TWO ARTISTS, TWO JOURNEYS – AND A SHARED LOVE OF THE SEA

There is no particular theme to the exhibition. Instead, visitors can expect a wide variety of subjects, styles and techniques. “We both enjoy painting seascapes, but we both like to paint other subjects as well,” says Jill. “Visitors will see a wide variety of work and very different approaches too.”

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The ever-changing sea

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Living by the coast provides Jill with an almost endless source of inspiration.​ “Trying to capture the different moods of the sky and sea is a never-ending challenge,” she says.

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For Jill, painting is also an opportunity to experiment. Over the years she has explored many different styles and media, while painting has remained an important part of her life in retirement. She also finds inspiration when travelling, particularly on art retreats abroad, where she enjoys working from nature, creating quick sketches and keeping visual diaries of buildings, villages and places, she visits. Those sketches become lasting memories of some wonderful trips.

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Helen shares Jill's fascination with the sea. Regular walks along the beach with her dog provide an ever-changing source of inspiration. “The colours and movement of the water fascinate me,” she says.

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One of Helen's paintings, Hollywell Bay, reaches back further, evoking childhood memories of living on the Devon/Cornwall border. The painting makes her feel “relaxed and carefree” – and she hopes that feeling comes across to those who see it.

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There are unexpected inspirations in Helen's work too. Her son, in the Royal Navy, inspired her penguin paintings through photographs taken in South Georgia.

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Stories behind the paintings

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For Jill, experimentation is often the starting point for a painting. One of the works she will exhibit is an underwater scene of fish amongst rocks and weeds. Jill is known for using texture in many of her seascapes and began the painting as an experiment to see whether that approach could work in an entirely different setting.

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Another painting, Freedom, has a very different story. It was inspired by friends who rented a property in Crete while building a new home in the countryside. They were, Jill says, escaping mortgages and the life they were accustomed to. Jill wanted to capture that feeling of escape and freedom in paint.

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It is a theme that resonates with Jill's own relationship with art. “Art has always been my way of expressing myself. It takes me away from the pressures of life and into my happy space.”

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Helen's artistic journey has also involved finding a new creative outlet. She had always enjoyed art and previously worked in pencil, but after becoming wheelchair dependent due to MS and finding it difficult to hold a pencil, painting became a way to continue expressing her creativity.

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She has been painting for around five years and approaches her work with a willingness to experiment. “I will give anything a go, if I like it!”

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Different journeys, shared community

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Although Jill and Helen have very different artistic experiences, their paths have crossed through the Felpham Artists group, where artists support one another, explore different ways of working and arrange exhibitions together.

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That sense of community is reflected in their decision to exhibit at New Park Centre.

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For Jill, the connection with New Park is particularly meaningful. She previously took part in the Centre's Silent Art Auction, helping raise more than £1,400 towards the RAISE THE ROOF campaign. She is delighted to return, with Helen who also recognises the importance of protecting New Park as a community hub. “New Park Centre is a fantastic venue with lots going on for the community,” she says.

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Art that keeps giving

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For Jill, the joy of painting continues to evolve. Alongside her seascapes and other work, she also undertakes commissions for animal portraits, something she particularly enjoys.

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Seeing an owner's reaction when they receive a portrait of their pet is hugely rewarding, while hearing from people who have taken her artwork to new homes and seeing photographs of it in situ keeps her inspired to carry on creating.

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And perhaps that is what visitors will discover when they come to the exhibition: that behind every painting there is a story, a memory, an experiment or a feeling. Sometimes it is the sea. Sometimes it is a childhood memory, a journey abroad, a favourite pet or simply the need to step away from the pressures of everyday life.

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For Jill and Helen, art provides a way to do exactly that.​