Frankwell in View

Frank wel l in View Artworks by: Anne Bremridge•Sandra Fisher•Amanda Hillier Andrew Howe•Jim Sadler•Jancis Vaughan•Jennifer Wallace

F ra n k we l l i n V i ew The community of Frankwell settled on the opposite bank of the River Severn to the market town of Shrewsbury. It was exempt from local taxes and became known as the Little Borough.

It grew into an important river port, thriving with industries and trade. Evidence of its historic past remains in the diverse buildings we can see today.

During Spring 2020 whilst under Covid 19 restrictions, many people walked and took extra interest in their local area. The seven artists in this book are just a few of the artists living in Frankwell, who have joined together to celebrate the place we live in through a collection of drawings, photographs and prints.

We hope that other people will be inspired to look closely at their surroundings and make artworks. We would love to see them.

Andrew Howe, September 2020

G reen s paces The river has been a powerful influence on Frankwell’s development, and its flooding continues to command respect. This has left a legacy of flood meadows and wooded river walks at Doctor’s Field and Poplar Island. And despite the densely built up areas around Frankwell Roundabout, there is a wealth of green space in the Hermitage Community Gardens, allotment gardens at Millingtons Hospital, public park at Silk’s Meadow and the roundabout island itself.

Photographs by Andrew Howe of some of these cherished natural breathing spaces are included throughout the book.

View of The Mount from Frankwell roundabout

Silk’s Meadow

Anne Bremridge

When I was first thinking of moving here, I came to look and met the postman on his rounds who told me that Frankwell was a good friendly community. It has been that to me.

I like being close to the town centre as well as the river and the fields alongside. It is a sociable place with restaurants, pubs, shops and the Severn Theatre and where neighbours talk to each other.

I like living here!

These small detailed drawings of places around this neighbourhood are a new way of working for me as mostly I use a lot of

colour in larger pastels and paintings. I have enjoyed taking time to sit down and work in quite a lot of detail; maybe its part of the “slowdown” during Covid-19 Lockdown.

The buildings are familiar to all around Frankwell and the little dog “visiting” is my imaginary pet!

email: abremridge241@gmail.com mobile: 07828650512

Roundabout & Rosies Pen and coloured pencil on paper.

22.5cm x 15cm

Wheatsheaf Pub Pen & coloured pencil on paper, 22.5cm x 15cm

Olive Cottages - garden Pen & coloured pencil on paper, 22.5cm x 15cm

Theatre Severn Pen & coloured pencil on paper, 22.5cm x 15cm

Trees at Frankwell playing fields

Doctor’s Field

Sandra Fisher

I studied Art at both Stourbridge College of Art and Chesterfield College of Art and Design gaining an Industrial Artists and Designers Diploma in Interior Design. My career has been mostly in Interior design with a short break to work for Disney as a Matt and Roto artist on the film ‘Who framed Roger Rabbit’.

I organise the Shrewsbury Urban Sketchers group, who meet monthly to make and share sketch studies at different places around our beautiful town. All welcome!

For the last 15 years I have been co director of 2Scale Architects and Designers in Copthorne. I discovered urban sketching a couple of years ago and am enjoying being part of a world wide community of artists.

It is a privilege to have such a stunning and inspiring town to base my drawings on.

email: shrewssketch@yahoo.com

Facebook.com/shrewssketch

Rosie’s Emporium Pen & coloured pencil on paper, 22.5cm x 15cm

Sketch studies from Frankwell Roundabout Pen on paper, 22.5cm x 15cm

Frankwell roundabout

Hydrangea

Amanda Hillier

I’m a designer, illustrator and printmaker and my aim is to bring an illustrative flair to the projects I’m involved in.

I specialise in natural themes and also have an interest in architectural and industrial history – I work with traditional methods such as lino printing, watercolour and pen & ink, then combine these elements into a contemporary format.

www.amandahillier.co.uk email: hillierdesign@gmail.com

Welsh Bridge Linocut print

Potters’ Warehouse Linocut prints

Tennis courts and bowling green at Silk’s Meadow

Hermitage Community Garden

Andrew Howe

The town of Shrewsbury might have grown around it now, but for me, Frankwell has retained much of its historic identity as an outsider and I like that!

There is still a sense of the trade and industry of Frankwell’s origin beneath the genteel charm of its buildings and the beauty of the river and places like Poplar Island and Doctor’s Field.

As an artist, I work in a range of media, inspired by walking and by my interest in layers of history and the links between people and places.

