A local artist is celebrating her 20th anniversary with a Love Letter to Wiltshire exhibition of her work at Devizes Museum.
Joanna May is exhibiting a range of her work at the exhibition, including her new work on crop circles and wildlife, which features owls, foxes, hares, peacocks, bees and butterflies.
“It’s a celebration of my love of Wiltshire and includes a retrospective of my best-loved pictures based on the county, including my treasure hunt book and map,” said Joanna, 57.
“There’s also a look back on how I started as an illustrator and some of the exciting letters I received along the way from famous people, such Sir David Attenborough.
“A lot of my work is Wiltshire-based so there’s a synergy. Crop circles are very much part of the county’s summer landscape and have always held a particular fascination for me.”
Joanna decided to link the crop circle symbolism to Wiltshire’s indigenous wildlife, including animals, birds and insects, for her new paintings, which include gold leaf.
“This inspired me to paint them in detail, reproducing indigenous British folk art and evoking a sense of awe through stunning intricate and complex geometric designs.
“Also, my aim was to celebrate wildlife which could be found local to the crop circle, wandering or flying in the fields they honoured, such as a barn owl or a fox.”
The originals sit side by side with prints, with prices ranging from £350 to several thousand pounds.
Already, the exhibition has attracted much interest among Miss May’s legion of admirers, and lots of prints and original drawings have already been sold to local buyers.
Joanna added: “It is going really well. I am really happy. Over 100 clients attended the private viewing on Saturday and we have been amazed at the response.”
The exhibition was opened on March 18 by BBC television presenter and Corsham antiques dealer Paul Martin, of Flog It! Fame, who lives locally and is a huge fan of her work.
“Paul has followed me for years and we have been friends for 30 years,” said Joanna . “He really loves this latest work, which is a celebration of our beautiful Wiltshire.”
The Joanna May exhibition is on at the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes until June 11. It is open from Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm, and on Sunday from 11am-3pm.
When not at the exhibition, Joanna can be found at her gallery in Northgate Street, Devizes.
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