Samantha Wing
Samantha Wing currently lives in the lovely seaside town of Ramsgate with her husband, three children and two dogs, working from her studio as a freelance vegan artist and illustrator.
She learned to paint at a very young age, being very fortunate to have a creative mother, who provided plenty of encouragement during her art journey.
After leaving school Samantha travelled Europe for a while, falling in love with the colours and vibrancy of the Mediterranean. A few years later in her early 20’s Samantha relocated to a little medieval village in the French mountains just north of Nice. It is a place that completely captured her heart and she returns as often as work and family allows.
Samantha discovered a love of coloured pencils six years ago after her son was born, and decided to expand her skills to include children’s illustration. After gaining a distinction from the London art college, she has now illustrated her first book and is due to publish her second.
Her day to day painting focuses on her love of France and the south east coast of England, while her coloured pencil illustrations reflect her love of wildlife, with the intent to introduce children to a life long love of art.
Celine Libera
Celine is a Margate based maker, who loves to work with glass.
Lush green leaves in spring, fresh breeze, moving clouds over the sea...countless times I have been mesmerised by the simplest things in nature. It was after an introductory course to fused glass and a heavy day in the office, that I decided to capture those precious glimpses and memories in glass. Still now, after years have passed, the sea view coasters I made back then keep saving my day. I very much hope that my work can bring some joy and calm to the place wherever you are.
Nick Evans
Nick Evans has been a career journalist for 43 years, working mainly in the specialist arenas of public relations and internal communications. He grew up in Birchington in Kent, during the 1960s and 1970s and his first foray into journalism came in 1977 when he left school, aged 17, to become a trainee reporter with the Isle of Thanet Gazette in Margate. He has since worked for large corporations, public sector organisations, PR agencies and newspapers, in a range of writing, design and production roles.
Resident in Whitstable for more than 30 years, he is a frequent visitor to Thanet to see family and friends.
Always interested in the county’s social evolution, he has written a number of local books, most notably about the histories of Birchington, Broadstairs, Margate’s Dreamland amusement park and the East Kent Road Car Company.
He has also ventured into motoring writing with a book about the story of Britain’s petrol stations and has another, about classic cars, in progress.
Deborah Gilbert
In 2015, Deborah Isabella Gilbert moved to Margate, in Kent, to fulfil a life long dream of living by the sea. Living here has captivated Deborah more than she could ever have imagined; the colours and tonal quality of the skies are constantly inspiring her.
Deborah works mainly in acrylic paint, as it dries quickly, allowing her to build up light layers of glazes. A glaze is a single layer of paint that's thin enough to allow the colours beneath it to show through. Each new layer builds up the depth of the colour and modifies what it's being painted over. Hopefully, resulting in a more expressive and natural image.
Ann Lloyd
Hello. My name is Ann, I’m 45 and I live in Margate with my family. I enjoy creating objects in ceramics, drawing and multi-media work. A lot of my pieces relate to memory and family.
I graduated from Canterbury Christ Church University in 2012 with a BA in Fine & Applied Art. I particularly enjoyed learning ceramics. For my final degree show I studied the ideas of memory in objects, and the precious nature, fragility and unreliability of our memory - which lent itself to working in fine porcelain and clay on the wheel where your hands leave traces and has a memory of its own. I have witnessed the devastating effects of memory loss due to dementia and tried to express this in my work.
Now as a stay-home mum and carer I have recently taken opportunities to pick up my creative interest again, as well as local life drawing classes and using the excellent facilities Clayspace studio in Cliftonville, Margate.
I continue to be interested in memories and objects in art, mental health and art as therapy.
Geraldine Alfeo
I have loved to paint and draw from a very early age and since retiring from a long career in the NHS I have been able to devote more time to my passion.
I work from my home in Birchington painting mostly in acrylic and sometimes using Free Flow paint to create a water colour effect. I like to use vibrant colours and will paint a variety of subjects as my mood and imagination takes me. I also enjoy sketching and life drawing.
I paint on canvas or high-quality water colour paper and have now started to use a superior local printer to scan and produce prints of my work to an extremely high standard.
All prints are Giclee prints on 308gsm cotton rag using archival inks. All are signed and limited print editions.
Nick Gilbert
Living in Margate, on East Kent's coastline, and a keen fisherman, Nick has been inspired to return to photography after 25 years, to produce stunning local seascapes.
Shoreline Partners
Shoreline Partners is the home of Westgate Galleria, The Eclectic Art Gallery Margate and Margate Made.
Shoreline runs on a socially responsible business model which enables our artists, makers and creatives to run their small artisan businesses by renting low cost display spaces from us, and pay a small commission for our selling and promotional services. This means they receive the majority of the income made from their sales.
