Members
Featured here are the current members of the group. The Chipping Norton area has a large number of creatives in all fields of visual and performing arts. If you would like to become a member of the group, you can get to the Membership Sign-up page HERE
Will Gompertz
Patron
Will Gompertz was the first ever dedicated Arts Editor at the BBC, covering all aspects of the arts. Will has written extensively for The Guardian and The Times newspapers and is the author of What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye.
Ian Seymour-Wells 1937-2019
Honorary Member
A charming but shy man, Ian Seymour Wells was the drawing tutor at Central St Martins who was more comfortable promoting others than himself.
Ian’s passion for drawing his view of the human figure saw him in the cafes of Chipping Norton sketching on napkins and newspapers on a daily basis for the past 20 years.
cnarts.org/ianwells
Eliza Douglas
Perfumer
Eliza Douglas grew up in London and studied at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery. She blends fine fragrances for individuals and creates scents for institutions, such as Just My Cup of Tea, made for her residency at Somerset House. She teaches independent physical perfumery classes and students online from around the world. She also makes scents to help viewers, visually impaired and otherwise, experience paintings and other artworks in museums and galleries, such as the Wallace Collection and Metropolitan Museum. Having spent 12 years working in San Francisco and NYC, for Christophe Laudamiel and Frederic Malle, she is now based in Over Norton.
Sean Vassen
Engagement Manager
Sean works on regeneration and city-making projects, taking the very best of UK talent to solve urban issues of growth and development in China. He has been the Engagement Manager of Design Collective London since its inception in 2016. His role is to engage with all areas of how we interact with and live in urban spaces, this includes: culture, heritage, landscape, architecture, branding etc.
Sean has an honours degree from Chelsea School of Art & Design in spatial and interior design, and is a life member of the Oxfordshire Gardens Trust.
designcollectivelondon.com
cityfortomorrow.co.uk
Nic Vickery
Artist
Originally from Oxford, I now live in the beautiful village of Milton-Under-Wychwood, which I love.
After years of working at the kitchen table, I now have my lovely garden studio, (The Lady-Shed). Where I take on commissions alongside designing cards and prints to sell.
I work mainly in pastel on board, although I am enjoying creating a rather different style with dip pen and ink at the moment.
All my limited edition Giclee prints, greeting cards, etc. are made in the UK. I’m branching out into English Bone China mugs, featuring my two most popular hare characters.
www.nicvickeryanimalartist.com
Chris Baylis
Furniture Designer and Musician
Chris Baylis is the founder and designer at The Real Wood Furniture Company. The company has been making furniture since 1989 and flourished in its Woodstock location for 20 years before moving to larger ‘off the high street’ premises just outside Chipping Norton where it now offers a wide range of contemporary and traditional pieces all made from solid, sustainable British hard woods.
Chris has played a prominent role in the Woodstock community, was a founder member and former chairman of Wake up to Woodstock and organises the annual Woodstock Live Music Festival. He is a guitarist, writer and producer who performs with his band ‘tp and woodman’. Arguably his lovely dog ‘Scrumpie’ is better known than he is!
realwood.
Andrew Wildman
Storyboard Artist
Andrew Wildman is best known for his work as a comic book artists for Marvel back in the 90’s on such books as Spider-Man, X-Men, Venom and Transformers. He now works as an Art Director and Storyboard Artist for TV on children’s animation such as The Clangers and live action shows, Doctor Who, Luther, The Innocents and The Alienist.
He is the co-creator of the breakthrough children’s show, Shane the Chef and is currently creating his second Transformational graphic novel, OXYGEN
apwildman.com
Clare Newcome Evans
Clare is Founder of Talent and Production Agency ‘Terra Libra’ which works to ‘Creatively Care for People and Planet’. An Agency for Actors, Models and Creatives, with a Production Company Creating Film, Stills and Media for Life Affirming Brands.
Clare is also a Gestalt Psychotherapist working Creatively in Therapy work with Individuals and Groups, and offering Training to Schools and Businesses.
Pam Franklin
Fine Artist
Pam Franklin’s work resonates with historical references and details. Tiny fragments blown up large are seemingly abstract but the language is also literal. Fragments of wall paper are embedded into the gessoed surface which are revealed when sanded back, as if emerging from the surface memory.
potatotown.co.uk
Chris McLinden
Artist
Daniel Goodwin
Artist
Daniel’s work draws from places, conversations, personal reflection and responses to literature and music. His painting, drawing and prints are inspired by Northern European art, ranging from the artists of the mid-20th Century COBRA movement to mediaeval illustrations and carvings. He enjoys working in collaboration with others and has illustrated two collections by the poet Colin Pink.
