BIOGRAPHY
Alison Orchard is an artist inspired by nature and passionate about painting. She first attended St. Ives School of Art as a teenager in 1986 and at the age of 18 won the Scott, Brownrigg & Turner Award for Art. She studied at Epsom School of Art & Design (Foundation Diploma) and Harrow College, University of Westminster (B.A. hons).
Alison enjoyed success as a commercial illustrator and designer, before launching her fine art career with a debut solo exhibition 'Arvor' at GalleryOne in 2009. In 2012, she was selected for inclusion in Who's Who in Art. In 2014 she was one of 20 international artists to be chosen for accreditation as a Golden Artist Educator.
Alison's work now has a growing following and is held in private collections. Her paintings have been shown at various prominent art fairs, with exhibitions in London & South East England, Canada, Guernsey & Portugal, including at The Royal College of Art & The Society of Women Artists, London.
Alison paints direct from the landscape, both at home and along the Dorset to Cornwall coastline, using these initial experiences to inspire the large gestural paintings created in her Hampshire studio. Her curiosity with layered surfaces and marks have led her to explore various media, painting with oil or acrylics and more recently encaustic wax, often combined with metal filings, marble dust and coloured charcoal. Her paintings have a vitality that translates directly from the energy of her brushstrokes. There is a play of light built from layers of atmospheric glazed colour. The end result is her reaction to the landscape, expressing humility and wonder at the overwhelming forces of nature.
“I have been studying changing landscapes, the sketched lines on the sand, cloud movements, the tidal shift; trying to tell that story and bring that energy into my paintings.” Alison Orchard
Exhibitions
2024:
4 - 16 March, 'Spring Awake', Jill George Gallery, London
4th March, Bedales Art Sale for the Rural Refugee Network, Petersfield
2023:
10th November – 6 January 2024, Winter Exhibition, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey
16 October – 12 November, Making Matters exhibition, Farnham, Surrey
18 – 21 May,Highfield & Bookham Art exhibition, Surrey
21st March - 23rd April, Primavera, Herbert Hedley Gallery, Hampshire
Previous exhibitions:
2022:
4 November - 24th February 2023, Elementals, Herbert Hedley Gallery, Hampshire
20 - 24th April, London Art Fair, Islington with Jill George Gallery
21 - 26 March, 'Spring Forward' Jill George Gallery, London
2021:
20 - 24 October, The Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London with The Art Agency
9 October - 3 November, 'Autumn Air' Hatch Gallery, Christchurch, Dorset
25 September - 5 November, 'Surrey Artist of the Year', New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey
July - Sept, 'The Summer Exhibition', Moncreiff-Bray Gallery, Petworth, Surrey
2020:
3rd Dec - 24th Jan 2021, 'Festive Makers Exhibition' Forge Art Space, Shere, Surrey
12 Sept - 7th Nov, 'Painting Farnham', New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham, Surrey
8 Aug - 14 Sept: 'The Colour of Summer 2020', Cameron Contemporary Art, Hove
June - Sept: 'Coming Together', Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, Egdean, West Sussex
13 - 15 March: Surrey Contemporary Art Fair, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher.
22 - 26 January 2020: London Art Fair, Islington with Jill George Gallery
2019:
25 Nov - 7 Dec: Winter Wonders exhibition, Jill George Gallery, London
2 Nov - 1 Dec: The Winter Exhibition, Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, Petworth, West Sussex
6 Oct - 6 Nov: Fresh Exhibition, Hatch Gallery, Christchurch, Dorset
24 - 29 September: Society of Women Artists Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
20 -22 September: Fresh Art Fair, Ascot, Berkshire, with Hatch Gallery
17 - 26 August: Hampshire Open Studios, Applegarth Farm
1 July - 23 August: Summer Exhibition, Blackbarn Gallery, Petersfield, Hampshire
1-16 June: Surrey Artist Open Studios, Applegarth Farm
4 April - 25 May: "Coastline" exhibition, Blackbarn Gallery, Petersfield
26-28 April: Fresh Art Fair, Cheltenham with Cameron Contemporary Art
7-10 March: Affordable Art Fair, Battersea with Cameron Contemporary Art
16-20 January: London Art Fair, Islington with Jill George Gallery.
