Anne Sugden

Watendlath, Lake District
Oil Painting

Anne Sugden was born in Yorkshire but has lived in Bury for the past 35 years. Art has been a keen interest all her life starting from a very early age learning to draw with white chalk on her blackboard and easel.

Anne Sugden attended at Bretton Hall Teacher training College studying Art and Music as her main subjects. During her career as a teacher, she considers herself fortunate in having been able to introduce pupils to art in many different forms, and to encourage them to develop their own skills and appreciation.

Her own paintings are displayed in Japan, New Zealand, Italy, Majorca and the USA as well as in Britain.

She enjoys working in a variety of mediums, however her main love is painting in oils using brushes and palette knives, and likes the challenge of experimenting with new styles and techniques in this medium, Anne uses her own water colour sketches done on location, or her own photographs for inspiration. A number of her paintings are of scenes in the Lake District, as was her great-grandfather before her.

As a keen traveller, Anne continues to learn a great deal from studying work by artists down the ages, having visited some of the prestigious art galleries in the world, including Vienna, Berlin, Los Angeles, Boston, Hiroshima, Chicago, Paris and London.

She also enjoys the stimulation and interaction with the fine artists who are members of Bury Art Society.

Judith Church

My name is Judith Church and I am now retired. I have always worked in retail and the job I enjoyed the most was when I was manager of the Board and Easel art shop in Bolton. I have been interested in drawing and painting from an early age and passed GCE 'O' level Art at school.

After a few years of bringing up a family etc., I decided to develop my skills by doing various evening courses, at the Arts and Crafts centre in Broad Street, Bury, which included GCE 'A' level art. It was this involvement at the Arts and Crafts centre which led to my becoming a member of Bury Art Society.

I enjoy painting portraits of people and animals for which I tend to always use pastel, but I also work with acrylic paint, inks, charcoal and watercolour and I really love to experiment with textures and mixed media.

Philip Jones

"THE CHANGING SKYLINE OF BURY. MAY2009"


I've always had the ability to draw and paint and at school art was always my most favoured subject.

My employment was initially that of engineering draughtsman and later a senior projects engineer designing and managing the installation of bottling plant.

Following my retirement I decided to restart my early interest in painting and drawing and enrolled at various art classes.

My chosen mediums are water colour and acrylic and i like to paint a wide range of subjects from 'steam trains' to 'cityscapes' and from 'galloping horses' to 'landscapes'.

Lynn Kirkley

I completed a degree in Illustration at Manchester in 1982 before achieving a teaching qualification.I worked in secondary and special schools,and then worked in prison,further and continuing adult education.

I have exhibited in galleries across the North West,most recently in Salford and Bury.I have had work produced in a number of publications (Artists and Illustrators,July 2009 issue).I reached the North West final of the TV programme'Brush with Fame'.

In 2009 I had a solo 'Floral' Print Exhibition at The Royal Exchange in Manchester.I am exhibiting again in February this year on the theme of 'Afternoon Tea'. I have a portrait in memory of my Grandad showing at Salford Art Gallery at the moment which has won two awards.

Graham Lomas

Painting for over 40 years has given Graham immense pleasure. He was born in Newton Heath, Manchester in 1944. He paints a wide variety of subject such as : Landscape, Seascape, Figure, Portrait and Still Life, and if it is direct from nature, so much the better. Oil and watercolour are his favoured mediums.

Graham became a member of Bury Art Society in year 2000. He is an award winning artist and was elected a member of the British Watercolour Society in 2004 and elected as a fellow of the International Guild of Artists in 2005.

Anne Fryers

Anne grew up in Cumbria and studied at Manchester College of Art and Design, graduating in Textile Design, then gaining a Certificate in Education.

After working as an art teacher and then bringing up a family, she began painting seriously in the 1990s and has since been exhibiting and selling her work successfully.

Painting primarily in acrylics and acrylic inks, her subject matter is varied with seaside scenes her speciality, a range of which has been published, proving very popular.

Sue Stott

I am now retired and my husband and I have just returned from Andalucia where we lived and worked for 6 years running an olive and fresh fruit farm. Those years have influenced my style of painting and I have changed from painting in watercolour to oils because of the vibrancy and fluidity of the medium.

