'Art & Soul' Exhibition

Margie is a painter who divides her time between her studios in Surrey and the Cape Winelands. She creates vibrant, exuberant still lives. Her ‘Harvesting the Light’ series was inspired by the joy of home-grown produce and the need for us to return to a simpler, less destructive way of living. Margie has had ten solo exhibitions in the UK, South Africa and the USA.

A former teacher, Pauline is now a full-time glass artist under the banner of ‘Studio Shards’. As she says, ‘My work is inspired by living close to the coast in West Sussex and spending a great deal of time in Cornwall. Taking inspiration from walking, being immersed in the landscape in all weathers. I am completely self-taught when it comes to glass. I love the rich colours and the excitement of opening up the kiln to see what alchemy has occurred.

Born in Paris, Marie is a French sculptor living in the UK. In her words:
‘My work explores animal presence, strength, and movement through geometry, an emphasis on rhythm and form. I am trying to go beyond realism and tradition to capture a contemporary work with the essence of the subject that speaks on some level to the soul. Some of the works also start deep into abstraction, moving further away from reality.’

After a degree in graphic design, Maria worked in advertising and then as a freelance illustrator. Now a full-time painter, her work is contemporary, colourful, exciting, imaginative and impressionistic. Based in Surrey, she is inspired by the nature and wildlife around her and through her travels. Her paintings use acrylics, offering a bright, colourful and creative effect. Into each painting, goes a lot of love, dedication and patience.

‘I have been painting for over 45 years and the majority of my recent work has been in oils, and pastels. I love painting” plein air” whenever I can, in all sorts of weathers. My work is loose realistic with subjects ranging from marine/river scenes, landscapes as well as portraits and life. I have been a member of The Wapping Group of Artists for the past 18 years, painting at various venues along the Thames and London. I am an exhibiting member at Guildford and Farnham Art Societies. I have had pictures accepted at the RSMA, RI, ROI, The Pastel Society, and The Mall galleries in London.’

Local artist, Paula studied at Newlyn School of Art and at West Dean College, gaining a Diploma in Art and Design. As a semi-abstract landscape artist, she works primarily in acrylics and mixed media, immersing herself in the raw beauty of nature. Her creative process is influenced by the landscape of the South Downs, Cumbrian Fells and the rugged cliffs of Cornwall - wide open skies and dramatic rock formations. She aims to capture the light, movement and texture of the earth with gestural marks, layering and an array of tools. By working in this way, the viewer can not only see the landscape but feel the space she is portraying.

Formerly an Artist Blacksmith, David moved to Purbeck and a combination of building his garden from scratch and gaining inspiration from the Jurassic coast moved him a different direction. His work is now inspired by natural forms with a particular emphasis on texture and finish, especially texture inspired by the area’s rich and diverse geology and flora. David works with many metals including iron and steel, stainless steel, bronze, copper and silver. He has a passion for flowing and sweeping curves.

‘I am currently studying Fine Art at Bath Spa University. I try to create a celestial atmosphere that isn’t quite visible in the true natural world. I want to paint that blurred line between reality and unreality, a familiar scene of nature that bursts at the seam. My work is deeply inspired by mother nature, the idea of femininity being explored in a more assertive way instead of delicately. I want to show a sense of urgency in my brushstrokes, contrasted with more detailed areas of precise natural elements.’

A former art teacher, Jo trained at Winchester School of Art and Kingston University and now paints full-time from her home near Woking. She has been shortlisted for several prizes including BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year, Surrey Artist of the Year and The British Art Prize no less than four times. Jo’s inspiration is varied, from wildlife to seascapes, with a particular passion for painting the city and its inhabitants. Jo’s works are bright and contemporary, designed to draw the viewer in and engage with the stories they tell. Jo has mastered the art of acrylic, believing it is well suited to her clean style of painting.

‘My work is concerned with the human form and its relationships with and comparisons to landscape and environment. My sculptures are ambiguous, self-contained characters – quiet, contemplative, serene, with heads bowed or skyward looking. I have exhibited my sculptures in Chichester Cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace Gardens at Wells, View Gallery Bristol, The Sculpture Show, Artspace, Cube Gallery Bristol, The Life Building City of London, Chapel Row Gallery Bath, and many more. My sculpture is in private collections in this country, Australia, USA and Denmark.’

