A SPOT ON THE WALL

#BACKONTRACK MAXINE AHMED

Max Ahmed has lived and worked in the Yorkshire Dales for the last thirty years. The move from an industrial city into the gorgeous landscape of the local area re-inspired her love of painting.

Her inspiration has also come from encouragement and tuition by Winifred Hodge and Ian Scott-Massie - both of whom she really admires. She is constantly striving to capture the essence and mood of a place, a snapshot in time, a celebration of nature and all the colour that makes it sing! JUDITH ANDERSON

Judith is an amateur textile artist with a City & Guilds qualification in machine embroidery. Using this technique, she depicts ‘fragments of the past’ - broken stained-glass windows and torn manuscripts presented in repurposed frames, together with foliage and floral covered fossickings from woods, architectural salvage and the seashore. Judith is a member of the Richmond and Leyburn branch of The Embroiderers’ Guild. CATHERINE BALL

Based in Newcastle, Catherine is always trying to make the ordinary look extraordinary, choosing the camera as her creative medium. She paints with light and is a passionate advocate of photography and art. Catherine enjoys creating pieces that are thought provoking, a little different and make the viewer see beyond the image; often her work takes an illustrative, almost painterly quality as it transforms from a photograph. Catherine welcomes commissions for OOAK pieces. thelittlefineart.co Facebook – LittleFineArt Instagram – LittleFineArt Twitter: - LittleFineArt DANIEL BENBOW

Most of the pictures you will see of the Yorkshire Dales will be of rolling green hills as far as the eye can see, underneath bright blue skies. Daniel, an amateur photographer based in the Yorkshire Dales, is here to show you that there is darkness to be found in those hills! He searches the sombre corners of the north of England in an everlasting pursuit to capture that elusive darkness which haunts our lives from the shadows. Facebook - ravenstagphotography Instagram - ravenstagphotography ravenstagphotography.etsy.com MARK CONROY

Mark is a retired army general practitioner, working mainly in watercolours. His subject matter varies from wildlife to sporting scenes. PAMELA CRAWFORD

Pamela is a local artist living in Brompton-on-Swale. Her work is a kaleidoscope of different styles, ranging from local landscapes, wildflowers, abstracts and paintings from imagination. She paints mainly in watercolours - the clean, translucent colours so perfect for wildflowers and misty dales landscapes - but recently has enjoyed the freedom of abstract painting and the rich colours of alcohol inks and acrylics. Her work is regularly exhibited in the Showcase Gallery and The Station. VICKI DAVIDSON

Vicki Davidson is an artist with a passion for bright, dynamic and inspirational art. Always keen to experiment, Vicki works in oil, pastel, acrylic, watercolour and charcoal. Her subjects include portraits, animals and landscapes. Vicki also works as an NHS nurse – she is currently a Clinical Matron working within cardiothoracic services and critical care. Vicki, originally from Dartmoor in Devon, lives on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales with her husband and two children. vickidavidson.com CLARE DEAN

Clare is a mixed-media artist based in Wetherby, who is inspired by nature and texture. She enjoys colour and paints spontaneously, enjoying the looseness of paint. She uses both palette knives and her fingers to blend the paint and will use brushes for finer detail. Her usual mediums to paint in are acrylic, inks, and watercolour, plus natural dried material. She has produced a range of cards and prints from her original work. clarescreations.co.uk Facebook - clarescreationsart Instagram - clares_creations_art/ JANE DENNIS

Jane has recently been awarded a Master in Fine Art following a degree in glass and ceramics. She takes influence from the world around her, capturing the beauty of her surroundings. She works outdoors where possible, sketching from life to capture movement, expressions and body language. She sees her quick sketches as a catalogue of life, holding memories. Jane enjoys experimenting with a range of media such as acrylic, screen prints, glass and ceramics. www.janedennis.net SARAH DROUGHT

Sarah is a mixed-media artist who lives and works in North Yorkshire. She is inspired by the surrounding landscape, trips abroad and the places she visits. Sarah enjoys exploring materials by layering newspaper, maps and other materials along with more traditional acrylic and watercolour painting methods. She has fifteen years of teaching experience, working with college students in the north-east of England. sarahdrought.co.uk Facebook - sarahdroughtart Instagram: sarah.droughtart OLIVIA DUNN

Olivia’s work focusses mainly on the female form and portraiture. This has been driven by her enduring interest in people and the emotional connections we experience throughout life. After gaining a degree in both Fine Art and Psychology, Olivia has developed her practice to explore the relationships that can be made by a viewer to her art. These may be transient, or enduring, but it is an invisible connection. This intangible quality is her motivation. just-florence-art Instagram - just_florence_art Facebook - Just Florence Art ALISON FOSTER