I particularly enjoy painting portraits and people in general, especially people in action so that I can catch the movement and flow of the clothes. I paint as a hobby but also sell paintings to help with the cost of the hobby.

Should you wish to commission a portrait please contact me on 07786061374 for details.

Leslie O’Shea

"Bluebell Woods"

My name is Leslie O'Shea and I am married with 3 children and 6 grandchildren. I am in my late 50's. My occupation is Bespoke Tailor. Over the last few years I had and interest in painting and was encouraged to further this interest by my wifes uncle, Tommy Valentine. I prefer to work in water colour or acrylics.

Anne Saxon

My name is Anne Saxon, I have been a member of the Bury Art Society for about ten years. I enjoy being a member and find it offers a variety of experiences. I especially like going out on location sketching. My favourite place is Greenside where we go at least once a year for a short
holiday.

I try working in most mediums, I experiment with mixed media. This particular painting of the Grand Canyon is an oil on canvas; when I visited the Canyon many years ago I was awe struck by its vastness and complexity. I aim to attempt further work of this subject but will try different mediums.

Janet Brady

I grew up in London and studied Geography and Geology at Birmingham because I love finding out how landscapes came to be as they are. I got good at doing field sketches and ‘losing myself’ in a landscape! Luckily I met my husband who’s brilliant at map reading and doesn’t mind at all gazing at the countryside while I sketch.

In 1970 I became a primary schoolteacher. I did a part-time Foundation course at Rochdale in ’83. Since then I’ve taught and looked after the family. I’ve always sketched, especially when out walking with them and I’ve always hoped to do more, and more. What was lacking was time and confidence.

With semi-retirement I achieved the first and then, a real breakthrough, I achieved the second by attending the Creative Drawing classes at Bury Art Gallery. They really inspired me.

Now I’m painting hard, selling my work and looking forward to my first big exhibition in September ’10. And I’m still passionate about ‘losing myself’ in a landscape!

Picture above:
This painting, 'The Nine Ladies of Stanton Moor', is in mixed media. I placed puddles of colour (acrylic ink) roughly where needed to capture this scene - a stone circle in the Peak District. Then I covered them with clingfilm and worked the colour into place, making the bubbles elongate and the ink run into a tracery or maze. When the picture was dry and the clingfilm peeled off I worked into the scene with inks and pastel to bring out the foliage and hint at the nine ladies dancing on the Sabbath before being turned into stone!

Mike Standbridge

Semi retired accountant who took up painting and drawing so I would have something to do on holiday while the wife was sunbathing. It now occupies a considerable part of my life.

Although I use watercolour and acylic my favourites are fast drying alkyd oils.
the picture attached is called "still life 1942." and was inspired by the credits sequence of "Sharpe" and to show that still lifes do not have to consist solely of fruit dishes and glasses.

Mary Shaw

I have been a member of the Bury Art Society approximately 5 years, in which time I have developed a passion for watercolour. As a young girl I always had an interest in sketching, usually the family pet.

After passing my GCE 'O' level art, I started work in an office and up until 1982 after the children grew up and left home I became painting again. Firstly in Oil and Acrylic, produced a couple of nice pictures, then work took over again until I retired in 2003 and began again, this time in ernest. I went to the Bury Arts and Crafts to do watercolour painting and have been doing this ever since.

After joining the Bury Art Society I have been introduced to various different styles of painting, with the added bonus of meeting people with a similar enthusiasm for art, and made lots of new friends.

Shymal Sarkar

Medical doctor, started painting as a hobby in 1999.Has exhibited several of my paintings at the Bury Art Gallery through Bury art Society during last 3 years. Prefers to work in Oil doing Landscapes and Portraits (life sizes).

Malcolm Lucas

The painting illustrated is 3’ 4” x 2’ 8” and is in acrylics on canvas.

Born in 1942 and worked in Lancashire all my life as a Textile Designer, Potter and Swimming teacher. I retired 15 years ago and now dedicate my time to drawing and painting. Many of my paintings are in private collections in America, Canada, Spain and the United Kingdom. I’ve won a Millennium Award for painting and a Society of Industrial Designers Award.

I am influenced in my work by van Gogh, Lucian Freud, Peter de Wint. I also have a keen interest in the great outdoors.

