Creative Coastline - British Coastal Art

FEATURED ARTISTS - Currently Exhibiting at Wallett's Court 'Art Hotel' - Details here>>>

Kevin Francis
With a love of photography that began thirty years ago at the tender age of ten, Kevin has seen many changes in the techniques, styles and technology used in photography.

What hasn't altered is his eye for creating beautiful images by using the available light to capture the subject at its best.

A passion for landscape, abstract and close-up images combined with techniques such as High Dynamic Range (used in 'safe from the storm') and Light Painting - long exposure images of trails of light and the use of selective focus lenses have created the images you see here today.

On display at Wallett's Court during August and September, the images are available to buy and take away today. Alternatively they may be ordered via my website - framed as you see them here, just mounted or enlarged to A3 or larger. They can also be printed onto canvas and acrylic panels or blocks.

Claire Wakefield
Having graduated in 1991 at Cardiff with a first class honours degree my enthusiasm for working with clay and three dimensional forms is ever present.
I have lived by the sea all of my life and hope to capture it's power and energy within sculptural ceramic forms.
Thrown or hand-built pieces are worked upon until evocative of organic shapes fashioned by the flow of time, sand and tide.
The earthstone clay is fired to over 1200 degrees centigrade with my own glazes providing colour variations to echo those of the sea and the beautiful beach at Kingsdown to the stunning coastline of New Zealand’s North and South islands.
This year I was very excited to have the opportunity to transform one of my clay sculptures into bronze using the very involved and fascinating lost wax process.

Andrea Crossley
I was born in New Zealand, surrounded by the sea and moved to England as a young teenager to the coast of Cornwall.
Visual Art came later in life for me, preferring music and drama at school, however in 1994, as well as qualifying as a hairdresser, I took evening classes in Art.
The creative world began to open up to me as I received an unconditional offer to The London College of Fashion to study Fashion Styling, Hair and Make-Up Design for Photographic Work.
I loved working in London and soaking up the artistic inspiration that was everywhere but missed the sea.
Having spent the last decade in Deal raising my family I have been busy, but have still needed to produce other creative works!
Painting in oil in a 'pointillist' style has been a prominent part of my work over the last few years, as well as large studies of flowers and an eager pursuit of portraiture.
The sea glass mosaics have been a very new discovery, and one of my most exciting ones! I am at the early stages of developing this wonderful technique and am eager to take this work in many directions. Enjoy!

Gracie Collins
Gracie Collins is a designer/maker based in Brighton. She moved there in 2003 to study 3d Design at Brighton University. She then went on to set up her own studio for a small group of artists. This led to many Brighton festival and Christmas open houses along with other group exhibitions.
In 2007 Gracie opened The Studio Shop, which became a great outlet for many local artists and designers, including Gracie's own work. She developed many designs in textiles making lavender bags, door stops, cushions, mirrors, aprons, Christmas decorations, greetings cards and much much more.
She also designed her own range of silver Jewellery, using cast silver charms and natural gemstones. Along with her mixed media paintings Gracie has a wide portfolio of products which she developed and refined over the three years of selling in The Studio Shop.
Gracie now works in her studio full time, expanding her Painting, Textile and Jewellery Designs for shows, exhibitions and retail outlets.
Gracie Collins creates mixed media canvases composed of stylised flora, butterfly and bird motifs.
She hand builds the stretchers, and makes the canvas in a unique way; stitching together remnants of salvaged cottons, linens and vintage hand-worked lace.
The image is then developed in an organic process, building up layers of paint, print and appliqué in response to the elements of the background fabrics used.
Each picture is then finished with old buttons, keys and beads to add texture and depth to the final piece.
The fresh elegant result of each work evokes memories of the materials used amplifying their beauty.

Gerry Costa
"I take photographs of my locality, Walmer - Deal and nearby towns in South East Kent, and also from further afield, around the world. I'm a member of SEAS, South East Artists Association - Deal." 'Inspired by the Power and Beauty of the Sea and the Charm and History of Deal Area''

Phyllis McDowell
Phyllis is an artist based in the South of England. She has exhibited, lectured and demonstrated the art of painting and drawing in three different continents, Africa, America and Europe.
Phyllis's work has been exhibited in major London galleries and in popular arenas such as the cruise ship Saga Rose, the Eurostar Lounge at Ashford International Station, The Grand Hotel and in many prestigious business premises.

Anthony Barrs
Tony has studied classical techniques, and even trained at the Florence Academy of Art. But gradually he realised that he was a 'wrong'un'! Not taking anything seriously, odd moments started to appear and appeal. Since then, things have just got worse, and he now takes an unhealthy interest in startled goats!

Lucie Flynn
Lucie Flynn was born in Surrey in 1973. On finishing her degree at Brunel University in printed textiles in the early 90's, she became involved in fashion textiles selling to clients in NY, LA and Japan. Alongside this she would use her knowledge of silk-screen printing techniques to produce one off printed canvases/paintings. Surface pattern, contrasting textures and the use of colour were, and still are, a major theme in the feel of her work.

Read more on http://www.lucieflynn.co.uk/

Mark Howland
A graduate of Chelsea School of Art (BA Hons) and Canterbury Christchurch University college (MA) and De Werkschuit in Amsterdam I have been primarily focused on the English tradition of landscape as a valued subject of artistic enquiry, exploring the position of this genre as a mode of expressive representation in a high tech age.
Read more on http://www.markhowlandpaintings.com/

Jason Mulligan
Jason Mulligan is an artist from Northern Ireland.
Jason has been living and working in the U.K for the past 15 years. He has been a practitioner of sculpture and stone carving since completing his training at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1996.
His knowledge and understanding of stone and sculpture has been aided by the mentoring and teaching skills of artists such as Paul Mason, Hideo Furuta and Hamish Horsley.
Due to his role as a stone carver's assistant for the above mentioned arstists, over the past ten years he has been involved in the carving and installation of a wide variety of Public Arts Projects throughout England, Italy and Eire.
Jason continues to work as a stone sculptor based in Kent and is an Associate member of the 'Royal British Society of Sculptors'.

Read more on http://www.mulligansculpture.com/

Helen Komatsu
My ceramic work is inspired by the many fascinating qualities of clay, the material itself being my major source of my inspiration. I am attracted to both natural and man-made patterns that repeat themselves on large and small scales. I like to use pattern in unexpected ways, enhanced sometimes through the use of oxides, stains and slips. I combine slab construction, modelling, pinching, piercing, extruding, sprigging and stamping. All my pieces are individual; every work must be an adventure.

Read more on http://www.helenkomatsu.co.uk/

Mike Tedder
"My work creates a juxtaposition of dreams, realities and sensations, fleeting moments from life inspired by my own experiences. I explore a sense of empathy for existing across different places and times, examining personal sensations of deja-vu, while moving through times, locations, and states of being, without a fixed linear chronology."

Read more here http://miketedder.eu/site/

Martine Colette Ahtuam
Back in 2001 I made the decision to change my life and to expand my world through travel and to develop my passion for my first love, my art, so I left the UK to live in Hong Kong and while living their I met a group of international artists called, 'Artists Abroad', who represent the diverse countries and cultures of the globe world wide. Established in 1996, Artists Abroad brought together artists who have their own unique styles, influenced by their varied backgrounds with the love of art and creativity.

David Lay
David began his career as a designer and scenic artist in the theatre, Which occupation he followed for over 25 years. In the last seven years He has concentrated on his own work as an easel painter. In the last Two years his main preoccupation has been the sea. Firstly through photographs, Next through charcoal and chalk Drawings.