‘The Winners Exhibition’
A new collection of work by the Winners of the
Jobling Gowler Art Competition 2011
Following our art competition in 2011, entitled “East Cheshire- its Plain and Peaks”, the winners of the competition were invited to exhibit a collection of their work, for this the Winners Exhibition!
All the exhibitors are local East Cheshire Residents, testifying to the talent of our local artists. So please can we encourage you to support their fabulous work- all their work is for sale and we at Jobling Gowler Solicitors take no commission so you can be assured that all sales are supporting the individual artists.
Please do feel free to visit us Monday-Friday between 9:30am and 16:30 to look at the exhibition.
Jobling Gowler LLP
Phil Bennett
Winner of the Best 2D Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
The Bridge Series - Driving through the Roman Campania the remains of ancient aquaducts scatter the landscape, striding across the plain from the distant hills. These lovely structures and their architectural cousins, bridges, have formed the core of Phil’s recent paintings.
The Milvian Bridge with its associations with Constantine is really no more impressive than the old iron bridge over the Cauldon canal. They both connect one side to the other. It is this connection that makes these structures important symbolically and an important part of our cultural psyche. Phil loves the way they leap across water or roads that divide so much of our landscape providing that shortcut to the other side. He has used the classical landscape and that of the industrial revolution in this series to explore this theme. There are two modern bridges in the series, a concrete bridge near Hanley which is almost abstract in its appearance and the Hagley Road Underpass, the latter is really a study in menace, the sense we all get when we walk under one of these structures, ------- in fairy tales perhaps a troll would live there.
Grace Brearley
Winner of the Best Textile Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Grace is a multi media artist, who loves the challenge of working with diverse mediums.
For this new exhibition Grace has designed and created Soft Sculptures based on the animals she loves – She has given each animal a quirky name; all are holding a tiny back story book and dressed in a small felted jacket (often with a filled pocket); their eyes bejewelled mostly with antique faceted jet or copper - all these little details are sure to confirm these delightful creatures as friends.
The botanical designs on linen are another interest based on the beautiful antique books from early explorers notes and drawings.
Chris Clowes
Highly Commended Textile Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Chris belongs to the Alsager Art Association and has been exploring the art of machine embroidery for about 15 years. She usually works on habotai silk and occasionally on noile.
Chris loves the countryside and gardens and her work usually reflects this. Much of the collection on display here today includes the scenes where the background silk is painted and the detail of the foreground is intricately embroidered on the machine.
Do make sure you get up close to ensure that you appreciate the fabulous detail of Chris’ work!
Di Harding
Highly Commended 3D Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Di is a local artist with studios at home and also at the Electric Picture House in Congleton. Her degree was at the Manchester University which she completed in 2002, since then she has been working from her studio creating all forms of art.
For Di, inspiration comes from nature and capturing the colour and textures of what surrounds her- this is her artistic delight.
Starting with sketches and photographs, paintings, felting and glass take on the colours and textures of nature and how she observes them. Art in all its forms has always been a part of Di’s life... nothing in nature is black and white.
Joanne Hurst
Highly Commended Textile Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Joanne has been designing hand painted wallpapers and household textile designs, since finishing at Huddersfield University. She graduated in 1999 with a BA Hons Degree in Surface Pattern Design and works as a Freelance Designer for UK based studio's selling her designs throughout the UK, France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, USA, Korea and South Africa.
Specialising in hand painted floral imagery in her own style and combining a mixture of various mediums including ink drawings, Watercolour, Gouache and Acrylic paints. Joanne has produced these scarf designs introducing elements of some of the influences within her art work that include Japanese, Vintage and Modern Classical.
Colleen Parker
Highly Commended 2D Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Having lived in Cheshire all her life Colleen has come to appreciate that it isn’t just her home, or home to many thousands of other people, but it is also home to a vast array of plants and animals. Contrasted against the rugged landscapes of Cheshire is the more peaceful scenery. Amidst this luscious green countryside is a wealth of wildlife, another world. Throughout the years of exploring this remarkable landscape and having observed glimpses of the wildlife that reside within it, it is no surprise that Colleen has been inspired greatly by the beauty of the Cheshire countryside through her work as an artist.
Colleen cannot recall a time in her life when she wasn’t being creative and over the years her passion for art has grown. Colleen is a mixed media artist who specializes mainly in watercolours and ink, taking inspiration from the beautiful countryside which surrounds her home town of Crewe, Cheshire. Having spent two years at South Cheshire College studying a BTEC National Diploma in Fine Art, she gained a Triple Grade Distinction and was also awarded ‘Student of The Year - 2006’. Colleen then spent a further four years at Staffordshire University where she graduated in 2010 with a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art. Since graduating she has exhibited work locally and has enjoyed the experience and opportunities that come from sharing her work with fellow art lovers.
Jennie Ridgeway
Highly Commended 2D Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Jennie has studied Fine Art, Graphic Art and Surface Pattern at both Macclesfield and Stockport. She now works with fellow artist Vivyan Whittaker taking commissions of Murals and Fine Art through their company White Ridge Art.
Ann Roach
Highly Commended 2D Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
After graduating, Ann married and lived in Africa, where she had children and also taught & illustrated books. Returning to this country, she has for many years been working as an Adult Art Tutor whilst also as a practising artist. Her work has been published and exhibited extensively.
Her paintings aim to capture the specific energy & essence of her subject; place, flower or figure. Ann uses spontaneous watercolour and mixed media, often spilling the image over onto the mount.
Ann is a member of C.A.N, Cheshire Open Studios, Staffs Society of Artists and the Orme Art Group.
Suzy Shackleton
Overall Winner of the 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Living and working from her studio in Rainow, Suzy creates contemporary wall hangings using traditional felt making techniques. Each piece is wet felted and hand rolled using inlays and mosaics. She strives to combine traditional with modern by using old felting methods to create vibrant designs with exciting textures and quirky compositions. She sells her work in galleries around the country, at exhibitions and through her web site,
Mark Sheeky
Highly Commended 2D Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Mark likes to use psychology and dream imagery to convey messages about the world and human experiences. He believes that what is painted is more important than how, but he also values the demonstration of skill. Mark began painting in 2004 at the age of 31 and is now a full time artist. He has one artwork in the ‘Cheshire Permanent Collection’ at the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, and has exhibited in many national galleries including The Lowry Manchester, The R.B.S.A. Gallery Birmingham and The Museum of Modern Art in Wales.
Karin Sheldon
Winner of the Best 3D Exhibit in 2011 Jobling Gowler Art Competition
Karin describes her work as having rarely been so descriptive. Currently, she is finding that the techniques she has learnt in recent years allow her to be a little braver in describing a subject in a partially abstract form.
Mokume-Gane is an ancient Japanese method of fusing metals using heat, but without a solder or weld. Karin uses Copper, Gilding Metal and Silver in the Mokume-Gane sheet. A complicated and laborious process but inspiring in the making. Keum-Bo is a method of heat- fusing 24ct Gold to Sterling Silver. It was developed in Korea.
Karin trained at the old Sheffield School of Art, one of the centres of Silversmithing. She had originally intended to do Fashion and Textiles, but her Tutors, on the Foundation course, noticed that she spent all her spare time in the metal workshop! Karin studied both Jewellery and Silversmithing which has given her a wealth of techniques from which to draw and to which she has subsequently added. Karin describes herself as being inspired to design and now enjoys the freedom of working independently.