Hi….is anyone one, or a small group, interested in creating a pop up shop at The old Watermill at Barton-Le -Cley ….mail me for details. theartfulmonkey03@gmail.com

Maxine Owen

June Art Extravaganza
29 May to 29 June
The Gallery
Gordon Craig Theatre,
Stevenage
SG1 1LZ

About the artists:

Karen Bloodworth

“I qualified as a Graphic Designer in 1978 and took my first job at the Science Museum drawing office in London. From there, I moved to a large printing company where I worked as a graphic artist for 13 years.

With the arrival of the computer age,graphic design and print changed forever and I found myself having to rethink my working life, so I worked in art supplies, had my own market stall and took small portrait commissions. In 1998 my husband and I started a small business unrelated to art or graphics and so art became a part-time interest for me.

I work mainly in watercolour, acrylics, coloured pencil and, more recently, monoprint and collage. Inspiration comes from all around me, but particularly the countryside and woodlands where I live and my own garden, where I have a small (very small!) studio. My most recent work involves the use of a synthetic gel plate for monoprinting, which enables me to produce single prints with rich colours and textures, using plants, shells, fabric and other found items that please me. I hope you enjoy looking at my work.”

Joanne Bowes BA (Hons) Contemporary Applied Art

“I am a Textile Artist and Designer with a commitment to creating unique handmade treasures using natural materials and traditional skills.

I achieved Foundation Diploma and Fda in Fashion and Surface Pattern Design, with Distinction, at the University of Bedfordshire and Contemporary Applied Arts (Textiles) BA (Hons), at University of Hertfordshire.

‘What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?’

When I stand and stare (not often enough) I see patterns – especially the shapes, textures and colours of nature. Sadly, many people see none of these, so caught up are they in their urgent rush through our busy world.

My inherited love of nature inspires, and is reflected in, my work. Through painting; drawing and photography, I study and explore landscapes; geology and plants in order to create my own patterns and textures. These I bring alive using the handmade techniques I learnt as a child, combined with new ones I have developed since, and finished with my own contemporary twist.
My current work features textile art using layered naturally-dyed fabrics of landmarks and buildings found locally and in North Norfolk and Scotland.

I also make one off Harris Tweed handbags, embellished with my unique twist; naturally-dyed, textured, pure wool scarves; bespoke pre-loved Harris Tweed jackets, tailored to a feminine fit and finished with my special twist.”

Blog: http://joanneshewan.wordpress.com/
Website: http://www.artsnetbeds.org.uk/
Email: Joanne@joanneshewan.co.uk
Phone: 07504024292

Michael Brace
michaelsbrace@hotmail.com

“Painting has been a passion of mine since before I can remember. I started painting and drawing as a way to not only express my thoughts and feelings, but to challenge myself in a creative and original way.

I first started drawing with pencil and charcoal, before moving on to watercolours and settling eventually on oil paints. Throughout my early artistic life I focused mainly on portraits. I would spend hours developing highly detailed portraits in paint and pencil. As I developed my practice further I began to evolve away from portraits and into cityscapes and scenes that represent what we see in everyday life, such as a bus or a phone box.

I am currently working on a new body of work focusing on items from everyday life. They are items that most people will see on a daily basis out of their window or on their daily commute. By focusing on inherently inane objects such as a traffic light, road sign or traffic island I am aiming to highlight the simple beauty of the mundane. I want to help people to look beyond what is on the surface and find a deeper connection with what is underneath.”

View a selection of my work at:
www.artsnetbeds.org.uk/michaelbrace
www.facebook.com/michaelbraceart
www.degreeart.com/michaelbrace
www.braceandbrace.co.uk

Jan Drury BA (Hons) Fine Art

Jan Drury is an abstract artist who works in many different mediums. She mixes different types of liquids and watches how they react or whether they repel each other. She then uses these results when she is producing her work. She produces work that is highly visual and touchable. The work often looks as if it is still wet. Jan encourages people to feel and touch her paintings. She places different layers on top of each other to produce in-depth pieces that draw you in.

In 2011 Jan was awarded Highly Commended in the 90th United Artists Open Exhibition for Earthly Surge. This piece of work also reached the final thirty in the Saatchi Abstract Showdown.

After five years of study Jan now has a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art. Which just goes show you’re never too old to fulfil your dreams!!

