Meet the Artists and Artisans
Bletchfest’s Annual Artists and Artisans Exhibition takes place at Grange Meadow Pavilion, Bletchingley over the weekend of 18th & 19th May.
With many artists and artisan crafts on display there will be much unique, original art and craft works to admire and acquire. Below is a brief profile of some of the artists and their work.
BLOOMIN’ ARTS is driven by the voices of disabled adults. We support learning and physically disabled adults in exhibiting their skills in visual art, drama, and dance. Our courses engage and celebrate diversity, valuing everyone's unique voice, ability, and talent, while building connections with our local and artistic community. We have a range of art prints, notebooks, and cards available for purchase, showcasing the amazing talents of our disabled artists.
DAVID OWEN EVE: I write poetry then add them to my own photos. I have various sizes of these printed plus I make a few videos with Audio / narrated poems. I also make small books which feature my work. This just a hobby for me. I did Bletchfest last year and a summer fair in Caterham but otherwise everything I do is for family and friends.
EAST SURREY WOODTURNERS will be demonstrating and exhibiting on Saturday 18th May. The club, which celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year, meets monthly in The Scout Hall, St John the Divine, Selsdon. We aim to promote the fascinating craft of woodturning for anyone in our local area interested in the craft . Full details are on our website: www.eastsurreywoodturners.org. Come and see what we do – all are welcome.
EVI TRICKEY: I have been painting since I retired from teaching. I like to work in pastels and particularly enjoy portraiture of people and other animals.
PAUL CHISHOLM: born 1983 in Canterbury, England and brought up in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He studied at Nottingham Trent University (2004) before doing his MA in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art in London (2018/2019). Chisholm’s practice has been featured on The BBC, The Daily Star, Metro Newspaper, Attitude magazine and more.He came to notoriety in 2017 when he sold “ The Worlds most painful dildo” as dubbed by the press at Christies, London in Aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust. Recent Exhibitions include, The Everyday exhibition, Curated by Visual Aids, La mama Galleria, New York, The Tronie’s of Croydon-Oh at Turf Projects, Croydon, London (2022), Mc Hope at The Brewery Tap Project Space, University of Creative Arts, Folkestone, Kent (2023) and The Queer Britain Art award, Queer Britain Museum, Kings Cross, London (2023). He lives between Bletchingley in Surrey & Amsterdam, Holland.
PAUL TARRANT: I have lived in Bletchingley for the past 32 years and have been a wood turner for the last 10 years. My interest in wood however goes back many years. Wood turning is only one of my many interests and I maintain and expand a large collection of Bonsai, enjoy gardening and plant propagation and keep and breed tropical fish. I turn a variety of things including mood animals and birds, bowls, candlesticks and also make some more sculptural items. Most of my wood is sourced locally and I often use wood with faults, knots and bark inclusions which make the finished work more interesting. I also experiment with more unusual wood such as Leylandii, Sumac and Ivy and leave the bark on where I can. Each piece is therefore unique.
SUSAN KOUREA. I'm 75 yrs old, a retired teacher and live locally. I am a total amateur and my painting began after my husband died in 2017, but I've always dabbled in sewing, knitting and printing, and spend most evenings doing stuff. As far as Art goes, I'm a Jack of all trades and mistress of none! I love all of it and enjoy experimenting! My work was adorning the walls of a local pub until recently, mainly to save the landlord from redecorating I think, but a fire sadly put an end to the pub and some of my work!
NICOLA MCNAIR: I have taught Art for 20 years in schools, and for 9 years to a client with visual impairment and disabilities. I now work as a teaching assistant for young adults in a college for performing and visual arts. Art is my therapy!
RHIAN LALLY has been drawing and painting since 2020, learning with Adele Wagstaff, Candid Art Studio, The New York Academy of Arts and recently with JJ Cunningham in Florida. She likes to explore all mediums from chalk, charcoal, pastels and pens to silverpoint, inks and oils and anything else she can find! She specialises in portraits and takes on commissions so please feel free to contact her if you are interested in having a piece of work done for a loved one for a gift for a birthday, special occasion or to remember someone special.
BLETCHINGLEY SKILLS CENTRE provides a variety of opportunities for students to express their creative and artistic talents. Art Therapy provides a way to express oneself, a voice to communicate without limitation offering alternative ways to communicate even when words are limited. It’s a therapy based on the theory that creative expressions can foster healing and emotional well-being. We use a wide range of techniques including stamping, painting, sewing and a variety of innovations to produce our creations.
Kate Tulett is an experimental artist, specialising in original art using recycled materials, textiles and acrylic on canvas. As Head of Art at a local school, she is still very hands on teaching art, while also running her own gallery, classes and workshops from her studio at Wickham’s Stores, Limpsfield High Street, RH8 0DR. Kate runs classes and workshops from her studio on Friday evenings (adults) and Saturday mornings (children) and in the school holidays, and also takes group and private tuition sessions in art and textiles for GCSE, A’Level students and further education students.
Also exhibiting are: Jimli Saha, Kirstie Lake, Kirsty Sowerbutts, Lorna Tyler, Faye Sheel with displays by the pupils. students and clients of Bletchingley Village Primary School and Renewed Hope.