2 April to 25 June 2016 : join us for the opening on Friday 1st April from 6-8pm Reclaimed land, largely created by longshore drift and in particular the winter storms of 1287, the area from Rye to Hythe is sandwiched between the English Channel and the Royal Military Canal. Famous for the Romney Marsh Sheep, this mix of rich agricultural land, saltmarshes, shingle beaches and freshwater tributaries is a haven for wildlife, an important resting place for migrating winter birds. Marshes stretch along Britain’s East Coast and these diverse habitats are home to many wildlife artists as well as the nesting birds. Sketching from life brings a spontaneity, enabling the artist to identify not just the markings and shape, but also the posture and pose. Such landscapes are rarely still and yet have a tranquility that captivates the painter: draw close to admire the marks expressing the wind in the reeds and gently flowing waters; stand back to experience the atmosphere, the wide open skies and the misty moody levels. Romney Marsh, Faversham Creek, the Fens and rural Northumberland have all supplied inspiration. It is the final moment that is so exciting to a ceramic artist, the balance between control and the magic of fire. Whether through softness and luminosity created by the gentle fusing and shifting of glazes or the fierce smoky smelly salt firing requiring constant, close attention over a 39 hour period. There is a long process of observation, hand building, incising, burnishing, each type of clay reacting to the heat, oxides and glazes in a unique way, each artist choosing and understanding their level of influence. Jewellers are once again becoming more adventurous with observation and design featuring strongly. Traditional precious metals and stone are supplemented with copper, ceramics, resin, perspex and rubber.
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Pattern : Plan; Design; Arrangement; Instruction; Variety; Decoration. January saw a welcome return for our clothing and accessories, carefully selected garments from an exciting range of designers. Until 26th March soft felted lambswool from Prilly Lewis is complemented by vibrant enamel necklaces from jeweller Caroline Finlay. Brooches are always tricky to wear so you will be pleasantly surprised by the techniques adopted by Amanda Denison, looking stunning on Indigo Moose linen tunics (carefully tested by Vicki). Cadogan cardigans will be back to accompany the ever popular scarves, the pastel shades enhancing the subtle silver patterns from Alice Robson, Catherine Thomas and Jane Kenney jewellery. Habibe and Linda Dooley create the perfect garments to suit all shapes, the asymmetric lines utilizing natural fabrics and the theme of unique continues in Williams Handmade natural leather sculptural pieces (they are too beautiful to be called “bags”). Contrasting these with Monica Boxley will be a design challenge that Liz will love as she weaves her magic laying out the collections from Ruth Pullan, Bonita Ahuja, Debbie Siniska, Genia Lorberg, Louise Turner-Creasey, Katie B, Mandy Southan, Viola Chamoulaud Eger and Tessuti.
Breaking away from traditional representational art, abstract concentrates on the relationship between colour and form, portraying an emotional response to the subject. Sheila Marlborough begins this process from the landscape, simplifying the subject to basic shapes, exploring expressive colour with texture and pattern. Fans of abstract will enjoy Justine Lois Thorpe, her free use of oils responding to her emotional and physical connection with nature. Annette Waddy-Smith loves paint for it’s own sake and uses simplified shapes to create interesting and flattened spaces with strong composition. With a new set of instantly recognisable reduction lino prints, Jane Walker shares a love of 1950s textile design with Monica Boxley, her flea market finds often represented in the still life pictures. Trained as a textile designer, Vivienne Cawson uses the contrast of natural form with geometric fabrics to create her fresh, vibrant watercolours whereas for Ray Sheldon the dynamics are in the stillness, the negative spaces, the simplification of painting the ceramics he has worked with throughout his career. Ruth Green’s roots are in textile printing and her screen print designs are bright and colourful, drawing influence from Scandinavian design, while Sarah Young uses pattern to enhance the forms of her narrative prints. Movement and light play on the paper with Escher inspired graphite drawings by Louisa Crispin and the vibrancy of Indian textiles and rugs are reflected in Liz Moys stitchings. When it comes to pattern Debbie Barber is an obvious choice for ceramics, with design training in textile decoration and embroidery she continues to use these influences for the surface decoration of her raku vessels and birds. Paul Jackson is synonymous with dynamic shapes and diverse colourful decoration, a complete contrast to Yo Thom’s quiet contemplative forms, creating harmony between tableware and food in the Japanese way. Jane Abbott finds a balance between with coloured clay rolled to create painterly surfaces. Many of our ceramic artists are here to stay, we find it hard to part with their work at the end of each show and, thinking pattern in particular, you will continue to enjoy Ken Eardley, Jessica Jordan, Marion Brandis and Michelle Freemantle. Vicki Atkinson likes to surprise but may have met her match in Alison Alldis. Moving seamlessly over to the jewellery cabinets the mention of Japan brings Claire Lowe to mind with her current range inspired by the serious business of tea drinking: Claire once worked in a tea house that served over 55 varieties of tea. So far we have failed to mention the return of Lorraine Gibby and new work from Stuart Jenkins, Emily Thatcher, Caroline Reynolds alongside the delicate work of Goldsmith Ray Smart.
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