Art lifts the heart

Thursday August 12, 2010

A Shepherds Bush artist has used the intricate art of mosaic to create an eyecatching centrepiece for the newly-built hall at St Stephen’s Church.

Emily Fuller, 42, who lives in Loftus Road, unveiled her new work at the Coverdale Road church after two months’ painstaking work assembling the image.

The prolific artist has previous created public artworks at Cathnor Park and Wormholt Primary School in Shepherds Bush, as well as a running a recent paving slab art project with children from St Stephen’s Primary School, alongside the church in Coverdale Road.

“I do lots of private commissions, working in schools, hospitals and prisons and working with people with mental health issues,” she said. “Cathnor Park was my first piece of public art in 1998 and we used bricks that had been decorated by children from Greenside Primary School.

“But this mosaic is really nice because I live just down the road from St Stephen’s.”

Emily, who works from Vale Grove Studios in Acton, also completed a cross-themed mosaic for the new St Stephen’s Primary School last year and was invited back to create a new design for the church hall this year.

“They liked the idea of doing another cross. I made the mosaic entirely from vitreous glass and there are a few thousand pieces in there. It’s also quite expensive – the gold and silver costs £1 for each square,” Emily said.

The versatile artist, who ironically failed A-level art after she shocked teachers by putting sheep manure on her canvas, has also turned her hand to play writing and stage management over the years.

“I wrote a play that was done at the Royal Court at one point, but I have had writer’s block for the last 15 years!” Emily laughed. “I also worked as a stage manager for lots of West End shows but I had a burning desire to do art, so I’ve channelled my creativity into this now.”

The Rev Bob Mayo, who has led St Stephen’s Church for the past five years, said he and his parishioners were thrilled with Emily’s latest artwork.

“I really love the colours – I think it’s great,” he said. “It’s a fresh artistic piece of work which is there to lift people’s hearts in a transitional, crowded, busy community like Shepherds Bush.”

The new mosaic came with a lofty price-tag of £1,800, which was partly funded by a £1,000 gift from St Michael’s Church in White City.

Dr Mayo added: “We have created a space here that Shepherds Bush can be proud of, and symbolism is very important because we are in a visual culture. To do something like this in an urban space is quite an achievement.”