Media Coverage

Picture: Joanna Plachcinska, artist and picture restorer

If you're walking in the woods this weekend, and find yourself being watched by a large and silent tiger, don't panic.

This tiger hasn't slipped out of a zoo. It's the work of Sevenoaks artist Juliet Simpson, and 'Tiger' announces the start of South East Open Studios 2007 (SEOS).

From the June 9 to 23, 28 local artists will throw open their doors to welcome the public. If you've every wondered how it's done - whether it's etching, sculpture, carpentry, oils or watercolour - the artists will be delighted to talk to you about the intricacies and pleasures of their work.

Fancy the idea of being able to work with dangerous chemicals, get your hands covered in ink, and risk your fingers in heavy machinery? Visit the etching community at Chart Farm, Seal Chart, where a band of etchers work happily in a bustling studio, under the guidance of host Lawrence Jenkins.

The aroma of acid, metal, ink and wet paper is mesmeric in its own right, but add to that the enthusiastic welcome of the etchers ("We measure the success of the Open Studios by how much wine and cake we get through???"), and this studio is a must-visit. "All etchings are different, however careful you are in the printing. It's what makes them unique," says Lindy Webster.

It's important to remember that etchings will print in reverse. The etchers tell stories of weeks spent on a portrait of a house, only to realise that it's back-to-front when printed. "Nothing you can do but start again from scratch," says John Bushell.

Alan Keeler demonstrates the use of the antique press to make a beautiful, witty print of sheep on a Welsh hillside. His hands are quite astonishingly inky, a fact in which he clearly rejoices.

"You never know what to expect," says Margaret Mountfield, exhibiting this year in her own studio in Seal, "except that it's never what you expected!"

Across the yard, Tim Constable's workshop is a temple of cabinet-making. If you love craftsman's tools, one step into this studio will have you fainting with pleasure. Tim learned his trade making harpsichords, first in Haslemere, then later in Sevenoaks, where the Harpsichord Workshop in Bradbourne Road still made the eponymous instruments until relatively recently. Tim's commissioned pieces include the elegant lectern in the chapel at Combe Bank School.

"There are fashions in wood," says Tim. "Right now, everyone wants American walnut. My favourite, though, is air-dried English oak."

Visit Tim's workshop to remind yourself what craftsmanship actually looks like.

Next door, Joanna Plachcinska demonstrates the restoration of an oil painting. Trained for five years in her native Poland, Joanna points out that, to be a good restorer, you must first be a painter. "If you have to paint, say, half a hand that's missing, you need to know how the painter worked and thought."

Joanna has even found herself tactfully reversing someone else's restoration, where a portrait had been overpainted with such zeal, the client was unable to recognise her own Great Aunt!

At Dibgate Farm in Sundridge, Debra Barr-Smith's bright and cheerful studio is hosting the work of five artists. "This year is a real adventure, with the Dibgate 5 in one studio," she says. Inspired by the natural world, Debra loves bright colour and taking risks. "You have to get out of your comfort zone. You can't be afraid."

Marie McEwen senses a supernatural support. "My father taught me to sew, knit and iron shirts! He was good with his hands. I remember watching him cut glass to make window panes??? and now I hear his voice at my shoulder when I'm working with glass."

Lindsay Connors was also inspired by her father. "I used to love watching my dad carving wood." The same joy in meticulous craftsmanship inspires Lindsay's rhythmical linoprints. She loves the precision and planning involved. "It's restful, almost surreal???"

Aggy Boshoff describes her work as "bright and happy", and her acrylics and oils certainly lift the spirits. Many of her paintings are inspired by foreign travels, especially to her native Holland. This is her 11th year exhibiting with SEOS.

Kazumi Harnett brings inspiration all the way from her native Japan. Her delicate ceramics are grounded in the great traditions of Japanese ceramic art. Exhibiting this year in Otford, Kazumi has shown her pieces nationally.

Ann Kay and John Lucas share Ann's Brasted studio. Ann has worked in many different media, but loves to experiment. Her work is abstract and exuberant; she takes pleasure in putting colour and shape together.

John trained as a graphic designer. "Composition is important. I don't like to get too bogged down in detail.

"I just enjoy painting. It relaxes me and stops me from vegetating," John, noted for his powerful seascapes, says modestly.

Ken Wilson, a landscape artist, was inspired to move to Shoreham by Samuel Palmer. "I read a book about Romantic British artists, including Palmer, and made a stupid resolve that one day I'd live in Shoreham. Sixty years later it came true!"

Wendy Peck's landscapes are inspired by the tranquillity of the countryside, and she and her mother Joan extends a warm invitation to their gallery in Otford.

The whole event is free to the public. "And there's no pressure to buy," says Debra Barr-Smith, who is co-ordinating the Sevenoaks artists. "It's an opportunity to explore techniques and ideas with the artists themselves. "

If you look round town, you'll spot the colourful brochure; it's available from the library, the tourist office and several other places. "I drop them round the pubs," says John Lucas, with a giggle. Keep your eyes peeled.

Alternatively, the guide can also be downloaded from the website at www.seos-art.org