Hidden Talents International Arts Magazine Autumn 2021

Autumn £3.50

Also featuring in this issue

Mihai Dascalu. bringing stories told in winter to life

Susan Fownes...The Power Of Flowers

Sumanjit Johal... Creative arts during lockdown….

and more......

where words fail art speaks

Phenomenal Artists gather to write about their work and what inspires them..

Create a beautiful and Unforgettable memories in your life

CALL FOR ARTISTS

The Healing Power Of Art

Exhibition will take place: 22nd July- 13th August 2022 at The Arches Project, Digbeth Birmingham UK We would like to attract artists and creatives interested in art that is positive, healing and uplifting and seeking to gain global exposure to our international audience, which will direct more traffic to your websites and expanding your social media presence.

Inspirational Art in mixed media

When imagination, skills and innovation is added to their use of mixed media, there are no limits to what can be achieved Artists are invited to submit their application with two samples of their work to be considered by registering on the link

Exhibition 2022

https://thearchesproject.org/artist-registration-form/

Entry Deadline: 13 June -2022

STAY CREATIVE Welcome to our autumn issue of Hidden Talents magazine; I

hope that you will enjoy reading this issue, as we continue to enjoy providing artists and creatives global exposure to our international audience. Although we continue daily in today's challenging world, I am more mindful about following our mission and our purpose of promoting the arts; there is growing evidence that participation in creative activities transform lives, improve physical, social, mental and emotional health. We are therefore committed to sharing articles and art bringing positivity into your life.

In this issue, we also have a call for artists , creatives to collaborate in a group exhibition in July 2022 in Birmingham UK ` The Healing Power Of Art Exhibition` inviting emerging and professional artists to be involved in, producing art that is positive, healing and uplifting.

Thank you for your continued help and support, and together we can build a stronger art world.

Enjoy, Evette Edmeade

Contents Beatrice Hoffman Poetry by E.R Constance Prince Mihai Dascalu Susan Fownes Shereena Habib Jasmine Chan Philip Westcott Suman K Johal Mary Ffrench Ella Nash Benjamin Metcalf

Oliver Boyce Robert Geoghegan Vincenzo Cohen Keith Turley

Page 3 6,

7&23 8 11 14 16 20 21 24

26

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30 32 35

The Arches Project Ltd, Adderley Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4EE. Designed and Published by The Arches Project Ltd Publishing Director Evette Edmeade Advertising @thearchesproject.org Editorial Info @thearchesproject.org Web www.thearchesproject.org Tel +44 121-772-0852 Thank you to our supporters

DISCLAIMER Every care has been taken during the production of this magazine in compiling editorial and advertorial. However, The Arches Project Ltd cannot accept responsibility for material supplied by third parties and excludes all liability relating to any products and services promoted within this publication or arising from any error, omission, or inaccuracy, nor is The Arches Project Ltd responsible for the content of external websites.

Finally, the views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher, no part of this magazine must be copied or reproduced without written permission from the publishers.

Copyright ©The Arches Project Ltd. All rights reserved.

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WUNDERBAR! German Artist | Beatrice Hoffman | Arts Educator and Therapist

Aspirations It is those meaningful themes on the interface of mythology, psychology and spirituality that draw her: mental states, like strength, fear or serenity; gender and human identity; relationships and love - both maternal or erotical - as well as solitude. These are all universal experiences that nurture and inspire her artwork.

Walking Forwards Bronze Resin 186 x 166 x 80cm £29 500 Beatrice Hoffman

Thus, she hopes to enable engagement and contemplation: for the viewer to find reflected in her sculptures a feeling, experience or preoccupation, and through this empathy, solace, and understanding derive some healing and peace of mind.

Who is Beatrice Hoffman?

German artist Beatrice Hoffman lives and teaches near Oxford, and she has been sculpting from the age of 30, modelling and carving mainly in clay, also plasticine, stone, wood and polystyrene, her creations varying in size from domestic statues to large scale public works.

With her sculptures she wants to achieve a certain degree of simplicity and abstraction;

What is Beauty?

Making her sculptures so perfect to live beside and interact with on a daily basis.

They reveal their meaning or message slowly and gently over time and habituation, like old friends repeatedly encountered.

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Beauty to her implies simplicity, clarity, concentration and extends beyond decorative prettiness. She is fascinated by strong three-dimensional form, searching for the contrast between various elements of the sculptural language: convex various concave, sharp angles and edges between planes transitioning to smooth surfaces.