Alison has a lifelong passion for art and recently transferred her drawing and painting skills into felt making, exploring the craft using various fleece fibres and silk. She uses merino fleece, with a technique similar to that of a painter using brushstrokes. Through the process of wet felting, she carefully layers and blends colours to create a landscape or wildlife image, finishing the composition with needle felting techniques to create texture. Her inspiration is drawn from the Yorkshire moors and dales. RACHEL FOSTER

Rachel is a professional photographer, specialising in canine and equine portraits, game shooting and agricultural imagery. She provides private commissions and unlimited edition prints. Rachel is a true country lady - a farmer's wife, passionate about field sports, the Yorkshire landscape and the animals within it, all of which comes to the fore in her work. rachelfoster-photo.smugmug.com Facebook - RFoster.Photography Instagram - gameandgundogs Etsy - RachelFosterPhoto NICOLE GRAHAM

Nicole is a local artist who has a different range of styles and media. Her Artstorm, however, is her most dramatic. She creates paintings of collisions between light and dark, when her emotions are at their most intense. These paintings are her chosen therapy- she follows the urge to paint and is in her element. Her paintings are creative, natural outpourings of her inner upheaval, allowing her to transform emotions into raw beauty. Facebook – Artstorm JENNY GREEN

Jenny is intrigued by atmosphere and tonality in paintings. She has been walking in the Yorkshire Dales and Northern Pennines for over thirty years and takes most of the subjects for her paintings from there. HILARY GRISEWOOD

Hilary Grisewood has been drawing and painting all her life She is largely self-taught and currently paints in watercolours and acrylics. She lives in Wensleydale where she is inspired by the austere landscape, which looks scrubbed clean by wind and rain and where the light changes constantly. She is fascinated by human traces in the landscape - by derelict barns, rusting machinery, gates and old tractors, which leave footprints of past lives. SHEILA HARRIS

Sheila is a member of Artwave North, a group of twelve diverse artists, who encourage and help one another in their artistic endeavours. The group have exhibited successfully at a variety of locations in the north-east including The Station, Durham, Bowlees and the Inspired By… Gallery at Danby. Sheila mainly uses ink, pencil and fine liners and has a particular interest in capturing the shapes and contours of rugged, mountainous landscapes. artwavenorth.co.uk AILEEN HARVEY

Aileen is a self-taught artist living in Catterick Village. She takes her inspiration from wildlife across the world, from home to the African savannas, capturing their characters and the stories they have to tell. Aileen has exhibited throughout Yorkshire and Cleveland including; Patchings, Nottingham (winning the Leisure Painter Award); Palace Art Gallery, Redcar,; The Ilkley Art Show. To book a workshop or commission a portrait contact Aileen through her website. aileenharveyportraits.com EITHNE HENSON

Eithne Henson is mainly inspired by the changing lights of the Yorkshire Dales landscapes, and by the seascapes of Northumberland. She enjoys experimenting with different media and has studied in the past with Winifred Hodge, Debbie Loane, and Scott-Massie. DONNA HETHERINGTON

Donna studied Textile Design, Conceptual and Fine Art at university, gaining a first-class degree. She went on to teach art whilst continuing to develop her practice. Her work is inspired by nature, its beauty and patterns and its emotive qualities. This selection of work brings together her interests in both colour and artistic representations of nature. In trying to make sense of these things, the watercolours are allowed to largely paint themselves. JOHN HOPKINS

John has been painting since he retired from teaching in 2001. After several years in Winifred Hodges` painting group, he now attends two groups in Wensleydale. He paints mainly from photos taken of scenes that have attracted his attention. ED HULLAH

Ed is a self-taught amateur painter who prefers portraiture in oils, charcoal and chalk. Occasionally, he tries pastel, landscapes and still-life. EMMA HUMPHRIES

Emma moved over to the Scillies in January 2019. Previously, she lived in North Yorkshire, where she worked as a Design and Technology teacher for over twenty years. She has developed methods and products using polymer clay in delicate and intricate ways. In her work she likes to explore the harmony and balance that can be found in colours, patterns, and cultures. ALISON IVANEC

Darlington-based Alison Ivanec's pictures are vibrant and full of light and colour. They celebrate life and the human spirit. Alison's work is inspired by nature, the movement of dance, the wind in the trees, patterns made by light, music, poetry and the love of those who shaped her. She paints with passion with a smile on her face, with the aim of bringing a smile to yours. alisontheartist.com Facebook: AlisonTheArtist PETE JAUNEIKA

Pete Jauneika, a Richmond based self-taught artist, developed a passion for the medium of glass mosaics in 2004, while bringing up his young family in Wensleydale. Portrasaic evolved in 2020 when Pete decided to leave a demanding, full time career in IT and adopt a new direction in life, concentrating solely on his art. He specialises in portraits, recognised as perhaps the most challenging of all mosaic artwork. portrasaic.com Facebook - portrasaic Instagram - portrasaic SERENA JOHN

