Nicky Stainton

Mark Burrell is one of the leading members of the ‘North Sea Magical Realists’ and lives by the coast in Lowestoft Suffolk.

He is a painter of visionary imagination and multiple stories are interwoven throughout the work. But this world does not need to be understood to be enjoyed, because the imagined narrative is always secondary to feeling, atmosphere and color, where jewel like qualities merge with fine detail. This is a land of light and shadow, subtle and mysterious, not just fantasy or dark fairy tale, but more the experience of the human condition. One is reminded of old stained glass windows, as light seems to shine out of the paintings often in the form of sunsets, full moons, or some magical source.

Mark’s work has appeared on television six times. He was awarded ‘First Prize’ by Bill Oddie on the program ‘ Moving Art’ hosted by George Melly and interviewed by Wendy Sister Beckett.

In London, he has won the Lucy Morrison Memorial Prize at the Royal Overseas League and has had work exhibited in The House of Commons and the Royal Academy. Internationally Mark has shown in New York USA at The Interart Gallery, The Jarvis Centre, and Williamsburg Historical Center, and also in France, Norway and Holland.

Closer to home Marks work has been shown in London at The Mall Galleries (Discerning Eye), The Tripp Gallery, The Splinter Gallery, Le Chat Noir Gallery, Logos Gallery, as well as The Fruit Market Gallery Scotland; The Minories Colchester, Chappel Galleries Essex, Assembly House Norwich, and Norwich Castle, and resident artist at The Ferini Gallery Suffolk.

Mark also paints realist portraits and commissions are considered.

If you would like to see more of Marks work, please contact for an appointment at markosart@hotmail.com or see his website at www.markburrellart.com

I’m a photographer. I take pictures for a living, but I’m also a writer and teacher with a little over 25 years experience spent immersed in photography in all its forms. I love it here – I could stay here forever, just as long as I’m still taking photographs, writing about them or waffling on to someone else about them.

During my early years with the medium, I was lucky enough to serve apprenticeships on cruise ships in the Caribbean and environmental expeditions in Tanzania as well as travelling around Europe shooting stock for various agencies and stock libraries.

I’ve also spent many years shooting commercial work for a wide range of businesses and organisations, and had my work exhibited in exhibitions from Mexico City to Nova Gorica. Alongside this commercial work, much of my fine art work has been published in magazines and journals and I continue to work with several international agencies including Millenium Images who represent some of my Norfolk landscape work.

More recently, I’ve been expanding my educational activities by working in schools; most recently undertaking workshops with Creative Partnerships and North Walsham Junior School, and the City of Norwich School, running the Coast Watch Photography Group – read more about it here. I also run my own Courses and Workshops for small group or 1-1 tuition, either at my home base or on location. Teaching and tutoring has benefited my own work enormously and I thrive on the feedback and buzz of a lively class of students and seeing ideas and unique insights develop and grow into finished bodies of work.

www.jeremywebbphotography.com

I am a self-taught mixed media artist with a background in illustration. I use natural materials such as wood, stone, paper and metal, often in a grid format, attempting to create imaginative equivalents to words, phrases and ancient places. I am influenced by poetry, archaeology and music. My day job is running Artbox which provides art sessions for adults with special needs near Halesworth.

www.helenmurray.co.uk

I live 250 metres from the glorious North Sea and beautiful Pakefield Beach.My working life was spent in education. Now I love walking, talking and writing. ‘Confessions of a Dutch Reading Club’ was my first novel (Patricia van Stratum 2011). This was followed by ‘Reading Pictures’, a collection of fictional short stories set in Lowestoft (2016) Now I’m into poetry. In January I began an online poetry course with The Writers’ Centre In Norwich. I have performed some of my pieces at The Seagull Theatre in Pakefield.  I am a member of Kirkley Village Writers, Pakefield  Planters and the Marina’s, Next Stagers Theatre Group. In all of these settings it is a great privilege to work with so many talented, creative and inspirational people. I frequently visit all three of our theatres and my regular treat is to go the Ferini Art Gallery in Pakefield. Here local artists can display their work in this wonderful coastal gallery. It’s a great setting for a number of activities as well as a quiet place to enjoy the skills and knowledge of its talented curator.

Laina has lived in Reydon, Nr. Southwold, for 10 years and has become increasingly absorbed in painting the surrounding area.  She has always loved painting and drawing and is continually looking at new techniques and mediums.

