Julie is an award winning professional artist with a lifelong passion for painting. She was born in Bristol and has lived in the area all her life. Her Mother was the earliest artistic influence and her passion for painting in Watercolour started in her mid-teens studying briefly alongside her Mum with Stained Glass Artist James Crombie. They moved on and discovered the medium had a whole lot more to offer from Yatton based Watercolour Artist and Tutor Brian Parrish. It was at this point that her passion was truly ignited and throughout her life she has pushed boundaries and tried to get inside this enigmatic medium. In the mid 80’s Julie started work as an Audio Visual designer and soon progressed to managing the in house AV team for a large Financial Services company based in Bristol. Her career progressed and when the team expanded to include all the creative services for the group. She managed the whole team of designers who were also responsible for the design and print of the company’s whole suite of literature. Alongside her career, Julie continued to paint and exhibit locally and at craft fairs across the South West and she became an active member of both Clevedon and Clifton Art Clubs. 22 years later, when changes to the company structure were brought in, Julie took the opportunity of redundancy and set up an Arts & Crafts business based in Nailsea. It was here that she started teaching. The shop soon became a Winsor & Newton Premier Art Centre due to the range of products stocked and Julie was able to use her knowledge and experience to guide and advise customers. Sadly a recession and rising overhead costs meant that the retail side of her business had to close. She continued painting, teaching and exhibiting alongside caring for her Father until he passed away. In 2016 she attended a workshop with Trevor Waugh and enrolled on an Atelier style Foundation Course. Under Trevor’s guidance her painting skills flourished and her style developed and finally in 2017 she took the step to become professional. Julie is currently a member of North Somerset Arts and takes part in the biennial North Somerset Arts Week. She has become known locally for Watercolour knowledge and her love of painting en plein air where she feels in touch with nature – the South West coastline has a special place in her heart. She is always searching for the story in her subject and her intuitive style is loose yet traditional with contemporary influences. Whilst Watercolour remains her greatest passion, she does explore other mediums, mixing them up if the subject calls for a more experimental and adventurous approach to tell the story. Her art is led by her heart not her head. She tries to portray how the subject makes her feel rather than getting too bogged down in accuracy. Julie’s own classes are now based at Portbury Church where she is also the artist in residence. She also visits other art groups around the region to teach ad hoc sessions and run workshops. She is one of the founding members of @art6explore – a collaboration of North Somerset Artists who formed online during the pandemic to explore monthly creative themes and try different ways of sharing their art, processes and inspiration with a new audience. Now they also hold regular live events, exhibitions and workshops. They often use their talents to raise money for deserving causes and particularly in support of environmental causes. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook to find out more. You can view more of Julie’s work on her social media pages:- on Facebook: Julie Mainstone Artist and on Instagram: @juliemainstone as well as on her website juliemainstone.co.uk For more details email: julie.mainstone@hotmail.co.uk

I am an intuitive painter/printmaker exploring the ‘Emotional Landscape’ through gestural, semi-abstract, fictive places full of movement, weather, air and space. The works offer a sense of perspective, invite reflection, and utilise the restorative and hopeful aspects of nature. Colour is of prime importance in creating the emotional tone, working in layers of transparency with gestural marks to build perceived depth, texture and form. Celebrating the spiritual power of open spaces and the cyclical nature of life, the concept of journey both physical and metaphorical is central to the work. Selected for the Royal Academy and a recipient of several national awards my work has been widely exhibited in the UK. I have been a core tutor at Spike Print Studio in Bristol since graduating from an MA in Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking in 2004, and co-manage North Street Gallery in Bedminster.

Reeling, writhing and fainting in coils. In spare time (needing income) journalist, architect, books author, university professor and cultural history tour guide. But always drawing, photographing, painting. Variously exhibited in Scotland, England and Italy - now four times in North Somerset in 2025 (one glimpsed in NSA November newsletter)!

