Our latest Oxhibition is now open in the gallery above Salisbury Oxfam bookshop. It will be open from the 10th October through until the 12th November.

There will also be a chance to Meet the Artists and get a further insight into the work at a special event on Saturday 17th October between 10am and 4pm.

Victoria Maxwell

Victoria has spent much of her life travelling down to South Devon, exploring the dramatic coastline, whether it be rock pooling on a hot summers day or battling along the coast path against the sea mist and horizontal rain in the depths of winter.

‘This is where my inspirations lie – my bolt hole and sanctuary from the stresses of everyday life. My paintings respond to the physicality of the landscape that inspires me and try to portray the crashing, dramatic beauty which fills all of our senses.’

She graduated Nottingham Trent University with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and she spent a year travelling and working through New Zealand, Australia and Asia. On returning home she began working with various art organisations and for a council in their Art Development Office running art workshops and youth club activities.

Victoria has lived in Salisbury for five years and currently teaches Art and Design at Bishop Wordsworth’s School. She is also the school leader for a number of expeditions across the world.  Along with groups of students she has travelled to Morocco, Peru and Africa where they have done hugely rewarding charitable work as well as exploring the countries and cultures.  Spending time in such dramatically diverse landscapes has continued to fuel her passion for capturing the world around her.

‘It is so wonderful to have the opportunity to draw inspiration from different climates and cultures and I know that all these experiences inevitably filter into my work.’

For the moment though, her artistic heart remains firm to the coastal paths of South Devon and she is delighted to have the opportunity to share some of her work with you.

Odyssey is a group of textile artists who met whilst studying embroidery and stitched textiles at East Berkshire College in Windsor. Formed in 2001, the group organises exhibitions to showcase the work of its members, as well as meeting regularly to provide support and encouragement to each other.

In autumn 2003, we booked our first exhibiting venue, signed the contracts and committed ourselves to putting on a joint exhibition. As well as scary, it was exhilarating, a lot of fun – and we haven’t looked back since!
The strengths of our group lie in our shared history, our willingness to support each other, and our diverse approaches to textiles. By continuing to meet regularly and offer critical support to each other, we hope that we will be able to continue to develop our skills and expertise in order to explore further the expressive potential of textiles.

Members: Ann Beare, Ewa Exley, Judi Fairbairn, Elizabeth Hinkes, Jackie Langfeld, Caroline Leonard, Pennie Marsden, Jacqui Nash, Nicky Ransom