Events
A three day Flower and Art Festival
Sadly postponed until a later date
Apologies to everyone who has helped to put this event together and to the many visitors who were looking forward to visiting.
This event is postponed as of Monday 31st March 2025
Entry by Donation
The flower festival will show displays and flower arrangements with a theme of poetry and celebrating the beauty of springtime in the South Downs National Park in which our quintessential little church is very much at the heart.
The three-day Flower and Art festival will display art in various mediums including paintings, sculpture and clay.
East Marden artist, John Robinson, will be exhibiting new paintings of Bepton church, paintings of the surrounding area will also be for sale along with prints and gift cards.
John Robinson was born into a painting family and his father and brother was/are both professional graphic and fine artists. John graduated in Agronomy which ultimately led to a busy career in business management which took him to many places overseas. I those days there was little time for painting, but it has always been a compelling interest.
Largely self-taught, John specialises in watercolours as he enjoys exploiting the spontaneity and freshness of the medium, suggesting detail rather than labouring it, but retaining mainly literal interpretation.
John derives particular inspiration from form and mood of the Downs. He finds the colours and feel of autumn, winter and spring every bit as exciting as high summer. His working method is basically reliant on sketches done on site, perhaps supported by a photo, which means he lingers on the scene long enough to absorb its distinctive atmosphere. These sketches occasionally can be good enough to exhibit as they are, but more normally from the basis of finished paintings produced in the studio.
While the Sussex and Hampshire countryside are a special interest, John’s subject matter is wide ranging, including many other types of landscape, but also townscapes, boats seascapes, still life and living creatures.
John exhibits widely; His studio in East Marden opens each May as part of the Chichester Open Studios Trail, and he participates in many art society and art group exhibitions. He enjoys the camaraderie of painting and exhibiting with others.
Visits to his studio are welcomed (Phone first) and he is happy to accept commissions.
John Robinson, The White House, East Marden, West Sussex, PO18 9JE. Tel: 01243 535 271
There will be several local artists exhibiting:
Sally Marien
Sally trained at Goldsmiths College London in the 70’s.
Since leaving College Sally has continued to develop her interest and passion for clay and ceramics and she has always worked as a potter making a wide range of functional, decorative and sculptural work for over 35 years.
For twenty years Sally ran her own art consultancy, curating collections around the world, advising collectors on contemporary art and ceramics and also finding time to run her own art gallery exhibiting the work of leading artists, potters and sculptors.
More recently Sally has been making a range of individual delicate vessels made from porcelain. These decorative porcelain pieces are directly inspired by the colours and the contours of the landscape in which she lives.
Sally has a studio in West Sussex where she continues to enjoy her lifelong passion for the magical and challenging process of transforming a lump of clay on the wheel into an aesthetic functional or sculptural form.
https://www.sallymarienstudio.co.uk
Hannah Watchorn
Hannah studied art in beautiful Devon where she gained a BA Honours in Illustration. Following her degree, she started to work as a freelance illustrator and was commissioned to illustrate two children’s books by publishers, Ryland, Peters & Small.
Following this, with an interest for printed textiles and interiors She went on to explore Interior Styling and worked in London for several interior publications, including Country Living Magazine and Elle Decoration.
Hannah then went to work for the Fabric and wallpaper company, Nicholas Herbert Ltd, based in Chelsea. It was here that she designed her first collection of printed fabrics
Hannah took an inspiring visit to Jaipur to find block makers, consequently developing designs for a small collection of home accessories which she developed alongside her painting.
After starting her family Hannah left London and moved to Bepton, West Sussex, where she now now lives and works.
Hannah paints from her Garden studio,
Producing art for private commissions, including bespoke House portraits, maps and original wildlife paintings. Her work encompass a strong eye for detail and thoughtful colour combinations.
Hannah currently also works in collaboration with The White Company as a designer for The Little White Company and Homeware collection.
This dream opportunity offers a diversity in hannah designing, which gives her a unique creative balance.
https://www.hannahwatchorn.com
Francesca Hamilton
BA Public Art and Design
Francesca is an artist, sculptor and successful Interior Designer, having worked with top names in London: Helen Green, Joanna Wood and Colefax and Fowler before setting her up her own interior designer company, in London and West Sussex working for clients in England, Scotland, Ireland and Europe.
Born into a family of artists, designers and sculptors. Her mother, Greta Tomlinson, a prolific artist of her time, was a pioneer for women artists, the youngest student at The Slade school of art and one of the original artists who drew Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future. (The character Professor Peabody was based on Greta)
Graduating from Chelsea School of Art and Design in the early 90’s, her first commission was for Tiffany Jewellers to collaborate with the Italian Jewellery designer Elsa Piretti for their bond street window displays, using her plaster body casts set with Piretti’s jewellery.
Her work embodies the excitement of transformation, using vivid mark marking and texture to transform solid clay to create movement and form which is celebrated and inspired with her visceral response to a pose and feeling.
www.francescahamilton.co.uk/sculpture
Edmund Warwick Gee
Having studied photography and cinematography, I joined the BBC as an Assistant Film Cameraman at the start of BBC2 and for some three years travelled extensively, filming in the UK, Europe, and the Americas. I then moved into production management and spent most of my BBC career as Film Operations Manager for Music and Arts managing the film requirements of programmes such as Arena, Omnibus and Chronicle. In the early 1990’s the in-house BBC Film Department was gradually disbanded. We moved to West Sussex around this time and, while continuing to act as a consultant with the Arena programme for several years, I took up oil painting as a hobby.
Upcoming Events
The History of Bepton Church and the surrounding area by local historian Darron Carver. An evening talk with refreshments.
Previous Events
Organ Recital
Friday 27th September 6.30pm
Tickets £15.00, including a glass of wine, in advance from
Organist Malcolm Brinson . Soprano Felicity Payen
“Through The Ages”
To include: Alain. Bach. De Grigny. Franck. Gershwin. Guilmant. Handel. Michel. Mozart. Parry. Purcell. Wesley.
All funds raised will go to the Bell Tower project
Malcolm Brinson
Malcolm Brinson has had a long musical career, as Head of Music for many years at the former girls’ school St Michael’s (in Burton Park) and at Alcester Grammar School in Warwickshire.He was organist at Petworth’s St Mary’s parish church for more than 15 years. Then came a four-year stay in Cyprus, where he was in charge of music at the three Anglican churches in Paphos. He returned from there to lead music at Wisborough Green’s St Peter’s Ad Vincula.He has recently been appointed to Midhurst Parish Church.
Felicity Payen
Felicity is a natural Bel-Canto displaying , to the highest standard, the skills and techniques required for this style of soprano. She encompasses a lyrical sound coupled with outstanding control and finesse, which can command and enthral audiences.