Come and enjoy an evening in my studio with art, wine and good conversation. My husband, Cyril will be using his expertise to find some fine wine for us to drink. Doors open from 6pm on Friday 28 March until 10pm.
Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy an evening with fellow art lovers.
It would be great to know you are coming. Just click here for your free ticket
Come and see lots of new art and a few old favourites. I’ll be there all day to talk about art and welcome you to my working studio. Most of it is for sale so, with Mother’s day on Sunday, you could treat your Mum to an original piece of art.
Saturday will be exhibition day, with coffee, tea and home made cake available all day. The studio will be open from 10am-6pm.
Friday evening is ‘Private View’ night. From 6pm there will be wine, cheese and homemade bread. A chance to meet fellow art lovers and enjoy the evening. To book your free ticket click here:
And on Friday morning, from 9:30. I will be holding a workshop to learn how to paint portraits in watercolour and pen. Whatever your level of artistic skill you can have a go at this. Places are really limited so book soon to avoid disappointment:
Portrait painting is seen as really hard. And, believe me, it can be! But there are shortcuts and tricks you can use to make it work and the main thing is to have fun!
In this workshop you will learn how to create an image of a face using pencil, watercolour and pen. You don’t need to bring any materials (although you can if you want) but please do bring an A4 print of your portrait subject. A clear image with a good light source is best. I can be someone you know, a favourite furry friend or a celebrity. The choice is up to you.
Workshop details:
Date and Time: 28 March - 9:30-12:30
Tea, coffee and snacks provided
Please bring an A4 print of a person (or animal) you wish to paint.
This workshop is in my studio which is up a flight of stairs. If this is going to be a problem for you please let me know.
To book your place just click on the link below. Places are very limited so don’t delay!
I’ll be taking part in the Parallax Art fair at Chelsea Town Hall. Come and visit me on stand C7, on the left as you go into the main hall.
For the second year running Bell Street Artists will be taking part in the St Mary’s Christmas Event. Come and see new portraits, textiles and eco friendly jewellery. This is a day out for all the family with delicious food, children’s entertainment and plenty to do.
I am delighted to be part of the Guildford House Open Exhibition. In partnership with Parker Harris Contemporary Visual Arts Specialists. This exhibition is the culmination of the Guildford House Open Competition. This annual art competition and exhibition highlights outstanding artistic talent. My contribution is ‘The Zoom Call’. During lockdown we were suddenly cut off from most face to face contact and had, instead, the experience of seeing ourselves and others through a computer screen for hours on end. This was a very strange experience for a portrait painter like myself.
The exhibition is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm (last entry to galleries 4pm) from 25th November until January 4th. Guildford House Gallery is situated on Guildford High Street just opposite Sainsbury’s. Entry is free to both the gallery and the exhibition.
Join us for the annual North Weald Art Group Exhibition. Every day from the 13th of November to the 26th of November we will be open at the beautiful Denbies venue. This is a real mixed exhibition with beautiful landscapes, still lives, abstracts and, of course, portraits.
In June I am, with Alison Bessesdotter, heading across the channel to The Netherlands. We will be exhibiting in the beautiful and historic Galerie Kolff, in Zoeterwoude, near Leiden. Surrounded by orchards and gardens, Annemarie Kolff would love to welcome you to her gallery.
The Kolff family has been collecting portraits for more than 500 years. I will be continuing in this tradition by exhibiting a collection of recent portraits. Alison will be showing abstract textiles and a selection of her witty and colourful abstracts.
The exhibition will run from the 10th of June until the 2nd of July. It is only open at the weekends. It will be open each Saturday and Sunday from 11am - 5pm.
The private view is at 4pm on the 11th of June. If you would like to come please fill in the form below and Annemarie Kolff will be in touch with an invitation.
Art and Wine in Monica’s Studio. Come and enjoy both and the best of Reigate conversation.
I am delighted to be taking part in the Reigate Rotary Club Charity exhibition. With all the commission going to good causes and very reasonable prices, this is a chance to see some really good art and, maybe, take some home
We are proud to be part of the popular St Mary’s Big Christmas Event. Come and see our art. There will be cards and Christmas gifts to buy.
Join us for the annual exhibition of the North Weald Art group. This is always a great show, with a mixture of styles, subjects and mediums. Come and enjoy them in the spacious Denbies gallery. There is a great cafe downstairs so enjoy your visit.
Open every day from 10am - 4pm from the 15th to 27th of November.
Come and see a curated selection of local artists upstairs in the iconic Old Town Hall. Open all day while Cafe Nero is Open. One of the artists will be on hand to answer your questions.
Lockdown town
In January 2020, with rumours of a pandemic in the air, we held our last ‘Enter’ event. This is a Christian church service but a very different one. If you feel you want to connect with God but don’t really like traditional church services this may well be for you. Great music, no sermon and digital art created in front of your eyes.