After making mosaics for many years, Mary now fuses glass. She makes bowls, coasters and individual display pieces. Her latest work is eclectic, abstract and inspired by many years spent living with a view of the often moody sea and sky in Brighton, the ever changing landscape, her love of the vibrant colours of Northern Italy and the fact that the glass has a mind of its own: opening the kiln sometimes brings surprises which can often lead the work in a new direction. She enjoys experimenting with new ideas and techniques.

Margaret uses her understanding of landscape to provide a feeling which connects to a deep seated love of the outdoors, whether from her native Isle of Arran, Somerset, Cornwall or following a recent trip to Shetland which has furnished the pushing of boundaries in her choice of medium. Ink and oils in particular provide enough scope for those to happen.

Sally Mulholland is a studio potter who creates from her home and studio in Portishead. Her work varies from small aesthetic and sculptural pieces to functional pots and tableware. She is inspired by the sea, mud and landscape locally and likes to experiment with glazes and sea glass additions. She has studied with studio potters in Bristol and Glasgow as well as at Bristol Folk House, South Gloucester College and Weston College. Originally from the West Country, she lived in Scotland before ‘returning’ in 2019. She also worked as Project Leader in a pottery supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism until recently deciding to pursue her own path.

We are a local embroidery and textile group and meet on the 2nd Saturday of each month (except August) at Cleeve Village Hall. We often have external tutors at our meetings and our programme offers a mixture of traditional embroidery and modern textile workshops. For enquiries please contact Elke Davies at elkedavies@btinternet.com.

I have loved painting and drawing all my life. My main focus has been nature, depicted in various media. I have a strong sense of place, often reflecting the history in my work (particularly my collages), and am also fascinated by the play of light and flickering shadows, which can change the mood of a scene in seconds. I am currently working on a series of paintings after a visit to Kew Gardens, where the many layers of reflections in the lily ponds in the Princess of Wales Conservatory intrigued me. 2014 HND in Painting Open College of the Arts. 2018 First Class Honours Degree in Contemporary Art and Professional Studies, Bath Spa University 2021 – 2023 Tutor for Seasons Art 2010 to Present. Participation in local exhibitions (Bath, Bristol, Clevedon and Weston) including the RWA. Member of North Somerset Arts and Clevedon Art Club, a-n The Artists Information Company, RWA Friends. Tutor for private groups in Watercolour and Oil Painting Progression of my own work in Oil, Watercolour and Acrylic.

Clare Orr is a local Artist who has gained qualifications in both fine art and public art as a mature student at the Royal Academy of Art in Bristol. Working in oil and watercolour the main focus of her work is landscape, seascape and nature. Her watercolour work is stylised using techniques of masking fluid, sea salt and washes to create texture and depth. By picking out the linear aspect of the countryside made by the footpaths, hedgerows and hills she produces work which has a printlike quality. Her work has been influenced by Japanese wood blocks prints. Her work in oils bring detail into the miniature scenes she creates. Clare uses a large collection of photographs and sketches of the surrounding landscape as inspiration for her paintings.

Award winning artist Paul is renowned for his unique themed mirrors i.e. Clevedon Pier/Bristol/Suspension/Glastonbury Tor and others. Also tree and nature designs made from 300 year old Elm/Oak and other woods. He also makes interlocking boxes i.e. Nautilus, Ammonite/Tudor Rose/Hearts and Leaf designs. Paul will also be showing award winning food chain interlocking animal families, unique in the World! They open up to reveal their food or offspring inside. Paul uses only Wood from a sustainable source to create his many beautiful designs.

Renate makes unique designs, using seedpods, spices and Paul's offcuts, depicting leaves and heart shapes. Renate is also renowned for her felting work, creating Bags/Brooches/Butterflies/Moths/Flowers and nature scenes. Renate's work is eye catching and of the highest quality.

Steve Peel is a local artist based in Portishead painting in water mixable oils. His paintings are inspired by landscapes in Bristol, the UK, and France. Steve presently works in the space industry and so is also inspired by telescope images of space, such as the Pillars of Creation captured by the NASA Hubble and James Webb Telescopes. Steve studies art at Folk House in Bristol where he has also exhibited his works.