humour, Margaret and Kevin love to sing while they work, and John is a proud member of Ultimate Thunder. Derek is up beat and chatty, Chris E is full of good conversation and creativity and Chris P is a brilliant illustrator who takes inspiration from the works of Picasso, his favorite artist.

The Legends worked on dioramas in which they have each created their very own miniature scenes of their favourite places. This includes seaside holidays, Ultimate Thunder at a festival, Roundhay Park, Skegness and a florist shop front. Everyone has loved the magic of storytelling through creating their miniature scenes and looking at fond memories to inspire their designs and sharing with one another.

Behind the scenes with the Legends

The photographs show the Legends group’s recent visit to the Art Library at Leeds Central Library to explore the beautiful books they have in their collection.

Music plays a big part in The Legend’s creative process; It helps people feel happy, connect with one another and inspires great artwork! The group’s members take turns to choose favourite songs, with The Beatles being a popular all round group favourite. Members often sing along to the songs, and it adds a creative buzz to the studio.

Why not check out The Legend’s favourite songs to listen to while they are being creative together. Follow this YouTube link to their playlist (some videos may contain flashing images).

Communication Cards Zine by Heather

Heather is a learning disabled and autistic artist who enjoys lots of art forms with a particular interest in character design and cats.

“At Pyramid I have been learning how to create pieces of artwork using different techniques and materials. When I first started attending Pyramid I would only draw traditionally and digitally. However I’ve been learning how to use materials such as clay, shrink plastic, needle and thread, the sewing machine, Hama beads, lino cutting, and lots of different paints ranging from acrylic to watercolour.”

In 2024, Heather released a How to Create Communication Cards Zine. Print this zine on two separate sheets of A4 or A3 paper and stick them together back to back. Cut and fold following the tutorial video below to have your own zine! Now you can make communication cards too!

How to fold your zine

Follow this video to learn how to fold your ‘How to Create Communication Cards’ zine.

Behind the scenes with Heather

HK recently began sessions at Leeds Print Workshop, having 1:1 tutorage to learn how to create and use a silk screen for printing.

“Learning how to create a screen was difficult at first but thankfully I had a lot of help. I made my design on my iPad in an app called procreate and I printed my design out on to tracing paper in black and white; any thing that is shaded black will become see through on the screen print which allows the coloured inks to go through the screen and onto the print itself. My first design was a clown cat; I’m not fully sure why but cats in clown inspired outfits are fun.”

She has since been working independently, experimenting with colour, layering and creating an exclusive print for the 20:20 Print Exchange by Hot Bed Press.

“I’ve made 30 of my 20:20 prints – 25 of these will be sent off to be swapped with other artists all around the world. My 20:20 print design is a mix between KK Slider (From the nintendo game Animal Crossing) and Laufey (an Icelandic singer/songwriter). I missed out on the trend of turning singers into KK Slider so I decided to give it a go. I’m not sure if anyone will get the reference or if anyone will remember this art trend since it’s been and gone, but I think people will enjoy the print even if they don’t know the character.”

Mickey Mouse Goes to Mars by William

William is inspired by mystical characters and make-believe worlds. He loves experimenting with different materials and incorporating sensory elements into his art. He has been working on ‘Mickey’s World’ for the past two years. The story and artwork were designed with particular consideration to accessibility for people with autism.

The work shared below was exhibited alongside fellow Pyramid artist Ria at their joint exhibition ‘This is Us’ in Feb-March 2024 at Archive, Kirkstall.

‘Mickey Mouse Goes to Mars’ is a story written, illustrated, sound designed and narrated by William Stapleton. Let William tell you the immersive tale of Mickey Mouse’s adventure to Mars, making a pitstop along the way to pick up a familiar face in the city of love!

Download and Print Colouring Pages

William has created these exclusive colouring pages of new images for ‘Mickey Mouse Goes to Mars’ for you to download and print at home – You could also colour them digitally!

Behind the scenes with William

“My name is William Stapleton. I am an artist and have done some work on the theme Mickey Mouse goes to Mars. I liked learning new skills, they were digital art, sound effects, light boxes, a story, drawing. I felt happy and proud. I want to be a famous star.

I worked with Sammy, Alice B and Alice C. Sammy is a musician and helped me to do my audio book. I had to read the story out and make different sound effects, like zipping up an astronaut suit, crunching on food, and a rocket taking off. Alice C is a textile artist and she helped me make cushions. I wanted my exhibition to be sensory. To make my cushions I had to sew on a sewing machine, and stuff my cushions to make it soft and comfy. Alice B is my D Team artist. She helped me make my story together. To make my story I drew on a digital computer, I came up with the plot and then it got printed out as a book, what Sarah from the office got done for us.

I had an exhibition with Ria. Ria is another artist, and everyone came and see it. It was at Archive. It made me feel joyful, everyone was happy, and thought my story was funny. This put a smile on my face.”

Sounds of Lockdown by Ria

Ria is a Pyramid member and Development Team artist. Ria worked to put together poetry and writing from the shared experiences of lockdown in May 2024. This was written by Ria and narrated by Alice Clayden. Collages by Ria.

Behind the scenes with Ria

As well as writing poetry, Ria has been working hard behind the scenes to create new original screen prints.

Ria says: “I’m wanted to start up my own little business for a long time to be able to slowly sell my own screen printed artwork & handmade products I’ve made over past couple months. All the money will be going towards good cause Pyramid what help artists with learning disabilities & autism.”

As well as working at the Pyramid Studio, Ria is a member at Leeds Print Workshop. She prints on both paper and fabric and her work varies from text based screen printing to pattern and repeats screen printed from her own photography.

“I like going to Leeds Print Workshop to screen print, it gets me out and about. I like working from the Pyramid studio but I like a change of scene too. It’s inspiring. There is more choice of equipment there for printing with. It is also nice to be working with someone different, to share ideas and learn new things.”

Storm in a Milk Cup by The Eden Group

The Eden Group took many steps to build and create the incredible story ‘Storm in a Milk Cup’ in the Spring term of 2024.

Watch the full length storytelling experience below, illustrated by the Eden Group and Alice Burford, narrated by Matthew Bellwood (with subtitles).

“Something fishy is going on…

When 14 milk deliverers go missing off the coast of Scotland, the main suspect is…a giant tuna? Follow Inspector Biscuits, Professor Rebecca Tracy and the milk deliverers in their unusual and exciting mystery!”

Storm in a Milk Cup Storybook

Enjoy this fun downloadable PDF storybook version of ‘Storm in a Milk Cup’, created by the Eden Group with support from Matthew Bellwood and Alice Burford. Why not download, print at home and read along with the storytelling video?

Behind the Scenes with the Eden Group

These photographs show some of the Eden group’s process, which includes creating their own messages in bottles, a 3D map and character planning. Professor Rebecca Tracy came to life in full scale, hanging out on the Pyramid studio wall to greet our artists working in the space.

Studio Pyramid

Studio Pyramid offers open sessions for members who would like more time to work on their creative projects. Members have access to our fully equipped, accessible studio space to work on independent projects, receive peer support, professional development sessions and exhibition opportunities. Studio Pyramid currently runs on Wednesdays 10am to 2pm.

Please get in touch if you’d like to access a free trial period or find out more by emailing us at info@pyramid.org.uk.

Studio Pyramid is a continuation of our Studio Days project launched in July 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England.

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