Jan only produces ‘one-off’ original pieces of art. Her work cannot be repeated. She can produce something similar, but not exact. This is because there are many processes involved and each reaction is different. That’s the beauty of this technique; the end result only becomes apparent when the piece is finished.

JAN’S WORK HAS BEEN SHOWN AT:

Aubrey Gallery Franklins Gallery
Highgate Station Hitchin Museum
Letchworth Museum Luton Art Gallery
Luton Hoo Walled Garden Marston Vale
RadlettArtExpo Stoke Hammond
The Hat Factory The Menier Gallery
The Mine Gallery Wheathampstead Art Gallery

Member of Artists’ Network Bedfordshire Membership Secretary and Treasurer
Member of United Society of Artists and Hon Treasurer

Email: jandrury22@yahoo.co.uk
www.jandruryart.com www.abstractartjd.blogspot.com www.artsnetbeds.org.uk

Susan Erskine-Jones

Susan Erskine-Jones began training as an artist in South Africa. She gained a distinction in printmaking at Natal Technikon before moving to Cape Town where she studied printmaking under Pippa Skotness of Micheallis University. Since moving to the UK she has studied a further year at Amersham College, Buckinghamshire, concentrating on painting, for which she gained a distinction. Susan continues to work in both printmaking and painting.

“The continuing inspiration for my work comes from the area in which I live. I am interested in the borders, the edges and marginal states; in exploring the delicacy, the chance and the strength that I see in the world around me.”

Kal Flynn

“I have always had a great love of and interest in Art; I studied Illustration at Westminster University and gained a BA Hons in Illustration. I have also attended St Martin’s School of Art.

I am currently a full-time artist; my work is primarily based on and driven by nature. I enjoy using oils and acrylics. Most of my work is produced on site; I can see subtleties in colour, observe the play of light and try to capture the experience of actually being there. Each painting tells its own story – for me, they each remind me of what that day felt like, the numerous people that I have met and spoken to me whilst painting. That in itself has been a great experience.”

Giclee prints can also be ordered; prices on request.

Email: kalflynn@hotmail.com
Website: www.kalflynnart.com

Jill Goodyear BA Hons Textile Design
Painter and Printmaker

Jill is a Contemporary Artist working with paint, mark-making, collage and print to produce bright, fresh images on canvas and paper. A strong sense of colour and form is evidence of her initial training as a textile designer.

Jill’s work evolves primarily from memory, supported by the use of drawings and photographs which are used as a visual reminder while the work evolves organically. She creates works both formal and abstract, using a variety of subject matter that ranges from landscape to seascape, figurative and abstract.

Inspiration comes from many sources, and recent work reflects her love of Cornwall and the sea.

Jill is an active member of the ANB and has been a past member of the Visual Images Group in Bucks, the Milton Keynes Society of Artists and The Milton Keynes Printmakers. She has exhibited with each of the above and recently at the AIM Gallery in Milton Keynes.

Jill’s work has been exhibited at The Norton Way Gallery in Letchworth, and the Bedford Street Gallery in Woburn.
www.jillgoodyear.co.uk
E-mail – jillrgoodyear@yahoo.co.uk

Ian Grinham

“My work is mainly based on landscape. I work in quite a direct manner aiming to convey the character of the landscape. I am also interested in exploring the process of painting.”

Email: ian.grinham@ntlworld.com
Website: iangrinham.com

Helen Hooper

“I am a self-taught artist working mainly in oil on canvas, but also watercolour and oil on slate.

I have been painting for many years as a hobby, initially specialising in portraits of animals both wild and domestic and later in seascapes.

My husband has always been a keen sailor and we had talked about selling up and sailing round the world once the children were grown up, not that I really expected us to actually do it. Well, the time came and we gave up our jobs, sold the family home, bought a boat and in August 2007 left on what was to become a four-year trip.

We crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean and after exploring these islands transited the Panama Canal into the Pacific. We sailed all the way to Australia, calling at the Galapagos and then several islands in French Polynesia on route. We returned via the Red Sea and through the Mediterranean.

The scenery was spectacular; the towering mountainous islands of the South Seas, coral atolls surrounded by crystal clear turquoise water teeming with multicoloured fish and beaches so white that the sand resembled snow and was so fine that it felt like walking on talcum powder, colours so bright that they hurt your eyes.