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Some of her ideas for sculptures derive from her other career as an arts educator and therapist, which makes her very aware of the psychological and expressive potential of sculptures:

Abstract Wave 2 Bronze Resin 37 x 47 x 34cm £1950 Beatrice Hoffman

Influences & Inspiration Beatrice Hoffman is influenced by C.G. Jungʼs ideas of archetypes and equally by childhood memories of Sunday visits to a catholic church filled with Baroque carvings.

She reconnects with the tradition of sculptures seen in places of worship and aspires towards a spiritually potent image used in the secular context of homes, gardens and public places.

Stretched Forward 2 Bronze Resin 16 x 45 x 14cm £950 Beatrice Hoffman

Her attention to the context and surroundings of her creations, and her ability to powerfully communicate ideas and emotions through 3D forms has drawn Hoffman to public sculpture.

Hoffman life-size double figures “Walking Forwards” have been installed beside the main entrance of Northampton hospital, reflecting the care and dedication that goes on inside, and adding warmth and human drama to what may otherwise feel like a forbidding and cold institution.

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Big Embrace Bronze Resin 55 x £2850 Beatrice Hoffman

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This is not a love poem.

Don’t look at me like that.

“Like what?”

Like everything in the world, right now in this moment, is perfect - it isn’t.

Don’t look at me like that.

“Like what?”

Like I’m a maze you’ve got lost in and have no intention of leaving.

Don’t look at me like that.

“Like what?”

Like my ebony eyes are black holes of destruction that you would happily dive into.

Don’t look at me like that.

“Like what?”

Like you’re about to give me your heart…

I don’t have anything to give in exchange And no, you should not be okay with that.

Please don’t look at me like that! I hate it when you look at me like that.

“Like what?”

Like you’re falling in love...

by E.R

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Mr Prince Garden Acrylic on Khaki paper 8” x 8” £120 Constance Prince Hidden Talents

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Mihai Dascalu Bringing stories told in winter to life Mihai Dascalu contemporary painter artist from Romania says, naive art is an escape from everyday life, it is the entrance to the world of fairy tales, of stories told in winter, when it snows outside and the holidays are approaching, it is the world of beautiful dreams in which we fly over the land of fairy tales with fairies and dragons.

I have always loved to paint the world of villages. It is very

interesting for me to paint the portrait of an old peasant, seeing on his face the fatigue due to work. A pipe in the corner of his mouth can be interesting to me. The pipe is an element that I have painted a lot in recent years, but there are also other elements that have challenged me to paint them, such as: a balloon in the sky, a pub with people drinking beer, a winter night, a wedding with many characters and many more.

Fairytale Pipe. Oil on canvas. 120 x 100 cm.

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I also liked to paint the world in cities, such as: people in the park, important buildings, people walking with pets, the ice cream vendor, cafes with people sitting and reading the newspaper, cobbled streets, couples under an umbrella, etc.

The flying pipe, huge mushrooms, fantatsic characters...

The world of the fantastic is also a subject many times in my works. I made works with a tree house, the tree of the seasons, the huge sunflower on which a house sits, the flying pipe, huge mushrooms, fantastic characters, huge flower vases, paintings with all seasons and many more.

I paint in naive style since 1984 so in the last years I have participated in several national and international exhibitions, where I have won various awards. However, I believe that naive art is not well known in the world, so any article related to naive art or naive painters is welcome, the winners are all of us, but especially lovers of naive art.

Naive’s Train. Oil on canvas. 40 x 60 cm.

“The handsome Romanian artist has the innate ability as an artist to capture genuine emotions in his work. What makes Mihai Dascalu’s work stand out so much, is his ultimate wisdom and abiding optimism.’’

“The painter Mihai Dascalu is a tenacious and laborious creator, ....

His creations are brilliant images of paradise, of childhood, dreams unforgettable even by the mature ones, producing happiness, joy, the sensation of floating, of flying “ says the Art Press!

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Susan Fownes The Power of Flowers

We all have a gene*c connec*on to the natural world; By the very nature of its materials, the urban environment may disconnect us from ourselves and discourage our natural and inherent immune system func*ons.

The Green Heart gardens are created to be an inspira*onal, green oasis of abundance and replenishment and an escape from the harsh conformity of city construc*on.

