OUR ARTISTS
Cheshire Artists Network is a collaborative community of passionate and talented artists. We come from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, each bringing a unique perspective to our vibrant artistic collective.
Cheshire Artists Network is a collaborative community of passionate and talented artists. We come from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, each bringing a unique perspective to our vibrant artistic collective.
Barbara Barlow
I have been practising art in various forms since 2006. After a period of exploration I settled on watercolours and reduction linocut printmaking.
About two years ago I became interested in ceramics. I was able to bring my experience from other two dimensional artforms to three dimensional which proved very exciting.
Within that time I have contributed work to The Royal Academy of Arts, The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition (Keele), and I am currently involved with a new and exciting project through Stoke On Clay.
No matter what the medium, topics of interest are colour, texture, form, and abstraction. All my work centres on the notion of edit, edit, edit.
I am not very interested in representational work. I am more concerned with abstracting reality into something different. Not an easy task but the process is extremely fulfilling.
I have been creating art since I could hold a pencil and won prizes as a child.
My wife says I am gifted with great observational skills and memory. These two things facilitate good recall about how things look so I can create from memory.
She also appreciates what she describes as my whimsy, pleasure in visual jokes, and illustration skills.
I am very interested in shape and form and upcycling raw materials to create something new. For a long time now I have created artwork using pencil, watercolour and acrylic. More recently I turned to ceramics and have been creating Tree Faces, designed to be tied to trees. Examples of these are in a number of private gardens in Cheshire, Staffordshire and Wales.
I am currently taking part in the Stoke on Clay project, aimed at raising awareness and interest in ceramics and The Potteries.
John Barlow
Nicola Billington
After studying a BA( hons) in Textile Design at Manchester Polytechnic followed by an MA at the Royal College of Art in the 80’s, I started teaching art & design and textiles. I thoroughly enjoyed my time teaching on the Foundation in Art & Design, which I did for 26 years.
I have always exhibited and produced my own work. I usually produce mixed media studies that utilise machine and hand stitch, collage, paint and pastel and occasionally ceramics.
Bridget Bowie
Media or specialism: Textiles, print and installation.
Bridget's practice is largely an emotional response to an environment, situation, place or space. She works with various materials and techniques, often using printing methods on a base of cloth or paper and combining this with stitch, collage and the manipulation, piecing and embellishment of surfaces. Often the print plates will contain stitch and fabric. Each piece is individual and may develop as an installation piece or works for the wall.
During the MA, her practice centred on dealing with loss and this is always a thread through the work. Cutting away, removing and rearranging surfaces to "process the void". The outcomes are not morbid or maudlin, but rather contemplative and uplifting and often with a monochrome or very limited colour palette.
After working in Art education initially, she now exhibits across the UK and has enjoyed running workshops for many years for all ages, both from her home studio and various venues around the country.
If you are interested in doing a workshop at the studio or a Venue of your choice or would just like to book her for a talk, she can be contacted at the address below.
bridgeartbowie@gmail.com
www.bridgeartbowie.co.uk
facebook.com/Bridgeartbowie/
Nichola Burton
I am a mixed media artist, based in Cheshire. I studied Fine Art at Lancaster University, before teaching Art in Cheshire and North Yorkshire for 25 years. I creating bespoke artwork inspired by the lives and memories of people. These pieces aim to preserve, celebrate and cherish precious memories of both people and places.
In 2023 I completed my practice-based PhD, which explored lace design education and social change, in Nottingham, after 1943.
My portfolio is largely inspired by experience. My process begins with an appreciation of line, structure and composition. My ideas evolve in sketchbooks and I develop them into mixed media paintings and memory boxes.
I can talk with people and create a painting or a memory box which captures a special moment in their lives. Recently, I created a memory box to celebrate a client’s 10th wedding anniversary, using a mix of photographs, a champagne cork from the wedding, orders of service and wedding rock. It’s a privilege to share joy and sorrow: to create something beautiful from precious objects and mementos of experiences that are often stored away.
I am delighted to announce that my memory box, Lace in the Arboretum IV, has been shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2024. There were over 20,000 submissions this year, so it feels really special to have my work selected.
I am also moving into my new home studio and working on some new commissions for the Artful Fox community project and memory box workshops, in partnership with Radiate Arts (Chester).
Please have a chat with me if you have an idea for a bespoke piece or contact me via social media.
Email Nicholaburtonart@gmail.com
Instagram nichola_burton_art_
Website nicholaburton.co.uk
07713573136
Mike Cooke
Landscape is my principal obsession as a painter. I am anxious to be patient, allowing time for the landscape to form a dialogue with me. As the saying goes “sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits”. I’m relaxed that my response may take various stylistic forms.
I respond to physical interactions within the landscape, and search for viewpoints which allow me to experience relationships of mass and movement, alongside a joy in both colour and texture.
