OUR GUEST ARTISTS
We feature a number of local guest artists here at The Coastal Gallery. Below you will find information about each artist and a link to their own gallery on our website displaying a selection of their work. Please click on the artist's name from the list below to jump down this page to their details. Alternatively, scroll down the page to read all the information here. The artists are listed alphabetically.
Victoria Ascanio
Esme Bartlett
Chrissie Birchall
Alison Bolton
Frank Callaghan
Maddy Coates
Wendy Couchman
Jane Emberson
Pete Gilbert
Vicki Golden
Brian Hayes
Faye Jolley
Eileen King
Marion Lewis
Joyce Livy
John Scott Martin PRBSA
Carol Mason
Francesca McLeod
Stewart Mechem
Jeanne Moles
Karen Morris
Sandra Morris
Jan Nelson
Elizabeth Palmer Cafferkey
Paul W Reeves (Woodturner)
Will Rochfort
David Rogers (Potter)
Bev Saunders
Jenny Sutton RBSA
Helen Theobald
Hilary Thorpe
Anne Toase
Jacqué Wakely
Claire Wiltsher
Mark Van Wingerden
Victoria Ascanio
Victoria Ascanio was born and brought up in Spain. She studied Fine Arts at Madrid University before moving to England. There she studied Printmaking at The Ruskin School of Art in Oxford and was a founder member of the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative Association.
She has taken part in many international Fairs and exhibitions all over Europe and in the U.S.A. Her most recent solo exhibition was in Galeria Gaudi, Madrid in 2008.
She works in the painting, drawing and printmaking mediums. Her style could be described as influenced primarily by the work of Cezanne and Matisse who she sites as her main sources of inspiration. One continuous theme is that of the Still Life, littered with Andalousian fans, ripe fruit and antique bottles which she collects.
Since moving to Lymington she often sketches along the shores of the Solent. Returning to the studio, she transforms these landscapes by introducing nude figures, creating pastural bather scenes.
Esme Bartlett
Esme studied at Bournemouth College of Art as a young student in fashion and design. After raising a family she returned to study painting at southampton faculty of Art and then spent several years studying printmaking at Bournemouth Shelley Park, etching becoming her main interest at that time.
Esme also taught art subjects in adult education for many years. Now retired from teaching she finds more time to devote to painting.
Living in the New Forest, Esme is inspired to depicting the special qualities of light and atmosphere of the forest and coastal landscapes around her, working mainly in mixed media and watercolour.
Her work has been shown at the RWA Bristol, Mall galleries, London and at the Royal academy Summer Exhibition and also at many open exhibitions, participating in Open Studio event. Esme is a member of Lymington Palette Club.
Chrissie Birchall
I have been exhibiting professionally for twelve years and show my work at galleries in England, Scotland and Holland: the R.O.I.R.B.A, the Pastel Society, Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries, London and the Alexander Gallery, Bristol where I have had two successful one-woman exhibitions and The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2000 and 2009.
My genre is still life and flowers in oil and pastel and I work from my studio at Lepe. I was made Vice-President of the Society of Women Artists in 2005 and we have an annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London.
Frank Callaghan
Frank was educated in Norwich and trained in Liverpool, and after that studied at Exeter University and Southampton University. He is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has taught Art and Design for over 40 years, in schools in Toxteth, Kettering, Exeter and Hampshire. Over half of that time he was a Headteacher/Principal.
Now that he has retired he has time to paint for himself. His studio is in East Boldre in the New Forest, and his preferences are landscape or seascape, and figure painting, with occasional forays into portraiture.
His works have sold as far afield as Russia, Spain, and Sweden.
Maddy Coates
Maddy Coates only really got back into art about twelve years ago. However, painting and especially contemporary art has always fascinated her. Since then, she has slowly developed her own style and has exhibited in the Victoria Art Gallery Bath, Southampton, Hilliers and St Barbe.
She is always seeking new ways of putting paint on 'paper' and loves to try mixing unusual colour combinations. Textures and shapes play a large part in her compositions, with an emphasis on simplistic and natural forms. It's knowing when to stop that causes the difficulties.
Wendy Couchman
I am a Lymington based artist with a fine arts degree from Central St Martins London and a previous career in health and social care.
My practice is the abstract representation of the skin as the protection of the body through print, sculpture and video. The inner life of the body is communicated through its surfaces to the social world where its visual traces are exposed like an archaeological investigation and vulnerable to harm.
Monoprint is a painterly process because it produces a one-off or 'unique' print, unlike etching or lino printing that produce a run or edition of 20, 50, 100 or more identical prints. The monoprint artist works directly on to the printing plate with a variety of techniques before committing it to paper through the press. The artist may print a series of images in a run but no two images will be the same.
Qualifications:
MA Arts and Media, London South Bank University, BA (Hons) 2.1, Central St Martin's College of Art; Foundation Course in Textile Art, Morley College, London.
Exhibitions:
Video 'To Go', 'A Cup of Tea Solves Everything' Exhibition, Departure Community Arts Centre, Limehouse, London, 2009;
Feature 'Take-away Cup' in 'Austere Art', Mix Future Interiors Magazine, Autumn issue 2008;
Feature 'Take-away Cup' in 'Trends by Saints', in Halo Magazine, Issue 6 Jun 2008;
Poster Session Video 'Vital Signs', Performative Social Sciences Conference, Bournemouth University, Sep 2008;
BA Fine Art Degree Show, Central St Martin's, Jun 2008;
YouTube upload 'Frankenstein' Video, February 2009 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5MTBQvNdWjI;
Group Exhibition Kinetic Sculpture, One Church Street Gallery; Great Missenden, Bucks, September 2007;
Artist's Book 'Under the Skin', Central St Martin's Collection, 2006;
Solo Exhibition 'Under the Skin', St Thomas' Hospital, London, July 2005;
Group Exhibition 'Artists' Books', Whitechapel Library, London, May 2005;
Group Exhibitions with Poole Printmakers and Red House Press Southampton, 2004;
Jane Emberson
Born in 1963, Hertfordshire, I left school with A levels in art and English and unable to decide on a direction chose to go into journalism. Following that, and a succession of other jobs I always felt there was something missing.
As the years went by, art didn't feature at all so it came as an enormous surprise when 4 years ago on a trip to Cornwall, I felt a sudden and overwhelming desire to paint!
From that day, I have painted or drawn everyday, and when I am not physically doing that I am thinking about compositions and colour and shape combinations.
I attended various art courses locally for two years working with watercolours, pastels acrylics and oils, and am currently in my second year studying Fine Art (Painting), at Winchester School of Art.
My inspiration comes largely from land and seascapes and through colour, form and surface texture I aim to express my emotional response to the chosen subject and hope it is conveyed to the viewer. I often make sketches from life and transfer this to my studio practice. Recently I have been working on atmospheric paintings from imagination, which I find particularly challenging and rewarding.
I have two main styles of working which although very different seem natural to me. One is using vibrant colours and textures the other is using layers of soft, muted shades, which I adopt in my skies and seascapes to create a sense of the elusive or ethereal.
Pete Gilbert
From leaving school in the 60s I have always painted or drawn. I think not going to art college was for me the best route, as over the years and career changes, from advertising agencies to Restaurateur and Night Club owner I have always found the time to keep painting, exploring and developing my own style. Changing them with my own lifestyle, from the very precise skills needed as an airbrush artist and illustrator to the strong brush stokes and bold colours of my latest New Forest landscapes. I am now lucky enough to make a living as an artist, painting mainly contemporary landscapes of the New Forest or the Dorset Coast.
Now Living in the Forest my passion for painting the landscape has rekindled, rejuvenated and has, if possible, increased year on year. I tend to work out on site to capture the immediacy of the moment with pastels and watercolour and then using those sketches either finish them back in the studio or use them as reference for larger canvases in oil or Acrylic. Although working in the moment I try to capture more than a snapshot - I want to FEEL the landscape.