The gardens offer to cleanse, edible solu*ons from urban pollu*on on all levels: Designed to offer psychological and physiological health and wellbeing through both prac*cal,.leisurely and aesthe*c engagement Essen*ally offering us a connec*on to replenishment and vibrancy that inevitably connects us to a source of natural goodness.

Biophilic spaces in the urban environments enable and enhance our connec*vity to nature and, ul*mately, our own innate self-understanding and healing.

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The Survival Garden currently developing at The Arches Project aims to be a biophilic space that will provide fresh op*mum nourishment for the Tea Room.

Homegrown green leaf and medicinal flowers provide micronutrients for a healthy immune func*on alongside the greenery and colour, providing crea*ves space to relax and encounter harmony, inspira*on and encouraging wellbeing, Survival Garden is also a brand for excellent natural hygiene prepara*ons, supported by PachaVitE, the natural source of vitamin E and organic biochemicals for benefi*ng the skin, scalp and hair.

Watch this space for our NePle and Lavender hand sani*sing sprays, scalp and hair growth tonics coming soon. 💚 Interested in conver*ng your garden?

Tel: Green Hearts 07930557723 Green Hearts is a Trust for community conserva*on development.

“.. Homegrown green leaf and medicinal flowers provide micronutrients..”

- Susan Fownes

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Green Hearts ...Viridis ~Green Healing Presents

Survival Garden at The Arches Project Not only is it a flower that Bees love but it has long been appreciated for its medicinal healing properties .

As far back as AD 77 the Romans were known to be using lavender as an insect repellant.

Until world war 1 it was used in hospitals to sterilise surfaces and equipment alongside being used as an antiseptic and disinfectant of wounds It has long been used to calm the nerves and recent studies show that it can reduce anxiety by stimulating the nose which sends signals to the brain Some may remember the home made lace lavender pillows placed in clothes draws and wardrobes to deter moths and fragrance the clothes for that sensual aromatic experience when dressing .

They were also used in sleep pillows to aid sleep and cleanse the respiratory tract whilst resting.

An appropriate hand made gift during these times of concern.

The most effective medicine of this powerful flower comes from the extraction of the essential oil. It is believed to contain more than 150 recognised compounds and is easily and quickly absorbed into the skin.It can be detected in the blood in as little as 5 minutes.

Lavender oils are the most wonderful and versatile of oils and are recommended for all first aid cabinets for their usefulness to help treat: Insect bites,cuts,burns,bruises,headaches,fevers,aches and pains,skin and scalp conditions,allergies,hay fever and nose bleeds.

It is an essential healing oil known for its relaxing and balancing effects mentally and physically and is thus used in remedies and recipes for treating; exhaustion,insomnia,anxiety and restlessness.

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(Please note:Essential oils must be sourced from organic materia prima for it to be effective). A good source of genuine essential oils,used in Pacha recipes: aesencialeseva@gmail.com (Espana):Tel:+34952112522 Survival Garden will soon be offering a bespoke range of Nettle and Lavender hand sanitisers and scalp hair tonics.

“AD 77 the Romans were known to be using lavender as an insect repellant...”

-Susan Fownes

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Shereena Habib Discovering New Perspectives

I am a self-taught artist based in North West London, United Kingdom.

Throughout my childhood, I have always been creative and having more time at home has been a silver lining for me which has enabled me to rekindle my love and passion for art.

Majestic Waterfall Fantasy, Acrylic on Canvas, (Size: 11.7 x 15.7 inches) Price: £500

I knew I could draw but never had the chance to draw or paint due to my busy day to day schedule. I was gifted a paint set for my birthday in June 2020 and I have not stopped painting ever since. Painting brings me so much joy, I find it thoroughly calming, relaxing and therapeutic. I also find that it’s a distraction and an escape from my hectic daily life.

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Over the past year, I have learnt many new skills and painting techniques by accepting challenges and pushing myself further to develop and grow within myself. I am very honoured to have my artwork displayed in physical, virtual and online exhibitions across the UK and Europe. It’s second nature for me to be creative, and I incorporate elements of creativity in my everyday life, from recycling glass jars, painting on recycled cardboard, creating greeting cards to painting murals in the local area.

My new collection of four beautiful scenic landscapes have been inspired by the lack of travelling. Unfortunately, I and many others have not been able to travel during the pandemic; due to lockdown restrictions, therefore, my aim was to create a series of different views and landscapes travelled inspired for people to either relate to or appreciate during the pandemic.

