AS WORCESTERSHIRE’S biggest celebration of creativity looks set to return in a few weeks, organisers are putting artists in the spotlight to showcase the value of art.
Ahead of the return of Worcestershire Open Studios (August 16 to 25) where 167 artists and makers will open up their spaces to the public completely free, our coverage will highlight some running themes of the 10th anniversary event.
Organisers have showcased a few of the artists taking part who are championing the idea that creatives can be drawing inspiration from the same themes whilst their subjects and depictions are poles apart.
To explore this theme, organisers have highlighted three artists who have taken extremely cold landscapes as inspiration for some of the work they will be showing during the event and whilst their subject matter is quite literally poles apart, they are united by their love of snow covered-landscapes.
First up on the theme of ‘artists poles apart united by art’ is Louise Pilditch (venue number – 6) from Welland, Malvern. Louise is a regular visitor to the Arctic island of Svalbard between Norway and the North Pole. The artist has published ‘An Artist’s Monograph’ of her Svalbard paintings. Her latest So Wrong, a Warm Wind was inspired by the feeling of dread she felt while in the North of the island before feeling a warm wind blowing over a glacier.
Next up is textile artist Jane Arthur (venue number – 105) who loves to explore a sense of place in her work and nowhere inspires her more than Antarctica. She describes herself as ‘obsessed’ with the history of exploration in the far south and has been lucky enough to visit twice where she created a textile diary of her trip. She is a trustee of UK Antarctic Heritage Trust which preserves six historic huts on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Last but not least is Shaun Hughes (venue number – 26) from Malvern. He describes himself as a fan of extreme environments and has also created a body of work following a trip to the Antarctic.
All of these artists, alongside over 160 more, will be opening their creative spaces to visitors to see behind the curtain of Worcestershire’s greatest creative minds.
Visit www.worcestershireopenstudios.org/artists-and-makers/ and search for the artists to learn more and see their work.