Awards, Collections and Commissions:
Paintings in Lord Montagu's collection;
Hampshire CC Department of Interior Design: A series of bright landscapes;
NHS Salisbury Hospital: A series of New Forest Landscapes;
A series of large canvases for the De Sigleys Collection;
Art and design labels for Red, White and Sparkling wines (Hoplands Estate);
Multi award winning designs for the Gifford Calender (National Business Calender Awards);
Overall Winner of the Artcare Open Exhibition;
A double prize winner at St Barbe Open Exhibition;
Selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition;
Voted one of the top 50 UK artists in the National 50 Over 50 Exhibition (fifty UK artists over the age of 50 ).
Marion Lewis
Whilst working as a serious person in clinical psychology, neurophysiology, IT and then international business, I whiled away the long hours in meetings drawing my colleagues. Now I feel I have earned the right to follow in my mother's footsteps as a painter.
My first love is life painting and drawing, but increasingly I am drawn to landscapes, semi-abstract with strong colours. On my travels I produce sketchbooks which often provide material for paintings.
My work has been included in exhibitions at St Barbe Museum, Southampton City Art Gallery, Bath Society of Artists Open, Hillier Gardens, and with the Lymington Palette Club. I have opened my own studio for Hampshire Artists, undertaken commissions, and been surprised to learn my work has found its way as far as New Zealand.
Joyce Livy
Joyce Livy recently moved to Lymington from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, where she exhibited widely in the area and beyond, also in London, for almost 30 years. Her choice of subjects is varied - rural French imagery; weathered textures; landscapes - but more than anything she is inspired by marine subjects, whether it is boats moving gently on a river or a bustling harbour scene. And reflections! Capturing the mood of each one, she paints in oils, occasionally changing to watercolour, acrylic or mixed media.
Joyce Livy enjoys painting many subjects but is particularly inspired by marine subjects - from a quiet river back water to a bustling harbour, capturing the contrasting mood of each one.
John Scott Martin NDD PRBSA FRSA
John was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire and trained at the Nottingham College of Art in the 60's. He wanted to study Fine Art , but was pressed into a graphics course.
After a long career in graphics, art direction , printing and photography he returned to his first love painting some fifteen years ago. Initially as an art student his principle inspiration derived from the mining districts of West Penwith. Then when returning to painting in the mid 1990's Cornwall provided the subjects for the John's first exhibited work.
In the last ten years John has developed an additional source of inspiration. Sea, sail and ships. His main interest being in classic yachts, which include some of the most beautiful boats in the world. And not only the classics but Thames barges and smaller craft as well. John's research and reference gathering is with a camera. He lives in Warwickshire, just about as far from the sea in England as you can get, therefore a large bank of photographic imagery is always necessary.
The choice of media is usually suggested by the subject , the structure and texture determining the use of collage, acrylic, pastel, ink and sometimes a mixture of all. Although his work illustrates an event in time and place he tries to communicate his own personal impressions of light, atmosphere, weather and of course the sea conditions.
John is the President of The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
Carol Mason
Carol lives on a small holding in The New Forest, with husband, daughter and son. Also with a plethora of animals including four horses, six dogs (mainly rescues), two ferrets, a parrot called 'Parrot', and the latest addition, 'Pickles' the rat (not popular with her husband)!
She has been painting for over 25 years, using pastels, acrylics and oils for pet and children portraits. Still life, including guns. and Trompe l'oeil (trick of the eye), with a few public house signs along the way. One of which includes 'The Mill' at Gordleton near Lymington. Her paintings are mostly commissioned pets and portraits, also many polo paintings.
For the last few years Carol and her family have owned horses, including two ex-race horses which provided her with the inspiration to paint their beautiful forms.
Francesca Mcleod
I am an artist based in the New Forest. I graduated from Winchester School of Art in 2009 with a degree in Fine Art Painting.
Having developed an interest in photo-journalism and the type of images available publicly from the media, I have explored uses of surveillance and instances of ambiguity and misinterpretation. I have been concerned with the credibility and propriety of imagery in today's society with our changing taboos and society's need to manipulate the consumer. A Philosophy of Fear by Lars Svendsen has inspired me to look at how strongly we respond to things which we don't fully understand and to things that are unknown to us. Svendsen discusses society's insecurities and the ways in which the media takes advantage of them for particular gains. As a primary resource I have been using newspaper reports to give a basis to my painting and in order to produce a blur between perceived fact and reality.
Using painting to manipulate the viewer, their views, senses and attitudes towards ideas, is similar to the role of the media. An understanding that journalists have a responsibility to relay a narrative to the public fascinates me. I see the roles of the journalist and painter as entwined and I am interested in how easily stories and facts have the potential to lose their sincerity or, conversely, to gain an importance that isn't necessarily appropriate.
I use the medium of paint to communicate my ideas because paint heightens the subjectivity of the viewing experience. By painting in response to a photographic image I am adding another dimension to the information through the paint itself and, in so doing, commenting on the ways in which information can be reduced or artificially added to. This extends the interpretation because it is in the nature of paint to play on our sensitivities and this psychological impact is of great interest to me. Application of paint, choice of colour and composition can all affect the viewer in slightly different ways.
Stewart Mechem
Born in 1959 in London, Stewart Mechem now lives between Lymington and London, England.
He started painting in 2003 and his prolific output has resulted in many successful solo exhibitions and group shows both in London and Hampshire. In 2010 he joined the new art collective and movement 'Miss kiki Salon Presents' and is also 'artist in residence' at 22 Portsea Place.
Stewart's creativity has evolved through various applications, from the original 'blitz' days of the late '70s, to fashion as head of international marketing in the '80s at Aquascutum, to developing the 'HIP' hotel Westover Hall from the '90s. In 2007 he helped establish The Manor Clinic Healthcare Group, the UK's new 'Centre of Healthcare Excellence' for the treatment of addictions and depression.In 2009 Stewart formed ICECREAM, the lifestyle division of Mercieca Communications specializing in creative PR, advertising and design.
Stewart says "Like many artists the urge and need to paint is driven by seeking some external resolution to the inner self and gradually working out a balanced solution through colour and composition - often inspired by random shapes or forms.
Each painting starts with a 'muse' piece or situation. This could be in the composition of another painting, view, object or shape with which to begin the journey of interpretation through exploring the facinating relationship between colour and the silent language spoken between each other. In this way a painting is developed which is finally 'at peace' upon completion and captures both the energy and spirit of its focus.
I have developed two styles of approach which reflect the very different locations I paint in. The endless colour combinations that the New Forest and coastal seascapes inspire provide an interesting alternative to the more painterly abstractions which are developed in London."
Jeanne Moles
Jeanne studied at Maidstone and Bournemouth Schools of Art, followed by a spell of teaching in comprehensive and private schools. She paints in vibrant colours, mainly acrylic and mixed media, of almost any subject. She has exhibited widely here and overseas. Her work has been featured in "The Artist" magazine.
Karen Morris
Sandra Morris
Sandra Morris has studied Art and Design, and Painting with the Open College of the Arts. Her work is mainly in oils and is often inspired by her travels , as strong light and colour are important elements in attracting her to a subject.
She has been a finalist in the SAA 'Artist of the Year' competition 'Waterscapes,Boats and Seascapes' category, and was the winner of the Earnley Concourse Prize in the national Patchings competition in 2006.
She has exhibited work in northern England, where she taught for many years,in London and at the St Barbe in Lymington.
Jan Nelson
Janet (Jan) Nelson was born in Glasgow in 1956 and brought up on the east coast of Scotland. She is a self taught artist who studied for three years through the Open College of the Arts at Leith School of Art in Edinburgh and has been painting for 20 years on a part time basis, earning a living in the world of commerce until she took up painting full time in 2008. She was encouraged by the popularity of her work which sold quickly whenever she exhibited and by the prompting of her old school art teacher who was also a professional artist.
