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- 6th Nov 2026
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Bring a Shirley Vauvelle original home from The Biscuit Factory
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As the evenings draw in and home becomes the main event, a garden on the Yorkshire coast is offering fresh inspiration for your home.
Here’s how to make Shirley Vauvelle’s paintings and sculptures part of your space before her headline exhibition at The Biscuit Factory closes on 22nd November.
Autumn nesting
There’s a moment every autumn when we start looking at our homes differently. The lamps go on earlier, the throws come out, and suddenly that blank wall you’ve ignored since the summer feels like unfinished business.
If that sounds familiar, The Biscuit Factory has an idea. Its Autumn 2026 headline exhibition, Source Material by Shirley Vauvelle, is packed with semi-abstract paintings and beautiful sculptures that feel made for living with: organic, softly botanical and full of colour.
Yes, it’s an exhibition worth a visit. But it’s also something rather more useful, a collection of original art you can take home, with many of the paintings already framed and ready to hang.
A garden full of stories
Shirley is a self-taught ceramicist and painter based in the coastal town of Filey, East Yorkshire, and her garden sits at the heart of everything she makes. It’s planted for form, texture and colour, and it has a history: some of the plants have been growing there for around 200 years, others were passed on by friends, propagated from cuttings or sown by visiting birds.
That layered history gave the exhibition its name. For Shirley, a plant is never just a plant. It comes with a past, and that’s what she paints. “This is my source material,” she says.
The habit runs deep. Shirley was selling painted pebbles to a local shop at the age of 12, and she’s been collecting shells, weathered finds and foraged treasures ever since. The result is work with real depth: paintings that look effortless from across the room and reward a closer look.
Why these pieces suit real homes
Abstract enough to feel contemporary, floral enough to feel familiar, Shirley’s art sits comfortably in lots of different rooms. They bring the garden indoors without a single petal needing water, which is a rare gift in November.
There’s also a good spread of prices. Pieces in the collection start at £210, so you can find something to add joy at a price point that works for you. Several works have already found new homes, so if something catches your eye, it’s worth moving quickly.
How to style Shirley’s paintings at home
You don’t need to be an interior designer to make a painting work in your space. A few simple ideas:
Give it the spotlight. A larger piece over the sofa, the bed or a sideboard can anchor an entire room. Leave space around it and let it be the focal point.
Take your cue from the garden. Layer in natural materials such as linen, wool, oak and ceramics, then echo one colour from the painting in a cushion, a vase or a stem or two of dried flowers.
Hang in pairs. Early Summer and High Summer share a seasonal story, which makes them a natural duo for a dining room wall or either side of a mirror.
Try an unexpected spot. Hallways, landings and kitchens are often overlooked, yet they’re the places you pass through every day. A piece of art there will make you smile far more often than one tucked away in a spare room.
Think about light. Shirley’s own studio is flooded with natural light, and paintings come alive in it. Hang yours where daylight can reach it, or add a picture light for those dark winter evenings.
Pieces to fall for
Not sure? Try it at home first
Choosing original art for your own walls can feel like a big decision, so The Biscuit Factory has made it easier.
With Home Approval, you can take a piece home for up to seven days when you leave a 50% deposit, which is refunded if it isn’t right. If you’re considering several pieces, or something large, a consultant can bring a selection to your home. This is available in selected NE, DH and SR postcodes, and the £150 appointment fee is deducted from any purchase.
Purchases of £250 or more can be spread with Own Art finance. If you can’t make it into the gallery, you can buy online, and the team ships safely to wherever you are.
Buying for a new home or a special occasion?
The gallery’s gift accounts let friends and family contribute towards art you’ll love, a thoughtful alternative to the usual housewarming bottle of wine.
Visit Source Material by Shirley Vauvelle
Dates: 11th September to 22nd November 2026
Where: The Biscuit Factory, Stoddart Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1AN
Open: 7 days a week, 10am to 5pm
Prices: Pieces from £220
Finance: Own Art available on purchases of £250 or more
Try before you buy: Home Approval, with a 7-day trial or a consultant visit
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