I have tried to capture the beauty and vibrancy of these exotic places in my seascapes, to bring a flavour of the tropics back home.”

 
Lesley Humphreys

“The majority of my work is portraiture, as I am particularly drawn to the human face. My interest lies in portraying emotions and I tend to disregard the aesthetics in an attempt to capture the subject’s true feelings. This can be readily seen in my Christ work, which attempts to show the agony and struggle of Jesus’s journey. (Here is only a small example of a much larger body of work.)

I also like to experiment with materials and their application and the main pieces on show here today were created using tissue, bleach and acrylic paints, some applied with brushes, other marks made by knives and credit cards. I see artistic potential in most things and am happy to work with anything I can lay my hands on. Previously I’ve used toys, household paints, cosmetics and aluminium food trays, to name a few. “

Website: www.lesleyhumphreys.com

Dionne Ible

“I have been creating mosaic pieces for the last 10 years and can’t get enough of this ancient art form.

My journey started in 2002 where I began my search for something creative to do after my 9-5 job working as a Legal Secretary. My search took me to a listed building in Camden Town called the The Working Men’s College and it was here where I first fell in love with mosaic!

After having children and later attending more courses in London and Brighton, I eventually formed QEMAMU MOSAICS in 2006 (Qemamu meaning creator or creation) with its mission being to create African-inspired mosaic pieces that are not only unique but will also captivate the viewer.

My love of African culture provides the inspiration for all of my bespoke mosaic pieces. I try to capture naturalness and beauty by using earthy tones, vibrant colour and an array of textured mosaic tiles. I use mostly glass tiles and smalti, but would love to experiment with more natural tesserae such as marble, stone and semi-precious stones.

As well as creating my own designs, I also offer the following services:
• School, Club or Community Projects
• Private and Public Commissions
• Adult and Children Workshops
• Children’s Parties
• Mosaic entertainment at Weddings and/or Parties (mosaic will definitely keep your children occupied whilst the adults have fun)

I am a member of the British Association for Modern Mosaic (BAMM) and have also had my work featured in several publications.

For more information please visit www.qemamumosaics.com or email me on qemamu@ymail.com

Victoria Johns

Victoria’s art practice embraces an extensive range of materials, including acrylic paint/ink and spray, printmaking ink, pastel and collage. She works in painting, printmaking and photography and often combines these disciplines to create the desired effect.

Coating the support with her chosen medium, she paints in a largely intuitive and spontaneous way with colour, texture and mark making. Her paintings often have a glass-like quality; several layers of transparent and opaque colours along with texture create depth and a very tactile feel to the work.

Victoria finds printmaking hugely liberating; she never stops learning about different techniques and the qualities each can produce. So far she has produced work using Reductive Lino, Drypoint, Monoprint and Collagraph techniques; some works are a mixture of these. She uses a table press with water/oil-based inks and may develop the print further with pastel, paint or ink.

The major source of inspiration comes from examining and manipulating images photographed and sketched on location in the U.K. and abroad. “The artwork I produce is more often than not inspired by my surroundings. I enjoy capturing ‘moments in time’ with my camera and then exploring the image further in my studio. Architecture, Landscape, Weather, Sculpture, Nature, Street Furniture are all reference points for my practice.”

www.victoriajohns-art.com

Tracey Joyce

“I have been painting in my spare time for a number of years and have experimented with different mediums. My preference is oil and acrylic as they are pliable and allow me to play with the colours and build the texture of the painting far more than watercolours or gouache. I am constantly changing my style of painting as I discover new ideas and techniques, but am currently working in an abstract, impressionist mode, which is enjoyable albeit a little messy!

I won the Luton Cultural Art Prize 2011, held at Wardown Park Museum; which was a unique experience and the first time that I had entered any of my work into a competition.

My work is not meant to be provocative or challenging to the mind, but a peaceful and relaxing piece that people can reflect upon and enjoy at their own leisure. I try to recreate scenes reflecting images of nature and tranquillity and beauty; bringing it to life with movement and texture and a loose and dynamic style.

I am influenced by the old style masters of impressionism, Monet, Van Gogh and current artists such as Dexter Brown, whose paintings of Formula One racing cars and Ferrari are spectacular.”

