A Bloomsbury Christmas: Hand Paint a Lampshade with Jane McCall
This December, you can join artist Jane McCall to paint your own cotton-silk lampshade. Bloomsbury Revisited is the creation of McCall and her PR business partner Jane Howard, who share a love for the pioneering twentieth century Bloomsbury Group. Its bohemian influence can be seen in the breadth of colour, pattern and painterly brushstrokes on each lampshade.
Jane McCall photographed for the FT by Lily Bertrand-Webb
The first time Jane discovered the Bloomsbury Group was when a friend invited her to help on a documentary set at Charleston Farmhouse. She was immediately captivated by the frescos that covered every inch of the interior which McCall describes as “A lovely jumble. It’s balanced and it works”.
McCall was so inspired by their work that she began her own pottery studio in the mid-nineties. Then after having three children, she pursued a career in interiors to support her family. Twenty years on, a friend asked Jane if she could teach a workshop and if so, what would she do. She chose lampshades; an accessory which reunited McCall with her artistic side. Using water-based paints on cotton silk provided the perfect surface for McCall's designs, lending them the same painterly look which is so innate to the Bloomsbury style. This free-flowing form is what McCall connects with most. “They liked to let their designs evolve as they went rather than have a predetermined artwork in mind.”
"Sussex Oak Fairground", designed as a wallpaper by Jane McCall for Bloomsbury Revisited.
Just like Vanessa Bell, McCall is open to adapting her designs when fresh inspiration strikes. “When Bell returned from France you can see that her palate and designs suddenly change and she embraces those changes. My designs are similarly inspired by what I see around me – my love for the natural world along with my admiration for chinoiserie wallpaper. They retain the distinct Bloomsbury look, while being less compact and busy than their aesthetic.”
Jane McCall painting in her studio. Image: The Courtauld.
McCall relates to the notion that the Bloomsbury Group were never precious about the Italian-inspired frescos or French impressionist style paintings they created. All of them embraced change and, if they wanted to trial a new look, they simply painted over it. “Change sums up the psychology of how they lived and worked. It’s a good philosophy for life; nothing is perfect or lasts forever. You can do things differently and you can try something new. I started painting to earn a living at fifty-four, and I always say that getting older doesn’t mean that we should write off doing the things we love.”
"Iris" Lampshade by Jane McCall at Bloomsbury Revisited. Image courtesy of Bloomsbury Revisited.
As well as the natural motifs of trees, branches and leaves, Jane McCall often hand paints birds onto her lampshades. “The Bloomsbury Group didn’t paint many birds, but I create them in their style. I like to think that if they had painted birds then they might have looked like mine.”
Alongside a curated collection of new lampshades, McCall is has also expanded into wallpaper design. You can keep an eye out for her new pieces at Bloomsbury Revisited.
Join Jane McCall on 13th December at Dulwich Picture Gallery for a day of painting your own lampshade in the celebrated Bloomsbury style and enjoy a delicious lunch.
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Words by Sophie Demetriades
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Further Information:
For more information and to book a place on Jane McCall's lampshade painting workshop, head to Dulwich Picture Gallery.
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Image Credits:
Lead: Dark Fig Lampshade by Jane McCall of Bloomsbury Revisited.
Jane McCall photographed for the FT by Lily Bertrand-Webb
All further images as credited in photo captions.