Daniel is currently working on a series of pieces on local places, including St Mary’s Bloxham church and the Rollright Stones, reflecting on what they tell us about the people and communities who have gone before us, and about how we might think about ourselves.
Ella Clocksin
Artist
Working in ancient woodlands, my current abstract paintings draw on forest mythologies and the experience of being deep in the woods, rather than painting trees. The coming-into-being of perception, sight and hearing, is both the subject and process of the work.
A self-employed artist and artist-tutor since 1998, I run innovative studio and online workshops, including at Potato Town. An ACE grant supported my At Home residency in 2020 and I exhibit widely, including the RWS Contemporary Watercolour Competition 2017-19. I was Visiting Lecturer at Winchester School of Art after my BA and MA there, and Visual Arts Therapist at The School of Life, London 2013-17.
Ruth Shaw-Williams
Mixed Media Artist
Ruth is an Artist working in mixed-media installation, placing particular emphasis on Printmaking and Artists’ Books. Ruth creates handmade books and book art in her studio, which are exhibited both nationally and internationally. As an Artist involved in the making of Artists’ Books, language is always her starting point; her finishing point is the book as an art object. For Ruth the joy in her practice occurs in the process between these two points.
ruthsw.wrenhill.com
thehumanrestorationproject.online
Judith Yarrow
Artist
Based on walking, my work is an exploration of a range of materials and observation of particular
environments, especially the remote but recently local to Chipping Norton where I’ve lived for 32
years.
My work has increasingly extended to print and book making and working on a larger scale in situ. In
Lockdown I completed a book constructed from envelopes – ‘A certain sort of walk – Everyday walks
around Chipping Norton’.
Themes in my work include light and dark looking down from high mountains and cliff tops that give
space, height, views of ridges, valleys and far horizons.
Carol Harvey
Mixed Media Artist
Rachael Pease
Artist
Rachael Pease is an internationally exhibited landscape artist and envoy of nature.
Rachael’s work documents real trees and locations. Her drawings weave reality with strings of fantasy, imagination and past memories.
Rachael earned her MFA from the University of Pennsylvania School of Art and Design.
Born in the midwest USA, she has lived and worked coast to coast- NYC to LA. She is currently based in a new studio in the UK.
Her work can be found in a variety of collections
including The Dean (Swizz Beatz) Collection and The Resnick Collection.
rachaelpease.com
Tadashi Moriyama
Artist
Myrica Jones
Artist
Myrica Jones has worked as a decorative artist for more than 30 years.
Working with interior designers and private clients, Myrica specialises in murals, gilding and special paint effects.
More recently she has begun focusing on her own artwork, producing a series of figurative works.
Lesley Wildman
Glass, Fabric and Portrait artist
An RCA graduate specialising in glass who has exhibited around the world.
‘With changing times comes a revisit to painting, sculpture, photography and textiles. Gathering together a wandering mind, playing with social media and new connective technologies to other creative people.’
lesleywildman.com
Jenn Kidd
Actor, Theatre Director
Jenn trained as an actor at RADA and has performed with theatre companies such as Shakespeare’s Globe, High Tide and Cheek by Jowl. She has always loved devising, collaborating and making her own work, and has led and co-created a number of successful independent projects. More recently she has been developing her stage writing with work produced at the RADA Festival and York Theatre Royal. She also conceives ‘interactive storytellings’ which blend performance and participation.
Jenn is founder and director of Seedbed Theatre, a storytelling company which creates unique storytelling experiences and imaginative business trainings.
Andrew Ogilvy
Photographer
Andrew Ogilvy is a versatile and intuitive creative. His diverse range of experience includes portraiture, events, corporate headshots, product, film/TV, architectural and interiors and his work has been used and featured in Country Life, Forbes, the V&A, the British Museum, and Blenheim Palace.
A graduate from GSA, Andrew now lives in Oxfordshire and travels widely, working around the UK and beyond.