Coastal Seascape, Acrylic on Canvas, (Size: 11.7 x 15.7 inches) Price: £450

Generally, my artwork is inspired by the vibrant and ever-changing colours of nature, from spring to summer, autumn to winter and the rich beauty of culture and everyday life.

I enjoy playing around with different colours and creating new shades to paint with. I love using different techniques and creating new styles of artwork by using different art tools, i.e. paint brushes, finger painting, pallet knife etc. I have recently been experimenting with painting with a pallet knife and absolutely loved creating unique styles of brush strokes and art.

“…my artwork is inspired by the vibrant and ever-changing colours of nature…”

I adore a vast range of colours and it is shown in my artwork. I mainly paint on canvas/art paper/ wood using bold vibrant acrylic colours.

I use acrylics for technicality and versatility which is a visual expression of my individual character. I am passionate about what I do and every artwork that I create reflects this.

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A journey into artistic discovery As a child, I whenever I created something, I felt a

along with wanting it to be perfect, I allowed my

sense of pride and joy. Regardless of how it

art to flow to where it wants to be.

looked, it was something that I had made.

During my foundation course, I was also making

Fast forward to college, and suddenly I feel a

friends with people who wanted to study in other

sense of awkwardness whenever I must show my

areas of the arts industry. By having conversations

artwork to another person.

with them, I began to see things differently. This

Nowadays, when I do art, I’m no longer awkward as how I once was. Is this because of my

helped me realise where my work may have lacked, to learning new ways of practising my art.

creations have become better? Not necessarily,

This continued into university where I began to

rather, I have come to terms with being

learn more about researching other creatives.

comfortable with the uneasiness and myself.

From researching, I came to find inspiration from

Through my journey of art, I have learned more

sometimes the unlikeliest places. Yet at the same

about the creative world, to be okay with my craft

time, it made me appreciate how art is linked to

as an ongoing evolution. Just like how I am

other areas. By becoming aware of this, I begin to

growing as a person. Afterall, art evolves over

relax more and see that there’s a place for

time.

everyone’s style and craft. I used to hate doing

During my time at secondary school, I began to feel pressured into creating art in a certain way.

Straight away, my work was being compared to others with the desire to mimic what was being taught and shown. My artwork was soulless,

research whenever I had a brief or a project to do, but gradually, I became more interested in doing it. Even if the research ended up not influencing my work, I still found it helpful with informing me of the possibilities.

lacking any form of individualism along with the

Currently, I am still realizing more opportunities

understanding of what art could potentially be.

within my artwork. From the lockdown making me

This however began to change once I started

re-evaluate how art can be presented, to what a

studying at college…

studio space can be. I am sure that there will be

It is okay to do things at your own pace. Besides, we all learn in different ways. There will always be a variety of ways to create artwork. I learned this while I was in college studying art. It became liberating when I came to accept about not being

more to find out about. My journey is still ongoing, with more to know. Ultimately, we are all learning new things which is what makes creativity so interesting. It is why I find that I can never truly be perfect at art. I can attempt, but not ever faultless.

precious about my craft. Rather than control it,

Jasmine Chan

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The

Arches

Project

Volunteers!

April - September

2022

Digbeth, Birmingham Arts Quarter

enquiries@thearchesproject.org

We are looking for volunteers to come together and help us to organise, manage and run events at The Arches Project in Digbeth Birmingham arts quarter.

Events will start from April - September 2022 welcoming our visitors to Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

From skilled roles technology, art, music, poetry, catering, security & medical to also many other roles we need to fill which does not require any formal training.

Our volunteering application process will be open later in the year.

We are now preparing for this and would love to hear from you, as to your availability and your preferred skilled area you would like to volunteer in.

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Philip Westcott

Red Tree

Who Is Philip Westcott?

Lights Oak Park

For forty years, I have painted local people and landscapes. My themes have been shopping centres, and the Northwest countryside.

I started by pain=ng in watercolours before moving to oils and acrylics and over the years I have adapted my style to try out new ideas and techniques. Recently, I experimented with digital drawings, using a stylus, on a tablet.

During lockdown restric=ons, I couldn’t get out to sketch and collect images. Ini=ally, I had enough ideas to con=nue my work but as maDers progressed in the daily way we lived our lives, I started to adapt my images to suit the current situa=on. This proved to be challenging and interes=ng.