Jan now lives and paints from her studio in the pretty English village of Great Bowden, Leicestershire.
Apart from painting, Jan's other great love is the sea and she is a keen sailor and member of nearby Rutland Sailing Club. This interest is obvious from her painting, which truly captures the tremendous movement, thrills and glorious colours of sailing both in a scenic and racing sense.
Although the majority of Jan's work relates to the sea, she is also an accomplished landscape painter where her passion for flowers and gardens comes to the fore. She concentrates on acrylics but paints well in watercolour and oils depending on the subject matter. Her versatility means she can switch easily from detailed sea and sailing pieces to abstracts and change medium to suit.
Jan concentrates her work within a few select UK galleries and has a number in private collections in America, Canada, Australia, and Ireland and has worked to commission both privately and for organisations.
Elizabeth Palmer Cafferkey
Born in Australia, lived most her life in Denmark and now divides her time between Lymington and Hamlet's Elsinore. Studied Conservation and Restoration - City and Guilds School of Art - giving her the skills to mix her own colours, keeping them clean and bright -and Fine Art at South Thames College.
A former draughtsman at the Niels Bohr institute in Copenhagen University. Illustrating the abstruse theories of distinguished physicists, including 2 Nobel Prize winners. This work required skilled control of line, perspective and balance.
Elizabeth paints in oils with brush and palette knife giving a sculptural, three dimensional effect.
Elizabeth is also an accomplished violinist, often painting to the back ground of the great romantic orchestral works, Mahler, Brahms, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.
Paul W. Reeves (Woodturner)
Using wood from in and around the New Forest Paul creates both functional and sculptural forms. Often using fallen or dead trees Paul makes best use of each piece even if that means including the faults inherent in this type of material.
His work is both traditional and experimental including such techniques as colouring, carving, scorching, stapling and metal leaf application.
Over the years his turnings have gone to many european countries and Canada. They can also be found in the Daniel Collection . This is a major British collection of turned art including pieces by many of the best international turners.
Paul's main aim in turning is to produce pieces that are pleasing to both the eye and touch while being technically excellent.
Will Rochfort
I was born in 1985 and grew up in Lymington. I graduated from Kingston University in 2008 with a degree in Fine Art. Aside from a recent venture into Sea Scapes, the subject of my work is primarily the figure which stemmed from a lifetime love of the Superheroes in comic books and cemented by some excellent life drawing classes during my time at university.
My style of painting has developed from a love of Illustration, the American Illustrator Norman Rockwell being a great influence. His skill with the narrative and brilliant technical skill is something I often try to emulate in certain paintings.
Other artists I enjoy are mostly 20th Century and range from Walter Sickert and Manet, to Mary Cassatt, Hopper and Degas. There are very few living or modern day artists that I aspire to but I do enjoy some of the works by Jenny Saville and, although mostly for his subject matter, the occasional Jack Vettriano. I love strong paintings with colour and depth and a confidence in the brush work. I like brave, diverse mark making and find all of these greatly inspiring qualities in all of the artists mentioned above.
In 2008 I was invited to become an Official Artist for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games. As part of the programme I am producing paintings tailored to the Olympic theme for an exhibition that is touring up and down the country until the Games. I am also meeting current British Gold medalists from Beijing and painting their portraits. A percentage of all the sales made goes to SportsAid, supporting young athletes on their journeys to the Games.
I am a young artist and my goal is to get to a stage where I can paint for a living. My work has recently gone through what I like to think of as its first natural progression and changed into the style in which I currently paint. Knowing that such changes can happen excites me about the future and the possibilities of where my artwork will go.
Bev Saunders MA(RCA)
Bev Saunders is a graphic designer /photographer, and has an MA from the Royal College of Art in London. She is based in Lymington and, over the last three years, has made digital photography the main focus of her work.
Bev's sources of inspiration are found in the local boatyards and coastal towns. She is fascinated by the ephemeral colours, textures, patterns and marks found on boat hulls. Created by the random effects of aging, weathering, osmosis and anti-fouling treatments, these "boatscapes" frequently go unseen, hidden for most of the time under the sea. The resulting images have a subtle ambiguity, leaving viewers unsure as to whether they are looking at photographs or abstract paintings.Bev is also drawn to the whimsical qualities of seaside ephemera, from faded deckchairs to abandoned kiosks. Current sources of inspiration and imagery include the typographic elements found on vernacular seaside buildings, and in boatyards, parks and churchyards.
Bev likes to work with designers from other disciplines, and is the only photographer to be represented at Coastal Gallery. She has exhibited regionally and has work in private collections. Bev is a member of the Chartered Society of Designers and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Jenny Sutton RBSA
Jenny Sutton paints mostly in oils using as subject matter observed beauties of form, light and colour found in familiar household vessels, flowers and vegetables.
She also loves to paint landscape, particularly in Cornwall and Italy where the warmth, texture and shapes of old buildings provide continual inspiration.
Jenny read Fine Art at Reading University, which was followed by a period of enjoyable idleness at Hornsey, after which she worked as a graphic designer here and abroad.
She has been exhibiting since 1979 regularly at the Royal West of England Academy, The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, The Society of Women Artists, the Singer Friedlander / Sunday Times Watercolour Competition and the Laing Landscape Competition. She has also shown her work in many private galleries in London and the South, including her own Saltgrass Gallery in Hampshire, which she closed two years ago in order to devote more time to her own painting.
She was First Prize Winner in The Salisbury Small Pictures Exhibition 2002, and was elected an Associate of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in 2005 and a full member in 2007.
Anne Toase
In the late 1960s Anne studied at Croydon and Hammersmith Art colleges. Specialising in Stained Glass and Mural Design. In her final year, she won an award from the Worshipful Guild of Glaziers. A period of teaching followed, during which time Anne developed her own style, working mainly in oil and watercolour. Selling through galleries in London and elsewhere, also accepting commissions helped to develop a broad range of techniques.
A move to London with her husband and family brought about a career change. A move into the computer industry proved to be interesting and rewarding. Her painting continued, exhibitions and commissions keeping the flow going.
For the last number of years with the family grown up and a move to the beautiful South Coast, Anne has put her undivided attention into her work
EXHIBTIONS
2010
Jan/Feb Salisbury Hospital with Ringwood Art Society
Selected for Russell-Cotes "Views of Bournemouth" May 2010
March Highcliffe Castle with Ringwood Art Society
2009
Jan/Feb Highcliffe Castle with BAC
Jan/Feb Salisbury Hospital with Ringwood Art Society
Feb/April Solo at Forest Arts, New Milton
April/May Selected for Society of Women Artists
July/August Selected for St Barbe Museum Open Lymington
August The Centre Goup Lyndhurst
August Hampshire Arts week with Ringwood Art Society
September Selected for Southern Contemporaries, Renscombe
2008
Jan/Feb Salisbury Hospital with Ringwood Art Society
Feb Redgate Gallery with IATTDA
March Highcliffe Castle with Ringwood Art Society
March Gallerie Pedro Ruivo Foundation, Portugal with IATTDA
May Lyndhurst with The Centre Group
May Galeria De Arte Pinto Samora Barros, Portugal with IATTDA
July/September The Atrium Gallery Bournemouth University with Bournemouth Art Club
August/September Southampton Open
August Greyfriars with Ringwood Art Society
Jacqué Wakely
"Painting with the Sewing Machine"
Many aspects of Design and Textiles form threads running through Jacqué's career. These are now combined in her evocative embroidered landscape works.
Born in Nottingham, Jacqué originally studied Graphic Design at Nottingham College of Art; later taking a BA degree, specialising in textiles, and a PGCE in Edinburgh. She lectured on degree courses in Design, Garment Construction & Performance at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
Only recently has she returned to photography - first learned at Nottingham - as reference for her work; and is now combining her innovative skills and knowledge of sewing and embroidery techniques. She uses her photographic imagery, layering textiles, textures and threads with machine, hand embroidery and beading to produce her pictures - redolent of the coasts, hills and dales around the British Isles.
