40 years ago I was a naive Barnsley lass attending Bretton HALL college of Education, Wakefield studying to teach English, Art and Drama. I soaked it all up; the grand stately home ceiling frescoes, the smell of wax polish, disheveled lecturers wearing odd shoes, monumental fir trees, glass encased botanical gardens, the lake, worldly mature students, and CREATIVITY in the arts. It is now the site of the world renowned YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK with BARBARA HEPWORTH and HENRY MOORE sculptures and other visiting works. I am still in awe of the place as i was as an 18 year old. Today I was at the ASPEX GALLERY, PORTSMOUTH engaging in a 1:1 'tutorial' with the inspirational JONATHAN PARSONS about the development of my own art work. Jonathan is both artist and curator and boy does he know his stuff. For £5 a week I have access to a critique group of artists, 1:1 support, potential gallery exhibition space and CREATIVITY. Today was like a road map of new [art] routes. Instead of taking the same safe journey each day, I was guided to new artists, both local and international. I was able to make connections between the history of their art and what I was trying to achieve in my practice. It is fair to say i was STUCK, felt the need for challenge and to be able to develop new w
ays of communicating my ideas through paint and poetry. I would recommend Aspex Artists Associates to any artists wanting to be creatively challenged and supported. ref to: MARY KELLY, SUSAN HILLER, JUDE CROW, MARY FLYNN, ALFRED WALLACE, BEN NICHOLSON, JONATHAN PARSONS, and ASPEX ART GALLERY, PORTSMOUTH.