‘The materials I use for artwork are found in the waterways of Nth East Essex, mostly driftwood and bits of broken boats, washers and rusty metal. I don’t weather the wood or saw or manipulate the pieces to fit: if they don’t fit in the form I find them in, then I don’t use that piece in my work.
These bits of scrap all have a history, a journey they have been on and they remind me of the shipbuilders, shipyard and sailors that used to be on the river. Sadly, I know only two fishermen in a village that used to have many, and the shipyard is no more. So in some way this is my homage to them.’
“An Essex Calendar” by Wivenhoe Artist Hilary Lazell and poet-writer-musician Martin Newell: Illustrations of twelve verses, take the viewer through the months of the year. Essex is a very beautiful county, if anyone cares to take the byways and pathways rather than the motorways. Maybe this calendar could help us all to slow down for a while, see what is right in front of our eyes and realise that it is worth taking the time to enjoy it.
Reka's photographic art usually explores the uncanny and the nature of identity. But you can't be serious all the time: this exhibition is a re-imagining of Reka's two Main Coon cats, Artemis and Apollo, exploring Wivenhoe. The cats' antics have led her to create a light-hearted series of captioned pictures on Instagram @ the maincoonlife.
“Lost”: ‘The best time to agree on who is bringing the map is before setting off, not after getting lost.’
“Was that the last ferry over there?”: ‘If you going to be stranded somewhere, make it Wivenhoe at sunset by the River Colne.’
Maggie Bernstein - Artist’s Statement: ‘For me, painting has become a means of expressing ideas, thoughts and feelings. None of the paintings here are from the actual. All of the paintings exhibited here first resided in my imagination. Many authors describe their writing as painting pictures with words. I believe that my paintings are my way of putting my words and ideas into pictorial form.’
Synapse Firing”: ‘This is my attempt to show what happens in my brain when I am thinking about creating a painting. It is colour, composition and imagination all combined.’
Tree”: ‘The colour harmonies produced by nature in the body of an old tree makes me think about the human condition as we age. Quite often the young and green ignore our colourful histories.’
“Confusion”: ‘Life events can cause a corruption of the brain’s workings and the resultant panic causes disturbance, disorder and alienation.’
Charmaine McKissock exhibits the illustrations she has made at Greenland Grove Animal Sanctuary in St Osyth. These charming and quirky illustrations of some of the rescued animals are available as posters and greeting cards. Contact cmckissock@aol.com or Greenland Grove Animal Sanctuary.
Dr Clinton Hale is a retired G.P, having practiced in Wivenhoe for 27 yrs. Photography began for him when aged 17, he bought a 35 mm film Single Lens Reflex camera.
Subjects & interests: include landscape, especially cloudscapes, sunrise/sunset, travel, macro (close-up) particularly dragonflies, snow and frost.
Whilst working as a doctor, he had many dermatology photographs published in medical journals.A recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia introduced him to street photography and capturing people.
Recently he rediscovered “black and white” both digital and occasionally Ilford FP4 film, having been inspired by Ansel Adams.
Alex has a BA in Art and Design (Colchester Institute) and an MA in History and Philosophy of Modern Art (University of Essex). He paints landscapes using oils and occasionally acrylics. His work is characterised by vivid colours and impressionistic, visible brushstrokes which blend into each other to create unique immersive pieces. The featured pieces are inspired by Wivenhoe’s maritime heritage. These 3 paintings depict small pleasure boats usually moored around the Quay. Alex is intrigued that these boats spend most of their lives marooned in the mud and then suddenly one fine summer day, when the tide is high and the sky is blue, they sail away in the open sea for a brief spell of freedom and adventure.
Trainee artist, Sam Carter, exhibits poster paintings of her favourite rock stars. She has been drawing portraits of musicians and bands for some time. Asked to work on a much bigger scale, Sam chose three of her favourites: Ronnie Radke, Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance (Punk Pop Band) and Jack Barakat.
The repeat screen printed calico is inspired by a Moroccan pattern and was made by Kelly Wright and Olivia Sampson in their art session.
The brooches were inspired by Milan Cathedral and made by Lucinda Kersley assisted by Colin McAllister and Olga Brynza.
