Time to explore Brighton and Hove Artists Open Houses Christmas Festival

It is that time of year again where artists around Brighton and Hove open up their doors to showcase their work.
Urban miniaturesUrban miniatures
Urban miniatures

The Brighton and Hove Artists Open Houses Christmas Festival starts on November 23 and runs over weekends until December 8.

Hundreds of artists and makers across the city will be taking part giving the public the chance to buy direct from the artist or maker.

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Pam Glew of Paxton Glew said: “I love the AOH, it’s a brilliant excuse to see artist’s houses, collect art, do some shopping and also a great way to get to know Brighton more.”

The Holly King by Kirsty SlomanThe Holly King by Kirsty Sloman
The Holly King by Kirsty Sloman

At 11 Dukes Lane in Brighton, Paxton Glew will be showcasing Urban Miniatures, a model village like you’ve never seen before.

“We have taken over a shop in Dukes Lane for a month and alongside the mini city, we have miniature artworks, prints, unique Christmas gifts and jewellery.

“We will also be offering very festive creative workshops in Wreath Making, Furoshiki block printing, Cyanotype and Terrarium making run by myself and Emily.”

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Urban Miniatures features a line up of 40 international graffiti, urban and contemporary artists, paint on a tiny scale transforming a shop space into a technicolour diorama.

Photographer JJ Waller - MarathonPhotographer JJ Waller - Marathon
Photographer JJ Waller - Marathon

A Hornby train set has been adapted, painted, cup up and lit up by artists to produce a subversive model city.

“I have been exhibiting as an Artist at Brighton Open Houses sporadically since Christmas 2005.

“So I am quite an old timer for AOH. But this is my first show that I have co-curated, I am curating with Emily Paxton a friend and photographer, under the name of Paxton Glew,” Pam said.”

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Exhibiting as an Open House sole artist for the first time is photographer JJ Waller, who is widely acclaimed for consistently producing poignant often humorous images representing Brighton’s zeitgeist. Waller will be showcasing at 3 Brunswick St West in Brighton.

Abigail Bowen is an established abstract painter who is represented by galleries in London, Bath and Oxford.

For this year’s Christmas Artists Open Houses she is presenting a brand new installation of drawings inspired by the feeling of loss.

She is creating approximately 100 unique, small, pencil drawings that capture this idea of ‘Lost Things’.

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She said: “Some visitors will be familiar with my house from May.

“I am just up from Brighton Station and open up part of the downstairs of my home.

“I only show my work, and as well as the selection of drawings for the ‘All The Lost Things’ project, there will be some new abstract paintings.

“All the artworks can be collected or delivered after the Open House has closed on Sunday, December 8. And outside, there will be my mum’s fresh Christmas wreaths that can be taken and hung on front doors straight away.”

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This will be the first time Abigail will be showing by herself at Christmas, having previously shown paintings at Christmas at group houses.

“I am excited to be taking part because I have had an idea about creating a project about ‘Lost Things’. I will be presenting the pencil drawings with £5 from each one going to The Alzheimer’s Society.”

The festival is now the largest event of its kind in the UK. Around 200 houses and studio spaces take part with more than 1,000 artists and makers sharing their work.

Other artists and makers include Villa Lucia’s Emporium where you can shop original up-cycled clothing, headwear, and road kill taxidermy in 3 Princes Road, Brighton. The Arundel Mews

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Collective specialises in handmade crafts and fine art, ceramics, original etching, lithographs, textiles and knitwear.

The Artists Open Houses Christmas Festival 2019 runs over November 23-24; November 30 -December 1 and December 7-8. Visit www.aoh.org.uk For more information on Paxton Glew visit, instagram.com/paxtonglew or paxtonglew.comFor Abigail, visit abigailbowen.com

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