What’s on this Artweeks by selected area

Submitted by Esther Lafferty on Mon, 12/02/2018 - 2:39pm
Piotr Gargas - Oxford groteque

A thousand artists and makers are opening their studios, presenting pop-up exhibitions and giving demonstrations for Oxfordshire Artweeks this month (5th-28th May).

Abingdon/Kingston Bagpuize

In Abingdon and surrounding villages, from 19th-28th May around 100 painters, potters and sculptors, photographers, furniture makers, jewellers and textile artists will showcase their creativity, talents and eye-catching art and crafts from local landscapes to designs with a difference. Be intrigued and inspired by the past, the present, people, places and passions, and all created locally.

Look out for colourful boats and Cornish seas in ceramics alongside delicate silverware and striking wall art beneath the medieval rafters of Peach Croft Barn. Head to Marcham for fused glass in wonderful colours and Dry Sandford for glass jewellery and colourful felt pictures and more. In Garford enjoy striking sculpture both figurative and abstract, or find quirky story-book ceramics for the garden on Steventon Green. There are incredible drawings of colourful and fun collections in Abingdon Museum, a lively show by Pop Up Artists in Abbott Road, starlings’ mumurations in ink in Cumnor, quirky ceramic houses, animals and people to add charm to any room on show alongside contemporary jewellery in Sutton Courtenay.

Meet Fiona Chappelle who graduated from Plymouth College of Art in the winter of 2015, with a degree in Contemporary Crafts and has since converted the garage at her Abingdon home in Sellwood Road into a ceramics studio and makes functional and decorative ceramics on a wheel, explore an exhibition by the Impey Family in a Victorian barn by the river Oct or explore functional pottery in a secret garden by the Thames in Culham.

Didcot & Wallingford

In Didcot, Wallingford and surrounding villages, from 19th-28th May around 100 painters, potters and sculptors, photographers, furniture makers, jewellers and textile artists will showcase their creativity, talents and eye-catching art and crafts from local landscapes to designs with a difference. Be intrigued and inspired by the past, the present, people, places and passions, and all created locally.

In Dorchester-on-Thames, discover intriguing 3D minature ‘theatres’ depicting global journeys and literary adventures, handmade embroidered panels of local scenes alongside unique handbags, designer knitwear, silver jewellery, and more. In the Wittenhams, both the Sylva Wood centre and The Earth Trust are a-buzz with art and crafts from burnished bowls to boats, stained glass and ironwork for the home and garden. Brightwell-cum-Sotwell plays host to nine artists and offers digital art of insects and small animals, the recollections of a zoologist; spiritual photographs of Wallingford’s Thames-side willows and etchings and screenprints of local scenes.

Head to Moulsford for striking garden sculptures of bird and animals in an amazing garden or Aston Tirrold for jewellery inspired by the Tudors alongside striking abstract paintings, and Blewbery Village Hall plays host to four artists including newcomer Adrian Smart whose paintings of birds are so realistic you’ll look again to confirm they aren’t photographs! Here too revel in an aviary vintage textiles reimagined as wall art, nudes and an artistically rendered celebration of children’s imaginations. And to enjoy pictures of collected ephemera that are fun, colourful, and drawn with mind-boggling accuracy, pop into Robert Strange’s Harwell studio.

Henley and Watlington

In Henley, Watlington and surrounding villages, from 19th-28th May around 20 painters, potters and sculptors, photographers, furniture makers, jewellers and textile artists will showcase their creativity, talents and eye-catching art and crafts from local landscapes to designs with a difference. Be intrigued and inspired by the past, the present, people, places and passions, and all created locally.

From Watlington head west to a Stadhampton barn, just a few miles away, via a variety of art in 12th century Chalgrove church, to see stunning and unusual hand-printed lengths of wallpaper by Claire Florey-Hitchcox, her delicate yet contemporary patterns inspired by the curious ephemera you’ll find in a home - look out for beads, playing cards and chess characters.

In Moulsford newcomer to Artweeks acclaimed sculptor Martin Hayward-Harris opens his studio and garden and invites you in to see his swooping bird and striking animal statues whilst Goring first-time Daniel Leyland is showing painting inspired by comparative mythology and folk culture. Nearby, painter and printmaker Ann Spencer has an exhibition inspired by English life, with stories to match.

There’s an Abundance of Colour in neighbouring Aldworth where Goring artist Roberta Tetzner is showing sensual ethereal paintings ranging from 15cm square to paintings 2m long, each balanced between realism and abstraction, a kaleidoscope of sensations and colours that capture the feelings inspired by the beauty of the natural world and the river Thames which constantly inspires her art. These hand alongside strong coloured paintings by Isobel Piggot whose background in garden design is evident at the venue – and stroll through these gardens to enjoy strong, figurative sculptures by Malcolm West.

Summertown/Botley & Boar’s Hill

In Oxford itself, from 12th-19th May nearly 200 venues burst into life as hundreds of painters, potters and sculptors, photographers, furniture makers, jewellers and textile artists showcase their creativity, talents and eye-catching art and crafts from local landscapes to designs with a difference. Be intrigued and inspired by the past, the present, people, places and passions, and all created locally.