My approach to this kind of art is to wait until a picture comes to me. In this case it was a very quiet town, at dusk, with the spirit hovering above it. Little did I know how quiet our lives would be for the next couple of years. So, come and see what comes to me on Saturday night, enjoy the music and feel the spirit move.
A two woman Show with Alison Bessesdotter.
The natural world is all around us. Yet our every action, relationship and even our environment is dependent upon political decisions. We ignore this or take it for granted at our peril. Both Alison and Monica are active in politics and this becomes part of our work. Sometimes this is obvious.Monica creates images of her political heroes - Andy Burnham, Laura Keunssberg and Greta Thunberg - and sometimes it is more subtle as with Alison’s collages exploring Holocene and the climate crisis, but we live in a world created by politics and crafted by nature. All our decisions are a result of the political and natural environment we inhabit.
The exhibition is open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th of August. No need to book. New House Art Space is a short walk from Guildford Station, the address is: Fays Passage, Guildford GU1 4SQ. Click on this link for more details
To celebrate this event we would like to invite you to our Launch Party from 6-9pm on the 26th of August. Completely free with wine and soft drinks but please click on the link below to register your details.
On Sunday the 28th of August from 2pm Monica will be giving a talk on ‘Art and Politics - A practical approach’. She will be exploring how she has used her own art to effect change and express her views. The talk will be about 45 minutes long with plenty of time for questions and discussions at the end. Bring your own work - she would love to see it. For tickets please click on the link below
See how a portrait develops over a few hours and ask as many questions as you like. I’ll be working from a photo with real oil paints. A chance to find out about portrait painting and get to know the artist.
Starting the portrait of my Dad.
The demonstration will be divided into 2 40 minute sessions with a tea/coffee break in the middle. Price £10 per person. To book just click on the link below and follow the instructions.
See how a portrait develops over a few hours and ask as many questions as you like. I’ll be working from a photo with real oil paints. A chance to find out about portrait painting and get to know the artist.
Starting the portrait of my Dad.
The demonstration will be divided into 2 40 minute sessions with a tea/coffee break in the middle. Price £10 per person. To book just click on the link below and follow the instructions.
Last year Bell Street Artists had just moved in. This year this is a working studio with three artists in residence. I am still in my own spacious studio at home but my association with the Bell Street Artists has grown over the year.
This year we will all have our own space within the Studios. My own work will be on display as you come in. Carolyn Daunt will be on the first floor and Alison Bessesdotter and David Sheahan upstairs.
There are two ways to get to the Studios. The first is to walk along Church Street and take the first left down St Lawences’s way. Keep on walking straight ahead until you see the Bell Street signs. Just ring on the doorbell and we will let you in.
The second way is via the Bell Pub, when it is open. Just go through the pub to the garden, turn round and you will see a door with a Bell Street Studios sign. Go up the steps and ring on the door bell if it is not open. Please pick up a drink on the way and bring it with you!
Carrying the theme of this years International Women's Day, ‘Break the Bias’ showcases the works of many local artists, including Alison Bessesdotter and Monica Dyer. Their work address the many facets of what it is to be a woman today.
Break the Bias will open on 8th March 2022 and run until 1st May 2022. Monday to Friday 9-5, Saturday and Sunday 12-4. The address is: New House, Bedford Road, Guildford, GU1 4SJ.
Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
We all love the Reigate Christmas Fayre. Lots of outdoor stalls and the smell of mulled wine wafting across Church Street. But, if you would like to step out of the crush just make your way down the Alleyway at the side of Barclay’s Bank until you see the ‘Bell Street Artists’ sign or go through the Bell pub and follow the fairy lights up the stairs. Alison, Carolyn, David and me will be there to welcome you with more mulled wine and festive treats. Lots of art and beautiful Jewellery.
So, if after looking at all the stalls, you are still stuck for Christmas presents just come to Bell Street Artists and find the perfect gift.
Right in the heart of Redhill this annual event attracts the best of local artists and craftspeople. I’m planning to have one or two portraits on display and I’d love to talk about commissions. But I’ll be focusing on prints and cards. Perfect for that special Christmas present. From 10am to 4pm each day of the weekend.
Reigate is fast becoming a destination for Art but the North Weald Art Group is the original Art group in Reigate. We are a unique group of professional and amateur artists and our annual exhibition is our chance to show our best work, beautifully presented.
The exhibition is in the gallery at the Denbies Wine Estate. Come and have a look at the paintings, then treat yourself to tea and cake in the spacious cafe downstairs. As well as paintings there are prints and cards for sale. Something for everyone.
I’ll be showing three recent portraits including my latest, of Peter, and a rare abstract painting. As this is a group exhibition I won’t be there all the time but I’ll be stewarding in the morning on the 19th and 22nd of November.
Join us for the launch party of Bell street artists
We will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from the 1st to the 24th of October from 11am to 5pm. We are above the Bell pub. When the pub is open you can find us by going through the pub into the garden and up the stairs to the red door. Or go to the door at the back of the pub garden. Just ring one of the numbers on the door and we will let you in.