Jacqué has earned her living firstly in graphics studios, later designing interiors. She has designed costumes for the theatre; lingerie for a well-known company and clothes for a boutique, before designing and making a range of knitwear inspired by Persian carpet patterns under her own label - as were the many wedding dresses and original clothes she designed and made for private clients.
As well as lecturing, she has trained factory machinists, taught machine knitting and creative embroidery and still enjoys teaching dressmaking.
She is exhibiting in Rye, Sussex; Pittenweem, Fife; Derby; Clun, Shropshire, Lymington, Hampshire and at the RBSA, winning the Tanner Prize in 2009. Elected Associate of the RBSA in 2010.
Claire Wiltsher
Claire Wiltsher is interested in the structural and architectural composition of the places she visits and her influences include Portuguese-French artist, Vieira da Silva . The majority of her canvases are square, which she feels is important in creating a balance and harmony in her paintings. The work is ambiguous however; despite some realistic elements structure gives way to light and energy and an evocative sense of a place emerges. Wiltsher works from photographs but follows natural impulses, recreating a place by collaging different sections together - an alchemy of ideas all built into the composition. Her mixed media canvases combine oils, inks, photo-fragments and recycled materials.
In 2009 Claire embarked upon a new life in the New Forest, in Hampshire, where she is developing a new body of work based on landscape in the New Forest and the Dorset coastline. From her studio in Lyndhurst She works full time on planned projects and exhibitions also undertaking commissions and running workshops for adults and children.
Claire Wiltsher has gained a wealth of exhibiting experience alongside her 20 years teaching and co-ordinating various art programmes. She holds a Master's in Fine Art from Northumbria University, her work has been nationally exhibited and she has been a finalist in many competitions.
Mark Van Wingerden
Mark was born in London but has spent most of his formative years in Sussex, spending as much time by the coast as possible.
After being awarded a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Management by North London Polytechnic he then went on to pursue various occupations. During this time his interest in art flourished, regularly attending galleries and exhibitions until finally making time and focussing on his distinctive style.
His love of the sea has now brought him to the Dorset coast, where he now lives with his family. The ever changing landscapes of the area form the backdrops to many of Mark's compositions. He has now developed a characteristic contemporary style which some have described as 'Marmite Art', happily most people love it!
Mark works with acrylic on canvas or board and has recently moved onto larger canvases to fully utilise his dynamic fresh style. He has exhibited in galleries and has had success in several exhibitions.
To give full justice to the artist's unique style it is highly recommended that you ask to see the originals. The artworks are very dynamic and have a depth of paint that makes them very tactile.
We feature a number of local guest artists here at The Coastal Gallery. Below you will find information about each artist and a link to their own gallery on our website displaying a selection of their work. Please click on the artist's name from the list below to jump down this page to their details. Alternatively, scroll down the page to read all the information here. The artists are listed alphabetically.
Victoria Ascanio
Esme Bartlett
Chrissie Birchall
Alison Bolton
Frank Callaghan
Maddy Coates
Wendy Couchman
Jane Emberson
Pete Gilbert
Vicki Golden
Brian Hayes
Faye Jolley
Eileen King
Marion Lewis
Joyce Livy
John Scott Martin PRBSA
Carol Mason
Francesca McLeod
Stewart Mechem
Jeanne Moles
Karen Morris
Sandra Morris
Jan Nelson
Elizabeth Palmer Cafferkey
Paul W Reeves (Woodturner)
Will Rochfort
David Rogers (Potter)
Bev Saunders
Jenny Sutton RBSA
Helen Theobald
Hilary Thorpe
Anne Toase
Jacqué Wakely
Claire Wiltsher
Mark Van Wingerden
Victoria Ascanio
Victoria Ascanio was born and brought up in Spain. She studied Fine Arts at Madrid University before moving to England. There she studied Printmaking at The Ruskin School of Art in Oxford and was a founder member of the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative Association.She has taken part in many international Fairs and exhibitions all over Europe and in the U.S.A. Her most recent solo exhibition was in Galeria Gaudi, Madrid in 2008.
She works in the painting, drawing and printmaking mediums. Her style could be described as influenced primarily by the work of Cezanne and Matisse who she sites as her main sources of inspiration. One continuous theme is that of the Still Life, littered with Andalousian fans, ripe fruit and antique bottles which she collects.
Since moving to Lymington she often sketches along the shores of the Solent. Returning to the studio, she transforms these landscapes by introducing nude figures, creating pastural bather scenes.
Esme Bartlett
Esme studied at Bournemouth College of Art as a young student in fashion and design. After raising a family she returned to study painting at southampton faculty of Art and then spent several years studying printmaking at Bournemouth Shelley Park, etching becoming her main interest at that time. Esme also taught art subjects in adult education for many years. Now retired from teaching she finds more time to devote to painting.
Living in the New Forest, Esme is inspired to depicting the special qualities of light and atmosphere of the forest and coastal landscapes around her, working mainly in mixed media and watercolour.
Her work has been shown at the RWA Bristol, Mall galleries, London and at the Royal academy Summer Exhibition and also at many open exhibitions, participating in Open Studio event. Esme is a member of Lymington Palette Club.
Chrissie Birchall
I have been exhibiting professionally for twelve years and show my work at galleries in England, Scotland and Holland: the R.O.I.R.B.A, the Pastel Society, Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries, London and the Alexander Gallery, Bristol where I have had two successful one-woman exhibitions and The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2000 and 2009.
My genre is still life and flowers in oil and pastel and I work from my studio at Lepe. I was made Vice-President of the Society of Women Artists in 2005 and we have an annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London.
Alison Bolton
Alison Bolton's paintings are a celebration of her passion for the landscape which surrounds her and for the delight of putting paint on board or canvas.
Her earlier work was of subdued, figurative landscapes carefully crafted to provide a strong design behind deceptively soft and poetic paintings. Later work has become more abstract as the echo of things seen or felt has become more important than the detail of the landscape.
The fleeting impressions of bright light on woodland streams, pools of peaty water between reeds and bog plants all leave indelible images which are recreated in paint.
Layers of thin paint and thicker, opaque marks combine control with passion to produce paintings of energy in a classical structure.
Alison studied fine art at Salisbury School of Art and Hornsey College of Art with Maurice de Sausmarez.
Exhibitions:
Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, London
Llewellyn Alexander, London
St Barbe Museum, Lymington, Hampshire
Red House Museum, Christchurch, Dorset
Beatrice Royal, Eastleigh, Hampshire
Bettles, Ringwood, Hampshire
Hampshire Contemporary Artists, Lymington
Artsway, Sway, Hampshire
Rowley Contemporary Art, Winchester
Jaze Gallery, Winchester
St Edmund's Art Centre, Salisbury
Wessex Gallery, Wareham, Dorset
Dorset Gallery, Wareham, Dorset
Poole Arts Centre, Poole, Dorset
Jointure Gallery, Ditchling, Sussex
Solo Shows:
Jaze Gallery, Highcliffe Castle, Bettles Gallery, Wessex Gallery, Dorset Gallery.
Alison's paintings can be seen in private collections in Australia, Sweden, USA, UK, France, Canada and Dubai.
Frank Callaghan
Frank was educated in Norwich and trained in Liverpool, and after that studied at Exeter University and Southampton University. He is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has taught Art and Design for over 40 years, in schools in Toxteth, Kettering, Exeter and Hampshire. Over half of that time he was a Headteacher/Principal.Now that he has retired he has time to paint for himself. His studio is in East Boldre in the New Forest, and his preferences are landscape or seascape, and figure painting, with occasional forays into portraiture.
