Beasts (an exhibition with a lot of beauty)

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The September exhibition in the cafe gallery at #ArtattheAlex is a joint show by Shiam Wilcox (https://fernfloatingfineart.com/) and Emma Town (https://emmatownfineart.com/). Two artists from the Brinklow area who have a shared love of painting wildlife have called this exhibition 'Beasts'. As you can see its a case of Beauty within the Beasts. Their passion for their subject matter comes through strongly. Come and judge for yourself.

The Alex (and this exhibition) are open 10-4 Fridays & Saturdays during September, First Thursday (7th) from 4-8pm. Also open 10-4 on Sunday 10th and 17th and Sunday 3rd during the vintage fair (11-3). Steve Davies and I have already red-spotted one that we want to keep after the show. The work of both of these artists is easy to fall under the spell of. (Although Shiam's cards merit a second look and perhaps a sensitivity warning - those Robins ...).

About the September Artists in their own words

Shiam Wilcox: My work is influenced by folklore, superstition, fireside tales, canal and traveller traditions, the macabre, Victoriana. I take constant inspiration from the seasons and the countryside around me as I live and work on the local inland waterways.

Shiam is: 'fascinated by animals and their connection to the natural world. Their interdependence with the world around them, that as human beings, I feel we have now largely lost. I use my exploration of animals and the subsequent paintings as an attempt to reconnect with nature and the forgotten elements of our own culture',

She uses flowers as symbolic signposts to direct the meaning of the painting. Each flower is carefully chosen to represent and to compliment the birds status and the meaning of the work.


Emma Town: Emma is a painter from Brinklow whose work is predominately inspired by the beauty of nature, and our own connections to it. Her artwork often places an animal as the central most important element. As she points out this is: 'reflecting my own vision where humanity affords the natural world such devotion'. This exhibition shows different styles of her work. Recent paintings have developed into a more abstract style, combined with an old love of street art that has remerged of late. 'I love the layers and depth that can be created and when I combine this with animals, I feel it reflects well, how these creatures have had to adapt to survive within urban environments'.

Emma often visits the many areas around the UK where there is graffiti. She sees this as 'people wanting to leave their marks, almost like animals have the urge to leave their scent, we are not so different to each other, after all'. She takes many photos of tags and layers of scrawl and texture. There is a history to these layers and she has begun to combine some of these within her own work.

Her older work uses oil paints to create the softness of the animal, recently she has experimented with acrylics, spray-paints and digital processes. 

There are collectors of Emma's work in the USA, Germany, and throughout the UK.

The works shown above are Mumruffins and Hellebore (Shiam Wilcox) and Breathe (Emma Town)