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“I started by painting in watercolours..”

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My first pain=ngs focused on the changes taking place in the community, the empty shelves, the queues to get into shops and a piece depic=ng nurses in full PPE protec=on. These images seemed to be my way of reac=ng to the present situa=on.

I like to capture moments, where people interact with each other either by observing a happening or, simply chaIng to each other. However, I have realised that theses connec=ons have been missing, as people are keeping their distance. I oKen wonder how some of these people are coping now.

Another of my topics has been pain=ngs of buskers and look forward to seeing them out and about again when lockdown is over. These figure pain=ngs are drawn in pen and then acrylic paint is added.

I have recently returned to my usual subjects, crea=ng local landscapes in oils, painted thickly using a paleDe knife to add texture to the canvas.

Due to travel restric=ons, I haven’t been able to visit the countryside and it has made me realise that my feelings for capturing its beauty is stronger.

It is important to visit these places to get away from the busy city life and I look forward to being able to enjoy them fully as restric=ons have now started to be eased.

When I look back in a few years’ =me it will be interes=ng to see how much in fact these =mes have influenced my art.

Life’s Hard

“..When I look back in a few years’ time it will be interesting to see how much in fact these times have influenced my art..”

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Sumanjit K Johal Creative Arts during lockdown

I am a creative education professional, freelance mixed-media artist, and a co-founder of a community arts & education non-profit company, which is focused on community cohesion and advancement of community engagement with creative arts.

Catch the Moon.

Digital Art, 80 x 60 cm £250.00

I am passionate about exploring the connections between education religion, culture, heritage, and community cohesion through the creative arts. My career history has inspired and enabled me to work within the community, raising aspirations and engaging marginalised groups through the medium of creative arts and multi-faith/ cultural cohesion within diverse communities.

Working with various local council authorities, public Hidden Talents

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and private organisations has provided me with opportunities in developing and delivering exhibitions and projects that encourage and create meaningful and informative dialogues between various cultural, faith and belief communities to champion social inclusivity through multi-cultural arts.

In the past art educators often have had to make the case to champion the value of the practice of creative arts, but lockdown provided the opportunity to recognise this value. The Department for Education statistics published in September 2020 indicated that in the last two years the number of arts teachers and the hours the arts were taught both fell, while the number of children in England’s secondary schools saw a rise.

The situation seemed to have exacerbated with the impact of the pandemic, as much creative teaching was reduced. During lockdown, communities around the world faced a new way of living in a new world. Against the odds, creativity triumphed and evolved a paedology of its’ own. The increase in arts and creativity around the world in itself became a symbol of hope. If imagination is the seed of hope, then creativity is the bloom.

‘‘My career history has inspired and enabled me to work within the community, raising aspirations and engaging marginalised groups through the medium of creative arts’’

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Freeze Flight Goldfinch. Digital Art, 60 x 60 cm. £250

Families came together to express their compassion and gratitude with symbols of hope, as explosions of colours were seen displayed in windows. Creative artworks in support of the NHS and key workers created a spontaneous exhibition and instant creative communities all over the UK. Social media was a flood with images from parents’ home schooling through creative methods such as painting, drawing, singing, cooking, active play, seed sowing, dancing and much more.

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Teaching art and design for over fifteen years as taught me that forms creative expressionism are born in the face of adversity and finding yourself in conditions that are beyond life as it once was. For centuries artists have drawn upon lived human experiences they have encountered, to ignite their imaginations to comprehend the world in which they lived and to express hope in darker times. Art teacher methodologies arise from a deep engagement with creativity, not only though creating art but responding to and encountering our environments and the artworks of others.

Lockdown provided a pause from the norms of life as we once knew, to think differently and apply a different perspective to the world. We now, more than ever have had the opportunity to form the meaningful methods by which inspiration is drawn from, whether it be enabling a moment of quiet and self- reflection, learning new things, up-recycling, to expressing ideas and discovering you have a message to share.

“creative expressionism are born in the face of adversity”

In a time where the majority of people found themselves voiceless and unable to control their circumstances, creativity gave us a voice and more than ever before we are seeing the value of the creative arts. The Covid-19 pandemic saw many face adversities from loss of income to mental health issues but the role that creativity and expressive arts has played in championing community spirit and positivity is something that will continue to be a source of hope for all.

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Mr Prince Garden Acrylic on Khaki paper 9” x 8” £350 Constance Prince Hidden Talents

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Mary Ffrench “..Art practise has enhanced my quality of life..”