His works have sold as far afield as Russia, Spain, and Sweden.
Maddy Coates
Maddy Coates only really got back into art about twelve years ago. However, painting and especially contemporary art has always fascinated her. Since then, she has slowly developed her own style and has exhibited in the Victoria Art Gallery Bath, Southampton, Hilliers and St Barbe.She is always seeking new ways of putting paint on 'paper' and loves to try mixing unusual colour combinations. Textures and shapes play a large part in her compositions, with an emphasis on simplistic and natural forms. It's knowing when to stop that causes the difficulties.
Wendy Couchman
I am a Lymington based artist with a fine arts degree from Central St Martins London and a previous career in health and social care.My practice is the abstract representation of the skin as the protection of the body through print, sculpture and video. The inner life of the body is communicated through its surfaces to the social world where its visual traces are exposed like an archaeological investigation and vulnerable to harm.
Monoprint is a painterly process because it produces a one-off or 'unique' print, unlike etching or lino printing that produce a run or edition of 20, 50, 100 or more identical prints. The monoprint artist works directly on to the printing plate with a variety of techniques before committing it to paper through the press. The artist may print a series of images in a run but no two images will be the same.
Qualifications:
MA Arts and Media, London South Bank University, BA (Hons) 2.1, Central St Martin's College of Art; Foundation Course in Textile Art, Morley College, London.
Exhibitions:
Video 'To Go', 'A Cup of Tea Solves Everything' Exhibition, Departure Community Arts Centre, Limehouse, London, 2009;
Feature 'Take-away Cup' in 'Austere Art', Mix Future Interiors Magazine, Autumn issue 2008;
Feature 'Take-away Cup' in 'Trends by Saints', in Halo Magazine, Issue 6 Jun 2008;
Poster Session Video 'Vital Signs', Performative Social Sciences Conference, Bournemouth University, Sep 2008;
BA Fine Art Degree Show, Central St Martin's, Jun 2008;
YouTube upload 'Frankenstein' Video, February 2009 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5MTBQvNdWjI;
Group Exhibition Kinetic Sculpture, One Church Street Gallery; Great Missenden, Bucks, September 2007;
Artist's Book 'Under the Skin', Central St Martin's Collection, 2006;
Solo Exhibition 'Under the Skin', St Thomas' Hospital, London, July 2005;
Group Exhibition 'Artists' Books', Whitechapel Library, London, May 2005;
Group Exhibitions with Poole Printmakers and Red House Press Southampton, 2004;
Jane Emberson
Born in 1963, Hertfordshire, I left school with A levels in art and English and unable to decide on a direction chose to go into journalism. Following that, and a succession of other jobs I always felt there was something missing.As the years went by, art didn't feature at all so it came as an enormous surprise when 4 years ago on a trip to Cornwall, I felt a sudden and overwhelming desire to paint!
From that day, I have painted or drawn everyday, and when I am not physically doing that I am thinking about compositions and colour and shape combinations.
I attended various art courses locally for two years working with watercolours, pastels acrylics and oils, and am currently in my second year studying Fine Art (Painting), at Winchester School of Art.
My inspiration comes largely from land and seascapes and through colour, form and surface texture I aim to express my emotional response to the chosen subject and hope it is conveyed to the viewer. I often make sketches from life and transfer this to my studio practice. Recently I have been working on atmospheric paintings from imagination, which I find particularly challenging and rewarding.
I have two main styles of working which although very different seem natural to me. One is using vibrant colours and textures the other is using layers of soft, muted shades, which I adopt in my skies and seascapes to create a sense of the elusive or ethereal.
Pete Gilbert
From leaving school in the 60s I have always painted or drawn. I think not going to art college was for me the best route, as over the years and career changes, from advertising agencies to Restaurateur and Night Club owner I have always found the time to keep painting, exploring and developing my own style. Changing them with my own lifestyle, from the very precise skills needed as an airbrush artist and illustrator to the strong brush stokes and bold colours of my latest New Forest landscapes. I am now lucky enough to make a living as an artist, painting mainly contemporary landscapes of the New Forest or the Dorset Coast. Now Living in the Forest my passion for painting the landscape has rekindled, rejuvenated and has, if possible, increased year on year. I tend to work out on site to capture the immediacy of the moment with pastels and watercolour and then using those sketches either finish them back in the studio or use them as reference for larger canvases in oil or Acrylic. Although working in the moment I try to capture more than a snapshot - I want to FEEL the landscape.
Awards, Collections and Commissions:
Paintings in Lord Montagu's collection;
Hampshire CC Department of Interior Design: A series of bright landscapes;
NHS Salisbury Hospital: A series of New Forest Landscapes;
A series of large canvases for the De Sigleys Collection;
Art and design labels for Red, White and Sparkling wines (Hoplands Estate);
Multi award winning designs for the Gifford Calender (National Business Calender Awards);
Overall Winner of the Artcare Open Exhibition;
A double prize winner at St Barbe Open Exhibition;
Selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition;
Voted one of the top 50 UK artists in the National 50 Over 50 Exhibition (fifty UK artists over the age of 50 ).
Vicki Golden
My paintings are often autobiographical, featuring a female figure who is my alter-ego, depicted doing things I would like to do. Animals figure strongly in my work; my dog Ella and my three cats are all favourite subjects. Along with imaginative compositions, working from life is very important in maintaining the skill of observation, and I enjoy portraiture, landscape, still life and pet portraits.
I live on the clifftop in Barton-on-Sea and find the surroundings both dramatic and inspiring, and return often to coastal themes. Influences for my work include Balthus, Piero della Francesca, Stanley Spencer and Frida Kahlo - the latter helps reassure me that introspection is not necessarily a bad thing!
Art Training:
Byam Shaw School of Art, London, 1991-2
Solent University, Southampton 1992-5
Exhibitions:
Russell Gallery, Putney, London;
Rowley Contemporary Art, Winchester;
Red Biddy Gallery, Guildford;
New English Art Club Mall Galleries, London;
Hunting Art Prizes, Royal College of Art, London;
Christies Wildlife Auction, London;
Orchid Fine Arts, Lymington, Hants (solo exhibition).
Brian Hayes
After gaining a Degree in Painting and Ceramics at Cardiff College of Art followed by a career in Art Education, I now concentrate on Painting alone.
Generations of my family were seafarers whose common ground was the sea, the shore and the harbours of this world. I thus feel an affinity with these areas. I am drawn to the shapes and patterns of boats, both big and small, to the quays, the harbours and the cliffs. Most of my paintings are based on these visual images, but often using colours divorced from their reality but which I feel give an added stimulus to the painting.
I have exhibited widely over the years, paintings are in private collections in Wales, England, France, Hungary and the USA. I most recently exhibited with the Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries, London.
Exhibitions:
National Museum of Wales, Cardiff;
Turner House Gallery, Penarth, S. Wales;
Chapter Gallery, Cardiff;
Coventry City Gallery;
Chenil Gallery, Chelsea, London;
I.C.A. Gallery, London;
Kings Gallery, Cardiff (one man show);
Mumbles Gallery, Swansea;
Highcliffe Castle Opens - '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04;
Artsway, New Forest - '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06;
Red House Museum, Christchurch - '95 - 05;
Walford Mill Craft Centre, Wimborne - '96 - '05;
Eastleigh Museum Gallery, '98;
Hampshire Contemporary Art Gallery, Lymington - '00, '01, '02;
Saltgrass Gallery, Lymington - 03, '04;
St Barbe Museum, Lymington - '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08;
R.S.M.A. Mall Gallery, London - '03, '04, '06, '08;
Hayloft Gallery, Christchurch, (Dorset Art Weeks), 2006;
Palette Club, Masonic Hall, Lymington, 2009;
Lymington Art Week, Masonic Hall, 2009;
Southampton Art Gallery, Nov 2009-Jan 2010;
After a solo trip travelling the world and a year living in
Faye has painted all her life, winning numerous prestigious competitions throughout her childhood and pursuing A level art at college and a degree in Art and Design in
Faye paints predominantly in oil on canvas and takes much of her inspiration from the forest around her and the surrounding coastal beauty. Notable for the diversity and versatility of her work, she has the unique ability to capture the charm and character of any subject. It is her quirky, original focus on close-up details which makes her work so popular.