I have favourite ‘touchstones’, places or situations that I enjoy working in. Time after time I find fresh stimuli, something to excite. Location work for me is about the camera and sketchpad, exploring ways and means of capturing the layers, all the mood/time swings. I work freely with whatever materials come to hand; pencils, inks, paints and anything that the location itself offers me.
Jeff Davies
I was born in 1948, on a farm, Gwernywddog, Cwmysg in the shadow of the Black Mountains, South Wales.
My first artistic recollection was of George Stubbs “Horse frightened by a lion” when I was about five years old.
I decided farming was too much hard work and became an art teacher. I spent the best part of thirty years teaching art in Liverpool, a rewarding experience.
Married in my early twenties, still together, one daughter, Paula and a grandson, Xander.
Art, particularly painting has been a lifelong passion. Early Italian art and all the great masters have been a constant source of inspiration throughout. In my own work, the effect of light on my subjects is something I try to capture whether in portraiture or landscape painting.
Now based in Cheshire, I continue to explore and confront the problems posed by attempting to create pieces of art
Gill Ellison
Artist, printmaker and ceramicist
My impressionistic style emphasises light and colour and my latest 2D work is based on observations of the landscape of Cheshire and the coastlines of Wales and the Wirral.
I also enjoy working in clay and have produced a wide range of stoneware bird sculptures including cormorants, nuthatches and long tailed tits.
I studied at the North Wales School of Art and Design obtaining a BA (Hons) First Class degree (Fine Art) in 2015.
My home studio is in Broxton, Cheshire (just off the A41 Broxton Roundabout).
Please visit my website for examples of my work or give contact me if you would like to visit my studio.
www.gillellisonartist.wordpress.com
Email: gillellison28@gmail.com
Media or Specialism: Sculptor and environmental
I am a sculptor and environmental artist whose main interest is in Art in Public Places. I have worked throughout the U.K. as well as widely overseas in many international symposia, in both urban and rural landscapes, indoors and outdoors and have made sculptures which have been both permanent and temporary. My sculpture is site specific in that it relates totally to the site taking into consideration the architecture, the landscape, the history, economy, ecology or mythology of the area. I use a wide variety of materials relevant to the project - wood, stone, bricks, steel, bronze, planting, rope, sand, water, glass, light, plastics, even feathers, silk flowers and drinks cans and bottles, snow, etc. and recently with specially composed music with my sculptures, and enjoy working on both large and small scale.
Jane Hansell
Despite my qualifications being in 3D Design ( Ceramics ), I presently work mainly in 2D acrylics, collage and mono print.
My inspirations largely come from the landscape, over time moving towards abstr
action exploring texture and surface.
As I am regularly attending life-drawing classes I have decided to explore the possibility some of my many studies. This is new territory so no finished results yet.
David Hodgkinson
​Media or specialism: Ceramics
Born on the Wirral, my Art education was at Cardiff School of Art and then Bath Academy of Art. For many years I was involved in developing Art and Design education in Cheshire, but having now retired I have set up my studio in North Wales.
My work is based on a longstanding fascination with patterns found within both the rural and urban landscape. The starting points of my current work are based on observed pathways or routes found within the landscape. These are recorded as drawings / collages which are then used to inform the 3D work.
My work is predominantly thrown and is mainly based on a range of bowl shapes. The use of this timeless vessel form allows them to be seen as a blank canvas on to which variations can be applied. This is done using a number of methods. With the stoneware pieces these tend to use incising and cutting into the surface to apply pattern. With the porcelain pieces these are often celadon glazed with screen printed decals applied to the surface.
The final results often change as a result of the making process, which I hope brings greater spontaneity to the work. It is also why I tend to work on a series of pieces, producing a number of variants on a particular theme.
My main influences have been Gordon Baldwin and Elizabeth Fritsch
Doug Hutton
Art has always been a part of my life, mainly through painting, but also drawing cartoons, sculpting, woodturning and photography.
My favourite subjects are landscapes where humanity has struggled to make a small and sometimes tenuous impression and often has been beaten by circumstances. The stories behind these struggles may be forgotten, but an image of what remains hopefully hints at what the story might have been.
I have had work selected for exhibition at the Stockport Open Exhibition, The Grosvenor Museum's Open Art Exhibition, and the Royal Cambrian Academy Open Exhibition.
Jo Jenkins
JO JENKINS Fine Art Painter
I am a retired Art Teacher who now paints almost every day.
I am inspired by travel and walking and excited by the dramatic qualities caused by weather and the ambiguous effects that can result, in terms of light, movement
and atmosphere.
I don’t aim for a photographic likeness and many images result in abstract pieces.
I work on a number of pieces simultaneously, responding to the qualities as they emerge.