Serena John worked in the fashion industry for twenty years as a designer. In November 2019, she decided to follow her love of art by setting up her company Little Snowdrop Designs, based near Harrogate, producing original artwork, prints and cards inspired by nature. Recent commissions include a sketch for a local optician and a painting for James Cook University Hospital. She also works closely with Blue Bow Bridal in Durham, creating beautiful bridal illustrations. Instagram littlesnowdropdesigns Etsy - littleSnowdropDesign LIZZIE JOWETT

Lizzie has always had a keen interest in wool and its versatility. Her father’s career was in textiles - she loved visiting the mill, seeing machinery working and absorbing the history. This year she started experimenting with needle felting, a new creative passion. The different dyes and natures of wool make it an ideal medium, each picture a learning curve for her. She finds it rewarding to experiment in creating felted images alongside her passion for taking photographs. Facebook - LizziesImages SUE LEE

Sue is, mostly, a self-taught artist who's medium of choice is that of the humble graphite pencil. The simplicity of graphite allows the viewer to see beyond the colour to the beauty of form and tone. Sue has recently ‘dipped her toe’ into using coloured pencil and is developing a new appreciation of the power of colour, although graphite still calls louder from the drawing board! Facebook - SueLeeGraphite ROGER LOFTS

Roger Lofts lives in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire. His watercolour paintings reflect the atmosphere and spirit of a subject through the interaction and transparency which occurs within the medium of watercolour. His paintings are based on shape, form and the making of watercolour marks on the paper. This leads to a feeling for a subject rather than a true representation. ANDY LOVELL

Andrew Lovell found a new dimension to photography when he first bought a drone over six years ago. He now has three drones and a company (aerialshots4u) based in Richmond, taking aerial photos and videos. Unlike conventional photography, aerial drone photography is governed more by rules and regulations and is dependent on favourable weather conditions. It is, however, a lot of fun and the results can be stunning. A new photographic dimension. aerialshots4u.co.uk LISA MAKIN

Lisa is a Yorkshire wildlife and pet portrait artist, working mainly in coloured pencils. She loved drawing as a child but drifted away from art to follow a career in science. Thirty years on, after a serious illness, Lisa re-ignited her love for drawing. The hare was her first piece. She was so delighted with the results she decided to develop her art business to share with others the enjoyment each drawing brings. lismakinart.co.uk MARGARET MCCORD

Margaret studied textile design and ceramics at art college many years ago and taught briefly. Printmaking is what she returns to after forays into other creative media. Currently she has been exploring etching, thanks to shared access to the right sort of press in Darlington. From childhood, Margaret has been drawn to landscape and natural phenomena and these have provided most of her subject matter wherever she has lived. ALLAN MIDCALF

Allan Midcalf is a local artist living in Darlington, painting in oil and watercolour. He takes his inspiration from nature and the dales. Allan has been invited to exhibited his work locally, in London and in Edinburgh. You can find examples of some of his work on his website. allanmidcalf.com EMMA NUNN

Emma has always been a bit of a free spirit, enjoying travelling almost as much as painting. It is the travelling she has done that has inspired her art the most. The concept for Emma’s popular ‘VooDoo Couple’ collection was drawn from her memories of New Orleans. You may also notice a love theme running through her paintings and a touch of humour in her ‘Mad Moos’ collection. artgallery.co.uk/artist/emma_nunn Instagram - emmyartist DAVID PALMER

David Palmer was born in Surrey and lived there until twelve years ago, when he and his wife moved to Richmond,Yorkshire

He has been a painter all his life, always influenced by the love of nature, landscape and the sea. His other inspirations come from Celtic art, legends about the Green Man, dragons and past travels in New Zealand and Canada. JO PARDOE

Jo has been creating art for nearly forty years. Since studying at Birmingham School of Art, where she gained an honours degree, she has divided her time between creating and teaching art. Her work is diverse in both medium and subject matter, reflecting her love of the landscape and portraiture. jopardoe.co.uk SANDRA PARKER

Sandra is a self -taught oil artist. After honing her craft over the past forty years, Sandra now has her own gallery in Barnard Castle and work displayed in private collections worldwide.

