Art all for

Art
all
Open Studios <<
for
From unusual ceramics and unique handmade jewellery, to awe inspiring sculpture
and paintings, this year’s West Berkshire and North Hampshire Open Studios,
from the 3rd to 26th May, promises to be the biggest and best yet
Open Studios West Berkshire and North Hampshire was
set up by Pat Eastop MBE in 1987 as a way of celebrating
the diversity of visual arts within the local community.
This is the 26th year she (and her team) have organised
the event and there are over 100 artists ready to show
their wares. They are all represented in the flagship
exhibition INSIGHT 2014, taking place from the 3rd to
26th May in the renowned gallery at New Greenham
Arts on the outskirts of Newbury. Visitors to this
historic venue, formerly an American airbase during the
Cold War, will be able to see a wide range of art forms
including sculpture, photography, textiles, ceramics,
glass, jewellery, painting, digital imagery and, new this
year, edible art. The exhibition has been put together by
curators Paul Kessling and John Brazendale, assisted by
Martin Eastabrook. Invigilators will be on hand to answer
questions and to help you if you would like to acquire a
work of art.
8 | R&A RG4
All the works at INSIGHT are for sale, as they are in the
studios, where you might like to acquire a work of art
knowing its iconography. It is a good idea to begin your
art trail from the INSIGHT exhibition. Take the Directory
with you, make a note of the work that catches your eye
and go straight over to the studio.
There are also some amazing satellite exhibitions to
visit this year. In the Mezzanine Gallery at Newbury
College an art group has put together a unique
handover art project. Here, multi-media pieces have
evolved through a journey, as the work has been passed
between and worked on by each of the six artists. At
the Corn Exchange in Newbury there is an interesting
exhibition called Traces. Some artists have been thinking
directly about the building and others have examined
the wider environment. Over at Arlington Arts there
is a sketchbook exhibition which has been ongoing
since September last year, with visits to sketch at the
Ashmolean Museum and the Roche Court Sculpture Park
among other special places. For this exhibition, Open
Studios has ventured into the realm of an art prize. Go to
the website at covertocover-sketches.blogspot.co.uk
for more information.
V
Opposite the main gallery is the Tandoori restaurant
with a solo exhibition, ‘Romantic Italy’ by Royal Academy
exhibitor Christopher Hall. Also on site is Studio 8, with
resident artists on hand to discuss ideas, processes and
completed work.
Follow the trail
May 2014
>> Open Studios
Ann Hoddinott
Arlington Arts
Benchmark
Chris Healy
Hannah Griffin
Helen Mortimer
Julie Smith
Louise Walker
Arran Miles
Gill Banks
New Greenham Arts
V
Open Studios <<
)LYHWR¿QG
+DQQDK*UL̇Q, Whitchurch
Hannah has lived in the Newbury area most of her life
so her work has been heavily influenced by the glorious
countryside and wildlife on her doorstep. She particularly
loves birds of prey, hares and game birds. She works
with a range of media including charcoal, oil pastels,
watercolour and colour pencils.
Nick Schlee
Paul Kessling
Sue Crook, Headley
Over at Headley’s Community Shop you can find a
number of local artists including Sue Crook. Sue works
with paper as a textile. While experimenting with this
new medium, she continues to dye, collage and stitch. As
well as paper, she works in natural fibres, cotton, linen
and silk.
Nick Schlee, Reading
Nick’s studio is in Upper Basildon and inside you’ll
discover paintings he creates from colour sketches done
on the spot. Nick recently exhibited at the National
Trust’s Basildon Park and at Gallery 8 in London.
Sue!Crook
! ! !!! !! 10 | R&A RG4
Susan Kirkman
May 2014
>> Open Studios
Louise Walker, South Hill Park Arts Centre
One of the UK’s finest emerging contemporary
silversmith jewellers, Louise has won awards for her
brilliant designs. She executes beautiful collections with
highly skilled craftsmanship. Minimal and pure, she
doesn’t just produce jewellery, she also makes products
for the home too.
Paul Harvey
3DXO.HVVOLQJ, Modern Artists Gallery,
Whitchurch-on-Thames
Paul Kessling will be at this gallery throughout the
Open Studios event, alongside other artists including
Sue Bartlett, Dave Morris, Mark Hall, Stuart Buchanan,
Kate Kessling, Alice Cescatti, Sadle Brockband, Kathryn
Thomas and Frank To. All the artists will have new
collections of paintings on show.
)LQGRXWPRUH
Valentina Tikhonova
To discover which artists you would like to visit you can
go online to www.open-studios.org.uk to download
this year’s directory. Also online you can find out about
hands-on workshops to get involved in, the schools and
colleges involved and other local arts events happening.
TWO GREAT SPECIALS FOR
MAY & JUNE !!!
LUNCH – 25% DISCOUNT FOR SENIORS (over 65s) for FOOD & WINE
Wednesday to Saturday
DINNER – 10% OFF ALL FOOD PLUS A COMPLIMENTARY GLASS OF WINE PER PERSON
Wednesdays and Thursdays
We offer a large selection of tasty, wholesome dishes in our 2 course £15.95 pp lunch menu and have
delicious a la carte dinner choices (also available at lunchtime) including classic house specialities such as
Double Entrecote of Prime British Beef for 2 persons carved at the table and
Giant Wild Tiger Prawns grilled with garlic & herb butter
Woody Nook’s own premium, award-winning wines from Margaret River, Western Australia
are available online, by ‘phone or in the restaurant with single bottle and 2, 3, 6 or 12 pack
selections to suit your budget.
For more menu and wine details, visit our website www.woodynookatwoodcote.co.uk
Tel: 01491 680775
Reservations advisable
www.roundandabout.co.uk
Goring Road, Woodcote, Oxon RG8 0SD
Email: info@woodynookatwoodcote.co.uk
RG4 R&A | 11