Jane Beecham, "Emerald"

Jane and Siobhan present in open studio season

Jane Beecham and HOT’s own Siobhan O’Hanlon have worked alongside each other for many years, but this is the first time they have shown together. The event is part of the South East Open Studios’ (SEOS) season, which profiles 269 local artists and offers the unique opportunity to buy directly from the artists. Nick Terdre reports.

Jane is showing monotypes and works on paper, including collagraphs and solar etchings based on ice, frozen ponds, frozen seas, icebergs, ice caves and ice entrapment, and a recent selection of drawings made locally alongside the river Rother and St Ives.

Moving to Sussex after her first daughter was born, she discovered a love of printmaking when she attended a leisure course at Hastings College. This led onto local exhibitions in Hastings, Rye and Cranbrook, and further to shows in London and Hybrid, Devon.

She became a member of the Rye Society of Artists in 2012 and has recently been teaching workshops locally. This is the first time she has participated in SEOS but for the last seven years she has opened her home to show her work with her partner Richard Adams.

Siobhan O'Hanlon, "Archie in the garden"

Using the medium of monoprint, oil on board and ink, Siobhan translates from sketches, constructing new images for her passion in landscape and life. Many of the pieces in this show have been inspired by the walking-talking-drawing workshops put on by local artist and gallery owner Denise Franklin and ceramist Sarah Palmer. It’s a liberating and wild, free exploration of mediums and the local landscape, she says.

Originally from London, Siobhan grew up partly in Rye and studied at Hastings College of Arts and Technology before pursuing her arts studies in London. After a period of travel and tuition, during which she lectured at a number of universities and worked on projects hosted by Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the Hayward Gallery and National Gallery, she returned to Hastings.

Having working as gallery manager for Hastings Arts Forum and Stables Arts Gallery, Siobhan now focuses on her own practice and occasional arts consultancy for London-based galleries. She became a member of Rye Society of Artists in 1997.

A recent comment from a visitior to the exhibition might inspire you to go along:

“it’s like heaven and earth, the celestial light airy work of Jane Beecham as shapes shift and hover in space, illuminated against depths and layers of translucency, opacity and drawn lines’ complimented and held by the earthy colours of Siobhan O’Hanlon, the warmth of terra ferma within the landscapes and blue black ink drawings of outbuildings and animals”.

Jane Beecham and Siobhan O’Hanlon White Cottage, Rectory Lane, Peasmarsh Road, Playden, Rye TN31 7UH. June 14 and15, 21 and 22, 11am-5pm. Tel 01797 225589. janebeecham@beamingmail.com, Siobhan@the roostgroup.com

South East Open Studios‘ current season, which runs until 22 June, features 269 artists exhibiting across south-east England. In Hastings they include Tim Riddihough, Anna Wilson-Patterson, Annie Soudain and Georgia Scott, in St Leonards Catherine Abbott, Emma Harding and Jess Levine, in Bexhill Rachel Hoath, in Winchelsea Sharon Hulf and in Rye Carol Mitchell, Brenda Hartill and Vincent Matthews. Full details are available in the SEOS catalogue.

Also in: Visual Arts