AndrewOgilvy.com
Martin Sanders
Wood turner
‘Having spent much of my early turning career learning the craft of the Turner and plagiarising other people”s designs it became time to strike out on my own. The creative pleasure for me is seeing a piece evolve. It starts with a design in my mind but very often the wood I am working with has ideas of its own. The end product may be quite different from my original plan and I am happy for both the wood and my initial design to come together in the final piece. The only thing that final pieces have in common is that, in one dimension or another, they are all round !’
yewturn@gmail.com
Anna Bush
Artist
Anna studied painting at Camberwell College of Arts, London. Throughout her career, she has maintained her practice working in a range of different mediums including
annabush.co.uk
John Callen
Designer/Maker
potatotown.co.uk
Lisa Hughes
Textile and Mixed Media artist
I am a dressmaker, textile and mixed media artist – even my dresses tell a story. I work largely with antique, vintage and/ or reclaimed fabrics. With my mixed media creations, I tend to work with my 9 year old son using found objects and his world of imagination.
Anuk Naumann
Artist
‘The process that leads me to a finished painting often involves a series of discoveries. Although I decide upon the subject of a painting before I begin, I rarely know what the final result will be as I use a variety of media to create a finished piece. I am particularly interested in the design element of the painting. It is important to me that the colours sit happily together and that I am creating interesting shapes within the composition. By experimenting with layers, shapes and colour, I am often surprised by the effects that can be achieved, keeping the process of painting constantly stimulating’
Anuk has exhibited in galleries from Edinburgh to St Ives, and regularly opens her studio so that people can come to find her work at source.
anuknaumann.co.uk
Deborah Last
Artist
Deborah works directly from life and from memory to create light-filled work relating to the landscape and the connections we make with it as humans. Her contemporary style, expressive colour and intriguing mark making blends with a traditional form of art to create unique and beautiful paintings. She works with a variety of materials and often mixed media.
She researches the landscape through a plein air practice, capturing the light and weather of the changing seasons. She completed an en plein air project to paint the landscape outside and from life for every day of 2022. She returned to further education in 2017 and graduated with an MA in contemporary Art Practice from Plymouth University.
Jill Colchester
Fine Artist and Drawing Tutor
Jill Colchester draws gesturally. She is interested in movement and the figure, creating minimal, dynamic drawings, that allows the viewer to see the movement continued in the
optical-illusion created by the overlaid poses, that are held briefly by the model.
Jill trained first as a teacher and then in contemporary dance before her art degree. She loves teaching drawing and tutors with Abingdon and Witney College and from home in hergarden studio.
She recently had a pop-up exhibition in Berlin, earlier this year.
jillcolchester.com
Maureen Gillespie
Artist
Maureen is a visual artist who is driven to paint things that capture her eye; in most cases the inspiration comes from Sea and Landscapes. She has exhibited in and around the Cotswolds, Ireland and France and was featured in The Oxford Art Book, published in September 2018.
Maureen was awarded a two week ‘Artist Residency’ at Cill Rialaig Project in Ballinskillings, Co Kerry Ireland and is currently managing The People’s Gallery a ‘not for profit’ project at Chipping Norton Health Centre.
She has two distinct styles and prefers to use a variety of techniques to obtain the end result. Capturing ideas and images en plein air with sketches and photos is all part of her desire to execute a well planned painting as is the exciting process of producing the end result.
artbymaureengillespie.co.uk
Susannah King
Abstract Painter
‘The paintings engage with the visceral experience of the paint. My approach to painting is intuitive in regards to colour and texture, a considered process of building multiple layers of acrylic. My intention is for my work to act as an interface between what is seen and what is felt. I see my paintings existing like a piece of music. There is not a clear narrative in the paintings, instead they are visual experiences to be felt on an emotional level, where the viewer is invited to find their own interpretation. Since graduating from UAL in 2009 I have lived and practiced in Chipping Norton.’
susannahkingpaintings.uk
Caroline Nixon
Textile Artist
Caroline is a textile artist, using leaves and natural dyes to print cloth and paper – a contemporary adaptation of the ancient art of dyeing with plant based pigments. Treatment with naturally occurring substances such as soya, alum, or rust solution enhances the colours and makes them colourfast .The dyes come from sustainable sources – many are grown in her own garden.The naturally produced colours are soft and harmonious, and the process is non polluting and respectful of the environment. The smallest change in plant species, climatic conditions or water source can produce marked variations in the prints, meaning every piece of cloth is unique. Her work evolves with the seasons, as the natural printing properties of the leaves respond to climatic changes. The antithesis of today’s ‘throwaway’ society.
handmadetextilesbycaroline.co.uk
Crabby Taylor
Smoke Fired Ceramics
Caroline Chappell
Contemporary Fine Artist
‘I make paintings in response to my world, with memory and imagination helping to create a composition. My recently acquired orchard with its spectacular views is a new source of inspiration.
