Artists go out to the shops

ELEVEN artists from Bungay's Black Dog Arts this week started sketching the interiors of 20 town centre shops, businesses and community buildings.

It is a project which could be unique, and is part of the work for the art trail which will be on in the town next month.

One of the artists, Penny Brooke, said: “Our hosts have made us feel very welcome and, on behalf of Black Dog Arts, I'd like to thank them all for their warmth, and for their support for the Black Dog Art Trail project.”

So far Penny has been working in the Buttercross Café, Cork Brick Antiques and Gallery and Liz Lee's Dance Studio above Owles Warehouse. When asked how the places compared she said: “Liz Lee's flamenco class was incredibly difficult, drawing dancers, but Cork Bricks was much easier because antiques don't move!”

Another of the artists, Mary Walker, said: “We got to the Café at the Castle early and were able to draw the interior when it was quiet. Then the café filled up with people and we were able to draw them, so we had the perfect sketching session!”

She also said how grateful she was that people did not mind having their photographs taken, as she was “quite reliant” on using photos when she does her paintings.

The artists will finish their sketching over the next week or so, and Bruer Tidman, the Black Dog Art Trail's first artistic director, will hold his final workshop with them on Monday.

Then the artists will have a couple of weeks to finish their artworks before they go on show in the shops, business and community buildings that inspired them from Saturday, April 5 to Saturday, April 26.

The Black Dog Art Trail artists are Penny Brooke, Jan Dungey, Colin Genlloud, John Hunt, Georgina Johnson, Karen Leah, Kenneth Lynn, Kristian McKeon, Hilary Mullock, Mary Walker and Nancy Wright.