Neil Thomas meets an accomplished craftswoman whose eye-catching work celebrates the beauty of the world around us.
The Maws Craft Centre can be found on the far fringe of the charming village of Jackfield in the Ironbridge Gorge. A former Victorian tile factory, it today houses a collection of around 20 art, craft and design shops and studios plus an inviting café all set around a charming courtyard.
On the left side as you enter is the shop and printmaking studio of accomplished artist Amanda Hillier.
Amanda creates illustrative art work, limited edition lino prints and mixed media work – largely inspired by nature and landscape. A range of cards, stationery and giftware showcasing her skilled and enchanting work is on sale in the shop – and there was no shortage of browsers and customers on the day I visited. Card sales are particularly lucrative.
Her subject matter taps into a deep human instinct – the need to feel a connection to our natural surroundings and to delight (sometimes subconsciously) in its beauty. She is also fascinated by and celebrates architecture – its individuality, quaintness, beauty and occasional majesty; a human timestamp on the landscape.
All this is conveyed in a unique style in eye-catching prints that draw the viewer into a story.
“My printmaking practice focuses on lino print at its heart, but also reaches into other print disciplines such as collagraph and stencil,” Amanda explains. “This evolution in my work means that many of the pieces I produce are totally unique, fusing mixed media with printmaking disciplines.
“I tell the story of a landscape, its history and wildlife, themes which feature in my card and print range.”
Her heritage-inspired artwork is on show in the Ironbridge Gorge Museums locally as well as art galleries around the country.
Amanda is also much in demand for commissioned work – she illustrates and designs book jackets, activity books, maps, logos, jigsaw puzzles and stationery for a wide range of clients including greeting cards company Woodmansterne Publications, RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and jigsaw puzzle specialist Gibsons Games.
Amanda loves to pass on her in-depth knowledge at bespoke lino printing workshops which she runs regularly at her studio.
“They are either half a day or a full day for a maximum of four people, which means I can devote plenty of time to everyone. People of all ages come along and enjoy trying their hand at something new and different. A lady of 79 came along whose daughter had bought her the course as a gift. The daughter, who is in her 40s, came with her and they had a lovely time.
“I had a family of four on another course – granddad, his daughter and two grandchildren; three generations all creating very different things.”
Occasionally she runs workshops at other venues. A case in point offers the chance to try your hand at reduction lino printing, at The Bolthole Studio in Ironbridge on the October 20 for a full day.
“People are becoming more and more interested in learning new hands-on skills,” she says. “I love to see the enthusiasm people have; the creativity in them that sometimes they didn’t even realise they had. I love to share my passion for art with them.”
In Amanda’s case, she was born with that passion. “I always loved art. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to draw. As an eight-year-old I’d put together books made up of drawings and little stories.”
Her mother Rita, who is now in her 80s, was in this regard an ideal role model. “Mum was very creative and was always drawing. She certainly encouraged me, though I didn’t need much encouragement. I loved it.”
Born in Leicester, Amanda grew up in Lincolnshire. Generally academic, with a love of history and architecture as well as art, she won a place at Grammar School. She only ever aspired to be an artist, though, and continued her studies at Lincoln Art College.
There followed a successful 10 year-career as a graphic designer in Nottingham, working in the field of product marketing and packaging in the fashion industry, utilising her graphics and illustration skills.
She reflects with a smile: “The internet was not around, which tells you how old I am. It meant that the work was pure art, which made it very fulfilling.”
With the advent of digital design, Amanda learnt the computer skills she needed to adapt to the new online world. She then found she enjoyed working in lino when the Canals and Rivers Trust engaged her to refresh the branding on signage along the Liverpool to Leeds canal.
“I think that ability to adapt to changing circumstances – as well as changing things yourself occasionally to stay fresh – is part of making a success of a career or business, particularly in a field like art which can be a precarious way to make a living. I’ve always reinvented myself.”
That flexible approach certainly proved its worth when she took the bold decision – which to her seemed a natural progression – in the early 90s to set up her own freelance business.
A couple of years later, she headed west to live in Shropshire, a decision triggered by her partner Anthony gaining a place at university in Wrexham just over the Welsh border.
In sense it was a homecoming for Amanda – her family a couple of generations earlier had lived in the county.