The drawings and prints seen here are from a series of works I made into several artist books inspired by local walks in Frankwell during the Covid 19 lockdown. The first is an A to Z of places and the second is a series of black and white patterns and textures found in Frankwell.

www.andrew-howe.com email: andrew@andrew-howe.com instagram: @andhowenow

The Olde Bucks Head Oak gall ink drawing

Glen Maltings Oak gall ink drawing

Textures of Frankwell I Collage

Textures of Frankwell II Collage

Hermitage Community Garden

Willows overhanging the River Severn

Jim Sadler

Over 20 years, Jim has gained an international reputation for his sculpture, furniture, drawings and prints. He has undertaken numerous large-scale commissions and exhibited widely. His work is held in public and private collections throughout the world including Italy and France. He is also a trained lecturer with a P.G.C.E from Edge Hill University.

Having spent a few years living in Frankwell I explored its many facets. I often used to walk the same steps that a young Charles Darwin would have taken.

Frankwell is full of interesting people and places and always seems to throw up

surprises, even now when I visit the area to sketch. The image I created of Millington’s Hospital was enough to remind me of the time when I used to walk up the Mount observing the landscapes before me.

Often I will make a quick sketch of a location and take the sketch home to work on, sometimes using water colour to highlight aspects that appeal to me. A big step away from the large scale site-specific sculpture I design and make. www.jimsadler.co.uk email: info@jimsadler.co.uk instagram: @jimsadler-sculpture

Millington’s Hospital Digital

Ruined inn at Barge Gutter

Sweet chestnuts on Frankwell roundabout

Jancis Vaughan

I am a painter and printmaker based at Raven Studios in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, where I am a founding director. I exhibit locally and regionally and am a member of the Wrexham Regional Print Centre and the Visual Art Network, of which I am a Trustee.

I am also involved in encouraging art participation – I lead after school art clubs based at primary schools in Shropshire, run occasional print workshops and am an Arts Award Adviser for Discover and Explore.

I have walked through Frankwell on my way to town for years, and have always enjoyed looking down the passages as I pass.

I never go down them of course; they are fascinating portals to secret, hidden worlds, and to a Frankwell from the past. The sunlight shines at the end of the passages, but on the unseen, and stirs my curiosity.

www.jancisvaughan.wordpress.com email: jancis.vaughan@gmail.com

19 Frankwell Collage

52 Frankwell Collage

107 Frankwell Collage

111 Frankwell Collage

Water Lane Collage

Alan Davies Bespoke Joinery Collage

River Severn in winter

River Severn in winter

Jennifer Wallace

Despite almost 20 years living in Shrewsbury and many visits in years living in other places, I knew almost nothing of Frankwell until I moved here 4 years ago. But this is the first part of the town I started to explore with a sketchbook, which opens your eyes in different ways to what’s on your doorstep.

The more I notice, the more I see something else that asks me to spend time drawing (or maybe taking photos), but it also sets me wondering ‌ am I in Frankwell or is this Mountfields? email: jenniferwallaceuk@gmail.com

Frankwell Rooftops from the Community Garden, Etching

Frankwell Rooftops Linocut

The Stew 9 Drawing on carboard

The Stew 10 Drawing on cardboard

Left, In Whitehall Passage Etching Right, In Mount Street Drawing

Profits from the sale of these books will be donated to the Shrewsbury Food Hub. The Shrewsbury Food Hub is a charity collecting surplus food and sharing it fairly with the community. It reduces food waste, reduces food poverty, saves food budgets for community groups and links organisations so that they can share know-how on how to engage people in healthy eating, tackling food insecurity and holiday hunger.

The Hub supports 56 groups including Barnabas Community Projects, The Ark, Severn Hospice and organisations providing mental health support, 11 schools, 11 youth clubs, 4 Age UK day centres, playgroups and children’s sports clubs.

Find out more, including how to get food, volunteer or donate by visiting:

www.shrewsburyfoodhub.org.uk

Hermitage Community Garden

Published September 2020 All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic and mechanical including photocopy, recording or an information storage and retrieval system without prior permission from the Authors.

Anne Bremridge, Sandra Fisher, Amanda Hillier, Andrew Howe, Jim Sadler, Jancis Vaughan and Jennifer Wallace have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as authors of this work.

Inside covers: Flooded fields beside barge gutter, Poplar Island, Mountfields

Sold in support of the Shrewsbury Food Hub

£6