Purbeck Art Weeks Festival

A big draw for my recent move from Manchester to The Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, is the thriving and vibrant art scene to be found here. The annual Purbeck Art Weeks (PAW) festival is a wonderful representation of so much of the diverse and eclectic art created in Purbeck, much of it inspired by the area's spectacular Jurassic coast and rich natural history. It really is a multifaceted festival with open studios, concerts, exhibitions, demonstrations and talks.

Set in rolling fields in the centre of Purbeck, Rollington Barn is the hub for the festival. The barn is a honey coloured, calm and tranquil space, traditionally built from lime mortar and Purbeck stone. It hosts a collective exhibition of many of the Purbeck artists' work. There is also a pop up studio where the artists give demonstrations and talks about their work, a delightful cafe selling very tasty food and a tombola with a chance to win some original artwork with the proceeds going towards the Purbeck Young Artists charity.

Until now I've always worked to commission but this year I'll be participating in the festival for the first time. I'll be exhibiting some of my sculptural work including amongst others, the garden sculpture that I'm developing, one of my fire breathing dragons and a selection of my bronze conkers, some of which I have donated to the tombola. I will also be hosting an open Studio at my workshop in Sturminster Marshall. It's all very new to me and I'm sure I will learn a lot over the 2 weeks.