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Arts & Crafts
Sketching for survival
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After enjoying success in a creative conservation competition, one Holywell artist is determined to turn her passion for painting into a viable business
Sonia loves to paint endangered wildlife in particular
Sonia Garner had dabbled with drawing for years, but when she was among the finalists selected from 1,000 entries across 47 countries in the ‘Sketch for Survival’ contest, she decided to take the next step and pursue her artistic dream.
The competition, organised by Explorers Against Extinction, was to raise awareness of catastrophic issues including habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade and climate change. Sonia’s work was praised by the judges, which gave her the boost she needed. Now the artist, from Whitford near Holywell, is planning to open a studio, launch a new website and pursue a lifelong dream to turn her creative passion into a successful start-up.
Sonia has produced hundreds of pieces over the years, from acrylic and oil paintings to sculptures and soft pastel sketches. With her strong social media following and the support of husband Mark and daughters Josephine and Kacie-Jane, she is ready to make the leap full time.
Business backing
Business Wales has been on hand with expert guidance and advice, as Sonia sets out to turn her vision into reality. She said: “I have always painted and had a natural talent for it, but it’s only ever been something I did in the background. I was very shy growing up and this was the only real way I could express myself, so it means a lot to me. I also love animals and wanted to be a vet when I was younger – painting them is the next best thing!
“To be chosen among the finalists by Explorers Against Extinction has given me extra belief that I can and should be doing what I love, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
As a child, the family business saw Sonia moving home all over the UK, attending schools from Swinton to Doncaster before settling in North Wales. She studied Fine Art at Liverpool John Moore’s University, and then worked in manufacturing and administration, continuing to sketch and paint in her spare time.
“I wanted to be an art teacher when I did my degree, but that never came to be. It dawned on me after years of working in admin roles and being a mum to young children that I was going to have regrets if I didn’t do something about it,” said Sonia. “I did put the brushes down for a while, but in the past few years I’ve been prolific, it’s been non-stop. And not just animals – I’ve painted landscapes, seascapes, portraits and more. I can cover most subjects, but I do have a huge passion for wildlife and conservation, especially animals under threat of extinction, which is why I entered the competition with the portrait of a wild dog. That will now be auctioned off for the charity, so as well as the honour of being shortlisted the piece will help the organisation as well.”
Sonia is looking to give back to her community and hopes to feature in regional exhibitions before opening a studio. “I’m just going to go for it,” she said. “Turning this into a business is a difficult
thing to do because creative people tend not to be commercial, but I am determined to make a viable success of this. It’s terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure but I’m excited to see where my art takes me.”
You can view and purchase Sonia’s artwork at www.sonia
garnerfineart.com
and follow Sonia on social media at
soniagarnerartist
Model with meaning
A stunning sculpture of a dragon is under construction, with a deep message – it’s made from weapons and knives handed in to police during an amnesty campaign
Inspired by sculptor Alfie Bradley’s imposing ‘Knife Angel’ sculpture at the British Ironworks Centre in Oswestry, Coleg Cambria has joined forced with North Wales Police, Wrexham Council Dragon designer John Freeman (left) and other stakeholders with project lead Karl Jackson, in the on an ambitious project college workshop for Wrexham. Using weapons safely handed in at local police stations as part of regional amnesty campaigns, a 3m dragon is planned at the college’s Bersham Road site, where students and staff will spend the next year welding and fabricating blades, knuckle dusters and other relinquished weapons onto a steel frame in the shape of a dragon.
Assistant principal for the Institute of Technology and site lead at Bersham Road, Karl Jackson said: “This statue will form the centrepiece for multi-agency work that will inform and educate, in an effort to maintain low instances and reduce occurrences of knife crime in the area.
District Inspector Luke Hughes, based at Wrexham Town, said: “Wrexham is a particularly safe place and knife crime isn’t as big a problem as it is in other parts of the country. However, through the very nature of offences involving knives, it only takes a single act to cause devastation. In a moment of madness, the lives of so many people can be changed forever. As such, it is particularly important that we create opportunities to highlight knife crime and what we can do to prevent it
Spreading the message
Karl said: “Our concept is that of a dragon protecting a child. The dragon will be welded by our skilled tutors and learners, and I’m sure will look incredible on completion. It will be placed on a concrete plinth of Welsh stone slate in front of the Institute of Technology, with red, white and green uplighting, to represent the dragon sitting amongst the remnants of a Welsh castle. But it can also be moved and transported, and used to help educate people to the dangers of carrying weapons and the devastation knife crime can cause.”
“In recent months we have taken more than a hundred knives off the streets of Wrexham in our local amnesty,” said Inspector Hughes. “This project serves as a reminder that as a community we can protect our most vulnerable by working together to raise awareness and educate anyone who might otherwise make the wrong choices. Made with weapons we have seized from our own streets means they’ll never be in position to harm anyone again.”
The Artists’ Gallery, Ludlow Farm, Bromfi eld, Shropshire
The Artists’ Gallery proudly presents the work of a group of eight artists who collaborate to produce beautiful, innovative and highly skilled work in a spectrum of disciplines. Exhibits range from original paintings, collectible limited prints using a variety of processes, textile bags and totes, bronze and resin sculptures, to handcrafted bowls, art forms and jewellery made from unusual wood, all sustainably sourced.
The gallery at Bromfi eld is open daily from 10am to 5pm (4pm on Sundays) and visitors can be assured of a warm welcome. More details at www.
theartistsgalleryludlow.co.uk
Collect Art, Lymm, Cheshire Lymm-based gallery Collect Art has launched a unique complimentary service for those interested in learning more about starting an art collection. As part of their ‘Intro to Art’ initiative, gallery owner Martin Heaps and his team are o ering in-depth art consultancy sessions for current clients and anyone keen on fi nding out more about art and art collecting.
The move is particularly relevant given recent restrictions on access to cultural venues, and the Collect Art team is available online, over the phone, in the gallery or even for home visits. Martin explained: “Whether you are looking to acquire art for decorative purposes, as an investment or through a passion for the arts, building a strong collection requires time and knowledge, and navigation of potential pitfalls along the way.”
For more about Collect Art or advice about starting your own collection visit www.collectart.co.uk, call 01925 759 988 or call into the showroom at 29 The Cross, Lymm.
Ruth Grellier Ruth Grellier is new to the art world and already displaying her work online, thanks to the ease of sharing photos on social media. Ruth retired in July 2018 after 30 years as an optician in Leg Street, Oswestry, and was looking for something to fi ll her much-prized free time. As her father had been an amateur artist for many years and had always encouraged her to give it a try, she decided it would be a good hobby for her retirement.
Ruth started with water colours and has now branched out into acrylics and mixed media, experimenting with painting di erent subjects and using di erent techniques. Her work is available to view on Instagram – simply search @Ruth Grellier
PHOTO COMPETITION
What a brilliant response we’ve had to our most recent photo competition. We have only been able to show a few of our favourites on these pages – we could almost have lled an entire magazine! You obviously all enjoy snapping the birdlife in your gardens, and out and about across the patch, as ‘Feathered Friends’ proved a popular theme. For our next competition we hope you are just as inspired and we’re giving you the challenge of capturing some great seasonal shots. So with the title ‘Winter Wonderland’, get out there and snap away! Please email your entries to editorial@shiremagazine.co.uk – and good luck! by Ji Parry by Sam Hu e
by Paul Lew
by Ken Lawrence by Ji Parry by K hryn Ha
by Ji Parry
by Barbara Rob
by K hryn Ha by Sue Me by K hryn Ha
