Wokingham Art Society celebrates winning artists – Wokingham.Today

A GROUP of borough artists opened their exhibition of works to the public on Saturday.

Wokingham Art Society’s annual art exhibition can be visited for two weeks, with visitors able to view and buy pieces created by the members during the year.

Chair of Wokingham Art Society Peter Izod, said: “Tremendous effort goes into this exhibition, with every member of the society entitled to include their work whether they are a professional, a semi-professional or a keen amateur.

“Between 75 and 80 people are taking part this year, and the standard is once again very high.

“The exhibition is popular, and we usually get a very good footfall inside the doors.

“We tend to sell around £12,000 worth of art.”

On its opening morning, the society presented trophies to this year’s prize-winners, Judged by Reading professional artist Jenny Halstead.

“Jenny is an extremely accomplished artist, and well known to many in the art circuit,” said Mr Izod.

“We’re very grateful that she devotes her time to judging our exhibition.

“She’s extremely thorough, and gives very helpful comments to the prize winners.”

The winners were, Clare Buchta, who’s piece Spring Tide won the President’s Award for Best In Show; Kusum Shabong, who’s painting Feather 2 won the Sandra Fagan Award for Best Watercolour; Sue Dance, who won the Ray Mills Award for Best Painting in Other Media, with her mixed media work Journey; Martin Rolfe, whose piece Conkers won the Paul Banning Award for Best Drawing; and Karen Marks, who won the Vice President’s Award for Best Three Dimensional work, with her ceramic sea-themed Breakers.

Highly commended awards went to Joan Sawdon-Smith, Liz Robertson, Vicky Harte, Helen Lieber, and John Lynam.

Jenny Halstead, said: “It’s a lovely show, that the group can be very proud of.

All the winners’ works had something about them that really caught my eye.

“I loved the sense of movement in Karen Mark’s ceramic waves, and Conkers by Martin Rolfe is a lovely study of shape, form and depth.

“I enjoyed the use of line, colour and shape in Sue Dance’s painting Journey, and Kusum Shabong’s Feather 2 is beautiful, and simple.

“And finally, I loved the texture and cool colour palette of Clare Buchter’s Spring Tide.

One final prize for a society member who has gone the extra mile, went to Alison Messias.

With more than 400 pictures and three dimensional artworks on display visitors who drop in more than once to the exhibition can expect to see a constantly evolving show.

“As soon as a painting is sold, and there is a gap on the wall, it gets filled with another piece,” said Mr Izod.

“In past years we have sold so many that we have run out of reserve paintings to replace those sold, which has been amazing.”

The society meets monthly throughout the year, to learn from professionals.

Demonstrations of art techniques take place at the Bradbury Centre, on the third Tuesday of each month, and the group draws and paints together weekly.

Their 67th Annual Exhibition is open every day at St Paul’s Parish Rooms, on Reading Road.

Doors are open from 10am until 5.30pm daily, until Saturday, August 3, when the exhibition ends at 4pm.

Refreshments, outdoor seating, and free car parking are available.

For information, visit: www.wokinghamartsociety.org.uk or follow the group on social media.