Arts trail artists back together at museum for one weekend

A GROUP of artists who exhibit their work at the River & Rowing Museum during the annual Henley Arts Trail are looking forward to reconvening for this year’s event.

Bronwen Coussens and friends are one of the fixtures of the popular trail, which in 2019 notched up more than 10,000 visitors.

Normally held over the May bank holiday weekend, this year’s event is taking place next month for the first time and will be held over two weekends, July 10 and 11 and July 17 and 18.

More than 300 artists will be showing their work across 40 different venues in Henley, Lower Assendon, Nuffield, Checkendon, Shiplake, Wargrave, Charvil, Twyford, Waltham St Lawrence and Hurst.

All venues are free to enter, with no obligation to buy, and visitors are able to chat to the artists about the works on display.

However, visitors should note that not all venues are taking part in both weekends of the trail. This includes the River & and Rowing Museum, where Bronwen and her five colleagues are opening on the first weekend only from 10am to 5pm each day.

Bronwen is a potter who enjoys hand-building her work rather than throwing it. She says: “I love the way it almost grows organically. I make my pots for their aesthetic appearance rather than for functional work.”

Clare Buchta is a painter and printer specialising in landscapes and seascapes. She says: “The technique of thin layers of paint which are laid on and then partially removed to show the underlying layers allows light to move through the painting, thereby giving life to the subject.”

Caroline Crawford is a painter. She says: “In some of the works there is a feeling of small, still-life scale, as if objects were placed on a table. There are many layers, painting on and taking away, revealing flashes of what lies underneath. Cutting and scraping through is another area of investigation.”

Virginia Davis is a photographer. She says: “I seem to ‘see’ photographs all the time. Maybe because I am completely deaf I get more absorbed by what I am seeing.”

Martina Fabian makes jewellery. She says: “My work is inspired by nature and whatever catches my eye as well as the pure joy and pleasure of designing, making and wearing jewellery.”

Hannah Stembridge-King is a part-time potter who enjoys working with a variety of clays, slips and glazes. She says: “My pieces are hand-built, thrown or a combination of both of these techniques. I enjoy experimenting with different firing processes to create contemporary sculptural forms as well as functional pieces.”

• For more information and to download a map, visit www.henleyartstrail.com