News

New Studio Artist Rachael Plassard

We are thrilled to finally announce and extend a warm welcome to jeweller Rachael Plassard who is now in Studio 5 at Hotwalls Studios.

Rachael’s exquisite work has been featured, sold and exhibited by some of the foremost names in the business and we are certain will be a great fit to our community here at Hotwalls. As a third-generation jeweller her talent is undeniable – Rachael’s unique pieces evolve from a variety of intricate and involved processes.

In Rachael’s words:

‘My work reinterprets traditional ornament, taking inspiration from highly decorative styles throughout history. Each piece of jewellery evokes magic, weaving memory and connection into its details.

I often work intuitively, marking out and sawing by hand, allowing myself to be absorbed in the flow of making. I take a maximalist approach to my designs by layering up decorative surfaces and combining a mixture of techniques, including etching, roller printing, keum boo (24ct gold foil), gold plating and oxidising.  These combinations result in a richness and opulence, and what at first glance might look like a Greek headdress, or a baroque frame, on closer inspection is imbued with a contemporary aesthetic.’

To see more of Rachael’s work come on down to visit and peruse her work in her Hotwalls studio – or on her website here. You can also visit her studio page here.

Workshop for Creatives – The Design Trust

This year we are thrilled to host Patricia van den Akker from The Design Trust who will be running a bespoke workshop for Hotwalls and Portsmouth creatives at The Round Tower on Tuesday 1st July.

Spaces are LIMITED – so if you are interested please respond to us via email [hotwallsstudios@portsmouthcc.gov.uk]. Spaces will be offered on a first come first served basis.

Design A Better Creative Business – one day workshop with Patricia van den Akker of The Design Trust
Round Tower – Portsmouth | Tuesday 1 July | 10.30am – 3.30pm

Join creative business adviser Patricia van den Akker for a practical and thought-provoking one-day workshop designed to support artists, makers, and designers create a thriving, purposeful and creative business.

Cost: £30

This creative business planning workshop is centred around The Design Trust’s Creative Business Planner Handbook (included with your ticket!) and Patricia will guide you through some of its key exercises and questions. Throughout the day you will be setting your own goals and create plans to make your business or practice work better and easier – for yourself, your family, clients and beyond!  

Whether you’ve had a studio for years or are still building your professional creative practice, you’ll leave this session with:

  • Develop a clearer business vision based on your values & purpose, and set goals for your creativity & production, and your finances & marketing for the next 6–12 months in line with those. You will focus on what you want to create and do, and we will discuss the 5 motivations for creatives and how they apply to you.
  • Do you find it hard to juggle the different parts of your business? To make enough time not just for the creative and making part, but also your marketing, finance, and general planning or forward thinking? Do you make the most of the quiet and busy times in your practice to get ready? Patricia will share her practical approach to seasonal and quarterly planning and time management for creatives. In the planner you will find many useful planning tools that you can use afterwards too.
  • Is your creative business viable? Patricia will introduce the 3 financial question exercise, and what to do if your numbers do not stack up. Do you need to diversify, increase your price points or do more effective marketing? You will start to create a financial forecast too for the next 2-3 years to make your numbers work for you.
  • Patricia will focus her marketing advice during this workshop on selling at events (as your open studios is coming up) and also how to get more commissions.
  • There will be plenty of time for questions and learning together throughout the day.

Expect a day of lively conversation, practical planning and small business advice, and loads of quiet time too to reflect and work ON your own business ideas. You’ll be part of a friendly, focused group of up to 20 creatives. The aim of the day is that you’ll leave with new confidence, fresh business & marketing ideas, and a roadmap for what to focus on next in your business journey.

There will be a 30min lunch break, and you will receive the 107-page The Design Trust 2025 Business Planner & Handbook as part of this workshop.

About Patricia van den Akker
Patricia is an award-winning creative business coach, trainer and speaker who’s worked with thousands of creatives across the UK and beyond for over 20 years. She is the Director of The Design Trust (the online business school for designers, makers & other creatives) and the author of Teaching Creative Workshops In Person & Online. She’s known for her inspiring, honest and practical approach to creative business development. She’s passionate about empowering artists, makers and designers to build creative, impactful, meaningful and profitable businesses. www.thedesigntrust.co.uk @TheDesignTrust

Custom HEINZ commission

Last month tufting artist Lily Jacobs was approached by HEINZ to create a bespoke rug for the new Sriracha Tomato Ketchup by the world famous brand.