My paintings are in oil on canvas, or occasionally in watercolour.
Contact me- web site www.jojenkinsartist.me
email jo@jojenkinsartist.me
mobile 07800532262
An elected member of Manchester Academy of Fine Art.
2017 Cheshire Life Artist of the year.
Exhibited at Great North Art Shows and London Art fairs.
Anne Johnson
Anne enjoys exploring the natural world through a variety of media, in particular Oil on Canvas, Batik, Photography, Printmaking and more recently stitching.
When she is not being creative she is part of a team that runs a small Cooperative artists studios where classes are provided to support creativity in the local community. She has a studio space at the Crosshatch studios for her own work as well as teaching. Past experiences include teaching in mainstream education; art design and a level Photography. Prior to this after completing a Bachelor of Arts in Glass and Ceramic design she began her career in the Glass Industry designing and engraving glass forms for Royal Brierly Crystal and Bridge Crystal. Sadly both firms no longer exist as the glass industry of Stourbridge fell into decline.
Derek Johnson
Here are some quotes for my statement that reflect my work.
Hedges, fields and trees, hill and moorland, presented to the eye their ever varying shades of deep rich green; scarce had a leaf fallen, scarce a sprinkle of yellow mingled with the hues of summer, warned you that autumn had begun.
Charles Dickens “Pickwick Papers.”
“…a walk beside a lake or river; a swim in the sea; a chance to sit beside a pond in a local park. Wherever it is encountered, water engages the senses, mesmerising the eye and freeing the mind. “Water beings.” Veronica Strang
It was still overcast; the light seemed tired, and the breeze tasted stale.
Iain Banks. “The Wasp Factory”
As when, upon a tranced summer-night,
Those green-rob’d senators of mighty woods,
Talloaks, branched-charmed by the earnest stars,
Dream and so dream all night without a stir,
Save from one gradual solitary gust
Which comes upon the silance, and dies off,
As if the ebbing air had but one wave,
John Keats From “Hyperion”
Helen Kaminsky
Helen is particularly drawn towards abstraction and representational imagery which has allowed her to develop experimental approaches employing expressive creative freedom. With a passion for mixed media, strong colours and diverse subject matter, her bold, adventurous style is distinct and dramatic.
Helen’s love of colour and experimentation is carried through layers of imagery and texture with a vibrant mix of traditional and imaginative new techniques. It is the experimental combination of these methods that gives each painting its unique quality.
Kate Marchuk
I have no formal background in art but have always loved looking, really looking at what is around us and trying to absorb, to take into myself, what I see. Now, when I paint, that process is reversed - I try to put down in paint my relationship with the external world. When we observe something we become part of and add to it - we affect and alter what we see. My landscape paintings are me, in that place, for those moments: my stake in that world. Recently I have also begun to explore still life as a subject - attempting to present mundane objects in a more charged, heightened way, trying to fill them with significance and possibilities. It’s a magical process, pulling an object out of the paint - something that feels more like an act of creation than of representation…
I paint in oils. I love the richness of the colours and the forgiving quality of the paint!
Kate Mckennan
Kate McKennan’s work centres on the Earth, its properties, minerals ,life forms and patterns of evolution. There is wonder here!
A self taught photographer with a fascination of how we perceive the world around us, Allisdhair has developed his approach to photography to produce stunning, thoughtful images of what he sees around him. Each piece is a blending of light, colour, movement creating a new vision of the subject, a mindful meditation of time and place, infinite moments captured forever but never to be repeated.
Allisdhair is an active member of the Cheshire Artists Network and has had several successful exhibitions throughout the North West of England and in Italy.
​
website www.allisdhairphotography.com
Allisdhair McNaull
David North
D A V I D N O R T H ARTIST
AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL, AGED 16, I WENT ON TO ART COLLEGE WITH A DREAM OF DOING SOMETHING ARTY, BUT ONLY A VAGUE IDEA OF WHAT THIS MIGHT MEAN. NOW, IN RETIREMENT, AFTER 40 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL WORK IN ACHITECTURE AND DESIGN I HAVE RETURNED TO ART TO LIVE OUT WHAT MAY BE LEFT OF THAT ORIGINAL DREAM.
I AM EXPLORING, IN THE BROADEST RANGE OF MEDIA, MY LIFETIME OF MEMORIES, THE MANY PLACES I HAVE BEEN TO, THE EVOLVING MOODS THAT CHANGING SEASONS BRING, THE SUBTLE INFLUENCE OF ONGOING CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE SUBLIMINAL INFLUENCE OF MY OWN CULTURAL ORIGINS.
Rosie North
I make artwork because I have always done so; the desire to make marks in numerous ways is permanently woven into my life. My aim is to convey the essence of mood and the energy of what I see and feel and to understand my place in nature.
