START

As a group we meet up once a week on a Wednesday at Dean Smith's Art Workshop, Studio 51, Barleylands (Art &) Craft Village. We meet from 7.30 - 9.00 and are lucky to have established artist Dean Smith giving instruction when needed. If you want direction and work set you can have this or if you simply want to get on with your own art you can do this too.

As well as meeting up weekly START has had an annual exhibition for many years now.
This year we will be exhibiting in Barleylands Education Centre which is a very large and spotlessly clean and new area, we feel very proud to be able to exhibit there.

I can boast of a high calibre of members including Dean himself, Aden Hynes (Sculptor who did the Bafta Award amongst many other fantastic sculptures), Deborah Joys (well known for her textural paintings) and previously Mike Harrington (formidable artist) who has now moved on to leafy Surrey.
We often have social occasions such as quiz nights and will soon be organising outside expeditions so that keen artists can do landscape painting with the company of like-minded people.

Last year the B.A.T Gallery was manned by a majority of START members and we count the whole venture as a success that we shared with the indefatigable Peter Patterson.

Previously START has done a lot of community art, and has brought it to the Basildon Festival and Fun in the Park, one year we organised an Art Festival in Basildon Town in front of Brook House, we had lots of stands, pavement art, local pop groups, dancing, plus an exhibition it was a great success.
A few years ago Mike Harrington was looking to start up something that youngsters might like to join in and Jack Norris the youngest member yet at START (who joined when he was twelve) mentioned about the animation he and his friend were heavily involved in as a hobby, so this initiated a new off-shoot of START the animation group which was later named Loco Motion.
Loco Motion is going strong and getting quite independent and branching into all sorts of areas including DVD horrer soap opera's such as 'Dead Enders.'

If your interested in becoming a member please either ring Dean Smith on: 01268 522973 or come down to see him at his studio: Dean Smith Art, Studio 50 at Barleylands Craft Village .