Alison G Saunders hosting Ginger Cactus Art

Alison G Saunders, Gwynne Penny and Lynn Toulson are uniting to present their three uniquely different art styles in this year’s Open Studios event.

All three excel in acrylic painting. Two are skilled bookbinders showcasing their works and offering demos and classes. The third is a versatile printmaker, presenting various disciplines with a special focus on Gel Plate printing and also offering demos and classes.

Alison’s motto is “I don’t like boring beige” which shows through her paintings, prints and journal making. She is a prolific abstract painter who uses bold colours and circles to represent hugs. As a print maker she uses many different techniques, and she tends to use more realistic interpretations in this type of work. Alison’s love of painting, sewing and being ecofriendly has allowed her to combine these skills to make sketchbooks which she uses in her daily art practice. Alison is a skilled teacher, delivering classes in bookbinding/journal-making plus Gel Plate, Mono, Screen, Collotype and Lino printing at her home studio. She has contributed to charitable causes, undertaken private commissions and organises exhibitions for the Ginger Cactus Art group, which she founded.

Gwynne finds inspiration in the ever-changing sea, translating it into captivating art. Using shapes and colours she captures complex emotions triggered by the shoreline’s wonders. Gwynne’s recent work delves into the sea’s impact, fascinated by patterns in rocks, seafoam spaces and stranded seaweed. Utilising found materials, she creates across visual media, infusing her work with a strong sense of place. Gwynne is also a skilled bookbinder and, like Alison, uses this skill to make sketchbooks which she also uses in her daily work.

Lynn’s background is in printed textiles which she now uses in her artwork where she will often combine oil with acrylic paint. She is inspired by nature and travels, and applies paint with a palette knife, adding texture to evoke emotion. Having completed a foundation in Art Therapy, Lynn uses this knowledge, which has had a hugely positive effect on her artworks and her mental wellbeing and which she imparts as a practitioner as well as for the benefit of the viewer.