City artists open doors for vibrant Oxfordshire Artweeks shows

Take Australian artist and fashion designer Kathryn Croxson, who is showing paintings, fabrics and ceramics, at her studio in Clark’s Row, off St Aldate’s. Her striking palette the antithesis to dark days.

Kathryn’s fabric designs begin with paintings, striking abstract statement pieces. Luminous abstracts leap from the canvas blasting bright energy into the room to dispel the monotony of ordinary life.

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The splashes of bright and even neon colour have an almost tropical party vibe, like Gaugin’s Tahiti, a cocktail of colour that evokes emotions of escapism.

Work by Kathryn Croxson

“Wherever you are in the world there are such amazing colours if you look,” Kathryn explains. “And the contrasts between them makes them ring out.

“I enjoy playing with kaleidoscopic colour, intricate patterns and designs inspired by the nature I see on my travels. It’s that positive energy and vitality that I try to add to a home through my designs – whether it’s on original canvases or hand-painted ceramics or a splash of life from curtains and clothes.

“I love working with fabric because it’s amazing how, when you translate a hard-edged canvas onto textiles, because the fabric is soft and silky, the loose expressive lines really move and flow so the material itself has a dynamism even when tailoring has added form and structure.”

Kathryn’s most recent art includes botanical paintings inspired by the luscious flowers on the Nuneham Courtenay estate where she lived for most of the last year, and a new fun series of crowds.

“They were wishful thinking during lockdown,” she laughs. “I was really missing family and friends and that feeling of being surrounded by other people so I drew my own!” Look carefully and you’ll see Kathryn’s bright orange hair among them!

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Charlotte Marlow is also showing her work for real for the first time as part of Oxfordshire Artweeks this year, with a small group of artists in the Blandford Avenue Marquee in Summertown. A second Artweeks artist, best-known for her dog portraits, has found herself increasingly inspired by the animals in the Oxfordshire countryside.

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“I grew up in Perthshire with dogs – Springer and Cocker Spaniels – and now that I am in Oxford I miss them! Drawing other people’s pets goes some way to filling the gap until I can have one of my own. Although I draw from photos, I prefer to meet the subject if I can, to better understand their personalities and their quirks and to see the colours in their coat.

“I use coloured pencils to draw them, on a very textured, rather grainy paper which catches the light beautifully. The paper texture allows me to work with lots of layers until the surface appears smooth. These many layers add depth to the fur: shades of purple add warmth and life to brown fur tones and a black coat isn’t simply monochrome.

Charlotte Marlow’s owl

“I studied history of art here in Oxford before returning to Scotland as part of the team at Gladstone’s Land, the National Trust for Scotland, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh at which birds of prey were a regular attraction. The owls, eagles and falcons were majestic and it was awe-inspiring to work alongside them every day and so I started to draw them too.

“I am increasingly interested in drawing wild animals: I love both the natural adornments of fur and feather and the wildness of spirit and raw power that animals exhibit. For Artweeks I am showing a new series of drawings of species from the British countryside The Red Kite, which at A2 is almost life-size, is a nod to their successful reintroduction in the Chilterns.

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The Badger is based on a particular individual that came snuffling under the Mulberry trees in Wadham College late at night when I was living in a cottage in the grounds. As for the Kingfishers, they’re inspired by those that can be seen flitting along the River Cherwell by Christ Church Meadow. I have focused on animals from the British Isles because we can be very quick to look at the animals in other countries and see them as amazing and exotic and forget to appreciate, and sometimes protect, what we have in our own hedgerows. I believe we should manage the environment and the animals who inhabit it in a way that is as harmonious as possible, and through my artwork I hope to encourage others to appreciate our wildlife more.

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“The pine marten, one of the rarest native mammals in this country, belongs to the ferret family. With a distinguished golden bib against brown-bear fur, it’s incredibly pretty and yet not to be underestimated as a phenomenal predator. It’ll also be peering down from the wall at Artweeks as a reminder.

Charlotte Marlow will show her animal pictures in Summertown

“For Artweeks 2021, I’m adding three swallows, a nuthatch, a wren, two mice and three goldfinches, inspired by wildlife that I’ve seen during lockdown – both in the garden and on local walks. I have also have lined up a great spotted woodpecker if I can get him ready in time.

• Visit artweeks.org to see the other places you can visit throughout May during the Oxfordshire Artweeks festival, as hundreds of artists and designers open their studios or host pop-up exhibitions.
• The Oxford city artists are showing until Sunday, May 16