NEWS
RSMA Exhibition 2024
I'm overwhelmed to be honest.
This year the Royal Society of Marine Artists was inundated with a huge number of entries for their Annual Exhibition.
So I'm doubly delighted as I managed to get TWO pieces in.
This one, Curlew - Red Alert and the one I featured last week, Curlew- In Pursuit.
Obviously, if either of them sell at the Exhibition, a donation will be made to @curlewaction, working hard to protect this wonderful bird.
I'm sure I can hear my dad laughing, cheering me on and screaming...CURLEW!!!!! He's the man who started my love affair with this endangered bird. I'll always be grateful.
Stephanie Smith
Cry of the Curlew Exhibition Flies North
Cry of the Curlew Exhibition
I was delighted to be invited to create some Curlews for this Exhibition, which promises to be fabulous.
The exhibition is a celebration of the bird, which will hopefully raise awareness of its plight.
In addition to my sculptures, there will be some beautiful prints and photographs etc etc!!!
As ever, any sales from this Exhibition will generate a donation to @curlewaction.
The Exhibition is at Kendal Museum ( worth visiting at ANY time if you are into Natural History) and it runs from 20th June to 17th August 2024.
See www.Kendalmuseum.org/the-cry-of-the-curlew-exhibition/
Stephanie Smith
RSMA Preview 2023
Tempted to Write.....
"Birds fly South" here ......😁
In September I was accompanied by the wonderful "Janie the Wood", to the Preview of the Royal Society of Marine Artists Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London. We travelled by train!.
It was heaving.....with people inside and with rain outside!
Some lovely pieces of work and it was great to meet a couple of fellow artists like @markbuckart Unsurprisingly, even established artists admitted feeling nervous on the day. What is it about Creatives in arenas like that and that feeling of " Imposter Syndrome"?!
I was so fortunate to see two of my birds in such prestigious surroundings and amongst such fantastic pieces. Thanks to the Royal Society of Marine Artists for allowing my birds to perch at the Mall Galleries
Stephanie Smith
Stunned!
I am absolutely thrilled that 2 of my pieces have made it through the selection process for the Royal Society of Marine Artists Exhibition this September. I was so convinced that I wouldn't be selected this year that I didn't write the dates in my diary!!! I feel so grateful.
A Puffin and a Curlew are flying down there as I type! I had to pack them in separate boxes as a fight was clearly on the cards. It's the Curlew beak that's the problem!!!
The exhibition , held at the Mall Galleries in London begins on .21st September and ends on.30th September. Attached is an invitation,should you be in London, for the Private View on Wednesday 20th September. You would be most welcome!
Stephanie Smith
Curlews Fly into Country Living Magazine!
It all started last year, when I contacted Country Living about the work of Curlew Action in Curlew Conservation.
As an Ambassador for Curlew Action, I felt they would be the perfect "Messengers" to support the cause. I explained that we were organising a Curlew Summit for Primary Schools involved in the Junior Ambassadors Project. The Summit was planned for Curlew Day 2022.
I naively contacted the magazine in January 2022, having no idea how far in advance these features are planned! Everything worked out fine, Country Living did a Question and Answer piece with Mary Colwell ( C.E.O of Curlew Action and Champion of Curlews) in 2022 and the Summit was a great success.
I was then contacted about my wire sculptures by the Editor of Country Living, which led to the feature in June Edition!!!
Last year we had a photoshoot, with the wonderful Eva Nemeth, who can make ANYTHING look great!
The feature mentions the work of Curlew Action and the plight of this endangered bird, so it's positive all round.
Thanks to everyone involved, it was an experience I'll never forget!
Stephanie Smith
See the full Country Living article here.
Thanks to Country Living for permission to show this article. #countrylivinguk
Also thanks to Eva Nemeth the wonderful photographer who took the photographs. #eva_nemeth
MY FIRST EXHIBITION ..... EXCITED!!!!!!
