Ann
Bridges artist / printmaker
New work on this web site:
News and Exhibitions2012Group Show at Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel Recent Commissions Exhibitions and Projects 2011
My print-based paintings can be seen at the following galleries and venuesThe Artroom Gallery www.artroomgallery.co.uk 15 High St Garstang Lancashire Aaron and Partners Solicitors www.aaronandpartners.com Grosvenor Court, Foregate St. Chester
Weekend Gallery www.weekendgallery.co.uk 86 High St. Hastings
Exhibitions, Events and Educational projects in 2008 included:
'Not everything is Black and White' was
selected for the RWS /Sunday Times Watercolour Competition on show
at Bankside Gallery, London 10-21 September Another image from this series was used to advertise The Weekend Gallery on the back page of Printmaking Today vol. 17 (summer 2008) where I had a solo show from 25 July -31 August. Open from Thursday - Saturday 11.00-6pm www.weekendgallery.co.uk Manorhaus (boutique rooms, restaurant, gallery) hosted a group show this Spring featuring my work along with Ian Williams, Dave Merrills and Helen Job www.manorhaus.com
Paintings in Hospitals commissioned
three Buttons paintings for their collection
I sold several paintings at the Artroom gallery, in Parkgate,on the Wirral earlier on this year, and will have a show there again next year (21 May -28 June 2009). www.artroom.nepc.co.uk Marshall’s Arm Nature Reserve in Cheshire (Vale Royal Borough
Council) is celebrating its 10th anniversary. I've hosted several
community printmaking sessions including Hartford Manor Primary
and Greenbank School (Special Needs). Our themes so far have
been Winter Birds, Bluebells and Pond Dipping Other educational/teaching sessions have included a Tutors Day at Bodelwyddan Castle as part of a project funded by Cymal, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, Manchester Art Galleries and Tyne and Wear Galleries ‘Inspired By’ adult learners competition. I led a masterclass in stencil based monoprintmaking at the Royal Cambrian Academy in Conwy (and 29 August 2008) Liz Jones has launched her website www.ethicsandgrace.co.uk promoting locally produced art and craft items (north Wales). The art magazine Art of England included a couple of features on my work in the December ’07 (Tool Kit) and January ’08 (Technique) issues www.artofengland.uk.com exhibitions, events and educational projects in 2007 included: The 125th Royal Cambrian Academy Summer Exhibition Summer Print Exhibition Helfa Gelf (Art Hunt) Open Studios Windsor Contemporary Art Fair Animals in Art During the summer I led a series of workshops at Bodelwyddan Castle to inspire adult learners in north Wales to be creative. Taking their inspiration from the castle’s collections, various groups including Women’s Aid and community college groups produced delightful pieces of work using my printing press, resulting in a publication about the event to mark their achievements. ‘Inspired By’ is a project funded by CyMAL (Museums Archives Libraries Wales) A research and development grant from Chester City Council enabled me to locate the whereabouts of white mulberry trees in Cheshire, for possible silkworm projects in connection with Cheshire’s Year of the Garden 2008
The Grosvenor Nuffield Hospital in Chester purchased two pictures as part of their refurbishment programme Printfest |
.JPG)
 Wepre Park Ann Bridges.jpg)
Awarded First Prize at the North Wales Open Exhibition, Oriel Clwyd Theatr Cymru. Sponsored by Aaron and Partners Solicitors Chester 
The
Royal West of England Open Print exhibition - ‘Mind
the Cracks (or the bears might get you)’ off-set monoprint 
‘ Chilling
Out’ and ‘Locating
the Laundry’Y Lle Celf
National Eisteddfod, held in Bala, 1-8 August. The writer
Nesta Wyn Jones included ‘Chilling Out’ in her
choice of artworks as inspiration for a poem, displayed next
to the picture during the festival 
‘ Birds
of a Feather’ (series of 3) in Wrexham Print International 
Daisy Chain illustration commissioned
for Manchester Dignity in Care campaign
Hot Air Balloon illustration commissioned
for 
I joined a group of Urban Saints/Young Life volunteers on a trip to the Ebeneezer Care
Centre at Grasmere, South Africa as Artist in Residence. The resulting drawings were shown in an exhibition called ‘Shining
Stars’at The Brindley, Runcorn .jpg)
During May 2008 (Museums and Galleries month)
I worked as Artist in Residence at Plas Newydd, Llangollen
This idea was continued into the schools'
activities. The pupils
from several schools in Denbighshire looked at historical and
contemporary examples of diaries, published and handmade. They
explored the idea of illustration as a means of communication
and enjoyed a hands-on art experience, producing diary pages
based on their own daily lives or looking through the eyes of
the Ladies, their servants or even their animals.
To celebrate Plas Newydd's seventy fifth year of being open to
the public I created a piece of artwork consisting of seventy-five
drawings, original artwork supplemented with scans from the sketch
book diary and extracts from the Ladies' journals. I documented
(via drawings) all the previous Artists in Residence artworks
and included them in the commemorative artwork.
An image called Sorting
through the Button Box was selected
for the Welsh Artist of the Year competition at St David’s
Hall, Cardiff, with the exhibition on show from June 22 - July
26 
A Following
the Fish image has been used as end papers in Beside
the Seaside picture book by Pictures to Share (for people with
dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease) 
I attended the launch
of Love Your Art where quality reproductions of my Aquarium and
Butterfly Cakes images can be purchased, in
limited editions, as Wall Art (a repositionable 'wallpaper')
and can be sat on as well, on a 'fishy' chair. 
‘Community/Identity’ was the theme for a drawing
and printmaking project at Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn in Denbigh
for top end primary age pupils who have a diagnosis of Autistic
Spectrum Disorder
From January to March Chester Zoo hosted the first public showing
of ‘Spinning a Yarn’ an exhibition of 20 drawings
illustrating the silk moth's lifecycle, a project supported by
an Arts Council of Wales Lottery grant. Selected images and a
display that included cocoons and sketchbook have been on show
at the Silk Industry Museum in Macclesfield. www.macclesfield.silk.museum 
My solo show ‘all things bright and beautiful’ at
Manorhaus (boutique rooms, restaurant and gallery) was well received,
a chance to showcase new works including Bluebells based on studies
from my friend Karol’s beautiful bluebell wood. The Princess
and the Pea bedroom, featuring my paintings is proving to be
a popular booking
Rowan Foods commissioned a collection of eight drawings on the
theme of food and ingredients for their boardroom. 
|
|
Ann Bridges RCA Dol Rhedyn | Llanfair Road | Ruthin | Denbighshire | Wales | LL15 1DA | 01824 703991 | mobile: 07906 310021 |