What an overwhelming response we had to our selfie competition last September!
We invited you to visit as many Swindon Open Studios venues as you could over the two weekends to be in with a chance of winning £100 towards an SOS artwork of your choice.
We encouraged you to post and tag selfies taken in each venue with ‘#SwindonOpenStudioVisit’ on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to prove where you’d been in order for us to search for a winner based on our count of visible images.
Last year our Swindon Open Studios scheme, (open to all artists within a fifteen mile radius of Swindon) had over 100 awe inspiring artists in 67 studios and pop up galleries. Artists showcased inspirational artwork in a range of media from ceramics and glass, to jewellery, photography, textiles, printmaking, painting and sculpture. From amateur to professional, traditional to cutting edge and contemporary, there was something to inspire every sensibility.
All our artists were grateful to the wonderful visitors who took part in our selfie competition and hash tagged ‘swindonopenstudiovisit’. Most of all Huge CONGRATULATIONS went out to Hannah Kerry and family who managed to post the most selfies during studio visits whilst admiring the artwork, purchasing a print or two!
Not only did the selfie competition incentivize visitors to venture further afield than they normally may have done, it also encouraged those with a creative spark to reignite it.
@Chairman.dietician visited @uskswindon - Urban Sketchers Swindon - and thanked them for inspiring her saying it was “time to dig out my sketchbooks!”
Winner Hannah Kerry who visited the most artist’s studios with her family (including son Jamie pictured below) hash tagged ‘SwindonOpenStudioVisit’ at David Bent and Partner Carole Bent’s studio (also taking part this year) saying
“This one was epic - a visit to David Bent studios. We have a small print of this one at home but prefer the real thing! Maybe we can persuade granny to buy it! The whole family loved this one and would love to come back next weekend”.
Jamie appeared on Hannah’s Facebook wall in a public post (pictured below) with the text… #SwindonOpenStudioVisit posing with my favourite painting! Loved your work and mummy did some card shopping too! — with the ‘check in’ at Tim Carroll Artist’s studio.
Relaxing after a vibrant colour hug “#SwindonOpenStudioVisit At Sholeh Jafari art. We will be back. If he had to choose, this was the boy’s favourite as he loved the colours and pictures of birds.” Sholeh will be taking part in SOS 2019.
#SwindonOpenStudioVisit At Ken White's studio. Loved the planes! Ken will be taking part in SOS 2019.
“#SwindonOpenStudioVisit Another visit to Hannah Dosanjh, Stephen Mcgrath and Samantha Silverton. If only the Jammie Dodger was real! — at Hannah Dosanjh Art.” Hannah and Samantha will be taking part again in 2019.
@jezfish66 and @karmawall were strong competitors enjoying visits to an encouraging amount of Swindon Open Studios including our very own SOS web designer, photographer Chris Waddell’s studio which he shares with his wife ceramist and fine artist Lamorna Waddell. Jezfish66 hashtagged ‘swindonopenstudiosvisit’ whilst leaving lovely feedback about the warm hospitality and talent on show.
@Sardinetin who also visited with family members braved the weather on one of the weekends hashtagging her selfie “Great to finally meet @count_christoph … Fabulous selection of photography, ceramics and artworks by him and @lamornaceramics. Chris and Lamorna will open their studio again in September this year.
Jezfish66 moved on to receive a warm welcome and see lovely work at Helen Savin’s studio encouraging others as he tagged, to pop in and do the same!
Hannah Kerry who was lucky enough to win the marvelous prize of £100 towards an artwork of her choice responded to the news saying “We wish we had a big house like you see on Grand Designs so we can fit all the artwork in!”
Hannah wanted to pass on her thanks to all the artists as she said “We had great fun and met some lovely people on our way round.”
After conferring with her family (particularly little art enthusiast and son Jamie), about which artist’s work they might like to choose, Hannah revealed that Jamie “really likes David Bent’s artwork”. “Mummy on the other hand loved Sholeh Jalferi’s birds… As Jamie had so much fun doing this, then it should be his choice, so we will go with David and Carole Bent”.
Long time participants and supporters of Swindon Open Studios, David & Carole Bent welcomed Hannah and her family to return to David’s studio, in Marlborough Lane Swindon, to redeem their prize. A great opportunity to see again where the prestigious Swindon based artist created paintings exhibited at The Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Royal Air Force Museum, London and Great Western Hospital (and now more recently a solo show at the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery)
Paintings and art prints viewed by Hannah and her family included David's Red Arrows collection, geometric landscapes, intricate photo collages and art works tackling major contemporary social issues, including Yellow Cake U308, Chernobyl and sections of Movement 2000.
David Bent (awarded Honorary Companionship of the Royal Aeronautical Society) is well known for his aviation inspired paintings, many created in the studio over the past 25 years. The more you look in this studio... the more you see, including about his wider work!
Hannah and family admired, and were intrigued, by both David’s Originals and limited edition prints which were available to buy. Pictured below is the final print which Jamie chose to purchase with his voucher. Business partner Carole Bent shared the pictures below with us on 14th May following Hannah and family’s visit saying “A lovely card from young Jamie. He and his family visited lots of artists during Swindon Open Studios, & recently returned to make his ‘ art selection ‘ ( and left with the gift of art too ) x We will be ' open ' again in September xx”.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank both our artists and visitors for taking part in this competition. Why not check out the other competitors of which there were many at #swindonopenstudiovisit on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and follow again this September 2019 for more wonderful selfies on the SOS tour! Follow @swindonopenstudios as well on social media for updates on this year’s terms and conditions for our wonderful selfie competition and prize!