The Signal Box by Mary Harris
The new exhibition runs from April 9-18 2022 with both paintings and ceramics, and includes works by Colleen Davies and Kate O’Brien among several others.
Society Vice Chairman Suzy Phillips, a Rusthall-based painter who has shown her seascapes in a Mayfair Gallery, tells us a little bit about two of her fellow artists featured here.
British Red Fox by Colleen Davies
Colleen Davies has a degree in Fine Arts and specialises in Ceramics. She was born in Zambia and later moved to Zimbabwe, where she met her farmer husband Paul and lived a fully self-sufficient life. As well as potting, Colleen functioned as a nurse to all the farm employees and animals. The couple made all their clothes and grew their own crops. After returning from Africa in 1994 following the challenging times in Zimbabwe, they now live on a farm in a valley near Lamberhurst.
Ceramic by Colleen Davies
Colleen previously taught Pottery at Adult Education in Tunbridge Wells for many years. She creates stylish one-off stoneware and porcelain pieces inspired by the animals and landscape around her as well as her memories of the African Ocean. She has recently held a stall on the Pantiles market selling her pottery in aid of Ukraine and raised over £350 for the charity.
Lemons by Kate O’Brien
Kate O’Brien was born in Cork in Ireland and only recently moved to the St John’s area of Tunbridge Wells having spent years in West Sussex, where she studied miniature painting at West Dean College and the Earnley Centre as well as dabbling in antiques. Swapping England for France in 2002, Kate continued her studies on a larger scale, moving into Still Life Oil Painting. Her paintings vary from large A0 size to small A5 images of fruit and vegetables. She has exhibited widely in Ireland, England and France.
A brief history of The Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society
Tunbridge Wells has long been known for its cultural spirit with plenty of artists based here and lots of thriving exhibition spaces, galleries and groups.
The oldest one is the Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society (RTWAS), which was founded in 1934 and has a track record of well-known artists being involved in the past – including Winston Churchill, who displayed at one of the summer exhibitions!
Its first President was recorded as being Mary, Marchioness of Abergavenny, and the club was connected with 17 other societies who pledged their support to help RTWAS find suitable premises. This eventually resulted in them acquiring premises at 61 Lower Pantiles, where they are still based today.
The society’s records date back to 1945, and there are photos and documents of many of their past events, including the then Vice President, Mr C Tattershall Dodd, giving a talk on the painter John Ruskin.
RTWAS started with just 18 members and has steadily evolved over the decades and now boasts over 170 members, all of whom boast a variety of aesthetic styles, and also an official committee.
See the Spring Exhibition at the Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society, 61 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5TE from April 9 to 18, 10.30am to 4.30pm.
For more information, see
rtwas.org
All photos are © The Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society and the respective artists
