Wendy Elia Masterclass
To coincide with her Guggleton Exhibition – ‘WENDY ELIA – Significant Works to date’ [in the Milking Parlour Gallery 7-28TH MARCH], Wendy will be teaching a Masterclass in oils, mixing and portraiture.
On the 21st of March you are invited to join Wendy between 10.30 and 4.30 for a full days’ class and light lunch. Places cost £80 and are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. You can secure yours by either using the contact form below or calling the gallery on 01963 363456.
Wendy works in series which explore the social and broader contexts of our times. In her portrait work she confronts our voyeurism and asks questions about the female gaze and painting’s relationship to authenticity and illusion.
Elia moves from the personal to the political not only in the range of content and form in the various series, but also within individual paintings: using a range of pictorial symbols and signifiers to extend the meaning/narrative of the works.
She trained at St Martins School of Art, London and has exhibited widely being a finalist in a number of national and international competitions which include 4 times at the National Portrait Gallery, as well as The Sovereign European Art Prize, and The Threadneedle Prize. Her work is also held in a number of public permanent art collections across the country.
In 2012 she was commissioned by Sherborne House Arts and B-side (funded by the arts council) to paint a portrait of a local sports person as part of the Cultural Olympiad in Weymouth and Portland. Her work appeared across the town in poster form on walls and bus shelters as part of the Olympiad curated by Deanne Tremlett.
Commissions, and Competitions
2019 Elected as an Academician at the RWA (Royal West of England Academy)
2017 Grant awarded from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation NYC
2015 Arts Council – Commission for Shifting Subjects group show with Sarah Lucas, Miranda Whall & Co
2012 Arts Council – commission for Cultural Olympiad: Sherborne House Arts and B- side maritime mix. Body Extreme- portrait for Weymouth and Portland poster and bus stops display.
2012 – 2013 Arts Council – Grant for ‘Histories in the Age of Confusion’
2011/2010/1982/1983 Finalist and Exhibitor at the National Portrait Gallery London BP portrait award. John Players portrait award.
2010 Exhibition Finalist – Threadneedle Prize London
2010 Lynn Painter – Stainers prize finalist London
2009 Sovereign European Art Prize Finalist and public vote winner
Drawing you in…..
Thank you to Sally Evans for these wonderful photographs of the finished community drawing. Well done to everyone who contributed, it was soooo sad to take it down, but we hope to do more of it and with it in the future…
Just in case you have forgotten how…
At the end of Stalbridge Primary School’s ‘residency’ in the Milking Parlour Gallery and at the face of the giant community drawing, we asked the last class [Year 2] if they felt that the adults, who would now be allowed to add to the drawing as well, would know what to do…..The answer was, fairly inevitably, a resounding and sadly emphatic ‘no’.
Given that they thought this to be the case the group of 6-7 year olds were then asked if they had any tips or hints to help their adults and other visitors. Of course they did! These are they:
Here are a few snapshots of adults who took their advice and the advisors.
The drawing will be added to until Saturday the 25th when we will have a tea and cake party to celebrate our collaboration [from 1-3pm]. DO come.
Drawing you in…..
HAPPY NEW YEAR from Guggleton!As usual all our regular workshops are on and available to view on-line: Carolyn’s art classes [Tues, Weds and Fri, 10-12] are back in full swing, plus Yoga with Jessie on Fridays at 1.30pm and a full month timetable of craft workshops with Sally is available on the website.
PLUS, starting this month, on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10-1pm we have David Burns, our ceramics dude, schooling his classes with all things potty; from how to mix glazes from your kitchen cupboard to the right way to load and unload a kiln, Raku and Charcoal firing plus much more. Spaces are limited and sessions cost £20pp plus clay at cost. As a Farnham graduate, and with nearly half a century of experience under his tightly clasped belt, David has tales and tips a plenty to impart. Call the gallery or email for more details via the website.
Starting on Monday, and as seen in the current issue of Evolver, we will be having an exciting event ‘Drawing You In’ in the Milking Parlour Gallery. The majority of the large wall space in this new gallery will be given over to up-cycled newsprint on which the residents of Stalbridge and surrounds, young and old ,will be entreated to draw…. and respond to each other’s drawing.
There will be materials, tea, coffee and biscuits on offer. Sessions will be during the day and some evenings and we would really like you to become involved too.
The first 3 days [Monday 13 to Wednesday 15] will be closed sessions as we have all 7 years of Stalbridge Primary School coming in to kick things off [Phew – that is one hell of a blank page – thank you guys…]. After that the gallery will be open at the usual times [11-3, Monday to Saturday] for a fantastic free for all, plus for late afternoon/early evening sessions on Wednesday 15/22 and Thursday 16/21 from 4-6. Evening sessions for groups of friends can also be arranged by appointment, bring a bottle and a biro… If you’d like to facilitate your own session then please get in touch in the usual way.
There will be a few basic caveats, obviously, no writing or rudeness, respect to and no over drawing of another’s work [unless it is a complimentary addition] and no tearing or sticking. The sessions will all be filmed with time lapse camera throughout, this film will then be shown at a tea party on Saturday the 25th from 11 until 3, alongside the drawing at the end of the two week sessions.