In April, I was approached by Heinz to create a 4ft tufted bottle rug for their new ketchup flavour promotion. It’s by far the biggest project I’ve been commissioned for and definitely the most challenging. It feels like a huge step forward for me as an artist and a small business owner. I’m incredibly proud to have been given the opportunity, and it’s given me a moment to reflect on my journey so far.

Renting my own studio at the Hotwalls for nearly a year now has given me the space and time to improve my skills, build my business, and grow in confidence. While I’ve been mainly focused on running public workshops and creating smaller, more affordable pieces, this commission shows the level of skill I’ve been developing.

I love making custom pieces, whether it’s logos for brands or personal projects like pet portraits. It’s exciting to think about what’s next, and I can’t wait to see what opportunities come my way!

Check out more of Tiger Lily’s work here or visit their studio at Hotwalls.

foursandeights move on after 6 epic years

Last month we said goodbye and good luck to our resident artists Marie & Darren of foursandeights.

After 6 incredible years, we are sad to announce that Marie and Darren from foursandeights our resident artists in studio 8, are moving on from the Hotwalls studios to their new premises in Southsea.
Their inspiring journey has been nothing short of amazing – from curating solo exhibitions to showcasing their diverse works in screen-prints, risograph, mono prints, collage, and cyanotype, running a busy studio, delivering workshops, working and most of all having an amazing family.
Marie and Darren have made a significant impact in the community in Portsmouth. They were successful in two different Arts Council England Project Grant bids during that time. One of those was to support 5 local youth clubs in Portsmouth city by creating their own digital art, which was featured in the We Shine Festival.
With their vision, they created a supersized projection in the heart of the city for the first ever We Shine Festival.
They are so active within the community and have made such a positive impact on so many people.
While we are sad to see them go, they aren’t going far! Stay tuned for more details on their next adventure.

To stay in contact: @foursandeights – website: www.foursandeights.co.uk

Thank you, Marie and Darren, for your creativity and dedication. We will miss you.❤️

Hotwalls announces Summer Market

We are proud to announce our Summer Creative Market, on Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July. Hotwalls welcomes both market traders and the public to the iconic Parade Ground here in Old Portsmouth.

Summer Creative Market, featuring talented designers and makers from across the South. The market will see over 40 outdoor stalls of art and creativity, 13 open artist studios, live music, food and demonstrations. With lots of talented makers and artists coming together, the market provides the opportunity to browse and buy handcrafted pieces from a huge variety of traders. The Hotwalls resident artists will be open, so you can find out about their art and the creative process behind their work.

Contact hotwallsstudios@portsmouthcc.gov.uk for further information. Follow our social medias for updates on traders, musicians, art and timings!


Photography on display at The Windbreaks art gallery

The new art installation on Southsea seafront has been refreshed with photography by two local artists Olana Light and Maria de la O Garrido.

For this second wave of artists to have their work featured in this public art gallery space, the curatorial team chose two photographic-based artists whose work really complements each other.

On the seaward side of the panels is the work of Spanish artist Maria de la O Garrido, entitled ‘Suddenly the Sea’. On the landward facing side is the work of Olana Light, featuring self-portrait photographs from her project ‘Searching for a Place to Belong’. Each body of work connects with the relationships between identity and place.

This round of art will be on display for the next four months until the end of July 2025. Hotwalls Studios will be managing an open call for the next round of art to be displayed at The Windbreaks.

For more information about The Windbreaks please visit the dedicated page – where you can also see previous exhibiting artists like Emily Faludy.

The Windbreaks is part of the Portsmouth City Council’s Seafront arts programme that recently brought the poet laureate Simon Armitage to the city to install a new poem – you can also read more about this in the Portsmouth News.

Browse our Studios Online

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque eget nunc placerat turpis lacinia consectetur.

Shop Now
Skip to content