The little blue backpack was designed and made by Kayleigh Marshall with help from Jane Ostler, and shows an embroidered mouse with a parasol, a bird and a butterfly.
'Jane Ostler who runs ARTCO is also the current curator of Crab and Winkle and she decided it would be fab to feature our work this winter. The show is titled "Bee on a Bicycle" and it takes the theme of winter cycling combined with care for the natural world, avoiding using motorised transport, and its inherent carbon emissions.
An added bonus for us was a trip on the train from Colchester town station to Wivenhoe on the afternoon of Friday 31st October, to hang the work and we were blessed with sun and no rain! As ever our trainees excelled and were very professional in getting the work on display.
The show will run until 9th January 2015 and can be seen by anyone passing through or stopping at Wivenhoe train station.
Part of a series of paintings of pets belonging to family and friends focusing on their personalities.
Left-hand cabinet: ‘Red Dinghy’ by Jane Watson, canvas print of oil on card painting of a red dinghy sitting in the mud on the River Colne.
Right-hand cabinet: Red Sky over the River” by Jane Watson, canvas print of acrylic on card painting.
Jane Watson is a self taught Artist. Jane likes to paint boldly with bright colours in oil or acrylic and has produced a collection of colourful paintings of various subject matters.
Jane says “there is a passion within my soul that drives me to experiment with colour primarily and with different shapes and ideas”. Her inspiration comes from nature and particularly the changing landscape around the river with the rise and fall of the tide. You can see more of Jane’s work on her website www.janewatsonart.com. Jane also produces a range of colourful greetings cards.
The Mice by Jo Gould: “This poem is about the everyday things that we hang on to, which can mean more to us than conventional heirlooms. I love living in Wivenhoe and spending time walking, watching wildlife and getting dirty in the garden.” The poem is illustrated by Glyn Evans’ beautiful and rare photo of a Wood Mouse taking a drink from the bird bath in his Wivenhoe garden.
Bee and Buddleia by Debbie Taylor: “A Wivenhoe resident since 1987, much of my art, sculpture and photography showcases my passion for wildlife. Our conservatory presents nature’s glorious range and the buddleia attracts summer wildlife at arm’s length, including the ultimate unsung hero, the bumblebee.”
Stag Beetle by Chris Gibson: “Returning to Wivenhoe in 2011 after 25 years, I was pleased to see that the Stag Beetles which enlivened my first forays into Essex natural history were still there. Take a walk at dusk in late June, and you too can see Britain’s largest beetle in one of its favoured locations.”
Five-spot Burnet by Chris Gibson: “Challenging the myth that moths are dull and boring, the flowery meadows surrounding Wivenhoe Wood are buzzing in high summer with these gorgeous day-fliers.”
The Little Owl by Glyn Evans: “The photo was taken looking up into a mature oak, from a hiding place in a nearby bush, in a well-established breeding site in Wivenhoe. The Owl could see bits of me, but wasn’t quite sure what it was looking at! ”
The Kingfisher by Glyn Evans: “This long-awaited shot took 2 years to get: I needed just the right opportunity with the sun on the bird’s back and before it had seen me. Worth getting wet and muddy hands and knees, as I approached on all fours between the blades of grass! ”
Wivenhoe Watching Wildlife is a team of local wildlife enthusiasts who share their passion with their community through a continuous programme of walks, talks and events. On the Wivenhoe Forum website, you will also find an online diary of sightings, advice and anecdotes. Where possible, the events raise money for local charities, but the primary purpose (if there needs to be one) for the group is to raise awareness of how to celebrate and cherish our beautiful environment and all its inhabitants.
Hilary is proud to be an Essex Girl. She has been scribbling away with pens, pencils, ink and paper for most of her life. The combination of words and pictures is fundamental to all her work and this exhibition is no exception. There is a story within every picture. So just stop for a little while and let the imagination do the rest.
“An Essex Calendar” by Hilary Lazell: Illustrations of twelve verses, originally created from a poem written by Martin Newell, take the viewer through the months of the year. Essex is a very beautiful county, if anyone cares to take the byways and pathways rather than the motorways. Maybe this calendar could help us all to slow down for a while, see what is right in front of our eyes and realise that it is worth taking the time to enjoy it.