In West Oxford from 5th May three emerging artists host an exciting collection of magical realist illustrations to vibrant abstractions in North Hinksey’s The Old School House, and you can visit newcomer Mark Clay whosehighly individual art that celebrates both the sublime and the ridiculous including colourful tributes to the city of Oxford and illustrations of Heath Robinson-esque contraptions that poke fun at technology, advertising and other tribulations of modern life. Also in Botley, enjoy Lihua Yuan’s Chinese-style paintings, Kate Hipkiss’s intricate paper cuts both architectural and geological, striking linocut imagery by print-maker Emmett Casley and an eclectic selection of mixed media art in a new studio on Arthray Road.

In Wolvercote, see delicate ceramic vases by Janet Cross that look as if they wrapped from fabric, organic irregular shaped jewellery by Vicky Cumming whose love for the sea, inspired many of her pieces which includes sea glass, pebbles and shells in silver on show alongside ethereal fused glass pictures. In a neighbouring venue Phillip Dove creates small hanging stained glass panels in bright colours - from traditional to abstract, and figurative to fish, jeweller Alison Morris loves to include old silver and beads into her jewellery, wondering about the story behind them and Oxford painter Neil Butterfield presents new work with his trademark structured use of strong colours in which the patterning and composition are critical.

Summertown too is bursting with colour and design – find five artists at 369 Woodstock Road with wood-turning and the Uffington white horse in silver; six artists in St Michael and All Angel’s Church, the much-awaited annual papier mache display in Farrow & Ball and so much more!

Wantage and Faringdon

In Wantage, Faringdon and the villages in between, from 19th-28th May around 100 painters, potters and sculptors, photographers, furniture makers, jewellers and textile artists will showcase their creativity, talents and eye-catching art and crafts from local landscapes to designs with a difference. Be intrigued and inspired by the past, the present, people, places and passions, and all created locally.

In Pusey, in a new barn venue in glorious countryside beneath the Ridegway, four artists come together with pottery connecting the earth to nature, silver jewellery inspired by travels to Africa,the beaches and beyond, and more, whilst delicate collages hang above ‘wonderland’ beaded jewellery in Littleworth’s historic Reading Room.

Visit Shellingford for unique and delicate framed ceramic art and Stanford’s Garden Studio for art including intriguing ceramic towers, small wooden pieces; enjoy wall art in The Vine on the A417 by four very different artists encompassing the traditional, the modern and abstract collage art inspired by global travels or see contemporary furniture design in Challow, while Wantage boasts delicate detailed textile art that you’d think was watercolour and lots more.

In Great Coxwell you can enjoy demonstrations of green-woodworking and wire-modelling, whilst Longcot is renowned as a hotbed of stone carving with three sculpture venues within a stone’s throw, and head west to Bishopstone for extraordinary felted fabric wall-hangings of local scenery including the famous strip lynchets along the Ridgeway whilst Bourton plays host to expressive abstracted views and wildlife portraits.

Witney

In Witney, Eynsham and the surrounding villages, from 5th-13th May around 100 painters, potters and sculptors, photographers, furniture makers, jewellers and textile artists will showcase their creativity, talents and eye-catching art and crafts from local landscapes to designs with a difference. Be intrigued and inspired by the past, the present, people, places and passions, and all created locally.

In Crawley Mill visit Jessica Parker for strong colourful mixed-media paintings and more in a riverside studio space, or Wood Green for quirky mosaics and ceramic tableware, whilst the SOTA Gallery off the High promises funky steampunk animals as part of a selection of contemporary local art and craft.

Drop south to Bampton which is bursting at the seams with new venues and artists for 2018: see postage stamp pop art; goblins and gargoyles by one of the carvers responsible for the new and restored grotesques on Oxford’s world-famous architecture; colourful minimalist abstract photography of urban streets; stylish linen for the house; striking ceramics glazed with natural forms and large ethereal underwater paintings of swimmers in the great outdoors.

Eynsham promises glowing garden watercolours; striking pictures in coloured threads by Artweeks newcomer Suzy Wright; contemporary sculptures and installations in metal at The Swan as well as a secret bids art auction of paintings by Nick Lewis; and in North Leigh, Kamal Lathar offers moody expressionistic and atmospheric oils influenced by India - the land, its spices, its colours and vibrancy of life. Take step further to Wilcote where you can visit a series of studios with a wonderful selection of art including sculpture by Richard Fox, who creates lines in space with impressive tactile curves of wood that catch the light as the pieces rotate.

There are plenty of surprising dimensions to the festival to delight the most experienced art-lover as well as the enthusiastic day-tripper so take an art trail through Oxford streets, Cotswold villages, along the Thames or through the county’s market towns, and be delighted and amazed by what you see. Even have a go yourself. And there’s something special about an original piece of art, jewellery, pottery or furniture which is truly one of a kind, hand-crafted with a rare imagination and skill. You will never see another just like it, and yet choosing an original needn’t be expensive and not only does the piece personify the individuality of artist, your own character shines through your choice too. What will you choose?

For further information collect a festival guide in a library or local information centre, or find the full exhibition listings at www.artweeks.org.