Lynnette Ann Moodey

“I enjoy working in oil paint, acrylic paint and pencils. Most of my work is inspired by nature. I love doing realistic artwork and all my art pieces are very symbolic to me.

I am a self-taught artist. Learning the hard way and loving every minute of it. The only art education I received was at school in South Africa; the two mediums we were given were poster paint and charcoal. A few years later I attended a basic oil painting class at the age of 20 for a few weeks. Then in my late 30s I did a very short introductory course to sculpting at Amersham and Wycombe College.

For many years all my artwork was commission work only, mainly portraiture. I have painted wall murals for restaurants, caricatures for corporates, banners for raves, posters for charities, décor for themed parties and cartoons.

A year and a half ago I decided to start creating my own art pieces with the intention of selling them. I love the freedom of self-expression. I am thoroughly enjoying my journey. My interest in colour and light is intensifying. I am eager to learn and look forward to sharing my personal artwork with the world.”

Paul Rogers

“I specialise in sculptures made from natural products such as wood, fungus, bark and seed heads. My works range from 10cm to 2.5m in height and can be said to be ‘conceptual’.

My art reflects the issues of everyday life, the questions, the concerns, the trials and the joys. I usually support each piece with a self-written poem which helps the viewer to further understand the thoughts and concepts behind the piece. All these works are free standing and 3D in nature. Much of my work is made for outside spaces and is therefore finished with varnishes that prolong the life and enhance the finish of those pieces. They are quite robust, yet in contrast I also use seed heads, dried petals and a range of dried flora to tell stories.

I source products from fallen, rotting timber and plants which, out of their growing season, are dormant and fall away as new growth is produced.

Sculpting paint on glass using discarded, unwanted products also provides me with an additional outlet for my creativity. A range of paint types is used; emulsions, acrylics and also inks enabling different textures that complement each other.
I am a chef, lecturer and trainer by occupation, allowing me opportunities to develop my art ‘on the plate’; now semi-retired I find these opportunities in the forms above.”

Jennifer Steele

“After an Art Foundation Course in Bedfordshire, I went on to take a degree in History and History of Art at the University of London, before finally settling on a career in publishing. However, I have maintained my interest in art, continually taking life drawing classes and painting workshops throughout my adult life in order to learn and improve and am now aiming to paint regularly once more.

I am interested in exploring the processes of using art materials, in particular mixed media and collage – how their different properties affect the form of expression in a painting and bring movement and light to an essentially flat surface. Exploration of colour is another fascination, especially how it can be used to heighten the impact of the every-day subject.”

Anne-Marie Stijelja

After winning a regional competition to exhibit at the Gateway Gallery in London Luton Airport during July 2012, Anne-Marie Stijelja’s Stamp-Art has proved very popular. Her collection of images on canvas using stamps from around the world virtually sold out and led her to see her pieces finding new homes across the globe.

Anne-Marie exhibits artwork of various genres regularly around Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. She also teaches art-based workshops to people of all ages in a variety of mediums and is currently working alongside children in Bedford on a values-based commission for their school using felt.

In September 2012, Anne-Marie curated a Mail-Art exhibition, which was held in a ‘pop-up’ gallery. After hearing about the travelling Mail-Art exhibition that had started in London, Anne-Marie turned an empty shop in the centre of Bedford into a gallery for two weeks. Alongside the travelling exhibition she showed a selection of her Stamp-Art. This was joined by over 300 pieces of extra artwork that had been posted to the Bedford show from places around the world. The local community, groups and schools all got involved with the successful project. This was achieved with bursary funds from RSA and help from the group ‘We Are Bedford’.

She has been asked to exhibit at the Gateway Gallery again this autumn and will be showing a new collection of Stamp-Art ‘Holiday Memories’.

The Queen of Hearts is taken from the new collection of Stamp-Art entitled ‘Holiday Memories’.
www.amstijelja@btinternet.com

Teresa Whyte

“I’ve had a fascination with photography since I was a child holidaying with my family in the beautiful Devon seaside town of Dawlish and my amazement at ‘instant’ pictures appearing before my very eyes as I peeled apart the paper on a Polaroid photo! But it was my parent’s gift of a Kodak instamatic 110 camera for Christmas when I was about 12 or 13 that established my lifelong love of the art, before being introduced to ‘proper’ photography by my art teacher in the 6th Form at school.