Beyond that there is the passion for the process which drives it all. I am enraptured by the infinite possibilities of paint and colour, the varieties of tool and surface, the constant surprise and perpetual sense of adventure.
Lucien Freud once said that ‘each painting (is) an exploration into unknown territory.’
I feel the same.’
carolinechappell.co.uk
Cathryn Jeff
Artist
‘I love to create paintings inspired by the stunning local countryside and seascapes from my travels. Following A Level I continued to study art at Banbury and finally a degree at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design in Farnham. Totalling six years of art training. I enjoy experimenting with all types of mediums including ink, acrylic, oil and watercolour. The application of the medium is an exciting experience for me creating interesting marks such as splashes, dripping, masking, dry brushing, palette knife and fluid paint effects.’
www.cj-art.co.uk
Emma Maiden
Sculptor
I’m a sculptor in stone and bronze.
My work is shown at the Fine Art Society, London and Brian Sinfield Gallery, Burford. I will be
exhibiting at On Form 20, the biennial showcase for sculpture in stone, at Asthall Manor in June 2020.
I live in Chipping Norton with my 10-year old son and have my workshop in nearby Spelsbury.
I run weekly stone carving courses throughout the year at my workshop.
Pauline Nolan
Acrylic Artist
‘Over the last few years I have enjoyed the opportunity to pursue my passion for creative art, in the form of semi-abstract acrylic paintings that embrace vibrant colour combinations, exploration and fantasy.
With no set plan, I approach each piece with an open mind, mainly working with acrylic inks to produce random backgrounds and then looking for images hidden within. These are subsequently enhanced by the use of negative space and added textural finishes, including acrylic paint, collage or calligraphy.’
Jacky Radbone
Artist
After beginning my career in nursing, and later working for ten years at Chadlington’s Abbeyfield Home,
life took a change of direction when I became disabled. Renewing my old love for art, I took part in my
first Artweeks in 2007.
I paint almost entirely in oils, painting as much as possible on location locally, or on the Welsh or Devon
coast, trying to capture the light and mood of the scene before me.
My work has been shown in exhibitions around the country, as well as nearer to home at The People’s Gallery and Church Lane Gallery in Banbury, and has also been featured in The Artist magazine.
I am currently planning some Open Studio weekend events.
Rosemary Atkins
Artist
The process of the
It starts with the recognition of an image that inspires and suggests how I might approach it, simplifying it down to areas of tone and texture. Then the quite arduous work that goes into each stage, always holding out the promise of the moment of revelation, is worthwhile, fuelled by an underlying excitement along the way.
I have found inspiration in the stark, sometimes tortured shapes of trees, but in the end, the choices I make are in response to a gut feeling.
rosemaryatkins.co.uk
Bobbie Seagroatt
Painter / Designer / Maker
‘I used to be a Fashion girl, but painting, drawing, illustration and design have been a constant thread throughout my life.
I have worked as a university lecturer teaching fashion related subjects – pattern cutting / production / design – and have run my own businesses as a designer / pattern cutter / maker of bespoke clothing and one to one teacher of those subjects.
Materiality in its elemental form is central to my thread, hence a lot of my paintings are not on stretchers, so that the edges, underneaths and surface textures of the canvases are on full display.
I am currently completing an MA Fine Art Painting course at UAL: Camberwell College of Arts, London, and am lucky to have a great studio in the Oxfordshire countryside.’
bobbieseagroatt.com
Liz Mahony
Teacher
Liz Mahony has been a local primary school teacher and has used her passion for art as a way of complementing pupils’ appreciation of the wider curriculum. She has taught both KS1/2 and, as Art Co-ordinator, has designed, developed and overseen an innovative curriculum to inspire children’s thought and imagination.
Liz now runs after school art classes in Chipping Norton for children aged 7-12. Artventures aims to provide continued emphasis on the importance of Art beyond its present role in the primary curriculum. Employing a modular approach, Artventures fully addresses the creative mindset and allows for a journey in which children are encouraged to develop their creative talents through a variety of artistic medium.
Marie Shepherd
Artist
I am a sculptor. A lot of my inspiration is drawn from the wildlife around me. I have always been fascinated with forms and movement and I enjoy reflecting this in my sculptures. I like to explore various facets of sculpture from the sensitivity and dynamism of the human form to humour in animals or the pleasing shape of fruits. I create indoor and outdoor sculptures either in Bronze or Bronze Resin.
I have been extremely fortunate to exhibit in a number of prestigious gardens including Savill Garden, Kiftsgate Court Gardens, Hidcote and RHS Wisley just to mention a few.
