April 2023 News

• OPENING TIMES AT EAST LODGE GALLERY
• EAST LODGE EXHIBITION 2023 AVAILABILITY
• EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE YOUR WARWICKSHIRE OPEN STUDIOS VENUE
• APPOINTMENT OF EAST LODGE MANAGER
• THE ART POOL EXHIBITION FEATURING 4 ARTISTS
• LYNNE GOUGEON
• JANE ARCHER
• SONIA BUBLAITIS
• CAROLINE FRASER

• LIST OF RELEVANT LSA CONTACT
  

  OPENING HOURS at EAST LODGE GALLERY

  Autumn/Winter dates and opening times:

  1st October – 31st March

  Wednesday-Sunday
  10:30am – 3:30pm

  Spring/Summer dates and opening times:
  1st April – 30th September

  Wednesday-Sunday
  10:30am – 4:30pm

  NOTE: The Spring/Summer times will be in effect as from Saturday 1st April 2023 for this new exhibition.

Please see below the following availability for exhibitions at East Lodge – please contact secretary@lsa.four90.co.uk for further details.  Bookings can be made online via the website.

EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE YOUR WARWICKSHIRE OPEN STUDIOS (WOS) VENUE

East Lodge Gallery 24 May 2023 – 11 June 2023

WOS exhibition – If you are taking part in Warwickshire Open Studios and are a member of LSA then we will display a piece of your work with details of where you are exhibiting.

NOTE: There will be no charge. Items will not be for sale during this opportunity.

Please send an image of your work to secretary@lsa.four90.co.uk so that the layout can be organised. Art to be brought to East Lodge on Monday 22 May 2023 and collected on Sunday 11 June 2023.

Please do not bring any art without first having contacted secretary@lsa.four90.co.uk to advise of submission.

APPOINTMENT OF EAST LODGE MANAGER

The LSA Board of Trustees are pleased to announce that Caroline Fraser has been appointed as the new East Lodge Manager.

Please give Caroline all the support she needs whilst she settles into this essential and challenging role.

Caroline takes over from Kay Matthews who has given outstanding service to the charity. The board are grateful for all the support and hard work she put into looking after the East lodge and for helping keep the LSA going during the difficult covid times.

The Art Pool
“Making a Splash”

The Art Pool is a collective of four Warwickshire artists, all long-standing members of Leamington Studio Artists, two of whom are or have been, studio holders at East Lodge. Unfortunately, Helen Ballantyne is no longer part of the group, but she is replaced by Jane Archer.

The group, originally formed in 2019, arose naturally through friendship and a love of all things creative. Having very different life experiences, it soon became apparent that their strength lay in a shared appreciation of the health benefits, both mental and physical, to be derived from creative expression.  This is reflected in the way they endeavour to support each other through the inevitable ups and downs of life, and finding a creative outlet for handling the strong feelings that we all experience from time to time.

Working in a wide range of media, everything from acrylic to pastel, watercolour to photography, resin, pen and ink, they have very different styles, they are united in their love of nature, exploring the natural world and striving to give expression to the complex feelings that are evoked.

Making A Splash is their first shared exhibition and will showcase this joyous coming together of four mutually supportive, experienced, talented artists.
We would like to invite you to a private view on Saturday 1st April 13:30 to 16:30 at the East Lodge Galleryin Leamington Spa. There will be drinks and nibbles and art. We hope to see you then.

LYNNE GOUGEON

THIS IS MY ART AND SOUL

My love of art started as soon as I worked out how to hold a crayon. My first mural followed shortly after this, on my parents freshly decorated hall wall.

Both my mother and grandfather were amateur artists and they inspired and guided me through my early years, letting me use their ‘proper’ paints and brushes. I went on to study art at A-Level, then a Foundation Diploma at Bournville Art School, before completing a Visual Communication Degree. I worked in advertising as an Art Director for over 12 years but continued to paint throughout I am delighted to now be doing art full time and have called my business  ‘This Is My Art And Soul’. Part of my soul goes into every piece I produce and equally the process of painting feeds my soul.

I am an active member of Leamington Studio Artists (LSA) and I have my own studio at East Lodge Gallery, in Jephson Gardens, Leamington.

