The Circle

The Circle is the name of a group of women artists who have been exhibiting together since 2015. Dorothy Compton, Clare Felton, Judith Hill, Deb Ansell, Maryanne Ireland and Jacquie McCoy initially met at a painting workshop run by John Morris.  

Jacquie McCoy’s work, be it a ceramic piece or a painting, always decants from her domestic environment. Pets feature prominently as do her family’s shoe collection. Her hand built ceramic pieces posed a structural and aesthetic challenge and feature beloved animals. 

Clare Felton is a studio landscape painter who paints predominantly from her imagination and memories of places she’s been to. She wants to and succeeds in portraying the world in its beauty. 

Deb Ansell’s current body of work depicts the wreck of the Adolphe on Stockton’s break wall. The wreck’s structural integrity and the colours of the rust contrast beautifully with the water. The history of the wreck is part of the allure, as it is impressive even in its decrepitude. 

Dorothy Compton’s work is largely described as contemporary abstract. She seeks to capture the essence of the landscape in a blend of abstraction and realism. 

Judith Hill’s current body of work is representing the movements and actions of bower birds through her sketches, drawing and paintings. She develops her work across mixed media and experimental applications. 

Maryanne Ireland’s current work is referencing the sea in all its diverse aspects and its ever-present horizon. An abstract riff on images imprinted after a life spent living and looking along our coastline.