I paint in various mediums: pen and ink, watercolour, oil paints and acrylic.

Lee Crocker

I like to think of myself as a sketchbook artist more than a painter, because I prefer the instant enegry that is created in the sketchbook and the not knowing what's round the corner! To quote the artist Harold Gillman, I like to make 'the mundane memorable', my other main inspiration comes from working in the wonderful Bury Art Gallery. Most used medium is pen ,watercolour, bleach and anything else that's nearby.

Visit my personal website: http://leecrocker.blogspot.com/

Mary Edyvean

Mary was born in Bury, Lancashire . She trained initially at Bury School of Art, and then worked as an embroidery designer and later as a commercial artist.

After marriage and raising a family, she returned to fine art, attending many classes at the Bury Arts & Crafts Centre covering painting pottery and sculpture.

Painting has now become a major part of her busy life. Having worked in every media she paints mainly in watercolour and pastel. Landscapes and flowers are her favourite subjects though still life and portraits are in her repertoire

She has exhibited and sold her work at most local galleries and from the Mall Gallery, London . Her work can always be seen at the Wensley Gallery in Ramsbottom.

Peggy Hargreaves

I have been a member of the Bury Art Society for about twelve years and Secretary for the last ten, during which time the membership has increased greatly and so has the workload! I liaise with Bury Art Gallery to arrange the Annual Exhibition and work with the Programme Secretary and Chairman in the final stages of the yearly programme. I organise the twice yearly trips to the Bury Outdoor Pursuits Centre at Glenridding and have instigated a reasonably regular Newsletter which is circulated to members.

I started attending drawing classes about forty years ago and have continued enjoying the medium until the present day. I work mainly in pencil, pen and ink, and pastel, and occasionally watercolour. I enjoy drawing “on location” whilst on holiday, especially in Ireland, and the Outdoor Sketching trips with the Society. I have holiday drawings rather than holiday snaps! I enjoy portrait drawing and occasionally drawings of animals.

Carl Jacobs

Born in Manchester in 1947, my earliest recollection was drawing at every opportunity. At School, Art was by far my most favourite subject. I went onto Art College gaining a diploma in Graphic Art and Design followed by a much enjoyed career in Advertising, eventually setting up my own successful business. I had the good fortune to be able to retire early and spend more of my time on doing the thing I love the most, painting.

My work is a combination of my imagination along with photographs I have taken whilst on holiday in Cornwall and Europe. I use fine lines and blocks of colour to create an interesting semi-abstract fragmented composition. Although my work may be based on an actual place, my painting process relies more on a personal feeling for the essence of a moment in time.

I work mainly in acrylics because of their versatility and quick drying properties. They can be used similar to oils or when thinned, like watercolour and suit my method of working perfectly.

I have been an active member of Bury Art Society for ten years and am now programme secretary, the past five years of which I have successfully exhibited at Bury Art Gallery receiving several very highly commended awards by the Judges and in 2005, 2006 and 2007 winning the People’s Prize. Also in 2005, I won an Internet Art Competition and that September I donated a painting, which was sold at auction, at North Manchester Hospital, to raise funds for a local Leukaemia Research charity. I am also asked to give demonstrations, talks and workshops to Art Groups which are very well received.

Selected Shows or Exhibitions of my work:

Bury Metropolitan Rework Exhibition.
Whittakers Gallery, Rawtenstall
Last Drop Inn, Bolton
Worsley Festival
Blythe Gallery, Manchester
Coach House, Littleborough
Visitor Centre, Hollingworth Lake, Rochdale
No.10 Gallery, Rochdale
Hawarth Gallery, Accrington
Mevagissey Fine Arts Gallery, Cornwall
Upper Deck Gallery, Fraddon, Cornwall
The Gallery, Liverpool
Mooch Gallery, the Triangle, Manchester

Bury Art Society’s “AWARDS FOR ALL” grant

The Society was awarded the grant from the Lottery’s “Awards for all” programme in November 2005. It was used to help towards expenses for demonstrators and lecturers and hopefully attract new members. It also enabled the current exhibition display stands to be renovated and up-dated and provision of a gazebo to protect paintings from the inclement weather at Outdoor Exhibitions