Oxfordshire Artweeks continues to engage, surprise and delight as it enters its second week. A week in which South Oxfordshire showcases its talented folk and in which Oxford City’s artists and craftspeople continue to demonstrate skills across a wide range of media.

At Bradley Farm, Cumnor, Charlotte Berry is showing her collections of contemporary jewellery and metal artefacts, in partnership with Liz Fletcher, who creates beautiful British leatherwork and accessories for her label Miller and Jeeves. Bradley Farm is also home to Charlotte’s teaching workshop, where she shares her passion for and expertise knowledge of metalwork. She happily tells the story behind each piece and enthusing about its aesthetics. Illustrated here is one of her bowls partnered by its spoon. The clear-cut lines of both, serving to emphasise the quality and beauty of the silver. Of equal wow factor is Liz Fletcher’s work. She uses colourful leather to make gorgeously tactile bags, belts and other accessories.

Artweeks provides two opportunities to see the work of painter Caroline Meynell. She is the winner of this year’s prestigious Mary Moser Award. The award was established to honour Lady Mary Moser’s commitment to Artweeks and to encourage a professional artist who has taken up art as a second career. Caroline worked as a picture researcher for art publishers before becoming a full-time artist. Her work is deceptively simple evoking a sense of space, stillness and light. To achieve this she uses thin layers of paint — which when built up, evoke a sense of depth. Caroline’s work can be seen at St Michael and All Angels Summertown as part of a group exhibition also featuring sculpture, drawing and wood engraving; and at O3 Gallery, Oxford Castle.

Also on at the O3 is On These Magic Shores, which showcases the work of 18 leading, contemporary illustrators. The exhibition, taking its name from a Peter Pan,quote, will delve into the distinctive panoramas and enter the idiosyncratic domains conjured by the illustrators.

For people in search of quick art fix, a good option is to follow one of the trails created for Artweeks, such as the Jericho and Walton Manor Trail. Here, in an area covering under a square mile, one can take in the work of 48 artists, the work of the children at SS Philip and James Primary School and the floral artwork of the Oxford Ikebana Group. A helpful map is available locally that pinpoints each of their locations. At the heart of the trail is the exhibition at St Barnabas Church, the beautiful Pre-Raphaelite building hosting 17 exhibitors. In the Lady Chapel, ten potters have created an integrated display which is a must-see.

There is also a rare opportunity to see Gillian Johnson Shakespeare’s pen, ink and watercolour illustrations from her books which include amongst others The Disastrous Little Dragon and the tales of Thora: A Half Mermaid Tale.

Also at St Barnabas is work by Valerie Petts, who is well known locally for the very beautiful portraits she produces in oils, watercolours and acrylics of Oxford and its environs. The centre piece of this body of work is her In Memoriam series, comprised of five pieces. Each piece captures a view of Port Meadow and Jericho that is now lost. This loss is courtesy of the vast complex of new-build student and other accommodation blighting the view across the meadow. The intrusion of the buildings into the previously treelined Oxford skyline has caused both sorrow and anger to many. In Memoriam Four, pictured above, is a now ‘lost’ view of St Barnabas Church, framed by hawthorn in blossom, fronted by an exuberant buttercup meadow and painted at the height of early summer 2012, prior to the building work. In memoriam, indeed.

 

Artweeks
 

  • Continues until May 27
  • Call 01865 865596
     
  • Visit artweeks.org