Faye also produces limited editions prints of her works on paper and canvas, framed and unframed.
Eileen King
I have been in Lymington for the past 24 years and feel very fortunate to live in such a beautiful area surrounded as we are by the New Forest and the Solent.
I have, during the past ten years, travelled extensively and try in my paintings to express influences from this experience. I love colour, texture and endeavour to show movement through the use of acrylic and collage.
My work has been included in exhibitions at St Barbe Museum, Southampton City Art Gallery, Hilliers Gardens and the Lymington Palette Club.
Marion Lewis
Whilst working as a serious person in clinical psychology, neurophysiology, IT and then international business, I whiled away the long hours in meetings drawing my colleagues. Now I feel I have earned the right to follow in my mother's footsteps as a painter.My first love is life painting and drawing, but increasingly I am drawn to landscapes, semi-abstract with strong colours. On my travels I produce sketchbooks which often provide material for paintings.
My work has been included in exhibitions at St Barbe Museum, Southampton City Art Gallery, Bath Society of Artists Open, Hillier Gardens, and with the Lymington Palette Club. I have opened my own studio for Hampshire Artists, undertaken commissions, and been surprised to learn my work has found its way as far as New Zealand.
Joyce Livy
Joyce Livy recently moved to Lymington from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, where she exhibited widely in the area and beyond, also in London, for almost 30 years. Her choice of subjects is varied - rural French imagery; weathered textures; landscapes - but more than anything she is inspired by marine subjects, whether it is boats moving gently on a river or a bustling harbour scene. And reflections! Capturing the mood of each one, she paints in oils, occasionally changing to watercolour, acrylic or mixed media.Joyce Livy enjoys painting many subjects but is particularly inspired by marine subjects - from a quiet river back water to a bustling harbour, capturing the contrasting mood of each one.
John Scott Martin NDD PRBSA FRSA
John was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire and trained at the Nottingham College of Art in the 60's. He wanted to study Fine Art , but was pressed into a graphics course.
After a long career in graphics, art direction , printing and photography he returned to his first love painting some fifteen years ago. Initially as an art student his principle inspiration derived from the mining districts of West Penwith. Then when returning to painting in the mid 1990's Cornwall provided the subjects for the John's first exhibited work.
In the last ten years John has developed an additional source of inspiration. Sea, sail and ships. His main interest being in classic yachts, which include some of the most beautiful boats in the world. And not only the classics but Thames barges and smaller craft as well. John's research and reference gathering is with a camera. He lives in Warwickshire, just about as far from the sea in England as you can get, therefore a large bank of photographic imagery is always necessary.
The choice of media is usually suggested by the subject , the structure and texture determining the use of collage, acrylic, pastel, ink and sometimes a mixture of all. Although his work illustrates an event in time and place he tries to communicate his own personal impressions of light, atmosphere, weather and of course the sea conditions.
John is the President of The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
Carol Mason
Carol lives on a small holding in The New Forest, with husband, daughter and son. Also with a plethora of animals including four horses, six dogs (mainly rescues), two ferrets, a parrot called 'Parrot', and the latest addition, 'Pickles' the rat (not popular with her husband)!She has been painting for over 25 years, using pastels, acrylics and oils for pet and children portraits. Still life, including guns. and Trompe l'oeil (trick of the eye), with a few public house signs along the way. One of which includes 'The Mill' at Gordleton near Lymington. Her paintings are mostly commissioned pets and portraits, also many polo paintings.
For the last few years Carol and her family have owned horses, including two ex-race horses which provided her with the inspiration to paint their beautiful forms.
Francesca Mcleod
I am an artist based in the New Forest. I graduated from Winchester School of Art in 2009 with a degree in Fine Art Painting.Having developed an interest in photo-journalism and the type of images available publicly from the media, I have explored uses of surveillance and instances of ambiguity and misinterpretation. I have been concerned with the credibility and propriety of imagery in today's society with our changing taboos and society's need to manipulate the consumer. A Philosophy of Fear by Lars Svendsen has inspired me to look at how strongly we respond to things which we don't fully understand and to things that are unknown to us. Svendsen discusses society's insecurities and the ways in which the media takes advantage of them for particular gains. As a primary resource I have been using newspaper reports to give a basis to my painting and in order to produce a blur between perceived fact and reality.
Using painting to manipulate the viewer, their views, senses and attitudes towards ideas, is similar to the role of the media. An understanding that journalists have a responsibility to relay a narrative to the public fascinates me. I see the roles of the journalist and painter as entwined and I am interested in how easily stories and facts have the potential to lose their sincerity or, conversely, to gain an importance that isn't necessarily appropriate.
I use the medium of paint to communicate my ideas because paint heightens the subjectivity of the viewing experience. By painting in response to a photographic image I am adding another dimension to the information through the paint itself and, in so doing, commenting on the ways in which information can be reduced or artificially added to. This extends the interpretation because it is in the nature of paint to play on our sensitivities and this psychological impact is of great interest to me. Application of paint, choice of colour and composition can all affect the viewer in slightly different ways.
Stewart Mechem
Born in 1959 in London, Stewart Mechem now lives between Lymington and London, England. He started painting in 2003 and his prolific output has resulted in many successful solo exhibitions and group shows both in London and Hampshire. In 2010 he joined the new art collective and movement 'Miss kiki Salon Presents' and is also 'artist in residence' at 22 Portsea Place.
Stewart's creativity has evolved through various applications, from the original 'blitz' days of the late '70s, to fashion as head of international marketing in the '80s at Aquascutum, to developing the 'HIP' hotel Westover Hall from the '90s. In 2007 he helped establish The Manor Clinic Healthcare Group, the UK's new 'Centre of Healthcare Excellence' for the treatment of addictions and depression.In 2009 Stewart formed ICECREAM, the lifestyle division of Mercieca Communications specializing in creative PR, advertising and design.
Stewart says "Like many artists the urge and need to paint is driven by seeking some external resolution to the inner self and gradually working out a balanced solution through colour and composition - often inspired by random shapes or forms.
Each painting starts with a 'muse' piece or situation. This could be in the composition of another painting, view, object or shape with which to begin the journey of interpretation through exploring the facinating relationship between colour and the silent language spoken between each other. In this way a painting is developed which is finally 'at peace' upon completion and captures both the energy and spirit of its focus.
I have developed two styles of approach which reflect the very different locations I paint in. The endless colour combinations that the New Forest and coastal seascapes inspire provide an interesting alternative to the more painterly abstractions which are developed in London."
Jeanne Moles
Jeanne studied at Maidstone and Bournemouth Schools of Art, followed by a spell of teaching in comprehensive and private schools. She paints in vibrant colours, mainly acrylic and mixed media, of almost any subject. She has exhibited widely here and overseas. Her work has been featured in "The Artist" magazine.Karen Morris
Sandra Morris
Sandra Morris has studied Art and Design, and Painting with the Open College of the Arts. Her work is mainly in oils and is often inspired by her travels , as strong light and colour are important elements in attracting her to a subject.She has been a finalist in the SAA 'Artist of the Year' competition 'Waterscapes,Boats and Seascapes' category, and was the winner of the Earnley Concourse Prize in the national Patchings competition in 2006.
She has exhibited work in northern England, where she taught for many years,in London and at the St Barbe in Lymington.
