9 Plus One sees Chichester artists converge at Oxmarket
An unfilled week in the John Rank Gallery at Chichester’s Oxmarket was the impetus for 9 Plus One (October 6-11).
Rosy Turner is showing her own work – and sharing the space with an eclectic mix of artistic friends.
Rosy is joined by Guy Turner, Angela Wright, Rob Corfield, Carole Haithewaite, Jane Davies, John Ransom, Tony Lawson, Ghislaine Davis and Donna Hammond.
“The result is an interesting variety of drawing, painting, organic metalwork and photography,” Rosy said.
“I moved to Chichester in 1990 and found my artistic home in watercolour painting. I have used this medium in landscape and seascapes, mostly of the local area but also from my travels round the world. I have recently been enjoying the challenge of painting birds and have taken commissions for portraits of dogs. My current interest is portraits and the medium of oils. So different and I love the challenge.”
Carole Haithwaite said:
“I am inspired by light and colour and love to sketch and paint from life, especially when travelling – people, landscapes, buildings and gardens. Some of those sketches develop into finished paintings when I’m back in my studio.”
Jane Davies is also taking part: “I paint mostly in oils – for their strength of colour, their versatility and the smell!
“My school exercise books were full of sketches of fellow pupils and after school and college, wherever I was working, I attended life drawing classes. On moving to Chichester I took classes with Piers Ottey at The Mill Studio, Ford. He taught me the techniques of oil painting but, more importantly, he trained my eye and gave me a different view: the Cathedral seen from upstairs in the Novium, the back view of a waiter, a still life pushed to one side, a dirty glue saucepan or a single staring eye.”
Tony Lawson paints portraits, landscapes, seascapes and wildlife and regularly tutors watercolour groups, painting wildlife for the RSPB at Pagham Harbour Reserve.
Angela Wright is a photographer: “As a scientist working closely with the United Nations on biodiversity and global food systems issues, I take my camera with me on my travels to numerous exciting and sometimes challenging locations around the world.
“For this exhibition I’ve chosen to celebrate moments from places close to home, here in West Sussex; the places in which I seek solace from the challenges of the day job; the places that soothe my soul. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.”
John Ransom added: “As an art director in ad agencies and design consultancies I was often asked to add small illustrative cameos to either enhance or add detail to various productions. With the constraint of tight deadlines, I soon learnt to produce pictures using the minimum of line and colour, and I have continued this approach in most of my work.
“These days I concentrate on drawing, especially on holiday. I find drawings provide potent, emotive reminders of great times and places seen. It’s also a wonderfully relaxing process.”
Ghislaine Davis is an artist who grew up in Boulogne-surMer in France and has lived in Norway and has now settled in Chichester.
“I have lived in Chichester now for over ten years and have experienced all the seasons and paint watercolours and oil paintings from the surroundings of Chichester as well as motifs from France, Norway, Singapore and Iceland.
“Impressionist painters are my main inspiration and above all what is known as the Group of Seven from Canada.”
Rob Corfield is a Chichesterbased amateur artist working mainly in acrylics on hardboard. His paintings are large, bold and colourful and inspired by the sea and countryside of West Sussex.