Who Is Mary Ffrench?

I grew up in a world that had very li3le knowledge or apprecia6on of art. It wasn't unusual to see me stru<ng about as a teenager in my mother’s clothes, altered to within an inch of recogni6on, blended with garments of my grandmother and father.

'Frayed Edges' , Creative Embroidery using cotton, silk and metallic threads, and beading over Monoprint on cotton.

As a li3le girl, I did not recognise this as crea6vity, li3le did I know that I would return to the s6tching as a woman in my for6es.

AAer a prolonged illness and has not worked for a number of years I needed s6mula6on and an outlet for my crea6vity, so I made a decision to returned to full-6me educa6on to study art.

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This opened up a whole new world to me and reminded me of my childhood days. The excitement of being able to create and experiment was thrilling for me, I felt like a teenager again, crea6ng and loving it. The two areas I concentrated on were mixed media and tex6le art, and aAer a while I developed my own techniques for crea6ng images.

In my tex6le work, I returned to the use of prac6ces in s6tching that I learned in school. God bless Sr. Anuncina.

I have always loved woodlands and this is very obvious in my work, and so you can see a great deal of my work involves the study of trees, their bark and foliage, the textures, the fragility and strength, the seasonality and colours.

Generally, I create backgrounds with acrylics but the development becomes exci6ng for me when the other materials come into play. I some6mes use inks oAen I use metal-leaf which brings a li3le bit of magic to my work. Nothing is out of the ques6on. General hardware stores can be a treasure-trove for materials.

I work from my li3le studio in my garden surrounded by flowers and trees. I see it as my magic place.

I tend to paint in series with up to six or seven pain6ngs on the go. When I find my work is becoming 6ght and overworked I move on to another piece. I find this helps me to keep my work fresh. Not everything works out first go. The important thing for me is to always learn something from every piece I create.

“I see it as my magic place..”

'Autumn Woodland' Mixed media on canvas. 109cm x 88cm

In my tex6le pieces, I use fabric paints which I mix myself to print onto fabrics. Then I add threads string and beads of all types. I par6cularly like including hints of metallic thread. This li3le bit of sparkle brings the magic of trees to life.

I tend to do my hand-s6tching during the winter months beside the log fire, there is something very medita6ve and comfor6ng about repe66ve s6tching.

I can honestly say that my art prac6se has enhanced my quality of life. Who would have thought that illhealth could have brought me down the path to what has become one of the greatest joys in my life.

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Ella Nash

Who Is Ella Nash?

Inspirations

She is an abstract painter and fabric designer who uses a variety of tools and found objects to create her marks. Nash works on an array of different mediums crea=ng her work on both canvas and fabric, and this allows her to explore her love of texture by using a variety of approaches.

Ella Nash's work is inspired by colour and texture, and she finds paCerns in everything she sees. She aims to create vibrant and exci=ng work, to brighten up homes and living spaces.

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Benjamin Metcalf I’m Benjamin Metcalf, a 21-year-old Illustrator who recently graduated from my Illustration Undergraduate Degree with a 2.1 and am now looking to offer my talents to clients with whom I can expand and further develop my artistic skills with. I am open to working in a multitude of genres and styles as I believe that the best way to improve as an artist is to experiment with different and unknown aspects of the industry and use skills from them all to offer new takes. The Visual medium is such a large and important part of my life whether that be games, films, book, posters, miniatures/models, artbooks or magazines they all help contribute to make me want to become a better illustrator and continue to do what makes me the happiest. My artistic experience ranges in both traditional and digital, and I am always experimenting with new ways to mix these different materials which helps my work to stand out and offer something fresh. I was struggling with my art for a time as my work always appear more ‘rough’ and ‘unfinished’ than others in my eyes. However, once I learnt to embrace those qualities and use them to give my drawings/paintings more energy, dynamism and personality which has allowed me to improve and continue to improve greatly. I always see in my work the influence of the artists and genres that I am the most attached to yet mixing up my materials and genres allows me to pull knowledge from a variety of sources and make what could be slightly derivate feel exciting not only to make but also to view e.g. with the Ringu poster in my portfolio,

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“…The Visual medium is such a large and important part of my life…”

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whilst taking inspiration from the stylings of late 90s/early 00s J-Horror, was mixed with work from a lot of Super-Ani artists I’m a fan of, mixing watercolour with ink. I feel this blending of various mediums and genres is what makes me stand out the most as an artist and allows my work to always offer something new that leaves a lasting impression.

