Brighton’s Arty: Home Is Where The Art Is

Unbelievably, it’s the 12th year of Christmas Artists Open Houses. So this week’s column is an unashamed shout-out to some of Arty’s favourite creatives who’ll be showing – and selling – their work over the weekends 29 Nov to 14 Dec. If you haven’t experienced the delight of trailing around the city popping in and out of artists’ houses and studios picking up unique, hand-crafted work, prints and painting, then I urge you: give the Churchill Centre a miss and get walking.

At the Dragonfly House, Ditchling Rise, discover the phenomenally talented Chanchala Ariyaratne. She started making Steampunk-inspired jewellery with the remains of old timepieces recovered from her father’s shop after it was caught in the 2004 tsunami, and finds immense reward from turning pieces of history into wearable art.

(Her clocks are amazing too!). At ArtForty7, Sutherland Road, another brilliant ‘upcycler’ is Betty Shek, whose one-of-a-kind felt jewellery is created using a freeform embroidery technique and incorporating elements such as vintage buttons. Betty used to travel to Japan frequently for work, and her pieces are influenced by Japanese culture.

On Chanctonbury Road, Hove, Salon des Sources promises a one-stop-shop of artistic treasures including prints by rubendagar. Expect to be blown away by the psychedelic, typographic and fantastical imagery influenced by a love of surrealism, comic books and things of beauty.

Out of town:
There’s always good reason to visit Tarrant Street in Arundel, home to Zimmer Stewart Gallery. Even more so the weekends of 29-30 Nov and 6-7 Dec when Arundel Open Studios will feature ‘14 artists in winter’. Head for number 54 and lose yourself in the alchemy of colour, form and feeling that informs the poetic canvases of Andy Waite. www.artymagazines.com

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