Artistic life began with an Aga saga

Ceramicist Isobel Dallas creates pretty and practical porcelain ware from her home near Harrogate. Sharon Dale reports.

Cosy Agas are adored by their owners, who rave about their solidity and their warmth. They attract evangelical praise for drying washing, reviving kittens and creating the perfect roast, but Isobel Dallas's Aga had an even more profound effect.

The bright red range was the catalyst for uncovering her hidden talent for art.

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"I was desperate for an Aga and saw this secondhand one advertised in the Yorkshire Post. That was about 20 years ago," says Isobel.

"It was a good price but it was bright red, and I found it impossible to find matching tiles to go behind it, so I decided to make some. I went on a course at Harrogate Art College and that was it, I was hooked."

Isobel, whose degree was in genetics and who taught English as a foreign language, spent the next few years doing part-time pottery courses. She is now a successful designer and maker of beautiful porcelain tableware, though her original tiles, decorated with hand-painted chickens, are still going strong, as is the Aga, which is the heart of her home, near Harrogate.

She and husband Colin bought the Victorian farmhouse on the edge of a village about 30 years ago. "I always wanted a Yorkshire farmhouse and we saw this advertised in the Yorkshire Post. We loved it but we wanted to change the layout to suit young children," says Isobel, who now has two grown-up children and six grandchildren aged between two and nine.

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Over the years, Isobel and Colin have extended and remodelled the property. One of their first jobs was to knock two rooms into one to make the large kitchen dining room. The oak units are by Chapel Kitchens in Nun Monkton. A snug was created from an outhouse and the most recent addition is a big, light conservatory that is now one of Isobel's favourite rooms.

It is the second one they have had, and is well-designed with ventilation and a clever home-made sail shade made by Colin from canvas that cost a cut-price 2.50 from a fabric shop in Bradford.

"I didn't want blinds because they're difficult to keep clean and they're a bit fussy. The sail is perfect for creating shade. It's held up on rope fastened to hooks," says Isobel.

The pine table was designed by her and made by her gardener, also a gifted woodworker, while the Lloyd Loom furniture was bought from local sale room Thompson's in Killinghall. It was spray painted by Colin to give it a fresh new look. The side table is part of an old tree that was cut down in the garden. The rest of was hollowed out to make an outdoor bench,

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Most of the furniture in the house is a combination of inherited pieces and saleroom buys, many of which have been revamped with new upholstery or a coat of paint. The fireplace in the formal dining room is another bargain. The magnificent art nouveau surround was bought for a fiver from someone who had taken it out of their house. It was covered in paint but when stripped, it revealed its full original beauty.

The mantelpiece is decorated with some of Isobel's work, which she made in her home studio. It was fashioned from an old hay barn and includes her own kiln, which she bought six years ago. "That's when I started taking the work more seriously." Isobel now specialises in "sketching" with porcelain to make pieces that are designed to be used, enjoyed and treasured. She uses Celadon glazes of blue and green to give a tonal effect and enhance the textural surfaces. The tableware is for sale in galleries and on permanent display at Kennells restaurant in Masham. "I tend to do one-off pieces rather than churning out whole sets."

Isobel also collects the work of other ceramicists including Anna Lambert from Cross Hills, Josie Walters from Derbyshire, Peter Dick in Coxwold and Paul Young from Warwickshire, whose work she describes as "modern Staffordshire". Her artistic abilities have stretched into other areas including painting, and she uses her creative skills to keep her grandchildren entertained.

Their finest joint projects are to be found in the garden

and include a decorated Totem pole and a magnificent

chess set.

The board is made from tiles set in the grass and the pieces are all characters from mythology.

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"It keeps us busy and it's a little bit educational," she says.

Visitors to the forthcoming North Yorkshire Open Studio will be able to see her work, as she is one of 120 artists opening their studios to the public. "Ceramics is something I never thought I would end up doing when I was studying genetics at university, but I really enjoy it."

www.isobeldallas.co.uk

North Yorkshire open studios

The North Yorkshire Open Studios runs on the weekends June 11-13 and June 19-20.

Well-organised and in its sixth year, it covers a vast geographical area taking in the Dales, Harrogate, Ripon, Thirsk and Stokesley areas, right over to Malton, the North York Moors and a stretch of coast from Saltburn-on-Sea to Scarborough.

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More than 120 artists and designer makers open their studios to the public and they vary from harbourside huts to back gardens and stunning country cottages.

Maps and guides are available to help you plot your own trail.

The event's website, www.nyos.org.uk, showcases each artist with more images of their work, as well as having useful interactive maps which will help visitors to plan their route.

A free event guide with maps is available from the organisers, Art Connections, tel 01756 748529 or email: [email protected]

YP MAG 5/6/10