I am a sculptor who uses traditional materials associated with a sculptural practice, such as alabaster, wood, glass, and bronze. With this palette at my fingertips, I allow the material to guide me to create balance and harmony.
How long have you lived in the area?
Only a few years now
What brought you here?
I needed to find a place for my studio, so I took the decision to sell our house in Camberwell and find a smaller house with a garden that had potential for a workshop. I found it in East Dulwich, and the first thing I did was to sign up for AOH.
What do you most value about the area/street you live in?
The trees and our green spaces
What’s the one thing you couldn’t do without?
Power tools
Do you know your neighbours?
Our neighbours have been fabulous, we have a community around us that creates a village within this city. There were a few neighbours who, when we first moved in objected to the changes, but nothing can stay the same, and the simple act of doing releases energy, which in turn creates. A philosophy I follow in my art practice.
The most famous person you’ve seen or met?
Well Ian Mckellen is a friend, so you can’t get more famous than that.
Do you belong to any groups?
AOH – Artists’ Open Houses.
Describe your perfect weekend
Saturday usually starts with a menu in mind and Sunday is eating it with friends and family.
Where are you likely to be found on Saturday?
Walking to Lordship Lane, Brockley Farmers’ Market, or the BYO shop in Nunhead.
Coffee or tea? Where?
Fowlds, Addington Square
The best kept secret…
The best kept secret is my garden. It was once an orchard and our house was presumably the farmhouse. It became locked in and hidden by the Victorian bloke of terraced houses that surround me, giving me now a group of over 40 fabulous neighbours, some artists themselves. One neighbour has created a gate from her studio to mine so visitors of the AOH can conveniently walk through from garden to garden.
Where’s your favourite place to walk?
There are so many places to walk in the area, the cemeteries I find inspiring with their inscriptions and stone works. But my favourite place is Dulwich Park and its collection of magnificent trees, particularly the veteran oaks that often feature in my glass pieces.
When I want to relax…
I sit in my garden in the sun and watch my cats climb the apple tree
What is your favourite shop
Mons cheese shop on Lordship Lane is my absolute favourite, the smell as you enter the chilled shop is just perfect for cheese storage. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable, and you begin the traditional and deliberate tasting of these delicious golden taste sensations, finding your perfect match for the weekend.
What was the last thing you bought there?
a slice of Beaufort and a baguette
What is your favourite place to eat?
My favourite restaurant has to be Peckham Bazaar. Delicious Mediterranean food cooked on coals brought to your table fresh and oozing with flavour. John, the owner/chef, is also a bit of a philosopher, so you can snatch an inspiring chat between courses.
If money was no object..
I’d give it away
My secret ambition..
To build a freshwater pond in my garden
www.stephaniecarltonsmith.co.uk
This article first appeared in the June issue of SE22.