DORSET ART WEEKS 2022 (14-29 MAY)

Dorset Art Weeks 2022 DORSET ART WEEKS 2022 DIRECTORY • 3 DORSET ART WEEKS returns this year with some stunning work and a number of artists who are opening their studios for the fist time. WEYMOUTH SCULPTURE TRAIL (Venue 160) is the perfect place to start your Dorset Art Weeks visit. If you park in the Swannery Car Park you can walk alongside the inner harbour and see cormorants sunning their wings, wildfowl and seagulls as you head into town. Under the bridge, STEVE GELIOT’s images on steel aluminium have been attached to the utility metal railings and enhance an otherwise uninteresting area. In Bond Street in the town, Constant Bearing by DENMAN AND GOULD is an installation of paving and seating that directly references the colours of charts mapping underwater terrain and nautical navigation charts. On the Stone Pier there are stunning views of the sea from NIGEL ROSS’s bench carved from a single piece of oak. Further sculptures are sited along the esplanade and in Hope Square. CAROLINE SHARP (Venue 163) is joined this year by her daughter ANNIE SHARP. Both of them use sustainable materials. Caroline constructs three-dimensional forms and Annie makes hand-woven textiles. THE WALLED GARDEN at Moreton (Venue 122) is a delight not to be missed. Sculptor ISLA CHENEY is showing work that explores contrasts and contradictions, looking at both natural and man-made forms. The walled garden is a perfect vehicle for her exploration of the relationships between solid forms and the space around them. Other exhibiting artists are staging interactive events and there will be an outdoor cinema event with live soundtrack on Saturday 21 May. THE PURBECK NEWWAVE GROUP (Venue 119) includes BRIONY MAPLE, who works with fused glass, and sculptor DIANA GIRDWOOD, who works in paper and plaster. Painter ELEANOR SPALDING uses the oil pastel like watercolour to make free drawings that have the feel of a sketchbook, with lots of white space around the image. GROUP 7, a long established group of high profile artists are showing 2D work and sculpture at LIGHTHOUSE in Poole (Venue 89). BRIAN BISHOP’s ribbon sculpture in coated steel Pavilion for Yellow Birds particularly caught my eye. MARTYN BREWSTER’s signature strong colours and shapes appear in his paintings and prints. The powerful colour in URSULA LEACH’s landscape based abstracts flag up her deep concerns for the environment. At Lulworth Cove, THE KNIGHT WEBB GALLERY (Venue 121) is housed in the iconic Edwyn Lutyens house and is worth a visit for the location alone. It hosts paintings by RUFUS KNIGHT WEBB and carved bog oak sculpture by Suffolk artist ROGER HARDY. A wealth of different processes and subjects are on show at POOLE PRINTMAKERS (Venue 88). ANGIE BRUDEWELL makes solar etchings, a fascinating process using a light sensitive surface. JOHN WELSH and NICK WHARAM both work with lino, a low tech process which can be printed using the back of a spoon. PAULINE FERRICK-SQUIBB makes collographs which are equally accessible for those who want to experiment. STEVE BAMFORD works with photo screen-printing. Check their website for details of pop-up taster sessions and membership. If you collect tableware, JANE ELMER SMITH’s exuberantly coloured mugs, jugs and bowls will brighten your mealtimes (Venue 115). At the same venue, ALINE JOHNSON’s glass chandeliers use a vibrant palette which complements the pottery. At WALFORD MILL (Venue 85) you can see DEBBY KIRBY’s interesting combination of materials that she uses in her silk and paper weaving. DONNA PETERS is also showing screen-prints . CAROLINE SOER (Venue 29) is now based in rural Dorset after years of travelling the world. She focuses on the small and intimate, making subtle monoprints and paintings of the flowers and insects in her garden. Her mixed media paintings incorporate collage, and her delicate plaster casts reveal the detail of the plants and leaves that are her subject. RUTH PIPER (VENUE 194) FRONT COVER: EMMA J READ (VENUE 104) PERCY LIZZARD (VENUE 54)