Highcliffe Art Fellowship
Galleries - Biographies
Lovedy James is a well known artist and art teacher who has exhibited her paintings in London, with the Society of Women Artists (SWA), and with local groups such as Christchurch Arts Guild, Highcliffe Art Fellowship and Hengist Group of Artists. She has been awarded several prestigious prizes. The "Mercy Oddy Memorial Prize" for the best water colour and the "Dick Crow Marine Trophy" both awarded at Christchurch Art Guild exhibitions, and on two occasions "Best Miniature Prize" at Hengist Group of Artists exhibition.
As a keen gardener, flowers feature in many of her watercolours; the reflection of the trees in paintings of the New Forest, also atmospheric skies, sunsets and dawns painted along our coastline.
Mixed media is an additional skill recently added to her exhibition work, producing many eye catching coastal town and marine scenes.
The monthly art class at All Saints Church, Mudeford is extremely popular and has been meeting for over 20 years and each year enjoys a 3 day "Art Away" break at a local location.
Lovedy James' Summer Garden Workshops, at her home in Friars Cliff, and her Art Classes for amateur painters have raised several thousand pounds for local charities.
Valerie Hodson worked in an architect's drawing
office in London and drawing, painting and
gardening have been her lifetime hobbies. Largely
self-taught, she became a member of her
local art society in North London where, after a few
years, she was twice awarded their
engraved shield for "Best Oil in Shorv" and later
for "Best Watercolour".
After moving to Hertfordshire, Valerie also joined
both the St.Albans and Hatfield societies
and received trvo more awards at Hatfield.
She has exhibited at The Guildhall in London and at
the United Artists exhibitions at Cental
Hall, Westminster and has also shared two
exhibitions at Forty Hall, Enfield.
Before retiring to Highcliffe in 1995, Valerie
organised two art shows supported by painters
in Hertfordshire to raise money for the restoration
of St.Mary's Church at Norlh Mymms.
Valerie paints in Oil, Waterclour and Pastel.
Born in Suffolk in 1946 with, I'm sure, a paint brush in my hand, I
have always had the desire to draw and paint. My first vivid
memory, having a painting 'Sweetshop Window' entered into a national
Sunday news paper at the age of nine.
I have never had formal tuition, just picking up tips from demo's, a natural aptitude and lots of practice. The first medium apart from pencil, was oils, but in the 60's there were better things to do so painting took a
back seat.
In the 70's moved to Wales, firstly Glamorgan then Pembrokeshire.
During this time I had exhibitions and sold quite successfully, by
now using watercolours. There is a motel in Pembs that had one
in each room, are they still there? Who knows!!
I was lucky enough to have spent time in South Africa and Jamaica, so took the opportunity
of exhibiting there too. Oh, how I wished I'd thought of taking photo's for my records as I do now.
For a living in the mid 80's I painted Heraldic Coats of Arms for a company in Norfolk.
This could be very tiny and exacting work, especially on the smaller pieces, probably couldn't see it now!!
This supported me for ten years. After my daughter arrived in 1988 my thirst to paint increased.
I have exibited all over Wilts, then being an active member of Cippenham and District Artists and Wiltshire Guild of Artists.
I was having great fun designing and painting scenery for drama groups - 4in Harris brush,
tins of emulsion on 8ft x 4ft boards - lovely. Had to give this up due to a severe spinal problem.
I have now lived in New Milton, with my partner of three years, so now it's still life in acrylic,
animal/birds in pastel, little watercoours and abstracts in mixed media.
I have recently returned to oils after 20 years - Love it.
I belong to several art groups in Dorset, being Membership Secretary and Exhibition Entries Organiser
for the Christchrch Guild of Artists and Programme Planer for Lymington Art Group.
I don't usually undertake commissions now but my contact number is 01425 613569 and
Email: sandiwkstudio@googlemail.com
After spending three unproductive years at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts,
I left to work in the cartoon film industry: firstly with Halas and Batchelor in Soho Square,
and then with Gaumont British Animation Studios at Cookham, Berkshire.
Contracting T.B. put an end to four exciting years with GBA and led to a stay at
a sanatorium in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. On recovery, I then freelanced for
Amalgamated Press childrens’ comics.
On moving to Surrey, I worked at Vickers Armstrong/BAC as a tracer and later,
for several happy years, with a company of Consulting Engineers at Woking and Godalming.
When we came to Highcliffe in 1988 I once again took up pen and brush after 41 years.
Dorothy Couzens has been a member of Highcliffe Art Fellowship for a number of years.
She has been exhibiting and selling her paintings for a long time.
After passing A level art at an evening class, with an A, Dorothy went on to study for a degree with
Open University, at the same time keeping up with art with the help of Mike Bernard at one of his classes.