Her studio will be open to visitors on 22 & 23 June 2019 as part of Southwold Arts Festival’s Open Studio Trail.  She has work at the Ferini Gallery, Pakefield, and will be exhibiting at Beccles Society of Artists and Southwold Art Circle annual exhibitions.

Laina works mainly in oils and pastel, but also enjoys mixed media and watercolour.  She can be contacted via her website at www.lainawest.co.uk

I am self-taught in this wonderful world of Creative Art. I have always called it my apprenticeship for my retirement. I have been a Golf Green Keeper all my working life and have been in close contact with the four seasons. Watching all that Mother Nature can show you, it seemed natural for me to paint and draw wildlife.

www.johnrcarey.me.uk

Spadge Hopkins SOS committee member; WBA, NCAS and EAAF member is creating on a full time basis, informed by experience gained during a creative career that involved leadership, product design, the music industry and automotive engineering. Currently he tends to work in three dimensions and in metal.

His first mainstream public exhibition was in Ipswich in 2015 but he has been practicing and studying autodidactically, producing varied work for colleagues, friends and family since the 1980s.

Spadge’s first serious works were conceptual. The Machin(sic) series are made of found mechanical components in order to explore questions of value and are an expression of Spadge’s appreciation of the form and function of mechanical components that are so often unseen when they are performing their intended task.

His copper sculptures are variously figurative and explore two of the binaries of sculpture; volume and void; whilst playing with the use of light and shadow. Movement is a conscious theme in his natural history subjects whereas other pieces often concern mystery and the evocation of history.

A public art, rock-music themed commission for the City of Cambridge in 2016 and a continuing fascination with the subject, movement and shadow has led Spadge into producing a unique series of drawings of people laser cut in metal. These are lit in various ways and often move within the piece via small electric motors. Recently he has used the laser cutting technique to produce a series of animals some of which have been larger, outdoor sculptures.

Spadge has also curated a number of exhibitions. He lives and works in a rambling array of barns and sheds in Suffolk and has strong links with London, Cambridge and the West Country.

Sculpting in copper and steel at the moment. Natural history and iconic faces. Movement is often a theme either in the form itself or via electric motors. Natural light and shadow or projection and shadow often feature. Studio/gallery visits welcome by appointment.

SpadgeHopkins.co.uk

Facebook @SpadgeArt

I graduated with a BA(Hons) in fine art as a mature student in 1986 and have been mostly painting ever since showing my work in many exhibitions in, Norwich, Ipswich, Sudbury taking part in the Gainsborough touring exhibition of drawings, in Bury St Edmunds, Stoke-on Trent, Halesworth,  and Aldeburgh for the last 4 years. I have also tutored art classes for over 14 years and continue this in Beccles.  For the last ten years I have added collages and sculptural assemblages to my repertoire. I am very interested in the found object and mostly work on driftwood and found and gifted wood. I use the wood to give me ideas for the piece if the wood speaks to me that way. I also use myths, legends, history and other artists as inspiration. I often make and write small books to go with bigger works which contain research information and maybe my own poems. I open my studio every year for Suffolk Open Studios event and will be open for the middle two weekends in June.

ninaartmaker.info

Scribbly Roo is an illustrator and graphic designer. She channels her love of colour and pattern into multi-layered mixed media pieces, exploring themes of narrative and symbolism. In addition to traditional media, she also creates digital illustrations using an iPad. See more of her work at  www.scribblyroo.co.uk and on Instagram @scribblyroostudios.

I founded Nutmeg Puppet Co in 1979 and with a group of actors, theatre directors and writers, composers, musicians and visual artists have produced shows for schools, small theatres and festivals since then. I have also trained young makers and performers on the job. We worked for the Broads Authority for over 20 years, making and touring puppet shows based on considerable research and inspired by the ecology, plants, animals, social history, and folk tales of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.  We also specialise in shadow puppetry, running workshops and making shows for adults and children. I make short films (Spooky Folk) and have taught animation (The Sound of Wangford). With Jenny Nutbeam I have made textile hangings for environmental organisations.  I work with natural materials, leading family workshops to make puppet characters – animals, people, mysterious beings – and more recently creating installations (Waveney River Sculpture Trail, Craftco window, Southwold). A strong focus of my work has always been to try to re-engage people with the natural world, and to encourage children and adults to make things well using proper hand-tools. I teach the same methods as I use in my own installations.

http://nutmegpuppet.co.uk

facebook @nutmegpuppetco

twitter @NutmegPuppetCo