“Red Riding Hood” by Hilary Lazell: Fairy tales have deep and often scary meanings lurking within them and they have fascinated people over many generations. Here we have a hungry wolf contemplating his next meal which comes beautifully packaged in a lovely red cape. Now that is sufficient to give pause for thought, isn't it?“Does my bottom look big in this?” Illustration of one of the fairies from a series of “Fairies with Attitude”. The collection tries to portray fairies in a more realistic way. After all, why should a fairy be expected to spend all her time flittering around, bestowing wishes and gifts to everyone and sundry when actually she is just having a bad day?
“Mr Mule's Progress” is a work in progress that appeared on the drawing board only recently. Here is a new character that is determined to go places. He has big dreams and skinny legs. What could possibly go wrong?
Left-hand cabinet: ‘The Magic Suitcase of Makedoandmend’ by Alison Stockmarr, is a wise and witty storybook with collage pictures, set in a land where recycling is woven into the fabric of everyday life, but things weren’t always so…
These two decorative maps are intended to delight waiting passengers rather than send them on their way. One is inspired by the organic fluid exuberance of Art Nouveau; the other by the more geometric style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Paris and London are shown with lines flowing effortlessly and harsh corners smoothed away. They are not intended to be more geographically correct, simply easier on the eye. The Paris map is 50% faster for journey planning compared with the official version. New York, Paris and London are shown using concentric circles and spokes. These dramatic designs force the networks into unprecedented levels of organisation. Now their elements, and how these relate together, can be seen clearly.
An embroidered version of the London curvy map, as used on the cover of ‘Underground Maps Unravelled’; and a special festive design, made from tinsel.
On Platform 2, Crab & Winkle Gallery, a precocious talent to watch out for: Miles is now aged 7 and joins a long tradition of Wivenhoe artists. He works with great commitment using charcoal and poster-paints, especially still life and landscapes. His dream is to be a professional artist, such as Monet, Picasso, or Van Gogh.
Local Wivenhoe artists, Sue Dawes and Charmaine McKissock, present quirky, fantastical handmade books to surprise and delight all ages at Wiv Words, Wivenhoe’s first literary festival.
The original painting is 2 meters tall and was the first picture I made after moving here. It was made to tackle the sense of isolation I felt being away from the life and locations I had known before. I believe images have power to alter our state of mind and by choosing to paint a ship I was making a decision to engage with the maritime tradition of the sea farer.
This painting grew from a feeling of futility after the Kyoto Protocol failed to be ratified. I tried to show a healing force coming through even though getting a global consensus on environmental issues is difficult. Mankind strives to find balance. If local communities collaborate for long term gain, we can thrive. Art, health and the health of our world are all mixed up.
Two shipwrecks off Great Yarmouth shed a cargo of oranges, one during 1WW, the other in December 1948 when the steamer Bosphorous ran aground on the Happisburgh Sands. Like a miracle large quantities of oranges were bobbing on the sea. I read about this in a book on East Anglian shipwrecks borrowed from Frinton Library. It seemed to sum up the sense of wonder I wanted to feel about being alive. How we mustn’t give up being amazed at the unexpected blessings we can discover on an ordinary day.
I was born in Tonbridge in 1958. I studied at Bath Academy of Art, Corsham 1976-1980 and Goldsmiths, London 1983-5. In 1987 I was Printmaker in Residence at Peterborough General Hospital. My husband Paul and I moved to Essex with our three young children in 1996. In 2003 I was Artist in Residence for National AIDS DAY at Colchester Borough Council and since 2007 I have worked as Art Development Officer at the Level Best ArtCafe, Colchester. My art studio is a small space in the back of our garage. I work on large paintings in the garden in summer when the weather permits.
Juliet’s work is based on the story ‘Sealskin, Soulskin’, written by Dr Clarrissa Pinkerton Estés, which re-tells the story of a man who steals the skin of a woman-seal, imprisons her on land, but loses her when their child finds the skin and releases her back to the sea, and freedom.Juliet is a sculptor and installation artist and works in various media.
