Five Ilkley artists are preparing to open their studios to visitors

Kerry J Stoker (Image: submitted)

Working in her first floor studio with a view Kerry J Stoker makes abstract paintings and collages which dance with delicious colour; dreamy artworks, imbued with a profusion of beautiful shapes and subtle veils of colour, soft and gentle or rich, bold and vibrant, are often further enhanced with mark making techniques and texture. “Joyful and spontaneous, my artworks are intimate expressions of how I see and interpret the world around and within me. I aim to articulate, and share, that elusive personally significant and visually engaging magic,” she said.

John Giles (Image: submitted)

A very different multimedia approach is taken by artist John Giles. In his basement studio he uses an even bigger array of media, from oil and acrylic paints to pinhole photography and zine making. He describes his works as a type of landscape, weaving together elements of wildlife, folklore, and human figures; a reflection of the multifaceted world around us. He said: “My artworks include the nostalgic as well as the innovative. I hope they invite you to contemplate the interconnectedness of our environments and the stories that shape our collective consciousness.”

Caroline Smith (Image: submitted)

Artist Caroline Smith offers something very different with her love of sketching and painting. The town and countryscapes often start by her walking to see places and spaces around Ilkley, then later from her top floor studio the work takes on a more playful composition. These engaging works capture people, places and moments in time. Fresh, delightful and fun, but also thoughtful: her recent piece depicts the Golden Butts Road recycling tip, now closed. For the FIVE event Caroline is opening her basement gallery where, if not chatting, she will be sketching and painting.

Tomas Bromley (Image: submitted)

Tomas Bromley’s studio is a complete contrast: he has recently taken on an entire Ilkley warehouse. Here he proudly shares his impressive skills of blacksmithing and coppersmithing. Describing them as fading art forms, he points out: “There is a need for this work to continue and provide beautiful, high quality products that surpass the mass production industry.” His artistry is inherent in all his pieces: unique copper and stainless steel kitchen wares, also hand forged goods for home and outdoor cooking, all a treat to handle and use.

Lucia Smith (Image: submitted)

The fifth artist opening her studio also loves her location, but for a very particular reason. Lucia Smith looks out of her kitchen studio window to the places that inspire her, Ilkley Moor and Beamsley Beacon and the glorious Yorkshire Dales beyond. She said: “The moors and valleys have a timelessness, a hugeness, a reassuring solidity. Time spent walking here seems to rebalance and rejuvenate; it is the only place I know where I can be simultaneously soothed and uplifted. I aim to paint the feeling of being there, reminding us that here is a place to be, a place to pause, a place to breathe.” Her bright, colourful, impactful landscapes are well known around the Dales: she will be offering some special ‘clear-out’ pieces over the weekend.

Five artists is over the weekend of May, 17, 18, 19 from 10am to 4pm: Kerry J Stoker, studio at: 12 Hollingwood Rise, Ilkley, LS29 9PW; John Giles, studio at 25 Crossbeck Road, Ilkley, LS299JP, Caroline Smith studio at 3 Wilton Road, Ilkley LS29 9PG; Tomas Bromley, studio at Unit B, Central Garage, Wharfe View Rd, Ilkley LS29 8DU; Lucia Smith studio at 35 Grange Estate, Ilkley LS29 8NW.