Two Friends, Two Creative Journeys brings together Eleonora Medwell and Jan Barnett for a special exhibition in Worthing’s Colonnade House from July 22-27.
00:00Good afternoon. My name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Lovely to speak to Jan and Ellie, the artists behind Two, Two Friends, Two Creative Journeys, July the 22nd to the 27th, and that's at Colonnade House in Worthing. Now, Jan, tell me about the fact of working together. You met the two of you a few years ago.
00:24We met in a previous exhibition. I had one gallery, she had the other, and we just became friends, and we've been friends. She persuaded me to join the West Sussex Art Society, and luckily I got accepted, and we meet regularly there and other times as well, so it's lovely.
00:44Brilliant. And Ellie, tell me a little bit about your work. I know that you are very much inspired by women, the notion of womanhood.
00:52Yes, I like to take subject matter of my art as a woman, and I think because this interest has very deep roots, I think because women in my family was very strong, and they have a very challenging life, generally,
01:19and I think this is painting women, and I think this is painting women and taking different roles women, a woman has in society, in the world.
01:32And I learned about myself as a person, as a spiritual creature, and this is, yeah, I think this is a journey to myself.
01:51Yeah.
01:51Because I'm a woman.
01:52Why is this a duo exhibition, not a solo? What do you get from working with Jan?
01:59No, Jan is a very nice person, and I like her. I have very good friends.
02:05And Joan exhibition, and Joan exhibition is a very practical reason.
02:13I was in a waiting list for two years to get this place in July, and I had a quite rough year before,
02:26and I thought I might even leave the art at all.
02:33But then they said, look, if you don't want to do it yourself, just share with somebody.
02:40I said, what a great idea. I can do something with something new and old and new,
02:48and share the space with the person I admire.
02:53Yeah. So, that's it. It was very practical.
02:57Because, you know, when you do it with somebody, you can share all the ups and downs,
03:05and you can have really good advice, and this is just fun, really.
03:10Exactly. And Jan, you've done solo exhibitions before.
03:14Why does the fact of working with Ellie excite you?
03:17Well, it just makes a change, doesn't it? I've got someone to share all the angst with.
03:21Yeah, but also the highs, the highs and the lows, and the days when it rains when nobody comes,
03:29except the odd drunk, and the days when you've got so many people, you can't move.
03:36And you were saying the big reward is when someone comes in and says one of your paintings that it's spoken to them.
03:42Yes, completely. It just moves me, and in fact, it's given me shivers talking about it.
03:48And it makes me feel very proud, and all sorts of things come from within, I don't know.
03:53But that's what painting is all about.
03:55I think it's whatever you, you must try and convey what you're feeling to the person who looks at it.
04:01And at the same time, other people will look at it and go, oh, and just walk away.
04:06So, but that's good. Art must cause a reaction, I think.
04:10Good. Brilliant. Well, lovely to speak to you both.
04:13The exhibition, Two Friends, Two Creative Journeys, July 22nd to 27th, Ellie and Jan at Colonnade House in Worthing.
04:22Hope it goes brilliantly. Lovely to speak to you both.