Suzie’s animal sculptures have gained great acclaim over the last 35 years and she now has a loyal following both in the UK and abroad. Her work reflects her love of animals and her fascination with their character and form. She often produces work to aid animal charities close to her heart and this has taken her to the Animals Asia bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam as well as the Turgwe Hippo Trust in Zimbabwe. Her initial work is in clay and her originals can then be cast in bronze resin and/or foundry bronze. All of her work is suitable for the home or garden.

Renée is known for creating unique, brightly glazed ceramic pieces. Her process begins with forming a basic shape using techniques such as coiling, slab building, or press moulding. Renée adds hand-modelled details to each piece, giving them a sense of movement. Rather than attempting to replicate nature exactly, her aim is to evoke a smile in the viewer—similar to the joy experienced when encountering the vibrant colours and forms found in nature.

Fiona views her subject matter as a series of shapes and electric colour palettes. Every landscape is broken down into blocks and verticals and then re-formed to embody her chosen scene. The start of the process is initially on iPad. Excitement comes with the next stage, where she forms a multitude of layers on the canvas. Large, fluid strokes, from both brush and credit card build layers of acrylic to show through, and in turn create depth. The intention is to give the eyes something to explore, often exposing colours that fizz and entice you in.

David studied fine art at Ashford School of Art and Design after which he spent seven years as a stained-glass conservator, working across the South East of England. He uses these skills to create metal and glass sculptural pieces that allow leaded glass to be enjoyed without the necessity and limitations of a traditional window. David utilises a mix of new and reclaimed metal and glass to create works that respond to and celebrate the beauty of the materials.

‘I try to create powerful and dramatic sculptures which have a beauty of form. Sculpture should be tactile, drawing the viewer to want to interact physically as well as visually with the work. With a lifetime’s fascination with the way a body moves, I enjoy the challenge of capturing the essence of the subject, it’s movement, balance and tension within a static sculpture. Martin’s work is exhibited at many outdoor sculpture exhibitions and is a regular exhibitor at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.’

‘The female form has continued to inspire my work and though initially specialising in small ceramic sculpture, my work has evolved and grown in scale. Over time I have enjoyed experimenting with other working practices and now produce much of my garden sculpture in resin and steel. I also have work cast in bronze and have developed a way of combining ceramics and resin. My work has been featured at RHS Chelsea, and is in private collections in the UK, Europe, Canada and America.’

Emily recycles copper hot water tanks, plumbing pipes and electrical cables to create her sculptures. Her sculptures are inspired by nature and capture the essence of the subjects, from lumbering elephants to tiny mice and delicate or flamboyant flowers. She creates sculptures that have a relationship with their surroundings: a heron stalking the fish or an intricate vine heart filling a previously uninteresting space on a wall. Her sculptures will age beautifully in a garden because, unlike steel, copper doesn’t rust. Emily loves to make art that makes you smile.

Clare grew up in North Yorkshire and gained an MA Fine Art degree at the University of Edinburgh. Clare now paints and draws in her Surrey studio and experiments with repurposing found papers and a variety of media including collage, acrylics and watercolour. She often makes use of a high or distant viewpoint as she explores human traits and experiences, and uses collage for the historical, graphic and textural qualities it brings to the work. Clare welcomes commissions in her unique style using photographic references.

’My collection of elegant contemporary sculptures ranges in scale from small table-top to impressive life-size pieces for the garden. Predominantly figurative, the collection also includes serene faces and wildlife. I hope the simple organic curves and peaceful nature of my sculptures will offer the viewer a sense of perspective, and serve as a reminder to appreciate the wonderful world around them. A regular exhibitor at RHS Chelsea, my limited-edition sculptures are held in private collections around the world.’

Kate began her career as a sculptor in television, making models for special effects and stop frame animation pieces. For several years now she has been making work based on her love of horses and has recently expanded into the wider animal world by producing pieces based on big cats. All her current work is drawn from extensive study of anatomy, photographic images and life, sculpted in clay. Then she makes her own moulds and casts the final pieces in Jesmonite with metal powders, patinating them to achieve the final effect.

Lynn is a local mosaicist who creates wall-hung pictures and garden art like stepping-stones, usually featuring wildlife. She seems to have endless patience, spending many hours cutting and fitting tiny glass and ceramic tiles to produce memorable images.