We also offer space to run courses, exhibitions, meet the artist sessions and many more opportunities to share the creativity found in Kent and allow others to express their own creativity.
We offer gift vouchers, online and personal shopping, the ability to commission work from our family of artists. We provide support and advice to small local creative businesses and those who are new to exhibiting and selling.
Lola McDowell
I’m an artist/maker, with the focus on handwoven textiles and fine arts.
My creative practice is about Craft as Art.
I started in fine art, then became more focused on hand-weaving, after hearing the phrase “Painting with Yarn”. I took a series of courses, culminating with the Handweavers Diploma. I continue to study, experiment and expand my horizons/knowledge and skills, as the more I learn, the more there is to know!
I have exhibited and sold my work across the UK and have been an active member of the Weavers’ Guild and the Weavers’ Forum as well as running textile classes at Beach Creative.
I focus on colour, texture and suitability for purpose. Whether it be wall hangings, scarves or buttons, I aim for my work to be sustainable, animal and planet friendly.
Katy Donaldson
Katy Donaldson has worked nationally and internationally (from the Maldives to the Middle East) for magazines, hotels, architects, galleries and graphic designers. She is regularly commissioned to shoot interiors and exteriors of all types of buildings and is an architecture lover, from Brutalist to Baroque, with a soft spot for concrete and corrugated metal!
Katy lives on the border of Kent and East Sussex.
Tony Clifford
Hi, I’m Tony, I make original handmade pens. Each one is a unique combination of form and function.
I’ve always had an active interest in the creative arts and worked in many materials - clay, wood, plastics and even concrete. Over many years these have encompassed toys, artwork, sculptures and DIY projects. The enduring interest has been with wood and wood turning (for around 40 years).
Why pens now? They make such lovely gifts and often charm people when they receive one. It’s what I like to call “rediscovering the art of writing”. Handwriting and taking pride in it, is under pressure from modern communications. By merging my woodturning skills with my knowledge of materials, shape and form, I create beautiful handmade individual pencils and pens.
I tend to work predominantly in wood though I also make and use hand-cast acrylics. I often use our beautiful Kent fruit woods but also use a wide a variety of woods when I can access them. Some are exotics, some come from the olive groves of Spain. Others are unusual cuts or are just interesting or difficult to work with. From logs or pieces of tree trunk, I saw and cut pieces down to size before turning them on my lathe.
With the acrylics, some pieces are ‘bought in’ to work on but many are custom-made to include specific ‘art work’ or images which are hand-cast into the pen body.
My range stretches from ballpoint to fountain pens and I have recently introduced a range of ‘dip pens’ (ideal for the calligrapher or real ink writer).
All of my creations are carefully made in my small workshop with each one being recorded, numbered and certificated.
Linda Rendle
I have always loved sewing since being taught as a young girl by my French grandmother. While working full time as a nurse, sewing was a hobby and I made items for myself, family and friends. However, since reducing my hours in my regular job, I decided to take the plunge and see if anyone else liked what I made. I started with a few craft fairs, then opened an Etsy shop a year ago. In November I was privileged to have a shelf in Westgate Galleria where I have been selling statement cushions and a variety of small gifts.
I love nice quality fabric, vibrant colours, detail and a finishing touch. Most of the fabrics I choose have a wildlife element as this is my passion. You will notice lots of bee fabrics which I am particularly fond of and these are in memory of my father who was a garden beekeeper. I hope you enjoy my work and look forward to your custom.
Jane Martin
Hello, I’m Jane
I design and make jewellery and am based in Birchington-on-Sea.
I took up silversmithing on stepping back from working as a geologist. My love and fascination in rocks and fossils lead me into the world of gems and other natural stones and I wanted to create and share that in jewellery. I have developed my knowledge, ideas and designs over the last few years and have been creating earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets in silver, many of which include using the sea-glass that washes up along our very own beaches.
I hope you enjoy browsing all the work displayed by me and my fellow artists and feel inspired.
All my designs are handmade and mainly use 925 sterling silver, local sea-glass and sometimes semi-precious gemstones.
Benjamin Finch
My name is Ben, I’m a Landscape photographer currently based in Ealing, London.
My journey as a Landscape photographer began with travel, and I have been lucky enough to see some amazing sites like Machu Picchu in Peru and the Colosseum in Rome.
It was seeing these incredible scenes that made me want to capture the moment from my own perspective so I could share with friends and family when I returned home.
I’m always researching new locations that could have potential for landscape photography, with the idea of adding something different to my portfolio.
My photographs are printed using pigment inks onto archival paper, and mounted onto backing board approved by the Fine Art Trade Guild.
