West Dean College students combine for Oxmarket exhibition

Pippa said: “We are a group of five students at West Dean College, studying for the foundation diploma in art and design. We work individually from studios in and around the South Downs National Park.

“At the start of 2020 five women arrived at West Dean College, ready to start a two-year foundation diploma in art and design. We hadn’t met before and came from very different backgrounds and experience. A bond was formed over a weekend of creativity, but we went back to our lives expecting to progress through the course and only keep in touch from time to time.

“How different the reality turned out to be. We worked remotely throughout 2020 because of Covid, keeping each other motivated and sharing our diverse skills and knowledge. We have learnt from each other and produced a body of work which reflects our journey together. Rather than looking back at what was created in lockdown, we want the show to celebrate the future as we emerge into the next stage of our creative journeys. Our work covers painting, drawing, pastels, ceramics and jewellery, but what draws it together is the journey we have undertaken together to create it. Learning from each other, and taking inspiration from each other’s work, we aim to give a sense of moving forward, new life and new direction.”

Pippa Hufton (@orieljewellery) first started working with copper in her teens when she lived in Chile, one of the world’s largest producers of this beautiful and versatile metal. She loves experimenting with the effects of heat on metal, bringing out rainbow colours, unpredictable and unrepeatable, making every piece unique and original.

She offers the following guide to her co-exhibitors:

Wendy Whitaker (@wendywhitaker4). Wendy finds inspiration in the human form, looking closely at portraiture and anatomy, with a real fascination for the various structures of the body, from skeleton, muscles and nerves to the drape and detail of clothes. She uses a variety of media and loves to experiment. She works mainly in oils but more recently has started to explore the use of soft pastels to paint local landscapes.

Liz Pemberton (@liz_a_pemberton). Since graduating from the College of Fine Arts, Sydney with an art history degree, Liz has been seeking her own creative voice, and her overriding interest is abstract expressionism. Several different types of charcoal have been used in the artworks at the Oxmarket Gallery, including Passion Flower Vine and Old Man’s Beard sourced locally.

Paula Chuter-Baker (@chuterbakerart). Paula is a semi-abstract artist working mainly in acrylics and mixed media creating atmospheric landscapes.

She is inspired by wide landscapes and open skies, particularly the point where the earth meets the sky. She works from her studio in Midhurst.

Jess Skelton (@skej_vessel). Originally trained in a production pottery, Jess is increasingly interested in throwing perfection to the wind and allowing an undirected controlled collision between multiple areas of fascination and the material.