Art group explores the elements at Chichester’s Oxmarket Contemporary

They met as foundation students in art and design at West Dean College in 2021 – hence the group name.

Penny has a thing about trees: “I’m constantly challenging myself to capture the majesty of trees on paper. I also look for inspiration in old family photographs.” Online courses during lockdown encouraged Penny to take the foundation course at West Dean, which in turn has led to a productive period of still life, landscapes and portrait in vivid colours using acrylics and pastels and water soluble pencils.

Grace Roper used her time at West Dean to revive her practice. The arrival of spring in 2024 provided the impetus for the body of work which is being exhibited at the Oxmarket, prompted by her fascination with natural forms and plant life.

As she explains, Grace extracts the important elements from her subject by drawing in charcoal from different angles. She can the let rip with a spontaneous approach using mixed media to capture the colour and mood of her subject, underpinned by her detailed preparation.

Retirement allowed Sandra Kinchin-Thorley to fulfil her life long held dream of becoming an artist. The foundation at West Dean channelled her talent for landscape, and she now enjoys creating landscapes of spaces with which she has connections and brings her own interpretation of those spaces into her work. Painting and drawing help to bring a balance into her life and a connection with the world, she says.

Matthew Dampier’s work spans a variety of media but he is at his most comfortable when combining the disciplines of painting, print and photography. Fans of abstract expressionism will find themselves on home ground when standing in front of Matthew’s work. His finished pieces are filled with light and movement which explore recurring themes of time, place and change.

Paul McKeown is a painter and printmaker who switches between figurative and abstract styles depending on his mood and subject: “Being an art student is not something I do in retirement. It’s my new job,” he says. Returning to art after 40 years in industry means that there’s a lot to pack in, and this is reflected in the range of Paul’s work on show from bold lino cuts to figurative and abstract landscapes.

The artists shared a common starting point at West Dean, and then their work headed in different directions. This means visitors to the gallery will see diverse artwork reflecting a variety of subjects in a range of media, Paul said.

“The theme of the 2021 group’s exhibition is Elements.

"Earth, air and water are clearly in evidence in the landscapes, still life and abstract work. The group is saving fire for another day!”