We are really excited to announce that we will be taking part in Artwave for the first time this year to exhibit some of the incredible talent we have at Chandlers! Artwave is a Lewes festival that gives art lovers the chance to discover new work, meet artists and makers, and buy directly from them. It is a true celebration of local art and creativity and it is free to attend. Artwave is taking place between 5th and 20th September 2020 this year. 

Our exhibit will be housed in our Lewes branch on Daveys Lane, in our bathroom showroom. It will be open for visitors throughout the duration of the festival. 

We will be exhibiting the work of 5 artists – 3 of whom are staff and 1 who is a longstanding customer of ours.  Let’s take a closer look at our artists, who they are and what their style is.

Barry Deeprose

What do you work as at Chandlers? I am a Senior Yardman in our Lewes branch

How long have you worked at Chandlers? 17 years

Who is one of your favourite artists? I have many but my favourite is Frank Frazetta

Can you tell us about a piece you have been working on recently? I am working on a piece that I started in the late 80s – it is of a pub scene and is based on the Elephant & Castle in Lewes

How would you describe your style? Impressionism & realism

What are your other hobbies? I enjoy cycling, listening to music and spending time with my family

What words of encouragement would you give to someone who is thinking about taking art up as a hobby? Don’t worry about it too much, just enjoy it. There isn’t good or bad – it’s all art and if people like your work, it’s a bonus. 

 

Dave Steward 

What do you work as at Chandlers? I am an HGV Class 2 Hiab Driver for our Lewes branch

How long have you worked at Chandlers? For 4 and a half  years now

Who is one of your favourite artists? Salvador Dalí is one of my favourite artists 

Can you tell us about a piece you have been working on recently? I have been working on a tattoo design for my nephew recently

How would you describe your style? Illustrator 

What are your other hobbies? I have recently got more into gardening as a hobby. I am currently growing tomatoes and cacao beans. 

What words of encouragement would you give to someone who is thinking about taking art up as a hobby? Just experiment! 

Kayleigh Sinclair

What do you work as at Chandlers? I used to work for head office and now I am branch based. I work as an Internal Sales Co-ordinator at our Banstead branch

How long have you worked at Chandlers? Over 3 years now

Who is one of your favourite artists? Claude Monet – Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies was the first piece of art I saw that I fell in love with

Can you tell us about a piece you have been working on recently? Recently, I’ve been working on a selection of butterflies in addition to a book cover for a friend

How would you describe your style? Mix of watercolor and ink with a heavy focus on nature and linework

What are your other hobbies? Gardening and cooking

What words of encouragement would you give to someone who is thinking about taking art up as a hobby? Try it and don’t focus on it being perfect, you’ll only get better if you keep going!

Colin Mitchell

What is your connection to Chandlers? I am a customer, I have bought building materials from Chandlers for 32 years

Who is one of your favourite artists? Picasso is one of my favourite artists

Can you tell us about a piece you have been working on recently?Whatever comes out – I try not to think about it at all, some structure in my mind but the rest comes hopefully when I relax

How would you describe your style? Abstract 

What are your other hobbies? Designing interiors for houses

What words of encouragement would you give to someone who is thinking about taking art up as a hobby? Just do it, it’s a great way to relax and so much more rewarding than TV

 

Simon Deeprose

What is your connection to Chandlers? My brother, Barry, works at Chandlers. We are both exhibiting our work in the branch for Artwave

Have you been part of Artwave before? Yes, I have had my work on display last year as part of Artwave 2019

Who is one of your favourite artists? The American comic book artist, Jack Kirby, is one of my favourites

Can you tell us about a piece you have been working on recently? I am working on a woodblock Japanese piece at the moment

How would you describe your style? Bold and colourful – forceful. I use a lot of sharp lines to create colourful looks. Some of my work is abstract too. 

What are your other hobbies? I enjoy building models – most of my hobbies are artistic

What words of encouragement would you give to someone who is thinking about taking art up as a hobby? Just keep trying and just make a start instead of theorising. 

 

If you find yourself in Lewes during Artwave, please pop into our Lewes branch to see our exhibition full of amazing art.  For most of our artists, this is their first time displaying their work to the public. We are very proud of our talented team members and we would love to see lots of visitors appreciating their art too! 

You can see our official listing on the Artwave website here.