High quality fine art shows start in a UK bookshop this week. Waterstones in Winchester High Street has reached an exclusive agreement with Creative Coverage to host monthly art exhibitions starting from July 17. “Our customers crave more than just books,” explains Charlotte Keayes, Dual Site Manager at both Waterstones shops in Winchester. “I had been looking to show fine art in the High Street bookshop for sometime but did not know how to go about doing it. When I was talking to Tim Saunders about stocking Claire Wiltsher's new book, Journeys From the Forest to the Sea, published by Creative Coverage, it seemed like fate was taking its course. Because Creative Coverage represents selected professional artists I am confident that I can trust them to deliver a high level of service.” Tim Saunders adds: “This is fantastic news and just the type of collaboration that we are keen to foster. We are looking forward to a long and fruitful working relationship. There need to be many more enthusiastic people like Charlotte in the art world, which is traditionally seen as a closed shop to many artists. She really is a beacon of light and I am grateful for her interest.” The first joint exhibition from July 17 to August 17 features the work of Eileen Sey from Lymington and Vivien Verey from Romsey. Both artists are working towards their Hampshire Open Studios fromAugust 22 to August 31 and Eileen is the winner of The Red House Open Museum Award 2015. Information about the artists: Eileen Sey was born in the wild storm tossed north east coast of Scotland. She graduated at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen and after a long career of teaching art, she moved to the south coast of Hampshire to concentrate on painting. Her subjects are generally inspired by local and Cornish landscapes, harbours and coastlines. Her studio is open all year by prior appointment. Eileen's work ranges from almost representational to abstract, in acrylic, oils and mixed media on canvas, board and paper. She strives to evoke the effects of varying weather conditions on the landscape and the margins of the sea. Eileen tends to paint spontaneously and quickly without attempting to recreate reality and although the work tends to be figurative, in many ways an abstract element is present. As a member of the Hampshire Contemporary Artists Gallery in Lymington, her work was on permanent exhibition for many years. Her work has also been on show at several other South Hampshire galleries. Eileen has carried out commissions of large abstract paintings for interiors in Sandbanks and Brighton. Her work has also been exhibited at the Royal West of England Academy, Southampton Art Gallery and the Affordable Art Fair. Examples of her work were purchased by Hampshire County Council and also featured in the prestigious “National Collection of Works in Public Ownership” volume.
Vivien Verey was born into a family of musicians and artists, but it wasn't until nine years ago, while studying for her science degree, that she signed up for art lessons with Clare Goodman in Winchester. Her intended career path changed dramatically at that point and she now paints professionally at her studio near Romsey, Hampshire. Vivien spent almost 20 years as a yachtmaster and draws from her experience at sea in her art; the water is a favourite, but she is inspired by nature in all its forms and paints a variety of subjects in different media.