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Oliver Boyce IT’S TIME TO FOCUS ON WHAT I LOVE it’s time to focus on doing what I love says Oliver Boyce I have always loved to draw, so as soon as was able to see a crayon the main thing I wanted to do was to pick it up and get drawing.

As a child growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s it was hard not to be inspired by the amount of art and entertainment from that time and access to all that came before it, from ‘The Church Mice’ by Graham Oakley to Superhero comics, cartoons about transforming robots from space and sword and sorcery, I loved it all but didn’t just want to consume art I wanted to create it too. I would watch all the kids art shows at the time, Hartbeat, Rolf’s Cartoon Time/Club, Art Attack, copy art from comics, books and photographs to improve my drawings and enrol in art college to study graphic design and even train in martial arts.

Over the years I have never stopped drawing and painting but had to make the same decision time after time, to sideline art/graphics as my main profession and accept other work that was more stable and gave me a good income. So for the next four years I didn’t draw or paint, just work until redundancy came calling and before I could work out my next career move then came the pandemic and the country was placed into lockdown Hidden Talents

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‘‘I didnt want to consume art, I wanted to create it too’’ With no jobs to apply for I picked up the pencil again and slowly got back into art which also brought back the much needed happiness, fulfilment, sense of achievement, control

and escapism from the insanity that was 2020.

No more side-lining art, its time to focus on doing what I love.

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Robert Geoghegan

My name is Robert Geoghegan and I am a Birmingham artist. I work in two very different styles.

One is very detailed and illustrative where I make paintings about my home city covering various aspects from its landmark buildings to its football teams and buses. These have a comic twist in them and often a caption to explain the joke. Some of these paintings take me up to 30 hours to do and a lot of research goes into getting the detail of the scene and characters and their clothing correct. I do the painting A3 size using water based oils and then use this to make prints from in different sizes and greeting cards. Towards the end of the painting I can be using a double '0' brush.

I am best known for this type of work and sell mostly directly at local art and craft markets where I enjoy talking to people about my work and often get inspiration from stories they tell me about Birmingham. I have often traded at 5 week long Christmas markets in Birmingham city centre.

My best ever day was selling 55 prints on one Saturday. I also sell online from my website www.robspaintings.com

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My other style is plein air in oils - a more recent development which I've dabbled with in the past but since buying a wooden box easel am taking more seriously. I set up in the local parks and green spaces in the city. So I paint direct from nature - often trees and flowers and it's very seasonal. This winter I was even painting outside in the snow.

The Impressionist painters and Van Gogh are my inspiration and I really enjoy getting light and colour down quickly with big brushes and thick paint sometimes using a knife. After priming my A3 sheets of watercolour paper with gesso, I cover it with a warm red undercoat in acrylic which I then paint on with oils.

The red shows through in places and gives unity throughout the painting as well as establishing a mid tone.

There's a freshness and immediacy to this approach which makes a nice change from my carefully planned meticulous Funny Brummie Pictures where I use photographs as my reference while inventing the people in them.

Kings Heath Park

Proper police Winterbourne Hidden Talents

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Hidden Talents

Autumn Issue

Vincenzo Cohen Two women of the ancient world: Medusa and Medea The two artworks presented belong to the collection Portraits in red and grey (2014-21). The collection is the last pictorial production of the artist and includes a series of portraits produced between 2014 and 2021.

Across the centuries of the history the exposition intends to show historical figures in the light of their cultural context. The source of inspiration borns from the sculpture in moving from three-dimensional to two-dimensional representation. The represented characters are often isolated figures in a neutral background, rapt in hermetic expressions, to emphasize the need for psychological introspection. The collection represents a return to the Medusa (2021) oil on canvas, 70x70 painting after ten long years of silence. Between the works the two female miths of Medusa and Medea focusing on the representation of the female myth in art, from antiquity to today, represent two archetypal figures that have influenced the modern artistic imagination. In fact the history of these two women is rich in symbolic meanings that have immortalized the image through art and literature. The two paintings try to highlight and reveal some characteristic aspects of these myths.

According to the historical tradition, the Gorgon Medusa was once a beautiful princess of Libya.

