Over 2000 Visits!

We've hit over 2000 visits!

Thank you to everyone who has stopped off to have at look at what we do.  Watch out in the coming weeks for the new issue!

Where art meets jazz!

Ribble Valley Art Studios are working with the fabulous Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues Festival over the May Day Holiday weekend, 3^rd,4^th,5^th,6^th May, including the chance for artists to come along and join in with making some art.

Clitheroe will be alive with musicians and music lovers over the weekend and Ribble Valley Art Studios will be there too, supporting the festival and promoting the links between the arts.

Artists from the studios, in the corner of Harris Court off Wellgate, have been working with the Festival organisers to create visual responses to the live music. Over the past six months they have attended the Thursday night Jazz events at the Atrium, sketching and photographing, making i-pad paintings and ink drawings, as preparation for a wide range of finished pieces. The resulting work including portraits of the musicians, abstract pieces and sculptures will be exhibited at The Grand and in the Atrium Cafe during the Festival weekend.

Sue Lightbown, Chair of Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues is every bit as excited as the artists, she commented, ‘I am delighted with this collaborative project between Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues and Ribble Valley Art Studios, it has been an exciting project and great fun having such talented artists join us at our gigs, I am looking forward to viewing the finished results.’

On Saturday 4^th Harris Court will be the location for some of the choirs and alongside those Ribble Valley Art Studios will be providing materials for you to create your own pictures in response to the music. Amateur and professional artists will be welcome to join in, and while you’re there why not have a look around the studios!

Look out for the artists in Castle Street during Saturday’s Street Festival, decorating trilbies, brollies and lapels to brighten up the festival and sketching the visiting crowds. Bring along your hats and umbrellas and buy or create a decoration to celebrate the weekend.

New Exhibition at Ribble Valley Art Studios

Artist Helen Smith winner of the Ribble Valley Art Studios Open exhibition 2012 previews her exciting solo exhibition on Friday 26th April 6.30 pm.

Featuring her winning painting  “Broken”, the show gives visitors the opportunity to view her deeply personal paintings ranging from family portraits to abstract figurative.

Helen, from Chatburn, studied at Blackburn and gained her fine art degree in 2011.  It was during this time she developed her skills as a portrait Artist into a more free and expressive way of painting.

Helen said “This is a great opportunity for me to show my life’s work so far and ironically the exhibition coincides with my 40th birthday.  At the same time the exhibition signifies the end of an era for me, as I have just been given a great career opportunity which may mean I will have to put away the paint brushes for a while.

Keith Parkinson from Ribble Valley Art Studios is looking forward to the exhibition, he said “Helen’s winning piece is a bold and expressive study with strong emotional connections and we’re all excited to see it sitting alongside Helen’s other work”

The exhibition will run until 25th May and will be just one of many reasons to visit Ribble Valley Art Studios, in Bowland Chambers, Harris Court, Wellgate, Clitheroe,  throughout the spring and summer.

The studios are home to eight local artists who work on the premises and can often be seen during our opening days (Wednesdays and Saturdays 11am to 2pm), working on their varied projects. There is always some of their work on show and they are all happy to talk to visitors about what they are up to. This makes it more than just a visit to the gallery with the opportunity to watch the work being made and find out what the artist is thinking.

Both beginner and experienced artists also have the chance to develop their skills through classes and workshops. Beverley Chapelhow and Keith Parkinson run a Wednesday evening class and are now considering a daytime session. They also provide a series of weekend and school holiday workshops for adults and children. A full day print-making session on Saturday 8th June at £50 including lunch and refreshments represents excellent value.

We can also provide sessions for groups and parties of children and adults to your specific requirements – perhaps a staff reward day or a different birthday party for a teenager, or a friends’ get together.

Look out also for workshops by Gosha Gibek.

The studios’ gallery/teaching room is available for hire at reasonable rates.

Please contact us on: 07528 055723

Or e-mail: info@ribblevalleyartstudios.com

Just a gentle reminder!

Nelson's Art & Vintage Market returns this April.

The last market attracted in excess of 3000 visitors over the course of three days.

Building on this success the Art & Vintage Market returns from the 12th till the 14th of April and promises to be bigger and better than the last.

For more information and to see some quite nice pictures visit the ACE Centre website.

Tom Wood at the National Media Museum

One thing about the school holidays is that I get to go out and about with the kids.  Most of the time it isn't a photography related adventure.  In truth sometimes, I need a break too, but today's little adventure was to the National Media Museum.

Now most people would point and say that this was my idea but alas, it wasn't.  It was actually the kids.

As we were exploring the museum we visited the Tom Wood exhibition in Gallery One.  My youngest (five) is a little bit young to appreciate the photographs and took himself of with his Nintendo DS and played games (which would have made a picture suitable for hanging in the same space!).  My eldest (eleven) said she didn't get it.  Not until I explained what the photographs were about and then she was fine with it.

I have to admit I really enjoyed the exhibition and had seen quite a few of the images before although in digital format and not print.  I do enjoy Wood's style and it greatly reminds me of Martin Parr.

Most of the photographs are of northern subjects and I see a lot of things in them that remind me of my past. From cars, to clothes, to holidays and random images such as Mrs. Coulson.

I can honestly say, that if you get chance to see this exhibition you will not be disappointed.

To find out more about Tom Wood click here.

Darwen Camera Club's Exhibition of Members Work

Darwen is a lovely little Pennine Mill Town.  It has a lot going for it, a vibrant community spirit, mill town charm, Sunnyhurst Woods, the moors, reservoirs and of course the famous tower.

This Easter holiday's why not pick up your camera and pay a visit to this gem of Pennine Lancashire.  While you are there why not call in to the Library (an interesting building in itself) and have a look at Darwen Camera Club's Exhibition.

To give you a little taster of what is on display there are some images below.

Autumn Sunlight by Alex Dawson

Young Robin by Bill Senior

Is this Atlantis? by Graham Dean