A great opportunity to banish those January blues with the flourish of a pencil!
At the same time you will be able to see the wonderful wall hangings created in Rajasthan last year by the students of the Sambhali Trust www.sambhali-trust.org kindly on loan from Jennifer Morisetti throughout. Hopefully they will inspire us to do something equally beautiful with our wall….
It was a wild, wild thing…..
An amazing evening of entertainment was enjoyed by all who cosied into the Milking Parlour on Saturday 30 November for ‘Me, Myself and Icons’ with Jo Burt and his backing crew.The audience were given an insight into his weird and wonderful experiences of a life in entertainment ‘Freddie Mercury ate my piano…’ that kind of thing….
The gig ended spectacularly with a kinda Troggs reunion when Colin Fletcher joined Jo, Antonia and Kathy on stage for a few unforgettable numbers.
Looking forward so much to having Jo and his team back at the Guggleton next year [SAVE THE DATE] for the Gugg Guitarfest on the 25th of July! www.joburt.co.uk
Ivana Trump seen in Stalbridge!
Jasper Judd with his Gormley…. 
….and Katie Scorgie and her Trump! 
The Guggleton’s Milking Parlour Gallery hosted a successful ‘Secret Postcards’ Exhibition last Friday and Saturday, for Home Start North Dorset, raising over £2,600 for the charity.
Approximately 70 friends and supporters attended the event and bought most of the 120 cards (displayed anonomously) which had been created and donated by 70 local and national artists, including a few celebrities such as Dame Judi Dench, Sir Antony Gormley, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Ivana Trump. Local celebrities, aka ‘The Pearlies’ Dave and Paula Hemsley, also attended to add a bit of sparkle. Photographs courtesy of Sally Evans Photography.
The remaining cards are now displayed and available for sale (with the names of the artists visible) on the Home-Start North Dorset website for £40 each. Interested purchasers should visit www.home-start-northdorset.co.uk/news/ to review and select a card, donate £40 on the ‘Donate’ page, then email Chelsey Gowen at chelsey@home-start-northdorset.co.uk to organise postage of the card. Home-Start North Dorset is the local arm of the national charity which raises funds to recruit, fund and prepare parent voluteers to support and assist disadvantaged local families with young children struggling to cope.
Jo Burt’s gig@thegugg
What an amazing night! Here are just some of the comments from the audience….
“Fantastic evening, wonderful music and fab venue. Loved it”
“Amazing evening, looking forward to the next one”
“Excellent night, beautiful people…and PIZZA, what’s not to like?”
“I had a fabulous time at The Gugg last night. Really enjoyed Jo Burt and his band [beautiful harmonising from the female backing singers]. Looking forward to the fireside gig”
“We had a wonderful night at The Gugg, great music from Jo Burt and the band. Thank you to all who made it a night to remember. We will be back!”
“What a fantastic Show, Oscar was amazing and Jo and Co were awesome, loved every minute and will definitely be back for the next time. great things at The Gugg”
Jo will be back on the 30th of November with his “Me, Myself and Icons” show, playing us through the many and varied aspects of a long and distinguished career. Tickets available soon……
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Next in the Milking Parlour Gallery….
AGNES POLLOCK
Friday 13th – Tuesday 24th September – 11-3 [Closed Sundays and Mondays]
Agnes was born in Holland in 1973. She read Philosophy at Amsterdam University, specialising in Eastern Philosophy. During and after her University she dedicated a lot of time to Fine Art and taking art classes.
Influenced by both the exquisite, revealing light of early dutch paintings and by the simple beauty found in Japanese ceramics and art, Agnes paints with focus and clarity Her preferred subjects are simple bowls and vessels. In her paintings one recognises Agnes’ Dutch roots through the delicate interplay of light shadows and reflections. She studied and taught herself techniques used by the Dutch Masters to enhance luminosity and depth of colour. The colours she blends are subtle and muted the results are quiet and contemplative, reflective and promising.
GO FIGURE
Our exhibition, GO FIGURE, is a mixed media show selected by artists Wendy Elia, David Cobley and Anthony Connolly, from an online submission call. Works included take their point of origin, or departure, from the human form….The show will be open from 11-3 from Tuesday to Saturday up until the 1st of September.The private view on the 19th of July was a well attended affair with both participating artists and guests gathered to here the announcements of who would win the GO FIGURE prizes.
CONGRATULATIONS go to Millie Gleeson, who took the first prize of a solo show at Guggleton next summer, and to Sasha Constable, Sue Baker and Matthew Hayward who were awarded a joint show to follow Millie’s.Thank you to all the 25 artists who were eventually selected for the final show, and whom Guggleton hopes very much to be working and collaborating with in the future.Anthony Connolly portrait workshop
Thanks so much to Anthony for delivering such an entertaining and informative workshop on Friday. The 9 artists who attended all not only enjoyed his teaching and direction but were imparted pearls of wisdom a plenty. The next opportunity to hear some for yourself is on Thursday September 5th and there are still a very few places left. Thank you also to our resident photographer, Sally Evans, for the images below.
