A SET of unique vintage chairs re-upholstered with fabrics printed with images by renowned Tyne Valley artist Sue Moffitt have gone on sale in aid of cancer charities.
Five chairs and a footstool upholstered by local craftswoman Jayne Dodds along with Sue's new paintings are on show at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle’s 20th anniversary exhibition, which runs until January 30.
A donation from the sale of the chairs and the paintings will be made by Sue and Jayne to regional cancer charities in recognition of the care Sue has received for oesophageal cancer since 2020.
The mid-20th Century beech armchair, four teak dining chairs and a teak footstool are all one-offs which will never be repeated, said Jayne, of The Funky Little Chair Shop, in Langley.
"It’s a privilege to work with Sue’s wonderful images to create unique pieces which will never be replicated," she said.
"Her work lends itself to both traditional and modern pieces, and for this set we used crisp imagery to match the clean lines of the furniture. We experimented with different images before we came up the designs and I’m delighted with the way they have turned out."
Sue returned to painting earlier this year following a five-year break caused by bereavement and illness.
Her summer exhibition at Queen’s Hall in Hexham included an Edwardian chair traditionally re-upholstered by Jayne with one of Sue’s images, and the chair and paintings sold during the exhibition raised thousands for cancer charities.
Sue's work was also included at The Biscuit Factory when it opened in 2002.
She said: "Having been included in the first exhibition at The Biscuit Factory, it’s a wonderful surprise to be included in this 20th anniversary exhibition. It’s particularly special because Jayne has been invited to show her beautiful chairs alongside my paintings.
"When Jayne and I talked about the first chair she did in the summer, I couldn’t really imagine it because it was very much her vision, but it turned out beautifully, as has this new set. She’s such a talented craftswoman and I’m very fortunate that she has wanted to work with my images to create such beautiful pieces."
Sue, who was brought up at a large dairy farm at Bywell, is best-known for painting the cows farmed by her late father John Moffitt and latterly her brother Peter.
Horses, sheep and deer also feature in her new work.
"It’s been a pleasure to be able to paint again after a long break, and I hope these paintings and the chairs touch the people who come to see them as deeply as they have me, and raise money for cancer charities in the process," said Sue.
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