Welcome to the garden shed at venue 4 for Burnham Art Trail 2024!I was really fortunate to have a wonderful haven of a venue for Burnham Art Trail 2024: the shed in the Franklins’ lush back garden in Fernlea Road, venue number 4 on the map. Also really fortunate to be able to enjoy the lovely company of Andrew and Frances Franklin as well as Sue Jones, who I know through Burnham Art Club. Frances, Sue and I developed our works in progress at a very relaxed pace and Andrew took charge of showing visitors around our respective exhibition spaces and the garden.

The shed was a perfect match for my artwork which has a nature theme this year, including mixed media paintings of seeds, seedheads, flowers and bark. I displayed the larger paintings on this beautiful old work bench among the art materials I used to make them and the subject matter that inspired them.

All photos above courtesy of the Art Trail publicity team member Donata, @pastaandpurses on Instagram

Sticking to the garden theme, I also sold printed greetings cards sets of my Mayland Garden series of pen and wash paintings.

And sticking with the Burnham theme I sold printed greetings cards sets featuring my two series of Burnham-on-Crouch pen and wash paintings.

Click here to see a video of my artwork installed in the garden shed.

I made the smaller paintings into greetings cards and hung them like bunting from the beams using garden twine and little pegs.

Here I am, below, painting my poppy cards. Photo courtesy of the Art Trail publicity team member James @burnhamarttrail on Instagram.

… inspired by a tenacious little plant that fought its way up through the gaps in the paving slabs of the patio at home.

Click here to see these and my other Art Trail mixed media paintings in more detail.

And here’s a little video showing my may blossom mixed media, original artwork greetings cards.

I made a temporary chalk sign pointing down from the High Street to the musuem (below). I adapted the Art Trail logo and cut stencils of the larger letters for ease on site. Once the Trail was over the sign washed off really easily.

In total there were 43 artists showing diverse and beautiful work across 35 venues, with workshops throughout the week at various locations and Art on the Quay at weekends. I’m very grateful to be part of such a friendly and creative community.

Please contact me if you’d like to purchase any of my original artwork or sets of printed greetings cards featured in this post.

And don’t miss Burnham Art Trail 2025 – always the last week in June!