Sarah Gibbon
I am a Margate-based creative, currently focused on making wearable art and running Shoreline Partners. I moved to Margate three years ago, after a long career at Goldsmiths, University of London, and am loving living near the sea and the beach, amongst the creativity that abounds throughout Thanet.
I have designed, made and sold contemporary jewellery, accessories and decorations for quite a few years now, specialising in seed-beaded pieces that use bold and quirky colour combinations.
Being in our galleries and at Margate Made events, working with such talented creative people every day, is enormously inspiring and motivating. I am lucky enough to have a workshop at home, and also enjoy working with clay, stained glass, mosaic, textiles and print-making. I am really enjoying experimenting with incorporating these into my seed beaded wearable art, as well as creating brand new standalone decorative and functional pieces.
Seed beads are made from glass and are very small, working with them is a labour of love! I use the best quality brands, and strong modern rot-proof threads to weave them together. My wearable pieces are usually finished with sterling silver, other metals and hypo-allergenic are available on request, as are screw-fitted earwires.
Eve Stickler
Eve Stickler is an artist and maker living in Ramsgate.
Predominantly a painter working in acrylic, and mixed media, she draws her inspiration from the places she visits, travelling when time allows. Her move to Ramsgate in 2017 has proved to act as a further influence on her work and she is exploring the streets and scenes of her new home town in her most recent paintings. Colour, and vibrancy are priorities within her work and she considers them to be vital to the success of the pieces and the means of connection with the viewer.
A lifelong crafter too her bowls are a further exploration of surface decoration with colour and shimmer applied to functional form.
Emma Willow Cairn
Hi, my name is Emma Willow Cairn and I am an artist and illustrator.
I gained my BA degree at Goldsmiths College then worked at Hello Magazine as Assistant Picture Editor.
I have had several solo exhibitions most recently being at Progressive Greetings Live at the Business Design Centre in Islington.
If you wish to have an artwork memory of a celebration or a loved one then I can create you a personalised plaster casting. Simply contact Shoreline and provide me the inspiration of what flowers to include in your artwork and special personal objects such as lace, thimble or a key and I create a special memory capsule for you as an artwork.
My Abstract expressionist paintings are mostly coastal landscapes and light.
I also sell humorous seaside greetings cards.
Karen Keen Young
I’m always on the lookout for art manifesting itself in nature and culture. I worked at sea and have lived by the coast for most of my life, so my portfolio of work reflects a travel and coastal theme, including images and words from shores around the world.
My artwork is created using a range of processes including photography, image transfer, engraving, stencil, paint or print techniques, incorporating mixed media and digital art.
Concern for the environment and the health of our oceans led me to explore artistic ideas using recycled, natural materials. Each image or word is presented on reclaimed wood or recycled paper, so off-cuts of timber, pallets and scaffold board are all fair game for the sander and saw. Dents, rusty nail holes, grooves, knots and tears all add to the natural and authentic feel and rustic results. Discarded, broken picture frames are given new life through restoration and a lick of paint, and each individual piece of handmade art is presented slightly differently.
Selected artwork is also available in mounts, on art cards and on handmade notebooks.
Vic Sharratt
I am a Wildlife photographer, based in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent
I started taking wildlife photos in my garden in Birchington in the mid 90s after a trip to Kenya.
Having never used a DLSR camera before and knowing nothing about photography it was unsurprising that the images I brought back from the East African trip were pretty poor. Those days of course I used slide film and when the results came back from the lab I was shocked how bad the photos were. My wife said I managed disappointment like a man... and sulked for a week!! Determined to go back to Africa and do better, I set about learning the art of photography. The hard work paid off and after a second trip to Kenya one of my images won an Arts Council award and I was on my way. The following year one of my photos was used by Drusillas Park, Sussex for their advertising programme. In the 20 years since I have travelled widely taking artists and photographers on working trips to many countries, exhibited in both Africa and USA and written articles for a variety of magazines. I have just completed 5 years as President of The Wildlife Art Society International and am now semi-retired.
Sybil Anderson
Hello, my name is Sybil and I am a patchwork/quilter and textile crafter based in Thanet.
I have been sewing since I was at school and took up patchwork and quilting 12 years ago when I found my Mum’s patchwork throws in my very large fabric collection. As an avid collector of Liberty and William Morris fabrics, I decided to use my skills and turn these fabrics into treasured and useful items. Some of my best sellers are my quilted tote bags and special occasion bags. Almost all my creations are quilted, embellished with ribbon, lace, beads and embroidery to create a unique finish. I make lap quilts, table and bed runners, fabric wreaths, small purses, notebook covers and many more. Depending on what I am making, I either hand sew or machine sew my creations and use 100% cotton fabric.