Shown below are some of the works that have been displayed at Taurus Crafts, click any image to see full view.

For further information on the artist click their name below.

Keith Baugh - Brian and Shirley Mogford - Simon Drew - Elise Hurcombe - Duncan Hatchers - Beth Richardson

Nick Horler & Sheila Moya

Frankie Wild

Alex Pownall

Ebb & Flow

Simon Drew

Brenda Miller

- Stitch Journey Field Silk with silk hand stitching

Brenda Miller

Stitch Journey Field Silk with silk hand stitching

Keith Baugh

Oil on Canvas- Miles Davis

Keith Baugh

Oil on Canvas- Kieth Richards

Louise Watson

Buttonworks – Turquoise Machine and hand embroidered hanging

Louise Watson

Buttonworks – White Machine and Hand embroidered hanging

PENNY PRINCE

Larksong to a Deadman Oil on canvas

PENNY PRINCE

Springline Oil on canvas

Brian and Shirley Mogford

Elise Hurcombe

water colour

Beth Richardson

oil on canvas

Duncan Hatcher

Ian Gorton & Sally Stafford

Trudi Orchiltree David Hughes Jackie John

Jan Evans

Rachel Charter

Helen Brown

Suzanne Jones

Ken Hugil

Dana McPherson

Residue of Mass
Keith Baugh

Keith's work ranges through portraiture, figurative and still-life paintings to a major series inspired by visits to the USA. Classic 1950s American cars, roadside neon, billboards and the trappings of street life all featured in a one-man exhibition of paintings 'Guitars, Cadillacs and other works of Art' at the Dryden Street Gallery in London's Covent Garden. Four of these were purchased by the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.

 As well as being an accomplished painter, Keith is also a photographer and art teacher. He trained at Chesterfield College of Art, Kingston on Thames College of Art (alongside Eric Clapton!), and at Liverpool College of Art. Keith has exhibited widely and has work in numerous private collections. His Bob Dylan photographs, taken over the past four decades, were recently featured in the best-selling book, 'The Nightingale's Code - A Poetic Study of Bob Dylan' by John Gibbens.

 In 1982 Keith was elected a member of the prestigious Chelsea Arts Club. He won the Coleford Festival Artist Award in 2002. The judges praised his paintings for 'their vibrancy, immediacy and energy. They capture the spirit of American rock n' roll culture with great feeling and accuracy.'

 A recent exhibition at The Dean Heritage Art Gallery - 'It's only rock'n'roll, but...' - showcased his powerful portraits of rock legends Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry and many more, in a wall to wall 'canvas of sound'. Talking about what inspired the portraits, Keith said: 'Having seen these legendary musicians play live, often up close - Hendrix at the Isle of Wight Festival, Elvis in Las Vegas, Dylan, the Clash - their images are etched indelibly on my mind. They are such powerful contemporary icons - their music is the soundtrack to our lives...'

 A backstage meeting with top American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, at the 2004 Cheltenham Jazz Festival, resulted in a ringing endorsement for a new series of paintings of Jazz and Blues Legends. ‘Cassandra took time out before the sound-check to look at these new paintings and said ‘Wow, I just love these pictures’. Her favourites included portraits of herself with a lace fan and a series of black and white paintings of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane’. The local press reported this meeting with the headline – ‘Cool Cat Keith Captivated Cassandra’!!! 

 This new series of paintings were exhibited at Taurus Crafts during the summer of 2004 in a one-man exhibition titled Legends of Jazz, Blues and Rock’n’Roll. This highly successful and popular exhibition was extended by public demand and ran through August to October.

 Keith has been invited to exhibit a series of new portrait paintings of Jazz Legends at Cheltenham Town Hall  during the 2005 Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

 

Brian and Shirley Mogford

Two well travelled, local photographers. They have both been successful in International Photographic Salons. Brian has been President of the Welsh Photographic Federation and both are past Presidents of the Newport Photographic Club.
Brian and Shirley are two photographers with varying styles and different Viewpoints. Both endeavour to illustrate the influence of light in their images and to capture the atmosphere that is created by weather conditions and the time of day.

