In keeping with venues up and down the country, Southport Contemporary Arts’ gallery, the ArtHouse in Eastbank Street, will once again be showcasing a wide spectrum of original and captivating works of artwork during its own eagerly anticipated Spring Open Exhibition.
Co-Director of SCA, Norrie Bewick-Calvert explains the focus for this year’s entries: “The theme is going to be ‘Emerge’, which we thought was an apt one as we move from the gloom into the sunshine.”
Profiling not only SCA members, the SCA Spring Open traditionally also offers the wider artistic community the opportunity to display their own work in the gallery.
SCA already has a reputation for bringing together a range of high quality contemporary art and craft from both emerging and established artists throughout the year and this annual celebratory exhibition will once again celebrate the scope of creativity and artistic talent across the region from Ceramics and Jewellery, to Oil Paintings and Mixed Media Collage.
Norrie confirms: “In this year’s exhibition, open to all artists and makers living and working in Liverpool City Region and Lancashire, we are inviting participants to respond to the theme in their own distinctive way using inventive and original methodologies. Entrants have been asked to reflect on emerging from our hibernatory Winter mode into a Spring filled with light and a sense of progress. The whole exhibition will create an uplifting and inspirational collection of unique work for all to enjoy. It is always a pleasure to welcome in new work and meet so many creatives, especially at this time of year when we have all been a little cocooned.”
Freelance artist and printmaker, Mike Goodwin from Litherland, who works mainly in pen and ink to bring his detailed humorous graphic illustrations to life, offers his own personal take on this year’s theme: “The protagonist, Teddy, ’emerges’ from his bedroom window to greet the brand new day!”
Teddy Boyle is Mike’s 87 year-old rock ‘n’ roller, who is often seen coiffured with or without his giant wig.
Despite no formal training, Mike was a past winner of the Sefton Open Arts competition and continues to exhibit locally: “My pen and ink drawings often take weeks to complete. I’m not a fast worker and tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so I have to be quite patient in order to get it right (in my eyes)”.
Leaded glass artist, Margaret Maule, has also been burning the midnight oil preparing her new Tiffany style glass panel for the exhibition: “I have always loved glass, the variety of colours and effects it can create. It’s such an ancient material, which has stood the test of time. My inspiration for it came from a visit to Blackwell House in the Lake District. The Arts and Crafts interior has, in my opinion, not dated in over a hundred years, which is what I wanted to celebrate in my panel. It is called “Blackwell Bloom” and I have used some, not all, handmade glass in its construction.”
Also exhibiting will be Neil Prior, a professional artist from Ainsdale. Neil already has an established track record of commissions in oils, including portraits, still life, landscapes and more recently, his popular, dog portraiture. Hot on the heels of his recent homage to Vermeer solo exhibition – “The Art Detective” – his featured painting, “Eastern Promise”, lives up to its title depicting a mysterious woman’s face seductively ‘emerging’ from beneath an embroidered black headscarf trimmed with silver jewellery.
No stranger to the local art scene, Pauline McNulty has been drawing and painting now for over forty years: “I initially engaged with art through Adult Education in the ‘80s. Since then I have extended the depth and breath of my experience and skills through classes and courses in watercolour, acrylics, life drawing, linocut, silk painting and pastels backed up with extensive academic study”.
The natural world has always provided the stimulation for Pauline’s accomplished technique: “I just love to sketch and paint animals, wildlife and flora”.
In keeping with this year’s theme, Pauline’s pen and wash entry – “Sunflowers and Honey Bees” – depicts a springtime swarm of Honey Bees emerging from their Hive.
Norrie concludes: “We are hoping that visitors will feel uplifted from their visit to the Gallery and that the Artists taking part will feel the positive impact of their creative connectivity, that is such an important part of what SCA sets out to achieve.”
This year’s Spring Open will run from 25th March until 12th April at ArtHouse, 65 Eastbank Street, Southport PR8 1EJ. Opening times: Tuesday – Friday: 10am-3pm & Saturday: 11am-4pm.