May’s Hotwalls Studios Featured Artist

This month the Hotwalls Studios featured artists are the Fire Monkey Arts Collective who you can find in our Studio 1. Read on for their description of the development of their collective and more about their members…
 
The what, why and who of the Fire Monkey Arts Collective.
Possibly against the odds, Fire Monkey Arts recently celebrated its third birthday.
Officially founded at Chinese New Year 2015, hence the name (in the continuing
absence of better), the collective brought together an eclectic band of artists and
makers excited by the possibilities the new Hotwalls Studios offered but not in any
position to apply for a studio individually. Luckily PCC liked the idea of this kind of
shared studio space and we were up and running.

Bringing such a disparate group of artists together was not without its problems, but a
determination to make it work has eventually led to today’s streamlined ‘one for all’
collective ready to face the future with optimism and loaded paintbrushes (or ink
rollers). In an incredibly supportive environment Fire Monkey Arts now exists to
promote and support the artistic endeavours of our members who are all emerging
artists trying to mark a mark on the local art scene. We have monthly featured artists
who take over the window display and regular inside display changes that we mark with
a Friday evening launch party (next one after May 4th will be August 3rd).
There are currently seven full members of the Collective; Dave Allen whose artwork is
often hard-edged abstraction, and mixed-media work. His most recent work seeks to
integrate environmental questions and issues; Donna Poingdestre who lives and
works as an artist in Southsea and is inspired and influenced by Portsmouth, its people
and the surrounding areas; Carrie Swinburne who works in mixed media and collage,
taking colour and texture to form layers and thereby creating unique and enchanting
pictures and beautiful furniture; Ric Robinson, a painter and occasional printmaker
currently engaged in making portraits of endangered mammals, particularly focusing on
the plight of elephants as ivory poaching continues apace; Ruthy Darn Funky Martin
who works as an illustrator, designer and artist in Southsea specialising in ink drawing,
watercolour, artists books and bespoke printing; Simon Whitcomb who also lives and
works in Southsea and has shown his paintings widely in the Portsmouth area, and;
Carla Sanders who trained as a Surface Pattern Designer and currently teaches Print,
Textiles and Mixed Media at a local FE College.
The Fire Monkey Arts Collective launch their summer show this Friday 4th May 5:30pm – 7:30pm in Studio 1 at the Hotwalls Studios.
Find out more here.