She obtained a BA.Hons, and then Painting 1, 2 and 3, and did a watercolour course with the Open College
of the Arts. She sold a number of paintings over the years, some on commission. There are paintings in
Australia and New Zealand, as well as France, and a number in this country.
Before moving here, Dorothy exhibited at the Farnborough Festival of Arts, coming First several times there, at
Fleet Art Society and Farnham Art Society. She studied for a Foundation in Art diploma in Farnham,
before studying for her degree. As well as Highcliffe Fellowship, Dorothy has joined Christchurch Guild and Southbourne Art Society.
Dorothy has always liked painting in different media, oils, watercolour, pen and wash and acrylic,
but her favourite is in oils. Three awards have been won with the Christchurch Guild over the years,
a portrait in oils was awarded best in the exhibition, as well as a still life in acrylics, and also
the President’s award for a still life in oils.
Dorothy continues to enjoy painting and drawing, and entering various exhibitions each year.
Born in Petworth, Sussex in 1933, John decided on a career at sea, travelling to all parts of the world
as an apprentice with Silver Line, before joining the P&O Company.
His ships included the ‘Himalaya’ on the Australasian and North American service,
‘Corfu’ on the Hongkong and Japanese run, the troop ship ‘Empire Fowey’, and cargo ships to
India, Philippines and China.
A career change in 1967 resulted in John becoming a Cinq Ports Trinity House pilot on the Thames
and estuary, where the ever changing scene of shipping, coastline and weather stirred his artistic
imagination.
In 1970 he bought his first sketchbook, but after one disappointing and tentative drawing,
it was to be another 4 years before he turned the page. Then came his inspiration.
After many false starts in oils, John was introduced to acrylics by Sussex artist Norman Battershill
during a painting holiday. The rapid drying properties of this medium resulted in less laborious
brushwork and fresh colours, and also helped him overcome the fear of the blank canvas.
This new found confidence was reflected in his oils where the single brushstroke provided a welcome
alternative to many timid ones. Sketching too became easier, and the discipline of completing a
drawing or water colour in 20 minutes, frequently from the ship’s bridge, encouraged John to complete
a sketchbook each year.
More painting holidays, and the considerable influence of Kent artist, Matthew Alexander, gave
John further encouragement. In the 1980s he opened Cornerways Gallery in Broadstairs where he sold
many of his paintings. Among his patrons were the BBC who used his work in a comedy series -
about an unsuccessful artist!
He has also enjoyed exhibitions of his work in Margate, Broadstairs, Birchington and the Regent
Centre, Christchurch. John has contributed to the Arts and Illustrators Magazine.
To mark his retirement, his autobiography The Illustrated Diary of a Thames Pilot was published,
followed by a second book Marine Pilot. In 1997 he moved to Highcliffe with his wife Christine.
Here he has found many fresh challenges to test his painting abilities. John is a member of the
Highcliffe Art Fellowship. The proceeds from his Summer 2010 exhibition at ‘In the Frame’ went
towards Julia’s House, the Dorset Hospice for sick children unlikely to live beyond their childhood.
After taking early retirement in 1995 Tony started painting as a pastime following a career in commerce
with a large multinational company. He felt some frustration after many years of endeavour having little
tangible evidence to show for it and as a result started painting.
Whilst living in Lincolnshire, early tuition in water-colour and life drawing was pursued
through the local College in Grantham, followed by instruction from a well known
Lincolnshire floral artist, Janet Whittle SWA, SBA, SFP.
After moving to New Milton in 2001 he continued instruction from artist
Daphne Ellman SWA and has extended his interest into Acrylics, Acrylic Inks
and recently Oils. Latterly he has received tuition in Acrylic techniques from
Helen Theobald. He became a member of several local art groups, exhibiting regularly
in their exhibitions and was judged “best watercolour” in the Hengist Group exhibition 2005
and has exhibited locally in open exhibitions at the St. Barbe Museum, Lymington,
The Red House Museum in Christchurch, with “ArtCare” at Salisbury Hospital, Hampshire
Arts Week and Crafts Ancient and Modern in Christchurch Priory, local art group
exhibitions and the Hampshire Open Studios events.
Besides conventional watercolour, he represents familiar locations in the coastline
in a semi-abstract way with bright contemporary images, often in vertical format,
either in acrylics or by creating an unusual application of watercolour,
exploiting its transparency but with depth of colour. As painting is a journey,
much of the later work has been in Acrylic and Mixed Media.
Current Club Memberships: - Romsey Art Group, Ringwood Art Society, Hengist Group
of Artists, Highcliffe Art Fellowship, Milford Art Group and New Forest Arts.
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