She was the daughter of Forco and Ceto, then joined in love with Poseidon, God of the seas and waters, and destined to be relegated to a rocky ravine on the island of the Hyperboreans, for questioning the eternal beauty of Athena and violating her temple. The myth informs us that Athena, jealous of her beauty, transformed her into a monster with serpentine hair with flaming eyes with petrifying power. The enterprise of killing the Gorgon was entrusted to the valiant Perseus and when she was beheaded by him, her blood gushed into the sea generating corals.

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Hidden Talents

In the ancient Roman tradition her image was widely used as a warning against enemies for his apotropaic character: her figure was placed in the form of an stone idol in defense of the ports, in the form of protomes on ships and as a protective effigy on the shields of soldiers.

Archetypically, Medusa represents the alter ego of Athena, her dark side. Athena and Medusa are in fact intended as an image of an ancient goddess-mother linked to the cult of the femminine and her ambivalent, sacred and nefarious at the same time, illuminating and lethal power. Athena represents the rational, the wisdom; Medusa the irrational, the primitive and wild. This ambivalent and bipolar nature of femininity is made even more evident in an episode of the Iliad (Iliad, XVIII), in which Athena, overcome with fury, reveals her vengeful and terrible power, turning the fair maiden into a serpent-haired monster and getting out burning flames from her eyes. Her figure has often been associated with that of Hecate/Selene, goddess of the moon, due to her changing and enigmatic nature. The painting depicts her in all her seductive power, wrapped in the mist of mystery with floating hair in which snakes creep.

Autumn Issue

Medea (2014) oil on canvas, 50x60

The artist has chosen to represent the myth in its original beauty, without however renouncing to represent the dark and sensual side of the myth using the image of the Italian actress Ornella Muti for the realization of the face.

“…The painting depicts her in all her seductive power…”

The artwork realized in 2014, represents Medea, a mythological character who gives the title to the famous Greek tragedy of Euripides. Medea is one of the most significant figures in Greek mythology. Described as a perfidious woman, Euripides gave her back her human face by capturing in Medea the drama of despair that leads to madness. It represents the revenge of love and at the same time the victim of betrayal. Medea's drama centers on love for Jason, a love that, once betrayed, will push her to the tragic epilogue of matricide. Endowed with human feeling Medea is nevertheless the heroine of suffering but also a being of mysterious and divine origins: sister of Circe and cousin of Hecate; numerous episodes within the tradition refer to her magical arts. The painting is characterized by a magnetic aura and a cinematic framing that gives modernity to the picture. The intensity of the gaze reveals the enigmatic character of the myth. website: https://www.vincenzocohen.com/

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Mary Ffrench

Hidden Talents

Autumn Issue

KEITH TURLEY Teacher of Art

Who is Keith Turley?

Born in Birmingham, Keith had over thirty years experience as a teacher of Art, before concentrating fully on painting. His work is in public and private collections around the UK and he has carried out numerous commissions.

Early Career Early career successes included winning the Midlands Open 25, and the Sandwell Jubilee Medal. He also held one man shows at the Midlands Art Centre, as well as being a regular exhibitor at MIDART. He regularly exhibits at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, where he is a full member, and a selection of his work can be seen on permanent display at Himley Hall.

In 1990 and 2010, Keith carried out long series of special commissions for The Heritage Foundation, which honours late, great showbusiness stars whilst raising money for charity. Over a number of years Keith produced portraits of many of our most popular comedians and entertainers, these works have been auctioned and have raised significant amounts for good causes, of which as also extended into book illustration.

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Studio self portrait Oil, 60”x48 £2000.00

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The Woodworker Oil, 48 x32 £1500.

Keith Turley

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Shaping the Glass (Oil, 48”x32”) permanently on display at the Wordsley Glass Cone Museum.

Autumn Issue

The Boatman (Oil, 60”x36”) Privately owned.

Whats Next?

Keith has turned his attention to more ordinary subject matter recently, as evidenced in his present exhibition.

These take the form of portraiture and figure paintings, often featuring people in interesting, perhaps work, environments.

These works are characteristically large, and carried out in an increasingly painterly style. Many such works have drawn inspiration from Black Country craft and industry, such as Glass and Chain making, and have been featured in numerous Midland exhibitions.

Keith is a full member of the RBSA, The Birmingham Easel Club, The Dudley Society of Artists, and the Birmingham Art Circle.

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Photograph by Archie

Beatrice Hoffman Sculpture

www.thearchesproject.org