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| Paint it red: artists find new life in west Cumbria's disused iron ore mine | Paint it red: artists find new life in west Cumbria's disused iron ore mine |
| (7 days later) | |
| In 2008, after nearly 200 years of toil, Florence Mine in Egremont, Cumbria, the last deep iron ore mine in western Europe, closed. Its 'Red Men' – the name given to the miners as they always were always coated in the ore's fine red dust – hung up their pickaxes. | In 2008, after nearly 200 years of toil, Florence Mine in Egremont, Cumbria, the last deep iron ore mine in western Europe, closed. Its 'Red Men' – the name given to the miners as they always were always coated in the ore's fine red dust – hung up their pickaxes. |
| But just five years later the mine is springing back to life as a co-operative of artists turn the surviving stocks of haematite into high-quality artists' paint. Oil, watercolour and pigment is going on sale under the brand name of Egremont Red, continuing a centuries-old tradition of naming specific colours after the locality in which they are produced. | But just five years later the mine is springing back to life as a co-operative of artists turn the surviving stocks of haematite into high-quality artists' paint. Oil, watercolour and pigment is going on sale under the brand name of Egremont Red, continuing a centuries-old tradition of naming specific colours after the locality in which they are produced. |
| "You can have any colour as long as it is red" quipped Jenni Payne, one member of the paintmakers' co-operative that has established a workshop in the former shower block of Florence Mine. The four women send the haematite away to be ground down before hand-grinding it themselves with a glass muller and mixing it with various ingredients including local beeswax and local mead. "Our unique selling point is that it is a very local product" said Jenni. Even the boxes in which the paints are sold are made in Cumbria by designer Bart Phillips and the labels are created by graphic designer Rich Davis of Egremont. | "You can have any colour as long as it is red" quipped Jenni Payne, one member of the paintmakers' co-operative that has established a workshop in the former shower block of Florence Mine. The four women send the haematite away to be ground down before hand-grinding it themselves with a glass muller and mixing it with various ingredients including local beeswax and local mead. "Our unique selling point is that it is a very local product" said Jenni. Even the boxes in which the paints are sold are made in Cumbria by designer Bart Phillips and the labels are created by graphic designer Rich Davis of Egremont. |
| The final product is a hand-produced high quality paint and a number of artists have already trialled the product to create works for an exhibition at Florence Mine which will mark the launch of Egremont Red. Marianne Birkby describes the paint as having a "lovely buttery consistency which mixes well with other oil paint products" while Bella Green says "Egremont Red is a lovely opaque earth colour. The oil has exceptional covering power and mixes well." | The final product is a hand-produced high quality paint and a number of artists have already trialled the product to create works for an exhibition at Florence Mine which will mark the launch of Egremont Red. Marianne Birkby describes the paint as having a "lovely buttery consistency which mixes well with other oil paint products" while Bella Green says "Egremont Red is a lovely opaque earth colour. The oil has exceptional covering power and mixes well." |
| But why bother to go to all this trouble when you can buy red paint at any art supplies shop? Jenni said: "It's because of the quality of the paint and it's also the chance to start a new local creative industry." | But why bother to go to all this trouble when you can buy red paint at any art supplies shop? Jenni said: "It's because of the quality of the paint and it's also the chance to start a new local creative industry." |
| She added: "We are embracing traditional paint-making methods and locally-sourced materials at a time when artisan products and natural materials have acquired premium status. We now have an understanding of the techniques and applications of different paints but we have also sought specialist advice from other artists and from a local experts in geology and mineralogy." | She added: "We are embracing traditional paint-making methods and locally-sourced materials at a time when artisan products and natural materials have acquired premium status. We now have an understanding of the techniques and applications of different paints but we have also sought specialist advice from other artists and from a local experts in geology and mineralogy." |
| Egremont — despite the proximity of the Sellafield nuclear processing site a few miles up the road — has more than its fair share of poverty. The buildings of the former Florence Mine have been turned into an arts centre by the Egremont and Area Regeneration Partnership. The arts centre employs one centre manager and two part-time staff. But the centre is also seen as a site which will encourage co-operatives and start-up businesses like Florence Paintmakers. | Egremont — despite the proximity of the Sellafield nuclear processing site a few miles up the road — has more than its fair share of poverty. The buildings of the former Florence Mine have been turned into an arts centre by the Egremont and Area Regeneration Partnership. The arts centre employs one centre manager and two part-time staff. But the centre is also seen as a site which will encourage co-operatives and start-up businesses like Florence Paintmakers. |
| The first artist in residence to work there was Mat Do, who in 2011/12 suggested using the local iron ore as raw material for a small business. The four founder members of Florence Paintmakers — Jill Davis, Margie Foots, Jenni Payne and Liz Redmayne — who took up Mat's idea have been joined by a band of volunteers and they hope in the future to recruit an apprentice. | The first artist in residence to work there was Mat Do, who in 2011/12 suggested using the local iron ore as raw material for a small business. The four founder members of Florence Paintmakers — Jill Davis, Margie Foots, Jenni Payne and Liz Redmayne — who took up Mat's idea have been joined by a band of volunteers and they hope in the future to recruit an apprentice. |
| Currently the Egremont Red paint is on sale at Lowes Court Gallery, Egremont and Site Gallery, Sheffield but it's hoped to increase the number of outlets now the paint has been officially launched. It's available as oil paint, watercolour or pigment. To promote the paint, the Egremont Red exhibition will run at Florence Mine until July 26 and there is a PaintFest at the mine on May 26 and May 27. | Currently the Egremont Red paint is on sale at Lowes Court Gallery, Egremont and Site Gallery, Sheffield but it's hoped to increase the number of outlets now the paint has been officially launched. It's available as oil paint, watercolour or pigment. To promote the paint, the Egremont Red exhibition will run at Florence Mine until July 26 and there is a PaintFest at the mine on May 26 and May 27. |
| Jenni and the other paintmakers are keeping their plans for the future close to their chest but on the windowsill of their workshop is a selection of yellow rocks from nearby St Bees which suggests their tagline of "any colour as long as it's red" may not stay the same for long. | Jenni and the other paintmakers are keeping their plans for the future close to their chest but on the windowsill of their workshop is a selection of yellow rocks from nearby St Bees which suggests their tagline of "any colour as long as it's red" may not stay the same for long. |
| • Alan Cleaver, 53, is a freelance writer in Whitehaven, Cumbria. He specialises in researching the folklore of the Lake District — preferably by putting on his boots and walking the fells | • Alan Cleaver, 53, is a freelance writer in Whitehaven, Cumbria. He specialises in researching the folklore of the Lake District — preferably by putting on his boots and walking the fells |
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