Celebrating Lucy Manfredi MA, MAFA — Rising Northern Star

By Stephen Sparrow, Managing Director and Northern Art Specialist at Wilson55

We are still buzzing from the incredible experience of being part of the nationwide Gavel Art Trail & Auction and we want to take a moment to shine the spotlight on someone truly special, our local artist and friend, Lucy Manfredi, MA, MAFA.

Lucy has been drawing and painting as long as she has been able to hold a pencil or brush. Lucy is primarily self-taught, but she studied Art at Manchester University and then gained a master's at Brighton University. Lucy's favourite mediums are drawing, animation and of course, painting. Lucy works from her imagination. British subjects and scenes are her main topics of inspiration, often with a twist of humour. Lucy's childhood memories play a big part in her work too. Lucy says, "I hope the work resonates with people who remember how great it was growing up in Britain in a certain era".

Lucy, based right here in Nantwich, Cheshire, took on the challenge of transforming our 100cm handcrafted gavel into a one-of-a-kind piece that reflects the vibrancy, humour, and spirit of Northern art. She did this while in the midst of preparing for a major exhibition, yet she poured the same energy, creativity, and care into our gavel and the result was simply breathtaking.

"Beryl & Dot At The Queen of Hearts"

Lucy says, "The gavel has been a wonderful challenge for me. I turned each component of the sculpture into something that best represents my work, or that has been a feature in a painting of mine in the past. The blue Willow pattern plate stack is relevant to the ceramic industry and the vintage beer pump features in many of my works. The ladies enjoying a sherry and several baked goods that are from the local cafe are all evocative of Northern life. I have tried to include as much as I can. I hope it represents my work well".

When the gavel went under the hammer in London, it achieved a fantastic £4,000, contributing to a total of over £40,000 raised for three amazing charities: The Brain Tumour Charity, The National Brain Appeal, and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN). But the real prize for us has been the chance to work with Lucy and to celebrate her remarkable talent.

We were thrilled to win the gavel ourselves after fierce online and room bidding and it will now take pride of place at Wilson55, on permanent display for everyone to enjoy. It stands not only as a stunning artwork but also as a symbol of Lucy’s extraordinary creativity and the strength of the Northern art community we are so proud to represent. It was only right that the gavel came back home.

Lucy has become a wonderful friend to our saleroom. Her warmth, energy, and distinctive artistic voice have made a lasting impression on us and we can’t wait to see her career continue to flourish. Having such a talented artist on our doorstep is a privilege we treasure and we look forward to supporting her every step of the way.

We invite you to visit Wilson55 to see Lucy’s gavel in person a true testament to the talent, dedication, and spirit of one of the North’s rising stars. Thank you, Lucy.