I was recently invited to stage my first exhibition at the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition, which I've titled “ Here today.........”, will take place in 2025. It will feature birds and fish sculptures I have created which feature mainly on the “Red” Endangered species list.
In addition to this being a fantastic venue for my first exhibition, it is also geographically apt too. Curlews may be found nesting in the moors and uplands of the Peak District and many groups are working hard to conserve the declining numbers.
Hopefully my exhibition will play a small part in raising awareness of the plight of this “ local” endangered bird..
Steph
Art Gallery picture by Douglal - Own work
Royal Society of Marine Artists 2022
Another amazing experience for me - 3 of my pieces were accepted for Exhibition with the Society of Marine Artists at the Mall in September 2022!! Those of you who know me, will remember that last year's selection for RSMA Exhibition was the highlight of my artistic life,so to be selected again was beyond amazing.
This year, in addition to my beloved Curlew, I also submitted " Edward Egret", a different technique and an exciting " experiment " for me as I continue to learn about wire and it's possibilities.
Although I was able to view the fantastic exhibition online, I was unable to attend the Preview I'd desperately hoped to go to. How's this for fate..... I booked train tickets for the wrong date....cancelled and lost my fare.....booked tickets for the correct date only to find the trains cancelled! Do you ever get the feeling you are not meant to be somewhere?!
So grateful to RSMA for giving me a chance and thanks to all of you who continue to follow and encourage me in my work.
Steph October 2022
Share My Joy?!
I’m delighted to report that 2 of my pieces have been selected for the 2022 Exhibition of the Society of Women Artists in September!
The Society of Women Artists 161st Annual Open Exhibition 2022
"This year we are excited to be exhibiting once again at the Mall Galleries".
"We are delighted that the Exhibition will be officially opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent on Wednesday, 7th September at 11am at the private view."
"The SWA seeks works of the highest standard within its specific field. The SWA continues to promote women artists and prides itself on the very diverse nature of the work shown during our Annual Open Exhibition from both our non-members and our members."
My experience, exhibiting at The Mall Galleries, alongside the RSMA last year, was the highlight of my artistic life. Being selected to exhibit there again, with the Society of Women Artists is awesome and I feel so grateful.
The two pieces are Stan and Ollie, Iron lads and the rather more elegant Dame, a Copper Curlew. I’ll hopefully be accompanied by my Curlew’s namesake Dame Christine Lenehan at the Exhibition Preview (My Inspirations page). I’m insisting she brings her “gong” to wear for a photo opportunity!
We’re both delighted to see that the Society of Women Artists donates some of the proceeds from the Exhibition to Breast Cancer Charities, a disease which unfortunately blights some of the women in our family.
Steph
"On a Wing and a Prayer"
April's Lancashire Life(2022) features the plight of the Curlew and the work that I am doing on behalf of Curlew Action.
The project involves 3 Lancashire Primary Schools. These schools will celebrate World Curlew Day on the 21st April by congregating at our first Curlew Summit! Children will share their work and findings about the curlew and decide upon the next steps for its conservation.
In the meantime I am working with the schools to make 50 clay curlew sculptures!
Find out more about our local attempts at conservation at SPCS
Steph
Flying down to ... Slimbridge!
This week 4 of my flock flew down to the Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge.
The exhibition, organised by Curlew Action, will run from March until May 2022
Steph
Royal Society of Marine Artists Exhibition 2021 Preview Day
Pictures fron the preview day in London which I attended.
Steph
Royal Society of Marine Artists Exhibition 2021
I was recently excited to discover that two of my pieces have been selected to appear in this prestigious exhibition.
The exhibition will be held at The Mall Galleries in London at the end of September.
My "Curlew-Down to the Wire" and "Salmon-Haaf Way There" were selected and both were created as a homage to the people and the beautiful creatures of Morecambe Bay.
I am beyond excited!!!
Steph
International Art Competition "Into the Wild" Semi Finalist
I was recently a semi finalist in an International Art Competition "Into the Wild". My reward was a picture of my entry "Eric Morecambe Curlew" in this new arts magazine.