Little Avenues Pre-school is located in the bungalow in the grounds of Broomgrove School. The pre-school is for children from aged 2 years- rising 5's and is run by experienced and highly qualified practitioners. Contact Jane or Marie on 07895180207.littleavenues@hotmail.co.uk www.littleavenues.co.uk
WPG is an informal collective of photographers who meet once or twice a month to take pictures and discuss photography in the context of the wider art world. They also undertake the occasional group exhibition. The group is not a camera club, so it doesn't matter the size of your equipment - just what you do with it. There are no subs, and the only criteria for joining are enthusiasm for art and a relaxed attitude to life.
Wivenhoe Preschool, based at the Congregational Church Hall in Wivenhoe, is an Ofsted registered, parent-led pre-school. The Pre-school caters for children from 2 years old to reception age, and specialises in Makaton and Behavioural Management. This is a small, safe playgroup, with excellent facilities, open Monday-Friday (term -time only). For more information or to visit call 0759 4580055 or 07792127089
The new exhibition on platform 2, is a series of scenes of Wivenhoe, captured by local photographer Jonathan Scott. Jonathan's interest in photography started more than 10 years ago but it is only in the last 2 years that he has started to take it more seriously. He prefers to take seascapes, landscapes and fine art; experimenting with black and white images and spot colour. He tries to keep the images as close to natural as possible. John has had his photographs appear in national magazine 'water craft.' To view more of his work, or to purchase an original, please visit his facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/JonathanScottPhotography or email him johnathanscott@fsmail.net
Broomgrove Infants School is situated in Wivenhoe. Please see their website for detailed information and plenty of photographs. Contact: http://www.broomgrove-infants.ik.org/p_Front_page.ikml
The Culpeper series was made at a time when she and her two children had to leave their home and find a new place to settle. It was not a move that any of them really wanted. One of the hardest things to leave were the plants she had grown and nurtured in her garden. All the plants used in the images come from the garden there.
At the time she was thinking about those times in our lives when we lose our voice. Whether it is taken from us, or we chose to lock it deep inside of ourselves or it becomes the struggle to express what we feel, many of use experience this lose to some degree.
So she turned to Culpeper to discover what plants he used to treat all things oral, ailments of mouth and throat. Juliet layered his story with hers and that of her children.
More than ten years later when she is revisiting these images she is still wondering and working with those whose voice has been lost for whatever reason.
Much of Juliet's work is site specific and always includes story. The work either springs from a tale or becomes the inspiration for a new telling. Culpeper features again in these two pieces with thistles and roses. The work also reflects her passion for all forms of puppetry; shadows make their presence known in this tale of betrayal, jealousy and a timely reminder that revenge is best served cold.
Millfields Primary School caters for children aged between 4-11, and is located in Wivenhoe. The aim of the school is to provide a caring environment for children and as such, offers a wide range of balanced learning opportunities for all children to help them grow into independent and responsible people. Among its awards, Millfields have been presented with the School Achievement Award in 2002 for achieving better results in 2001 than other comparable schools, and the Schools Curriculum Award for its work in developing and strengthening positive links with the local community. The school aims and philosophy can be summarised as:
Daisy is a pupil at the Colne Community School, and at just 16, this is her first solo photographic display. Her photos are a mixture of family, her favourite band 'All time low', pets and familiar places.
Jacqueline South is a Wivenhoe artist who draws commissions in pencil, pastel and watercolour, from photographs. She also produces a range of cards and prints using her illustrations, which are available online or at her Wivenhoe address. Jacqueline supports many of the local craft fairs and this is where I first saw her beautiful portraits. To see more, take a look at her website.
The Avenue playgroup caters for children between the ages of 2 years 6 months to school age and offers a variety of sessions. It can be found in the Methodist Church, on the Avenue, in Wivenhoe. For more information about this playgroup call Jane or Marie on 01206 824594 or email avenueplaygroup@hotmail.com.
The 2nd Wivenhoe Rainbows display in the Crab and Winkle Gallery, on Platform 2. They meet on a Friday between 5.30-6.30, in the Congregational Hall.
Martha is a Wivenhoe artist, who has exhibited in London and Munich. She also designs cards which can be purchased at the Firstsite gallery in Colchester.