“My grandad was born in Shropshire and his dad Henry Hillier ran a shop in Shrewsbury,” she explains. “I knew the county pretty well. As children we had come here and to the Welsh borders on holidays, which I absolutely loved. We never did arcades or sunbathing – we loved country walks and picnics. As well as the Shropshire countryside, we’d pop to Montgomery just over the border in Mid Wales and the Welsh coast.”
Family, indeed, has always been important to Amanda and being in charge of her own destiny as a self-employed artist enables her to strike that all-important work/life balance. It was particularly beneficial when her and Anthony’s sons Tom, now aged 27, and 24 year-old Jamie, were growing up.
Her move to Shropshire fed into Amanda’s love of nature, architecture and art. “I’d always take my sketchbook with me and still do. I think to sit and draw something of natural beauty, or a lovely building, is so calming and meditative. Shropshire is a perfect place for me to be, with its landscapes and historic buildings.”
With Amanda’s deep love of history, Ironbridge Gorge was an obvious place to gravitate to, with its important role in Britain’s industrial heritage. She has immersed herself in the area and was delighted three years ago to take part in a commemoration of the 200th anniversary of a little-known local battle.
The Battle of Cinderloo saw downtrodden miners uniting against unfair pay – and being confronted by soldiers in a bloody confrontation.
On February 2, 1821, 3,000 miners, women and children marched on the cinder hills at Old Park, now the Forge Retail Park in central Telford, in protest at pay cuts and unsafe working conditions. They were met by the Shropshire Yeomanry and told to disperse, but the protesters refused and violence broke out.
Workers William Bird and Thomas Gittens died, Tom Palin was hanged for his part in the uprising and eight others were jailed.
Amanda produced a poignant graphic showing the names of the three men who lost their lives and the eight others who were arrested, on an illustration of a tree, for the Cinderloo 1821 project in February 2021.
“I’m very interested in social justice and the lack of it and found it a fascinating project to be involved in,” she recalls.
She is a proactive champion of the Maws Craft Centre, where she has been based for a year, after she moved from the nearby modernist Fusion building, next to Jackfield Tile Museum.
As chair of its Traders’ Group, Amanda fears Maws Craft Centre can be overlooked because of its location as almost the last stop before a dead-end in Jackfield and even further on the edge of the busy tourist trap of Ironbridge.
“We have a lovely café that’s open every day except Monday and some wonderful artisan businesses, all independently owned, but we can’t rely on passing trade. We are a visitor destination but one that I feel is certainly worth the time for people.”
There is the added bonus of no admission fee and free parking while national cycle route 45 and the Severn Valley Way footpath, very popular with walkers, are both nearby.
“There is no shortage of craftspeople here and I believe there is scope to develop a Jackfield Creative Quarter. The village is so inspirational, beside the river with some lovely period architecture including a beautiful Arts and Crafts church. This place has so much going for it.”
Her shop in the Maws Craft Centre is particularly important to Amanda as face-to-face sales are a crucial part of her business.
“Most of my revenue comes from physical sales as against online orders but I just can’t rely on one thing. As well as my shop, my products are sold in other outlets in the area.”
Her art is, in fact, exhibited by a wide variety of galleries, shops and other organisations including Ironbridge Fine Arts in Merrythought Centre, Royal Birmingham Society of Arts (RBSA) and Linden Tree in Much Wenlock.
Amanda is one of the pioneers of the annual Secret Severn Arts Trail, a popular free event which showcases the work of new and well-established artists. Covering locations in and around Jackfield, it returns for its ninth year on September 6 and will run until September 15.
Visitors are invited to enjoy artwork from more than 40 local artists while soaking up the stunning scenery of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.
The event will include a main exhibition at the Footprint Gallery at Fusion as well as multiple open and pop-up studios in and around the area. All sites will be open from 10am to 5pm each day.
Secret Severn chairman Rod Sheppard said: “We’re delighted to be able to place a spotlight on the beauty of art and the gorge once again. We’ve gone from a handful of artists in our first year to more than 40 this year, so there’s plenty for everyone to see and explore.
“The top-selling artists from previous years will be returning, and the event has also attracted a lot of new talent this year.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming visitors and showcasing the fantastic artistic talent on our doorstep in a site which historically has been a place of great creativity, and still is today.”
For a perfect example of that creativity in practice, you couldn’t do better than visit Amanda Hillier at Maws Craft Centre…