Brenda Hayden
Artist
Brenda is a Fine Art graduate with a background in teaching both Art and Textiles .Her work is influenced by time spent studying Japanese painting in Tokyo.
All my life I have collected things, beach combing wherever I am in the world, picking things of interest up. My studio is full of little pots containing treasures from many places, sands, shells, driftwood, fishing nets and assorted debris. From these things I both draw inspiration and include them in my work.
I love drawing and working in both in paint and print making and am the proud owner of a new (old) etching press! Life just gets better!
David Blakemore
Artist
David’s paintings are inspired by nature’s own drama and he loves making the real… slightly less real. He works his ideas into landscapes or creates them in his studio, building mini sets if necessary, to recreate that dramatic light he is so
passionate about and by pushing values to extreme. His medium is oil.
A three-year foundation course at Lavender Hill Studios in London 12 years ago lit a fuse and an ambition to paint full time.
In 2019 a number of David’s paintings were acquired by Coast Gallery Big Sur, California where he has become one of their featured artists.
www.blakemoreart.com
Melanie Wright
Artist
Fine artist Melanie Wright is known for her portrayal of equine and landscape subjects and her talent for capturing atmosphere, action, speed and quality of light. Along with a keen eye for true representation, she brings a highly individual vision to her paintings and drawings.
Her work is inspired both by her Cotswold surroundings and her love of landscape and equestrian events, and her paintings move from the gentle beauty of the Cotswold Hills to the thrill, action and atmosphere of polo and racing events.
Melanie is currently Artist in Residence at Newmarket, hosted by The British Racing School.
Alongside her painting and exhibiting practice, Melanie also provides private drawing/painting tuition on a one to one basis at her studio in Chipping Norton.
melaniewrightartist.co.uk
Janet Bird
Artist
Now based in Deddington, she works mainly in acrylics and soft pastel, with the odd foray into oils and watercolour.
Despite a lifelong love of art, Janet only began painting three years ago, after a career in journalism, media relations and PR.
Her particular focus is on British wildlife and domestic animals and she cites seeing people’s faces light up when they unwrap an original painting of their much loved pet as one of the highlights of her job.
Janet exhibits throughout the year at Church Lane Gallery, in Banbury.
janetbirdart.co.uk
Daisy Clayton
Artist
Daisy Clayton is a largely self taught, abstract artist from Oxfordshire. Before pursuing her art professionally in 2019, she graduated from Queen Mary University London with a Masters Degree in psychology. Using her background in psychology, she built upon her previous skills as a painter by focusing her interest on how a painting can make someone feel and the emotions it may evoke. Daisy centres her work around a point of light and develops layers of texture, acrylics and gold leaf to echo memories and unique interpretation. Listed in galleries across the UK, Daisy was represented at Fresh Art Fair 2021 and her art has featured in The World of Interiors and GQ magazine.
daisyclayton.com
David Jefferis
Author, publisher
David creates visual books, mostly on science and technology. His works include a seminal trilogy called World of the Future, as well as more than 40 science books, published for North American and Japanese readers. David’s merits include The Times Educational Supplement Award, and Best Science Books of the Year.
On the arts side, David rarely travels without a camera and digital tools, plus a (non-digital) sketchbook. He publishes a variety of palm-size titles, including The Little Book of Chippy, now in its fourth edition. The Saatchi Gallery sells his images to a wordwide audience.
David belongs to Writers in Oxford, an organization for which he edits the house journal, The Oxford Writer.
Sneha Kadaba
Artist / Illustrator / Designer
Sneha is an illustrator, mixed media artist and designer living in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. She has a career in design spanning over a decade, and works as the Creative Head for a global business, headquartered in the UK.
Sneha grew up in sunny Mumbai, India, and has lived in the UK for over eleven years. Her work represents a happy union of these two very different worlds. She loves creating vibrant and playful pieces infused with colour and texture, and is inspired by nature, travel and architecture.
Darren Hall
Artist
I am a disabled artist working from my home art studio in Carterton, Oxon.
I have been painting with acrylics since 2016 and drawing with inks and pencil my whole life. I struggle to draw at all nowadays so paintings are where I excel and find solace. I love to paint on old doors explaining mental health issues.
I have mobility issues, was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2015 and, following an RTC whilst cycling, a severe brain injury diagnosed in 2019, so use my art as a therapy first and foremost but I also sell my art full time, mostly online from my website with the help of my sister as my admin guru.
I use many styles of painting and paint on different surfaces to help distract from my pain with my mood very much dictating what I paint and when, so I can often have 5 paintings on the go at one time.
