July is Open Studios time in Brockley, and 2017 was the 25th Anniversary of this event, so a very special year indeed. A beautiful anniversary book was commissioned ; including photos of every artist in their studio and samples of their work. The book was  very well received and some visitors made a point of asking artists to sign their page. It’s the closest I’ve ever been to being famous I think!!

Open Studios is when I tidy up and create a gallery for the weekend. The hallway had just been painted so this was my first opportunity to create a spacious display in the new improved setting.

A spacious hang of white and gold canvases in the newly decorated hallway.

In my studio room I hung a selection of different pieces including;

“Above and Beyond” Our beautiful fragile planet seen from space and other works on canvas.

A selection of embossed collages on paper and recycled glass panels.

More canvases and some small bespoke paper pieces that can be framed.

Visitors enjoy seeing the etching press which I use to emboss my collages.

Open Studios is also a time for bargains and for studio clearance. As I’ve been making art since 1997 I have quite a collection of older pieces that I’m happy to pass on for bargain prices.

Russel Squares a “real” photo taken in the 90’s on my Minolta SLR camera

Circle of Life – collage of four photographs of road textures taken in the 90’s.

This year I invited ceramic artist Ruty Benjamini to join me and she presented a wonderful display of her beautiful Angel Eggs and other delicate hand formed ceramics in the downstairs front room. For the first time this year she displayed a selection of her life drawings which she does in a regular class at The Lovely Gallery in Sydenham which Ruty describes as her “highlight of the week”  Ruty uses this practice to inform the small clay figurines she makes and they got very positive feedback over the weekend.

Ruty Benjamini Ceramics