Pashley Manor: sculpture in a classic historic garden
Pashley always has fine figurative and naturalistic wildlife sculpture displayed around its well-maintained grounds. If you visit whilst their Tulip Festival is in full bloom, or the wisteria is in flower, you cannot fail to be impressed. They also have excellent light lunches and teas! On the Kent-Sussex border, there could not be a pleasanter way to enjoy the English traditional country house garden. The sculpture is for sale – ask in the shop – and there is also a very good selection in the gift shop. Open from April through to the end of October.
This year, in addition to my woodpecker and arum lilies seen above, they have my fox and pheasant around the grounds – see if you can spot them. As usual, I also have my regular tulips, daffodils and birdbaths on display.
Delamore Arts 2025
Delamore Arts 2025 is open throughout May, and has a long and successful tradition of attracting sculptors and painters from all over the country. The work is varied and imaginative, and all of high quality. I am proud to have been accepted there every year since 2015. If you are in the area, I strongly recommend a visit: near Ivybridge, at the southern edge of Dartmoor. The website: Delamore Arts.
Pilgrims Way Summer Exhibition, Lenham, Kent
This well-established group of local artists produces an exhibition every summer in the magnificent and historic Lenham Tithe barn (ME17 2QD). Open from May 16th to 26th, 10am to 5pm, it always has thought-provoking art, with two or three guest sculptors, and I am happy to have been invited to take part again this year.
The Fire and Iron Gallery, Leatherhead is open all year
I’m delighted to continue to be one of the featured artists at Lucy Quinnell’s gallery. There is some fabulous work here: ranging from traditional blacksmith’s functional items to ‘pure art’ sculpture. If you don’t already know of it, do visit the gallery. Allow plenty of time to marvel at (in order, below) Tim Cotterill’s brilliant bronze frogs, Joanne Tinker’s incredible miniatures, Mick Maxen’s exquisite welded textures, and a good selection of my own insects, animals and flowers, amongst a myriad of others. Just off junction 9 of the M25, KT22 0EN.
Lucy has also created an online shop which is well worth a visit. There is a link to it HERE.
Lovely’s Gallery, Northdown Road Margate
Margate is undergoing an art-led revival, with the Turner Contemporary in the Harbour, and new art shops and galleries in the Old Town. In Cliftonville, once the genteel end of town with the grander hotels and seaside boarding-houses but now very Bohemian in character, is Lovely’s Art Gallery and Artist’s Materials. Founded in 1891 (so just 40 years too late to supply JMW with his canvas, oils or water-colours) and now in the fourth generation, this family business is an Aladdin’s Cave of art. Some is very modern; some of it amusing, but all imaginative and original. I have twice held solo exhibitions in their upstairs Art Space, and I am frequently surprised by their requests for front-window display work.
