The secret lives of Oxfordshire artists exposed in photographic exhibition at Chipping Norton Theatre

Submitted by Esther Lafferty on Mon, 08/04/2013 - 11:00am
Crabby Taylor, raku ceramicist behind the theatre bar.

In a light-hearted exhibition for Artweeks at Chipping Norton Theatre running from Tuesday 23rd April until 16th May, local photographer Jane Stillwell provides a window into the secret lives of Oxfordshire artists, their passions and pastimes alongside pieces of the art they have created as a result.
As the county’s artists open their studios in May, a photographic exhibition in the Gallery at Chipping Norton Theatre gives a glimpse of the passions that inspire them when they aren’t sketching, behind a potter’s wheel or experimenting with colour and texture.
Jane Stillwell took her camera out into the villages around Banbury and Chipping Norton to discover the activities that provide the inspiration for our local designer-makers.
‘All the artists were delighted to be involved,’ said Jane ‘although taking photos on the hoof was quite a challenge at times. I photographed over forty local artists in their own environments and when I went to meet many of them I didn’t know what to expect when I got there. I hadn’t met many of them before and then, from a quick chat, had to capture their passion and inspiration with a sense of fun and that twinkle in their eye.’
From Great Rollright artist Anuk Naumann who can be seen in her country kitchen making marmalade, an activity that inspired the painting Making Marmalade which will be hanging longside her photograph, to Nicola Durrant whose drawing of dogs reflect her love of her own hound with whom she is pictured, and local sculptor Chris Townsend who is hugging a giant oak tree near his 16th century farm gallery where he creates metal sculptures of trees, there’s a wonderful variety.
With artists dancing, trampolining, on the farm and in the wine bar, to give just a taster, it’s clear from these pictures that the artists and designer-makers who are taking part in Artweeks will be fun to visit next month as they welcome you to their homes and studios to see more of their work.