Spotlight on Ramsbottom - John Hassall Studio

Reporter: Kevin Burke
Date online: 20 December 2010

Picturesque Ramsbottom is a natural place to find artists and people who appreciate natural beauty and serenity. John Hassall is one of those people.

His art career started years ago, when he drew churches, bridges and local landmarks in Ramsbottom and sold them door to door. He sold about 4,500 of these. “This was just work to keep crusts on the table,” he said.

But success found him and Mr Hassall now finds himself as the Artist in Residence at Elton Arts College and a teacher to adults and children, teaching approximately 70 people each week.

He is now the proud owner of a studio, after a friend said he could use his property for 6 months to see whether such a business would be financially viable.

So, on 10 October 2010, John’s Hassall studio, Art, opened on Bolton Road in Ramsbottom.

He explained local artists had approached him since and arranged for their work to appear in his windows, such as Leslie Noar, who he calls an astounding airbrush artist, who has been featured in a magazine about airbrushing. “He saw the shop front and he put himself forward,” he said. Other people have work in the shop, both amateurs and professionals.

Mr Hassal’s family are also creative types. He has three artistic daughters, one daughter, Nicola, is a shoe designer with samples in the shop. Daughters Sally and Pippa also help out in the shop, and Mr Hassal’s wife, Christine, also has some work on display.

One of the centrepieces of the store is a Buddha, built out of plaster and gilded with silver, gold and acrylic colours, but Mr Hassall tries his hand at countless other mediums, “a lot of work in different areas,” he says.

“There aren’t many places in Ramsbottom for artists to showcase their work.”