I work mainly in acrylic and pastel but also mixed media, watercolour, pencil and photography. With a diverse range of subjects, from land and seascapes to abstracts, animals and murals. I am hugely inspired by nature. Big skies and wide-open spaces. The drama of contrasts, shapes and bold colours fill my paintings. And finding the abstract in the every day fascinates me, perhaps a slice through a tomato or a close up of a rock, I see inspiration all over the place.

I work on my own pieces and also take commissions, exhibiting regularly in Warwickshire Open Studios, Art in The Park Festival and local venues. I also run workshops in Primary Schools and have my own small children’s art club. Please get in touch if you would like to chat about any art projects you might have.

Check out my website for more details: www.thisismyartandsoul.co.uk

JANE ARCHER

Born into a creative family, four years at Art College were followed by family life and family business.  A second career in teaching followed by partial retirement gave the opportunity for living in France, which was where I discovered the joys of watercolour at an evening class.

Mastering these slippery pigments quickly became a lifelong aim, coupled with the joy of learning to embrace the happy accidents that emerge unbidden.

Many of my paintings celebrate the beauty of flowers, and lately I have been exploring the depth and structure of familiar blooms, delving deep to reveal unexpected colours and complex shapes.

I am also drawn to trees and to landscapes, both countryside and coastal, and enjoy nothing more than sitting painting en plein air, preferably with sand between my toes and a sea breeze on my face.  Happily, living so far from the coast, the sun and wind through swaying branches is an equally welcome substitute.

This year I am challenging myself to experiment with new materials and techniques and I’m hoping for some interesting and exciting results!  Watch out for some new work at Art In Dunchurch this June, where I’ll be exhibiting as part of Warwickshire Open Studios.

Our time in France came to an end a few years ago.  Now well settled in Toft on the edge of Dunchurch, just outside Rugby, my time is shared between painting and teaching. I love welcoming people into my bright, sunny studio space for small group classes and occasional workshops.

Details here: https//www.janearcherart.co.uk/what-s-on-workshops-classes

SONIA BUBLAITIS

I am an abstract artist who is inspired by nature and spirituality of the world around me and I am never happier than when I am visiting my home from home in St Ives, Cornwall. I truly believe that the power of the universe can be used as a creative outlet. My art offers a contemplative quality created using Perspex, slate and wood, and I use the flow of energies and emotions that are all around us within my artwork.

I was born in Stratford Upon Avon, and have loved art from an early age often watching my mum who was an artist, creating in her studio. My studies towards by Fine Art Degree at Warwickshire College gave me the opportunity to explore different medias, although Perspex is my favourite as I love producing artwork that allows light and colour to shine through!

I take great pride in the intensity of detail I work into my paintings and like to think that each time they are looked at, you may see something entirely different to what was seen before. I like to create a granular level of detail using vivid tones and dramatic ink strokes.

I have sold my work internationally and am lucky to have had the opportunity to complete commissions for many home and abroad. If you are interested in a commission, please reach out to me to discuss further.

CAROLINE FRASER

I have called many places home…

Each and every one leaves it’s own mark on my style, medium and working practice. Wherever I am, my creative journey continues. Experiences, mistakes, surprises and struggles fill my never-ending inquisitive mind. All this whilst collecting people. Yes, I collect people. There are some beauties out there you just can’t let go of.

I have organised and taught craft courses on a wide and varied range of creative topics, such as jewellery making, painting even crochet! I’ve designed, annotated and photographed my own craft projects for a magazine. I’ve also organised and taught craft therapy sessions with a local NHS authority.​

I’ve had the honour of being a resident artist in the East Lodge Gallery, Leamington Spa. I’m a proud member of ‘The Art Pool’ collective and also of ‘Leamington Studio Artists’ in Leamington Spa.

Once again I return to Warwickshire, to old friends and definitely new ones! It’s all very exciting as I embark on new projects in mixed media, photography and wearable art.

So I’m totally submerging myself in all that is arty and leaving my family to fend for themselves.

This could lead anywhere…

LIST OF RELEVANT LSA CONTACTS