LEEDS CASTLE SCULPTURE TRAIL 2024 IS NOW OPEN
From August 24th to October 6th, the wide and graceful Leeds Castle and gardens are adorned with a wide variety of sculptures, including several of mine, and my colleague David Gisby’s stained glass. In terms of pure picturesque beauty, this is probably the best that any of us exhibit at.
Pashley Manor
Open every day from 1st April through to 30th September.During the season they have a superb cafeteria for light lunches and afternoon teas, and if you don’t know these gardens you really should plan a visit. The gardens, on the Kent-Sussex border, are open from Easter through to the end of September, lovely at any time but at their most impressive during the tulip festival, starting at Easter.
My water-lily bird-baths always prove very popular.
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.
Godinton House and Gardens Sculpture Exhibition 20th July – 11th August 2024
Visitors enjoyed viewing mixed media, glass and ceramics across the 12-acre garden, including a meadow trail and formal gardens which feature the Walled Garden and Italian Garden, a rose garden and twin borders designed by architect Sir Reginald Blomfield.
Exhibitors included popular returning artists Ronnie Dongo, Emily Stone, Paul Harvey, David Gisby, Claire Nelson and Jane Richardson as well as several established sculptors new to Godinton such as Carol Orwin and Joel Walker.
Delamore Arts 2024
The 2024 Delamore exhibition in Devon was open throughout May, at Cornwood, and as always I was delighted to take part in this wonderfully well-organised event in a lovely setting.
I don’t have so much there this year, but I’m very pleased with what there is, especially Mr Fox.
Weekend village exhibition
I was delighted to be take part in a small village exhibition at Preston in Kent. There was a remarkable quality and variety of art to be seen, and they fitted a lot into a medium-sized space. It was open 10th – 11th February.
