Features

A magical gift

Boy-and-Santa-(3)©Alison Stenhouse

From seascapes to The Shard, Art Group Wanstead member Alison Stenhouse is a gifted artist with a diverse portfolio… which now also includes Santa

I am a local artist who has had work in local group shows, shops and cafés as well as Central London galleries. This year, I have had some paintings in The Larder on the High Street.

I enjoy creating many kinds of 2D artwork using paint, pastel, pencil and wood engraving. I draw on location, mainly using pastels, and attend a life-drawing class, but also work from photographs I have taken. My subjects are local scenes, forests, seascapes, skies, still life and people. Depending on my mood, my style varies from small, detailed realistic paintings to larger impressionistic or semi-abstract work.

Light, contrast and bold colours appeal to me. Last year, I made a series of paintings of The Shard building and the River Thames. These were large canvases and depicted scenes at different times of day and night. I have depicted children building sandcastles and crabbing at the seaside. These and other subjects have been exhibited at the Royal Society of Miniature Artists’ exhibition at the Mall Galleries.

For this festive time, the painting featured here is based on a photograph taken when my friend’s grandson visited Santa last year – I have tried to capture the essence of that special moment. I have also recently been doing some watercolour studies of autumn leaves, inspired by their wonderful hues, and I am now painting a winter scene as viewed through a window, contrasting the warmth inside with the snowy countryside beyond.

I belong to Art Group Wanstead, Woodford Arts Group and Essex Art Club. It is good to connect with others and to be inspired by what they are creating.

To contact Alison, email: alison_stenhouse@btinternet.com

Woodford Arts Group (www.woodfordartsgroup.org)
Art Group Wanstead (artgroupwanstead.com )
Essex Art Club (www.arctotis.net/essexartclub.co.uk)

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