For me, photography is the ability to capture a moment that will never happen again in quite the same way – the beauty of light, form, texture, composition and shape.

A factor that is very important in my work is selecting the right moment, something that can be lost in a fraction of a second. Due to the constant changes in nature and life which are not fixed, a photographer’s skill must be one of prediction and patience. The design element in nature and light acts as my constant drive to take photographs. Therefore, the moment for taking a picture is the basis to the success of the final image.

I have a real passion for photography, from still life to real life. As a member of the Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers, I also take commissions for photoshoots in and around Hertfordshire, including weddings, portraits, events, portfolios, children and pets.”

Madeline Wright

“For many years I have been developing art in others, either as an art teacher or as a director of an art organisation providing studios, galleries and advice. It is working with others that gives me the ‘buzz’ to be creative, but at the same time it has been draining.

At last I am beginning to have time to develop my work. Having worked in so many mediums and styles over the years I do not work in one way. I allow the subject to determine the medium. However, my love of papermaking and watercolour painting is the direction I have at last started to settle in.

In this exhibition I have put in four very different pieces and styles, but since painting these my present work is different again and I hope it will always continue to change and develop.”

Nineteen artists from the ANB will be holding an exhibition at the newly refurbished Gallery at the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, Stevenage SG1 1LZ from 29 May to 29 June.
The Private View will be on Tuesday 4th June at 7.30. All welcome.

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A CHANGE OF VENUE

North Bedfordshire Hub are meeting at Harpers Wine Bar on Tavistock Street, Bedford on Thursday April 18th at 6.30pm. If you are interested in joining the group please come along. At 7.45pm in the downstairs Cellar Bar of Harpers, the illustration group The Circus of Illustration and the poetry group Ouse Muse will be meeting.

Anne-Marie Stijelja/Jim Francis

ANB member Joanne Bowes was delighted when her local town website Don’t Let Dunstable Die chose her textile interpretation of the town’s Priory Church as the header for their Facebook page.

The team will be featuring a different picture of the town each week so it will be exciting to see lots of different views of this historic gem.

An invitation to view

The Art of Confession – Confess Your Excess.

Exhibition by ANB Member Helen Jones of photography, textile, text and sculpture.

This installation is based on the confessions of participants. Who confessed their shopping excess, forming a dialogue between the artist and viewer.

Bedford College
South Bank Arts Centre
Foyer
Caudwell Street
Bedford

Private view 5pm to 7 pm
Tuesday 19th March
On until Thursday 28th March

Open college hours.

Click on the poster to enlarge the details:

RUTH (RICKWOOD) GURNEY

I gained a BA and an MA in Printmaking, and have had group and solo exhibitions both in this region and in London. I keep in touch with the arts scene in this area through my role as manager at Tim’s Art Supplies, Hitchin; and through ANB, and the BBH Print Society, both of which I am a member.

My imagery is fed by the gardens and farmlands I grew up in. I’m also interested in the folklore of plants, traditional recipes and country ways and sayings.

My most recent set of prints was sparked by the enjoyment my husband and I gain from watching the birds that visit our garden – in particular the Robin (made very timid by the flocks of starlings, sparrows, gulls and magpies that cruise the area) and the Bluetit. But most of all we like to watch (and try to count) the ever increasing numbers of Goldfinch that visit and fight over our feeder, sit in the treetops and sing to us and chatter to each other across the neighbors’ gardens and rooftops.

My press allows me to experiment with monoprints, woodcuts, linocuts, drypoint and collagraphs. I also have a letterpress. I work with collage and textiles as well. I use oil based inks and a wide variety of papers to print on.

rr.art1@ntlworld.com www.ruthrickwood.carbonmade.com
www.ruthscards.carbonmade.com

Ruth’s work can be seen at the forthcoming fundraising Art Festival at the Princess Helena College, College, Preston, Hitchin, SG4 7RT, Saturday 16th March 2013, 11am – 4pm, www.princesshelenacollege.co.uk

(Please click on the link below to access the pdf containing further info about this event.)

Art Festival Poster

ANB Central Team member Joanne Shewan (Bowes) will be at the Landmark Arts Centre 2013 Contemporary Textiles Fair in Teddington from 8-10 March. She’ll be on Stand 4.

Further details about the Fair can be found at: http://www.landmarkartscentre.org/whats-on/visual-arts.html