 

Simon Drew

Taurus Crafts is staging an exhibition of quirky, witty and outright hilarious work by Devon artist and eccentric Simon Drew. (Here the photo with pink hair and dog)

Drew was one of the first artists to feature in the Taurus shop and many visitors to the craft centre over the past 10 years have enjoyed his greeting cards and post card books.

Now, for the first time all 30 of his signed prints and seven limited edition graphics will be on show at the Taurus gallery.

The collection includes all the favourite Drew characters: Shepherd Spy, Sheep Dropping, Sitting Duck, Mole Vaulting, Cereal Killers and many more. For the real enthusiasts the Taurus team has brought together a huge array of Drew paraphernalia from mugs to kitchen aprons.

Simon Drew has exhibited extensively in England and Abroad and his designs have been commissioned by, amongst others the British Pavilion, Friends of the Earth, and the Archers.

His originals are on permanent display at the Chris Beetles Gallery in London.

 
Elise Hurcombe

Entitled ‘Water’s Collection’, the exhibition has previously toured Bristol and Whitstable in Kent. Photographs were taken by Elise Hurcombe, aged 25, a former Whitecross School pupil, now based in Bristol. After completing a GNVQ in Art and Design at The Royal Forest of Dean College, Elise studied Fine Art in Context at University West of England. She has since have been involved in projects ranging from Digital artist for Lightshift, a night time public art event which took place at the Forest of Dean sculpture trail, to creative workshops in the area’s primary schools and researching developments in interactive and digital arts within education.

Elise, who worked part-time as a crew member for the Bristol Ferry Boat Company after her degree, captured the essence of the city’s harbour life on the early morning and evening commuter runs.

She said: “Waters collection encapsulates my love of photography and the wealth of natural beauty that surrounds us. I am particularly intrigued by the way everyday scenes are reflected on the surface of the water creating a mirror on the world.”

The exhibition brings together images of water in various other locations around the UK including Whitstable Beach in Kent. Elise is currently studying a MA in Interactive Media at University West of England.

Duncan Hatchers

“ What I do is soft-edge abstraction. I love the sensuality of oil paint and the technique of blending wet into wet, using bright pigment and strong contrasting colour,” he says. “I am also now experimenting with what I call ‘multiples’- grouping a series of small separate canvases together in one box-frame to make a set of diverse but complementary ‘images’ in one picture.” 

“ I am also seduced by the whole process of applying paint to canvas, as well as the glorious smells of linseed oil and turpentine!”  He admits.

There are some intriguing titles in the show, including: Martita’s Island, Lostwith*al, Love and Blues, Dirk’s Dream, Godot Waits and ‘Meer’s Delft.

 

Beth Richardson

Beth Richardson has been a practising artist for the last 5 years exhibiting and undertaking commissions across the UK.

Fundamentally a self-taught artist Beth has recently started a Fine Art Painting and drawing degree at the University of Gloucestershire.

In 2003, four original finger paintings were published for a print edition by Prime Arts Ltd.  Commissions include album covers for Rough Trade Records and private collectors.

'Changed' is an exhibition of semi-abstract acrylic and oil paintings created in 2005/06. I see this body of work as a visual diary of last years' journey of many changes. My work is a playful exploration of the power of colour and the discovery of images suggestive of atmosphere, emotions or experiences. A major change for me was moving from Brighton to the Forest of Dean. This change, no doubt has had an influence on my work. Life is more relaxing and the country air healthy and revitalizing. Some paintings show calmness and others are energetic and vibrant.  I find it fascinating to observe how our environments affect our work and intrigued to see how it will continue to play a part in my art in the future.

I work intuitively and spontaneously allowing the paint marks to suggest the shape of the composition. Narratives often emerge and certain images are developed. I often see my work as a moment in a story, a still frame that can continue to play through the viewer’s own unique interpretation of the piece.

 

elise@hurcombe22.fsnet.co.uk

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