Episode 18 of the The things that Drive us is out.  Listen to it on the link below.

It is art show season here in Oxfordshire.  I will be going to much of it and for last bank holiday weekend was Henley Arts Trail.  I have exhibited in this in the past but this time I decided not to, so I could attend as a visitor and take it all it. This is a brief summary of some of my stars.  Not pictured but worth a mention is Si Sapsford who displayed a number of excellent and very intriguing paintings and ceramics. She was exhibiting on her own, out of her studio and I do like seeing an artists studio.  So that was good.

Then next was the Henley Arts and Craft Guild (of which I used to be a member) displaying at the Old Fire Station Gallery where I recently exhibited.  It was very well curated this year.  It is always challenging hanging such a large group show and having a crowded wall is unavoidable. Within this restrictions it had been hung very well and there were a number of things I really liked.  

Sarah Pye, who I know a bit,  is an established and successful artist who paints mainly large colourful rural scenes in Acrylic.  It was therefore a very pleasant surprise to see this striking, slightly grungy and threatening painting of Henley Bridge.  I hope she does more like this.

Very intriguing indeed was the work by Janet Watson (above left). who does these skin graft like pieces made of ceramics, embroidery and silk.  They have a slightly disturbing organic quality but the colour choice and general composition makes it strong, I think.

Next up is Katy Garrod (above top right) who paints in acrylic but breaks up and elevates (I think in any event) the composition with collage.  Below this is Jenny Lee's "Element".  Sometimes, if they are done well I love these scratchy, brown and black abstract compositions.  And I like this one.

Lastly at the Old Fire Station Gallery, at least of my selections is Barry Wall's Green Dish (above).  I love ceramics,  particularly ceramics with this internal lustre and the two town glowing gem like blue really appeals to me and is set off by the green very nicely.

I do have a fondness for ceramics and so I was sorely tempted by these salt bowls (above left) on display in the Jacobini gallery and produced by Rhian Winsalde. They have a lovely lustrous interior with a salty looking roundel at the bottom which contrasts nicely with the white ceramic itself.  Each one is matched with an individual spoon which I appreciate.

Onto sculpture.  The Oxford Sculpture group always produces a good show.  Previously they were at Greys Court but this year they were at the Leander Club which displayed them to good effect.  There was a large selection varying to small and affordable to large and not. Daren Greenhow  produces some of the affordable end.  I have seen his stuff before and I greatly enjoy them.  These two owls (above left) show perfectly his skill and his appeal.  They are charming and interesting and I like the steam punk aesthetic.

Lilly Henry similarly and in this case produced this delightful Puffin sculpture (above right).  She is a talented sculptor as she also produced some of the larger works on display which were very striking.

My favourite venue was Oaken Grove Vineyard, although I will admit to bias as it is run by an old school friend of mine.  Having these sculpture scattered around the vines was very effective and encouraged you to wonder around to discover them.  I have said this before but wine and art work very well together.  They, and the rural venue all fed of each other so you had a large number of visitors with the wine encouraging purchase of the art and vice versa.

Bronwen Coussens is someone I know and whose work I admire.  She produces very fine ceramics and these blue and white ceramics pieces are a good example of her work (above left).  I was also taken with these spiky and knobbly pieces produced by Anne Marie Chiasson (above left).  I like the shape, the way the colour deepens as the piece descends and the golden metal.

I shall leave it there.  I was a good trail.  I might take part next year.