This summer we are throwing open the doors to our Artist in Residence Studio to be taken over by artists, makers and creative practitioners, each bringing their own ideas, processes and creative energy to the space.
Drop in and join Susie in the studio to see original illustrations from her book ‘A Dance in the Moon Garden’ and enjoy trying your own sketches or maybe make a colourful mask. Join Susie for performance readings of her book ‘A Dance in the Moon Garden’ and ‘There’s a Sandwitch on the Beach’ in the Bell Tent on the Gallery lawn on Friday 7, Saturday 8 , and Sunday 9 August at 11.30am – 12pm. Susie Darnton was brought up in Godalming and attended Guildford High School, where she was in Watts House. She studied Fine Art at Newcastle University, gaining a First Class Honours Degree and achieving a British Academy Award for Postgraduate Study. Susie spent several years living in Venice, including working for the British Council at the Venice Biennale and an exhibition at Fenice Arts.A return to England led Susie to a temporary part-time teaching post at Tormead School. This swiftly evolved into a full-time position, an elevation to Head of Art and lasted for 18 years. Susie then spent seven years as Head of Art at Cranmore, this part-time position afforded her the opportunity to set up ‘Barber’s Son – Hairdresser’s Daughter’ a exhibition collaborative in Margate. Susie now lives full-time in Godalming, tutoring Special Educational Needs and continuing with her own broad practice, which includes Picture Books.
Join artist Lucy Tipper of Tangled Muses for an immersive, ritualistic residency exploring the connection between community, nature, and the spiritual legacy of Mary Watts. Using an intuitive botanical print process and natural pigments forged directly from our 18-acre grounds, Lucy will create a living dialogue with the nature-infused iconography of the Mary Watts Chapel. Come witness the land tell its own story and rediscover the sanctuary of the natural world.
Lucy Tipper, the Hampshire-based artist behind Tangled Muses, creates folklore-infused artwork using eco-printing techniques. After studying illustration and fairy tales at university a period of personal loss and grief led her back to her childhood love of nature, storytelling, and visual art as a pathway to healing. Lucy’s alchemical process involves foraging native plants and flowers from local landscapes, tightly binding them with watercolour paper, and boiling the bundles in an iron cauldron. As the natural pigments dye organic textures and shapes onto the paper, she gazes into the patterns to discover the hidden stories the land leaves behind. She then enhances these impressions with mineral inks and earth paints, bringing to life woodland fauna and ancient folklore.
Kath Hitchings is a textile artist who lives in Farnham. She loves to make rugs out of old clothes that might otherwise end up in landfill. Kath runs regular workshops from her colourful home which also featured last year on Channel 4's 'Outrageous Homes' with Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen. She also has an online course for anyone further afield and more information can be found @Knitchings InstagramKath is head of Creative Arts at St Joseph's Specialist Trust Cranleigh. Kath speaks regularly at national events on inclusion and creativity - venues including the Royal Academy and the National Association of Special Schools.Kath also leads a free monthly local drawing group @drawfarnham on Saturdays 10 - 12pm.
Join Courtney in the studio to see her work in progress and perhaps even have your own portrait painted.
Step behind the easel and experience the vibrant, chaotic, and mesmerising world of live portraiture. Known for bold, emotive portraiture, figurative works, and landscapes, Bae invites you to witness the artistic process unfold in real-time - or better yet, become part of the exhibition itself.
Throughout the takeover, Bae will be painting live portraits of volunteer sitters. Once completed, the portraits will be hung directly onto the studio walls, building a dynamic, gallery of faces. All created works will also be available for purchase.
Choose from three sitting options tailored to different mediums and timeframes:
Space at the easel is strictly limited, and sitting slots are expected to fill quickly. To guarantee your chance to sit for a professional portrait and see your face displayed on the walls of Watts Gallery please reserve your time slot in advance. Email courtneybae@gmail.com ahead of your visit with your preferred date, time, and session length (5, 15, or 60 minutes). Walk-ins will only be accommodated if schedule permits.
Courtney Jinsook Bae is a Korean-American artist, born in Australia and based in London. Bae paints in oil depicting raw and expressive portraits and landscapes. Bae graduated with a BA in Graphic Design from Southern New Hampshire University in New York in 2015. She gained national recognition in the UK when she was featured as a Semi-finalist on the national television series, Sky Portrait Artist of the Year in 2025. Bae has held solo exhibitions at the Bermondsey Project Space, London and internationally she has at the Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn. Her work has featured at the Saatchi Gallery, The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, and Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York.
For Ella's takeover, she will be running a collaborative mixed media drop in space to create a wall based artwork inspired by the Watts Chapel. This will include gelli printing, stencil transfers and creative collage using recycled materials. The project is aimed at welcoming curious visitors of all ages to come and participate in making a piece of art (which will evolve over the course of three days) and celebrates the shapes, colours and patterns found in the chapel. This is a fun and engaging way to welcome visitors of the gallery to try new techniques in a relaxed way. Photos of the piece in progress and finished outcomes will be posted on Ella's Instagram page @birdsongandbutterflies
Ella Hayward is a mixed media artist and high school art teacher in Wimbledon where she has been for over 20 years. Alongside teaching in mainstream education, she gives private tuition to students of all ages. For over a decade she has delivered workshops for adults at art societies in Surrey, on a range of subjects, designed to help artists of all levels explore media, techniques and processes with curiosity and joy. Ella celebrates creativity and is passionate about helping others explore art further, developing their knowledge, skills and creative journey. Being in nature has influenced her artwork throughout her life. When she is not teaching, Ella spends a lot of time walking in the local area with her family and building dens in the woods with her sons.
We are a small group called Liaise Women's Centre based in one of the most deprived areas in Woking, led by women, for women. Our aim is to empower women and teenagers to overcome domestic violence, isolation and disadvantage; providing the opportunity to discover new skills. When first starting, 27 years ago, we quickly realised that using one's hands to create provided a much-needed distraction for the women that joined us. Most of them started with no confidence, believing they didn’t have any artistic ability. However, once they began, knowledge flooded out and the body of work they’ve produced reflects generations of skills passed down. Using second hand materials, we create meaningful textile art; from traditional kantha stitching to embroidery and upholstery. Our fusion of cultures and techniques produces work that is not only beautiful but representative of the community we have built together.
Visitors can expect a variety of textile artwork such as kantha stitching, patchwork and embroidery. They are encouraged to engage in the tactile nature of our work and are invited to touch and try on our wearable items. Each piece is steeped in cultural history and made by women who have overcome significant challenges. Every stitch tells a story of the hands that created it and, just like the techniques passed down to our women, we wish to share these stories for generations to come.
Your support is more important than ever before. Help us protect our legacy of Art for All by All for you and future generations.