Jan Nelson
Janet (Jan) Nelson was born in Glasgow in 1956 and brought up on the east coast of Scotland. She is a self taught artist who studied for three years through the Open College of the Arts at Leith School of Art in Edinburgh and has been painting for 20 years on a part time basis, earning a living in the world of commerce until she took up painting full time in 2008. She was encouraged by the popularity of her work which sold quickly whenever she exhibited and by the prompting of her old school art teacher who was also a professional artist.Jan now lives and paints from her studio in the pretty English village of Great Bowden, Leicestershire.
Apart from painting, Jan's other great love is the sea and she is a keen sailor and member of nearby Rutland Sailing Club. This interest is obvious from her painting, which truly captures the tremendous movement, thrills and glorious colours of sailing both in a scenic and racing sense.
Although the majority of Jan's work relates to the sea, she is also an accomplished landscape painter where her passion for flowers and gardens comes to the fore. She concentrates on acrylics but paints well in watercolour and oils depending on the subject matter. Her versatility means she can switch easily from detailed sea and sailing pieces to abstracts and change medium to suit.
Jan concentrates her work within a few select UK galleries and has a number in private collections in America, Canada, Australia, and Ireland and has worked to commission both privately and for organisations.
Elizabeth Palmer Cafferkey
Born in Australia, lived most her life in Denmark and now divides her time between Lymington and Hamlet's Elsinore. Studied Conservation and Restoration - City and Guilds School of Art - giving her the skills to mix her own colours, keeping them clean and bright -and Fine Art at South Thames College.
A former draughtsman at the Niels Bohr institute in Copenhagen University. Illustrating the abstruse theories of distinguished physicists, including 2 Nobel Prize winners. This work required skilled control of line, perspective and balance.
Elizabeth paints in oils with brush and palette knife giving a sculptural, three dimensional effect.
Elizabeth is also an accomplished violinist, often painting to the back ground of the great romantic orchestral works, Mahler, Brahms, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.
Paul W. Reeves (Woodturner)
Using wood from in and around the New Forest Paul creates both functional and sculptural forms. Often using fallen or dead trees Paul makes best use of each piece even if that means including the faults inherent in this type of material.His work is both traditional and experimental including such techniques as colouring, carving, scorching, stapling and metal leaf application.
Over the years his turnings have gone to many european countries and Canada. They can also be found in the Daniel Collection . This is a major British collection of turned art including pieces by many of the best international turners.
Paul's main aim in turning is to produce pieces that are pleasing to both the eye and touch while being technically excellent.
Will Rochfort
I was born in 1985 and grew up in Lymington. I graduated from Kingston University in 2008 with a degree in Fine Art. Aside from a recent venture into Sea Scapes, the subject of my work is primarily the figure which stemmed from a lifetime love of the Superheroes in comic books and cemented by some excellent life drawing classes during my time at university. My style of painting has developed from a love of Illustration, the American Illustrator Norman Rockwell being a great influence. His skill with the narrative and brilliant technical skill is something I often try to emulate in certain paintings.
Other artists I enjoy are mostly 20th Century and range from Walter Sickert and Manet, to Mary Cassatt, Hopper and Degas. There are very few living or modern day artists that I aspire to but I do enjoy some of the works by Jenny Saville and, although mostly for his subject matter, the occasional Jack Vettriano. I love strong paintings with colour and depth and a confidence in the brush work. I like brave, diverse mark making and find all of these greatly inspiring qualities in all of the artists mentioned above.
In 2008 I was invited to become an Official Artist for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games. As part of the programme I am producing paintings tailored to the Olympic theme for an exhibition that is touring up and down the country until the Games. I am also meeting current British Gold medalists from Beijing and painting their portraits. A percentage of all the sales made goes to SportsAid, supporting young athletes on their journeys to the Games.
I am a young artist and my goal is to get to a stage where I can paint for a living. My work has recently gone through what I like to think of as its first natural progression and changed into the style in which I currently paint. Knowing that such changes can happen excites me about the future and the possibilities of where my artwork will go.
David Rogers (Potter)
David Rogers crafts beautiful kitchen and tableware with its own unique character. His work is functional stoneware ranging from mugs to casserole dishes and cheeseboards. It is thrown on the potters wheel and very high fired making the pots durable and usable in the kitchen. His rich glazes are deep, textural and beautiful in their own right. He aims to give his pots a minimalist feel with clean lines and the criteria that form follows function. Throwing lines are emphasised and where the glaze peels away a continuous swirl is formed. This, his vibrant blues and the handles have become trademarks.
David is originally from Lymington in the New Forest. He studied for his foundation diploma at Salisbury College of Art and graduated in ceramics from the Surrey Institute of Art and Design in Farnham. Having worked at week-ends as a thrower at Wrecclesham Pottery, he set up his own studio pottery and joined Hampshire Contemporary Artists co-operative in 1997.
In 2000 he moved to Bristol where he ran his floor at Jamaica Street Art Studios, before setting up and running The Botany Studios, Bristol in 2002. Throughout this time he was working and making a living as a full time potter. In January 2007 he moved back to the New Forest where he is now running his own pottery and gallery, Vinegar Hill Pottery. From here Dave and his wife Lucy run pottery courses and a boutique B&B. Dave shows his work in galleries and craft shops locally and around the country, and exhibits at craft fairs such as Art in Clay, Hatfield and The Contemporary Craft Fair Bovey Tracey and working on commissions, wedding lists and one off pieces. He is currently building a wood fired kiln - so watch this space!
Bev Saunders MA(RCA)
Bev Saunders is a graphic designer /photographer, and has an MA from the Royal College of Art in London. She is based in Lymington and, over the last three years, has made digital photography the main focus of her work. Bev's sources of inspiration are found in the local boatyards and coastal towns. She is fascinated by the ephemeral colours, textures, patterns and marks found on boat hulls. Created by the random effects of aging, weathering, osmosis and anti-fouling treatments, these "boatscapes" frequently go unseen, hidden for most of the time under the sea. The resulting images have a subtle ambiguity, leaving viewers unsure as to whether they are looking at photographs or abstract paintings.Bev is also drawn to the whimsical qualities of seaside ephemera, from faded deckchairs to abandoned kiosks. Current sources of inspiration and imagery include the typographic elements found on vernacular seaside buildings, and in boatyards, parks and churchyards.
Bev likes to work with designers from other disciplines, and is the only photographer to be represented at Coastal Gallery. She has exhibited regionally and has work in private collections. Bev is a member of the Chartered Society of Designers and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Jenny Sutton RBSA
Jenny Sutton paints mostly in oils using as subject matter observed beauties of form, light and colour found in familiar household vessels, flowers and vegetables. She also loves to paint landscape, particularly in Cornwall and Italy where the warmth, texture and shapes of old buildings provide continual inspiration.
Jenny read Fine Art at Reading University, which was followed by a period of enjoyable idleness at Hornsey, after which she worked as a graphic designer here and abroad.
She has been exhibiting since 1979 regularly at the Royal West of England Academy, The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, The Society of Women Artists, the Singer Friedlander / Sunday Times Watercolour Competition and the Laing Landscape Competition. She has also shown her work in many private galleries in London and the South, including her own Saltgrass Gallery in Hampshire, which she closed two years ago in order to devote more time to her own painting.
She was First Prize Winner in The Salisbury Small Pictures Exhibition 2002, and was elected an Associate of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in 2005 and a full member in 2007.
Helen Theobald
Helen was born in Wiltshire but now lives at Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire.For many years she has worked as an enthusiastic tutor in adult education, currently teaching five classes a week.
Her paintings show a fascination with colour and design. As her work has matured, texture has become more and more important as a way of injecting a feeling of energy and vitality into the subject matter. She experiments with combining acrylic and acrylic inks with oil pastels, charcoal and collage to produce rich surface textures.
Her work is now in private and corporate collections in many parts of the United Kingdom including the collection of the Bank of England and Hampshire County Council. As well as exhibiting in various commercial galleries in London and the South of England, Helen's work has been included in exhibitions at the Royal West of England Academy Bristol and Southampton, Portsmouth and Bath City Art Galleries. She was elected a member of Bath Society of Artists in 2000.
