Amanda Jackson | painter
I have lived in Essex most of my life and take inspiration for my paintings from the evocative edgelands of the marshes and coast; a space where nature meets the remnants of a post industrial past, consuming it and leaving only traces of its man-made history. The paintings convey my affinity to this environment, its mood and atmosphere and transport the viewer to the waters edge.
Being part of SEVEN and working collaboratively with a group of creative women has enabled me to explore different ways of using sketchbooks, altered books and journals, finding new approaches to creativity which has enhanced my painting practice.
Helen Davis | mixed media artist
My artwork often features themes from myth, fairytale, archetypes and the subconscious. Largely intuitive, found pictures and personal symbols are coloured, cut, spliced and reimagined. While collaged layers are emphasised with hand drawn elements. I find these mixed media approaches help to diminish over deliberation and allow the images to emerge from the materials and marks on the page, creating the unexpected.
Jo Bund | mixed media collage artist
I am a mixed media artist with a background in textile and graphic design. My work is inspired by nature and weathered surfaces and is developed using printmaking, paint, collage and stitch.
Working with SEVEN my creative journals are very process-driven and experimental, often incorporating happy accidents. I start by collaging found materials and ephemera and develop them using mixed media. I find working in sketchbooks is a great way to explore ideas and often my sketchbooks and altered books become the art.
Juliet Bryson | textile designer maker
After many years of stitching and textiles in my spare time, I took a leap of faith and returned to college in order to expand and formalise my knowledge, and have since become a constructed textile designer maker.
Attending the Creative Journal and Altered Book courses at Metal has expanded both my thinking and artistic process and has allowed me to experiment with drawing, painting, and collage and also “letting go”.
Kim Saunders | mixed media artist
Living in Southend I like to take inspiration from the estuary, and the other more colourful characteristics of living in a seaside town. I work mostly in collage and mixed media, including paper and found objects; sometimes integrating fabrics and sewn work. I also like to paint and print my own backgrounds and integrate this in to my practice both physically and digitally.
Making Art Journals and Altered Books has been a wonderful creative lifeline in recent months, and being able to share and collaborate with the group is always both inspiring and encouraging.
Nicola Watts | mixed media artist
I am a mixed media artist who draws inspiration from my surroundings, either here at home by the estuary or when travelling to new places. My thoughts, feelings and conversations with others (and perhaps those overheard) also inspire me. I enjoy making use of many conventional and not-so-conventional materials in my work, which is often intuitive and abstract, reflecting my being in the moment while creating. Working in sketchbooks, creative journals, and altered books are wonderful places to be experimental. It can often be surprising what arrives on the page, including those happy accidents that turn into something special.
I recently returned to SEVEN after taking a break, and it’s great to be back. Working collaboratively provides so many opportunities to discover new ideas that add to the creative process.
Former members
Kerry Doyland, Karen Christensen