2018:
24 Nov - 24 Jan 2019, The Winter Exhibition, Cameron Contemporary Art, Hove
12-24 November, Winter Delights, Jill George at Conningsby Gallery, London
2-25 November, The Winter Exhibition, Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, West Sussex
26 - 29 October, Art Toronto, Canada (with Jill George gallery)
25 - 30th September, 'Socitey of Women Artists' exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
28 July - 8 Sept,'Edge of the Ocean' exhibition, New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
18 - 27 August, Hampshire Open Studios,Applegarth Farm, Grayshott Hampshire
2-17 June, Surrey Artist Open Studios, Applegarth Farm, Grayshott, Hampshire
27 April - 24 May, 'Life is like a landscape' exhibition, Hatch gallery, Dorset
18 April - 18 May - Featured Artist, Bedales School, Hampshire
27 - 29 April, Fresh Art Fair, Cheltenham with Cameron Contemporary Art
April 2018 - Limited Edition Print Collection launched
8-11 March, Affordable Art Fair, London with Cameron Contemporary Art.
6 Jan - 20 Feb, Land Sea & Sky, Wills Art Warehouse,
17-21 January, London Art Fair, Jill George Gallery
2017:
7 Oct- 12 Nov, "All Square" exhibition, Cameron Contemporary Art, Hove.
30 Sept - 11 Nov, One of the top 3 finalists for the 'Surrey Artist of the Year' exhibition, New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
27-30 October: Art Toronto, Canada, Jill George Gallery
September: Secret Art Sale (Environment Trust), RACC, Richmond
August: Hampshire Open Studios
July: SWA Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
June: Surrey Artist Open Studios,
May: Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath, Wills Art Warehouse
April – May 'Sea Air' Hatch Gallery, Dorset
March, 'The Land, The Sea and The Sky' Jill George Gallery at Conningsby, London
9-12 March, Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London
2016:
Nov-Dec, Winter Blues Exhibition, The Art Agency, Esher
29 Sept - 2 Oct, Cambridge Art Fair
18-21 Sept 2016, Decorex International, Syon Park, London
8-11 Sept, Affordable Art Fair, Bristol
20-29 August 2016, Hampshire Artist Open Studios
July, Farnham Art Society 69th Annual Exhibition,
WINNER of The JAMES HOCKEY AWARD for PAINTING
16-19 June, Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath, London.
June, Surrey Artist Open Studios
April, Landscape exhibition, Wills Art Warehouse, Putney
March, Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park, London
Feb-March, Under £500, Cameron Contemporary Art, Brighton
2015:
Nov/Dec, 'Winter' Cameron Contemporary Art, Brighton
Nov/Dec, Wychwood Art, Stow on the Wold
October, Coast & Country, Rownhams House, Southampton
June- August, Coast Exhibition, Cameron Contemporary, Hove
June, Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath, Wills Art Warehouse
March, Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, GalleryOne
7 Feb - 25 March, Views & Variations, Wills Art Warehouse
2014:
December 2014: Pop up Christmas, Art Agency, 19 High Street, Cobham, Surrey
October 2014: Shooting Stars CHASE exhibition, Royal College of Art, London
October 2014: Contemporary Art Exhibition, St Martin, Guernsey
Sept-Dec 2014: Coast to Coast exhibition, Wey Gallery, Godalming
Aug/Sept 2014: 3rd Anniversary Exhibition, The Art Agency, Esher
April 2014: Spring exhibition, Wey Gallery, Godalming
March 2014, Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, with GalleryOne
February 2014, 'Exposed Layers' Exhibition, Art Agency, Esher
2013:
Mixed Winter Exhibition, The Wey Gallery, Godalming
November, Belinda Taylor Art, Barnes
Sept-Nov, Iona House Gallery, Woodstock
October, Neville Contemporary Art exhibition, Guernsey
June, Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath
June, Surrey Artists Open Studios
April/May, Spring Exhibition, The Art Agency, Esher
April, Affordable Art Fair, Bristol
March, Affordable Art Fair, Battersea
2012:
London Art Fair, Islington,
Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath & Battersea
Guernsey Fine Art Fair
Surrey Artist Open Studios
Mixed exhibitions at GalleryOne, Grayshott, The Art Agency, Esher, Jamm Art Gallery, Ewell, Denbies Wine Estate & The Lightbox,Woking.
2011 and earlier:
Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath & Battersea
Surrey Artists Open Studios
Spring Contemporaries, GalleryOne Grayshott
The Battle Art Fair, East Sussex
Cambridge Art Fair with Seascape/McAllister Thomas Gallery
October 2009, Debut Solo exhibition "Arvor" GalleryOne, Grayshott