I am a huge giver of charitable donations of my artwork for auctioning or similar to any charity.
darrenhallartstudio.co.uk
Jane Stillwell
Photographer
I have had a passion for photography for as long as I can remember but have been taking it more seriously for the past ten years. The beauty and structure of plants has been a strong inspiration although I also love portraiture, nostalgia and abstracts. I have recently been trying to get to grips with landscapes! I have a Canon camera with various lenses and I print all my own images. I have had exhibitions in Cheltenham, The Gallery at Chipping Norton Theatre, and have exhibited in several venues as part of Oxfordshire Artweeks since 2008 .
Kerry Forkner
Textile Artist
As a textile artist I am interested in texture and using stitch to explore and interpret different surfaces, especially from organic, natural and historical sources. I specialise in machine embroidery with applique and hand stitch on printed or dyed backgrounds, layering and defining details and focal points. I am inspired by walking the landscape around us which has been shaped by thousands of years of human activity and natural forces. In recording textures, mapping memories of travel routes using fabric and stitch, I aim to interpret an atmosphere of place.
Rachel Cronin
Painter
Mixed media artist Rachel Cronin creates abstract landscapes working in response to the seasons
“My process is experiential, taking in impressions and memories as much as it does sketches and notes. Contrasts of texture, tone, shape and line interrupt the conversation between mark making and white space. There is a dance between application and reduction until a destination is arrived at, allowing historical layers of paint to peak out from beneath the surface”
Rachel is also a workshop facilitator, creative enabler and confidence builder who loves to help others find their creative voice.
www.rachelcroninartist.com
Jane Griffiths
Jeweller
‘I initially trained and worked as a bookbinder, but discovered jewellery-making while living in Bristol, where I was taught by Alice Goldsack. Now based in North Oxfordshire and West Penwith, I use the business name Poet & Cat to reflect my other identity as a writer – and in homage to my valiant rescue cat Smokey.
Working mainly in silver, I am interested in texture and asymmetry, and like to incorporate mixed metals and found objects such as china and sea-glass in my work; I also enjoy exploring the intersections between book-binding and jewellery-making techniques.’
poetandcat.design
bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/category/jane-griffiths
Brenda Gibson
Artist
‘I am a painter and have been painting continuously for the past 15 years.
I attended Liverpool College of Art in the 70’s studying photography and I think that this gave me a good eye for composition.
I paint in oils and acrylics and also have a love of charcoal drawing. Living in the country side has motivated my work and my love of travel inspires my sea scapes.
For the last 15 years I have painted weekly with a group and Tutor.
Over the last two years I have attended workshops covering all aspects of paint application and techniques and print making. In the past I have exhibited and sold some pictures and have also done a couple of commissions.’
Barnaby Lea
Blacksmith
I have always been interested in shaping and manipulating metal to make sculpture, this drew me to blacksmithing. My work explores the human form and the emotive qualities that can be embodied within the metal. A search to infuse character within the material is what drives my desire to find new ways of creating a story or feeling in something as inanimate as steel.
Guen Palmer
Designer Jeweller
From her Cotswold studio, Guen makes jewellery that is original, wearable and affordable. Her pieces are sold at a number of galleries as well as from her workshop. She frequently works to commission and also designs older pieces.
Each piece is made by hand with care and precision using traditional techniques.
Guen uses precious materials such as silver and 18ct gold often combined with fine quality gemstones and pearls. In much of the work, decoration is applied with a steel punch creating a delicate and intricate texture that complements the overall shape.
Her work is meticulously executed and strikingly contemporary.
guen@guenpalmer.com
guenpalmer.com
Ronel Blacker
Artist
Originally from South Africa, Ronel has lived in Oxfordshire for the last 20 years with her husband, 3 children and an assortment of pets.
Art has been a source of relaxation for many years and Ronel has self-taught the use different mediums for her contemporary style including Acrylic and Oil.
Currently focusing mainly on Spray art, Ronel’s inspiration usually incorporates the brighter colours of the spectrum and is attracting attention from far afield.
Lela Burbridge
Writer
Originally from Uganda, Lela has lived in the Cotswold for over ten years with her husband, Andrew and their three children. Her art is in writing and philanthropy. She is the founder of
THE LELA INITIATIVE,
a publishing house that uses a large percentage of its profits to support literacy projects within communities in Uganda.
As a publisher, Lela enjoys working with writers and authors who share the same vision of using their storytelling talent to transform lives.
Sally Logan
Artist