My artwork reflects my interest in the practice of mindfulness, the influence of the early Surrealists and the elemental artworks of JMW Turner.
I enjoy making original experimental and often challenging artworks in a variety of media very often several media together.
My artwork is inspired by landscape, natural forms and life drawing.
Working from sketches and photographic reference, I endeavour to create paintings that are sometimes representational and sometimes abstract.
e-mail powellma17@gmail.com
Malcolm Powell
Ann Roach BA
After graduating from Art College, I travelled to Africa, where whilst raising a family, began teaching & illustrating.
Now in Cheshire, I have for many years been a practising Artist and Tutor.
My work is diverse, with studies from life being developed into paintings. I aim to capture the specific nature & energy of the subject in a variety of media,the image often spilling over to the mount.
I am a member of CAN. Work has been exhibited extensively, gained many awards and has been featured in several Art publications.
Jackie Saxton
Although a late starter, I’m passionate about all forms of art, including life drawing, mixed media, oils and acrylics, however my special interest is pastels, winning the Pastel Trophy three times at Altrincham Art Society. I studied Art & Design in Scotland before moving to Nantwich. I work in my own studio at home but need the essential inspiration and encouragement that can only be found by working with like-minded artists!
Estella Scholes
Estella Scholes MA MAFA
I originally trained as a painter, but now work mainly with printmaking, collage and book art.
My work is exhibited widely in solo or group exhibitions, and as a member of Manchester Academy of Fine Art, Cheshire Artists Network, and Printmakers Pushing the Boundaries.
The transition from painting on canvas to original printmaking, collage and artists books has been a natural progression over a number of years. I approach printmaking informally, as a painter, developing and adapting skills to allow thoughts and process to evolve towards the end abstracted results. The moment when an idea is surrendered to the alchemy of ink, damp paper and etching press pressure never fails to excite.
My source material is gathered from the evidence of ancient manmade and natural processes on the land, the vestiges of former industry, prehistoric settlement, forgotten boundaries, the effects of wind and water erosion on shapes and colours, the little things we pick up and put in a pocket while rambling, which may or may not hold the promise of archaeological treasure.
I work with various print techniques, including monoprint, collagraph, and etching. These techniques are often combined in a particular piece, and I sometimes collage my printed surfaces with sections of the printing plates themselves. The use of collage allows for unexpected juxtapositions of shape and colour, which in turn feeds back into the composition of my printing plates.
Steve Lloyd Davies
I have been involved in the art world for many years as a Lecturer in Fine Art and producing paintings.
I have exhibited in the South – East and, following a recent move, North Staffordshire and Cheshire.
The subjects of my paintings are varied. They derive from observations of my surroundings and more abstract ideas.
I have developed a painting technique of using superimposed hand drawn lines to build up layered, shimmering surfaces.
Gill is currently Chair of Cheshire Artists Network, and a former Director of Visual Arts Cheshire, her own specialism is that of Textiles and Mixed Media, both 2D and 3D. She works with threads and fabrics, the latter is often dyed, bleached, rusted, and burnt to build up the many layers Gill works with. More recently, she has involved herself with recycled materials to ensure her work has eco integrity. She is inspired by fabrics and threads from India, where she has travelled extensively. Gill’s artwork often has historical and/or fashionable influences.
Tony Snowball
Tony has painted for as long as he can remember. Since retiring he has been able to devote more time and energy to his work. He loves painting landscapes but his repertoire includes: still-life, townscapes, seascapes and more recently even floral subjects!
Tony paints in oils, watercolours and acrylics as well as pen and inks. He is currently the Treasurer of Cheshire Artists Network with whom he regularly exhibits.
Adam Caar
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Cathy Williams
My evolving practice primarily revolves around figurative and narrative art. My subjects, often female, engage with themes of personal reflection, relationships, performativity, and open-ended narratives.
Currently I am experimenting with how to use mixed media materials with oil paints. I am also playing with work that has open-ended narratives, perhaps some visual puns or juxtapositions and contexts that cross more than one visual plane.
My artistic journey is focused on harmonizing these diverse approaches and creating a contemporary style that amplifies the narrative impact of my work.
When inspired I do also sometimes engage with other contexts beyond figurative.
Jim Williamson
Jim’s work evokes a strong sense of place, celebrating connections with family and friends. More recently he takes inspiration from the cities and coastline of New South Wales.
His love of German Expressionism and contemporary northern artists are evident in many of his compositions.
Jim combines new technology with traditional methods and mediums to explore the infinite possibilities of reworking art.
His ceramics merge the fantastical with memories of childhood and joyful visits to Caithness, Scotland. His bothies and cottages are deliberately ambiguous and playful.
Phone +447739484868
Email japw23uk@gmail.com
Email braveart23@gmail.com