Hilary Thorpe
I have been a practising artist for the last 18 years having trained at West Surrey College of Art and Design in Farnham, Surrey (now University for the Creative Arts, Farnham). I gained a degree in woven textiles graduating in 1990. Prior to obtaining my degree, I was involved in teaching outdoor pursuits especially sailing. After leaving Art College, I spent 6 years teaching art and pursuing my own work and for a number of years I wove during the winter and painted in the summer. For the last 5 years I have been working solely as a painter, and have been enjoying commercial success on the Isle of Wight (where I now live) and the South Coast.
I originally moved to Cowes to follow my love of sailing and I am drawn to places connected with the sea. My painting reflects my love of the outdoors, and I mostly paint on location in order to capture the atmosphere of the moment. I usually paint each piece in one sitting from blank paper to the finished picture. The paintings are worked quickly using palette knives, fingers and brushes. I use acrylic paint on a heavy water colour paper. Whilst the subjects are recognisable, the spontaneity of the work captures the essence of the moment. I like to extract just enough information to make the painting something you can recognise.
More recently I have been working on some studio paintings based on the theme 'bow waves' These paintings reflect my fascination as I gaze at boats cutting through the water. Sometimes I am lucky enough to be gazing from the boat itself!
EXHIBITIONS
2009
January: Work in Group Show, Cowes Combined Clubs, I.O.W
April: Solo Exhibition of Paintings, Combined Clubs, Cowes I.O.W
Oct: Brighton Art Affordable Art Fair
2008
January: Work in Group Show, Cowes combined Clubs, I.O.W
July: 'Open Studios' - Exhibition of paintings from Scotland
2007
May: Solo exhibition with the Masterworks Foundation, Bermuda
September: Solo Exhibition of Paintings, Combined Clubs, Cowes I.O.W.
October: Solo Exhibition of Paintings from the North Cornish Coast, The Camelford Gallery, N. Cornwall
October: Work accepted in Royal Society of Marine Artists exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
November: Solo Exhibition, Hepsibah Gallery, Shepherds Bush, London
2006
May/June: Work in Group Show for Volvo Ocean Race, Artists Harbour Gallery, Portsmouth
August: Solo Exhibition of Paintings, Combined Clubs, Cowes I.O.W.
2005
May/June: Solo Exhibition of Paintings, Harbour Lights Gallery Southampton
July: Solo Exhibition of Paintings from Tuscany, Winchester
September: Solo Exhibition of Paintings, Bonhams Gallery, Cowes I.O.W.; Solo Exhibition of Paintings from the North Cornish Coast, The Camelford Gallery, N. Cornwall
October: Work accepted in the Royal Society of Marine Artists exhibition, Mall galleries, London
Anne Toase
In the late 1960s Anne studied at Croydon and Hammersmith Art colleges. Specialising in Stained Glass and Mural Design. In her final year, she won an award from the Worshipful Guild of Glaziers. A period of teaching followed, during which time Anne developed her own style, working mainly in oil and watercolour. Selling through galleries in London and elsewhere, also accepting commissions helped to develop a broad range of techniques.
A move to London with her husband and family brought about a career change. A move into the computer industry proved to be interesting and rewarding. Her painting continued, exhibitions and commissions keeping the flow going.
For the last number of years with the family grown up and a move to the beautiful South Coast, Anne has put her undivided attention into her work
EXHIBTIONS
2010
Jan/Feb Salisbury Hospital with Ringwood Art Society
Selected for Russell-Cotes "Views of Bournemouth" May 2010
March Highcliffe Castle with Ringwood Art Society
2009
Jan/Feb Highcliffe Castle with BAC
Jan/Feb Salisbury Hospital with Ringwood Art Society
Feb/April Solo at Forest Arts, New Milton
April/May Selected for Society of Women Artists
July/August Selected for St Barbe Museum Open Lymington
August The Centre Goup Lyndhurst
August Hampshire Arts week with Ringwood Art Society
September Selected for Southern Contemporaries, Renscombe
2008
Jan/Feb Salisbury Hospital with Ringwood Art Society
Feb Redgate Gallery with IATTDA
March Highcliffe Castle with Ringwood Art Society
March Gallerie Pedro Ruivo Foundation, Portugal with IATTDA
May Lyndhurst with The Centre Group
May Galeria De Arte Pinto Samora Barros, Portugal with IATTDA
July/September The Atrium Gallery Bournemouth University with Bournemouth Art Club
August/September Southampton Open
August Greyfriars with Ringwood Art Society
Jacqué Wakely
"Painting with the Sewing Machine"
Many aspects of Design and Textiles form threads running through Jacqué's career. These are now combined in her evocative embroidered landscape works.Born in Nottingham, Jacqué originally studied Graphic Design at Nottingham College of Art; later taking a BA degree, specialising in textiles, and a PGCE in Edinburgh. She lectured on degree courses in Design, Garment Construction & Performance at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
Only recently has she returned to photography - first learned at Nottingham - as reference for her work; and is now combining her innovative skills and knowledge of sewing and embroidery techniques. She uses her photographic imagery, layering textiles, textures and threads with machine, hand embroidery and beading to produce her pictures - redolent of the coasts, hills and dales around the British Isles.
Jacqué has earned her living firstly in graphics studios, later designing interiors. She has designed costumes for the theatre; lingerie for a well-known company and clothes for a boutique, before designing and making a range of knitwear inspired by Persian carpet patterns under her own label - as were the many wedding dresses and original clothes she designed and made for private clients.
As well as lecturing, she has trained factory machinists, taught machine knitting and creative embroidery and still enjoys teaching dressmaking.
She is exhibiting in Rye, Sussex; Pittenweem, Fife; Derby; Clun, Shropshire, Lymington, Hampshire and at the RBSA, winning the Tanner Prize in 2009. Elected Associate of the RBSA in 2010.
Claire Wiltsher
Claire Wiltsher is interested in the structural and architectural composition of the places she visits and her influences include Portuguese-French artist, Vieira da Silva . The majority of her canvases are square, which she feels is important in creating a balance and harmony in her paintings. The work is ambiguous however; despite some realistic elements structure gives way to light and energy and an evocative sense of a place emerges. Wiltsher works from photographs but follows natural impulses, recreating a place by collaging different sections together - an alchemy of ideas all built into the composition. Her mixed media canvases combine oils, inks, photo-fragments and recycled materials.In 2009 Claire embarked upon a new life in the New Forest, in Hampshire, where she is developing a new body of work based on landscape in the New Forest and the Dorset coastline. From her studio in Lyndhurst She works full time on planned projects and exhibitions also undertaking commissions and running workshops for adults and children.
Claire Wiltsher has gained a wealth of exhibiting experience alongside her 20 years teaching and co-ordinating various art programmes. She holds a Master's in Fine Art from Northumbria University, her work has been nationally exhibited and she has been a finalist in many competitions.
Mark Van Wingerden
Mark was born in London but has spent most of his formative years in Sussex, spending as much time by the coast as possible.After being awarded a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Management by North London Polytechnic he then went on to pursue various occupations. During this time his interest in art flourished, regularly attending galleries and exhibitions until finally making time and focussing on his distinctive style.
His love of the sea has now brought him to the Dorset coast, where he now lives with his family. The ever changing landscapes of the area form the backdrops to many of Mark's compositions. He has now developed a characteristic contemporary style which some have described as 'Marmite Art', happily most people love it!
Mark works with acrylic on canvas or board and has recently moved onto larger canvases to fully utilise his dynamic fresh style. He has exhibited in galleries and has had success in several exhibitions.
To give full justice to the artist's unique style it is highly recommended that you ask to see the originals. The artworks are very dynamic and have a depth of paint that makes them very tactile.