The Houseboat Artists return to Skyway Gallery, Shoreham

Spokeswoman Gill Hills said: “We are a group of artists and friends drawn together through our love of art and creativity. Our multimedia art includes painting, sculpture, bookmaking, textiles, printing and probably more. Some of our group live on the Adur houseboats where we meet monthly to eat, drink, philosophise, chat and create a communal masterpiece, mammoth in size, experimental in nature. As often happens on these occasions, ideas germinate and take off........

“A sunflower is painted. This leads someone to a study of seeds, someone else looks at spirals and how they recur in nature. Tiny, intricate drawings are made of shells on the beach. Ammonites are inspiration for a sculpture. Plant forms become the subject of a painting and so on. Our creations inspire one another, leading all of us along different paths, which cross, double back and weave into one another, hence our title Intertwinings.

“ To misquote Carol King, ‘our lives have been a tapestry.’ Our friends, our ideas and our creations are all intertwined, making a display of ‘rich and royal hues’ which everyone can enjoy and relate to. This is our third exhibition together. Our ever-evolving group has been joined by some new, exciting, well established artists. We are Jessica Aidley, Susanna Chaplin, Sue Edwards, Sylvia Emery, Fay Hughes, Delia Lindon Spence, Hala Sabet and Valerie Shepherd.

“The exhibition runs until May 27. Along with the work on the walls there will be browsers with unframed work and a selection of artists’ cards.”

May also offers a busy month of exhibitions and events at Colonnade House in Worthing including: Anna Vartiainen: Everything Must Go, May 23-28. Artist Anna Vartianien and her family are moving up to Glasgow. During this one week exhibition, she’ll be having a big sale of her work as well as the contents of her FOUND shop & studio. T here is a philosophical side to the exhibition, exploring change, the impermanence of things and life itself.