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FESTIVAL OF WESSEX 2026 • 30 ‘LAKE AT LITTLE BREDY’ Sarah Jayne Jefferies: Salt, Sky and Stone Based in Dorchester, Sarah is known for her vibrant and expressive mixed media paintings, inspired by the landscapes, seasons, and changing weather of the Dorset coast and countryside. Working primarily in acrylic, she combines a wide range of materials and techniques including spray paint, wax, pastel, charcoal, ink, dye, gold leaf, oil sticks, and illustrative pens, creating richly layered abstract compositions full of movement, texture, and atmosphere. Sarah describes herself as enjoying “the power of colour”, often pairing “bright neon tones with dark moody skies” or incorporating metallic elements to create drama and contrast within her work. Her paintings are celebrated for their striking colour combinations, expressive mark making, and playful use of materials, whether exploring contemporary abstract landscapes or vibrant botanical still life studies. Fascinated by England’s seasons and the ever changing light across the Dorset landscape, particularly approaching storms and dramatic skies, Sarah uses colour and layered media to evoke emotion and a strong sense of place. Her still life works similarly celebrate the “quirks” of natural forms through lively compositions and bold contemporary abstraction. 1 - 31 July: Athelhampton House, Athelhampton Road, PUDDLETOWN, Dorchester, DT2 7LG. 10am - 5pm. 01305 848363 / athelhampton.com . Sladers’ 20th Anniversary Exhibition To mark their 20th Anniversary Sladers Yard Gallery is showing work by the painters, ceramic artists, printmakers, sculptors and furniture maker Petter Southall who have all contributed to make it the artistic community that it is. The gallery wants to thank everybody who has supported it and its artists over the years with a celebratory selling exhibition that brings everyone together from David Inshaw to Philip Sutton and from Richard Batterham to Gabriele Koch. Including collages by Marzia Colonna, paintings by Julian Bailey, Frances Hatch, Vanessa Gardiner, Alex Lowery, Tim Nicholson, Janette Kerr, Simon Quadrat and many more, prints by Sally McLaren, Martyn Brewster, Merlyn Chesterman and Howard Phipps, sculpture and drawings by Clare Trenchard, ceramics by Yo Thom, Björk Haraldsdóttir, Emily Myers, Lise Herud Braten and more, it will be a voyage of discovery and re-discovery. The Georgian flax warehouse, Sladers Yard was converted into an art gallery in 2006 by husband and wife Petter Southall and Anna Powell, who have run it with a great team ever since. The café opened in 2007 and is now an acclaimed and award-winning restaurant. 11 July - 5 September: Sladers Yard, WEST BAY, Bridport, DT6 4EL. Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 4.30pm. 01308 459511 / sladersyard.co.uk . PHILIP SUTTON ‘STUDIO IN PEMBROKESHIRE’ (142.5 x 142.5 cm, 1991) From the Ground Up Spanning textiles, ceramics and painting, Fran Griffiths, Tonia Gunstone, Ruth Readman and Sarah Turnbull present an exciting collection of pieces inspired by the Dorset landscape and Jurassic Coast, as well as the dramatic panoramas of Iceland. Each artist brings a strong sense of physicality to their creative process. The landscapes that inspire them are not only observed but deeply felt, resulting in work that captures both the character and emotional resonance of place. 12 - 20 September: Sou’-Sou’-West Gallery, Manor Yard, Symondsbury Estate, SYMONDSBURY, Bridport, DT6 6HG. 10.30am - 3.30pm. 01308 301326 / sousouwest.co.uk . RUTH READMAN ‘LARGE TEXTURED MOON’ TONIA GUNSTONE ‘GLACIAL BLUES’