Surrounded by the Sea pop up exhibition

ArtHouse Jersey welcomes the latest in their pop up art exhibition series, this time with local artists Nicola Miskin and Annabel Godfray.

Islanders are invited to visit Greve de Lecq Barracks on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October 2023 between 10am and 5pm where both artists will be present to talk about their work.

This will be an exhibition of underwater photographs by Nicola Miskin and paintings by Annabel Godfray, inspired by the sea. The artists have known each other since their school days but five years ago they started swimming together which rekindled their friendship and creativity through the sea. They swim all year-round and their work shows the ever-changing beauty of the ocean, from its wild strength on blustery days to peaceful serenity when calm.

In freezing winter and sizzling summer, this exhibition shows the seas around our Island and the artists’ journeys into the blue, green and sometimes rather soupy waters that feed their souls and their imaginations.

Nicola Miskin said: “Swimming in the sea all year round and photographing underwater opened my eyes to a beautiful world. The ever changing sea is a studio of colours, patterns and reflections. The sea brought back my photographic creativity which had laid dormant for many years. In 2018 I was given a third hand battered underwater camera and as soon as I put it under water I saw something very special to photograph.

“I had to learn to use the camera, whilst being thrown around in the sea to get the shots I wanted. After many underwater cameras (as I swim too much!) and working out how to best use the light and the surface I began to achieve the colourful images that fire my creativity.

“We are both excited to be exhibiting at the Barracks. Greve de Lecq is one of our favourite places to swim and it will be very special to be able to show our work near the sea where our inspiration came from.”

Annabel Godfray said: “Beginning to dip all year around forced my artistic hand to put brush, pencil and cocktail stick to paper and canvas. Starting with a year of daily ‘Letters to aunty Celia’ illustrations and text featuring my dog Myrtle and taking part in the 19 Day Drawing Challenge set by ArtHouse Jersey during Covid Lockdown.

“With only the kitchen worktop as studio space I am rather restricted (and challenged, being a painter who prefers to work in oils and on a large, messy scale) to relatively small mostly water based mediums and a somewhat more controlled method of working. I delight in using colour, sometimes with surprising results, allowing the work to dictate where it wants to lead me.”

Main picture: Annabel Godfray