Sandra’s inner affection for Swaledale sheep and their habitat comes from her farming background. She is inspired by their varied elements - the geometric curve and swirl of the horns, the random depth of the fleece and the defiant twinkle in their eyes. sandraparker.co.uk SIMON PELL

Simon trained at The Slade in London and has lived in Barnard Castle for over 30 years. During this time, he has earned a living as a theatre designer, working with both North Country Theatre and the Georgian Theatre Royal on numerous productions. With nothing else to do, he returned to painting during the recent coronavirus lockdown. He is inspired by the landscape of Teesdale, which he interprets in his own uniquely colourful way. “One has to look on the bright side of life at the moment!” SOPHIE RAYMOND

Sophie Raymond is a linocut printmaker who grew up in Richmond, North Yorkshire. She has experimented with various mediums but discovered her true passion for printmaking in 2018. Sophie’s artwork is unique, with striking monochrome depictions of locations in Yorkshire Alongside commissions, Sophie created her recent collection during the lockdown in her home-studio in Boroughbridge, also known as the ‘Little Yorkshire Studio’. etsy.com/uk/shop/LittleYorksStudio Facebook – littleyorkshirestudio Instagram - littleyorkshirestudio DR VIVEN SABEL

Dr Viv's approach to painting is loose, free, forthright and unashamed. She is unafraid of difference, and passionate about vibrancy, authenticity and being fearless. Her cultural background (her mother's deafness) is ever present in her art, filmmaking and all her creative endeavours. She describes art as a form of reflection on mood, a way of considering raw expression without ambiguity. Dr Viv believes cultural and embodied visuality are ever present in her creative expressions.

Instagram – drvivensabel Facebook - drvivensabel HOLLY SCOTT

Holly is a self-taught printmaker. She creates intricate, sensitive linocuts inspired by the natural world from her small studio in Barnard Castle. Her process is long, complex and is very much shaped by her daily life and inner world. Borne from a strong connection to the land - and inspired by childhood memories and chance encounters with wildlife - Holly’s hand-coloured lino prints touch upon folklore and seek to evoke the timelessness of animal lives. hollymagdalenescott.com Facebook – thingsofwonder Instagram - thingsofwonder EMMA-JANE SCRIVEN

Emma-Jane is a pastel artist who creates commissions and self-inspired artworks of animals. Having discovered her love of pastels only a couple of years ago, she has enjoyed bringing portraits of animals to life using this vibrant and versatile medium. Preferring a more realistic style, her focus is on the details. She gains pleasure in finding the character of her subject, capturing that glint in their eye, and placing that hair just so. itsafurrylifeportraits.com TONY SHAWCROSS

Whenever he can, Tony immerses himself in his 'second home' - the beautiful county of Yorkshire. Hand-crafted dales dry-stone walls, barns, rolling hills, rich woodlands, overflowing meadows, historic architecture, babbling brooks and raging waterfalls are just a few of the treasures that never fail to inspire him to record this breath-taking landscape with his camera and share his photographs for others to enjoy. tonyshawcross.com CHAR SMITH

Char Smith was born in Lincolnshire and has lived in Namibia, Africa. Alongside being a self-taught artist, Char is a peer support worker for children’s mental health. After struggling with similar issues herself, she found art which took her into her own world. She now strives to use her art to help bring smiles to others. Char is versatile and uses digital media, alcohol ink and coloured pencils for her artwork. charsmith-art.com Instagram - charsmith_art Facebook - charsmithy MANDY SMITH

Mandy’s love of animals is the inspiration behind her painting. Having grown up in a home full of various pets - a tradition she has carried on herself with her partner and two boys - she was never short of anything to draw. Mandy also takes inspiration from nature and wildlife, especially having so much on her doorstep living in North Yorkshire. RACHEL STIRR

Rachel is inspired by her passion for the natural world. Based near Richmond in the Yorkshire Dales, she seeks inspiration mainly from moorland and coastal areas. Having studied both photography and textiles at A-Level, her subsequent degree in agriculture has given her a different perspective on the rural landscape. Her eye is drawn both by wildlife and its characteristics, but also by the textures and forms from the interface between man and nature. rts-photography.co.uk Facebook - rts1photography Instagram - rts1.photography CHRISTIAN SWIFT

Christian Swift is a young fine artist from Richmond, North Yorkshire. He studied Art and Design at GCSE and A-Level at Richmond School and Sixth Form College, and is currently studying at Leeds Arts University. He likes working with graphite pencil and enjoys art that is done with intention. Over lockdown, he has been listening to a lot of Lana del Rey whilst drawing a lot of horses. ROSIE TUPPER

Rosie Tupper is an aspiring comic artist from North Yorkshire. Currently studying at Richmond Sixth Form, after completing her A-levels she is planning to take a foundation year in Arts and Design at Arts University Bournemouth.

This year she is experimenting with materials and studies to develop her skills and illustrative style. The vibrant local scenery is a source of great inspiration for her practical studies. SHAUN VICKERS

As a pet owner and lover of wildlife, it is a natural progression for Shaun to capture the character, beauty, and personality of the natural world. Working mainly in graphite pencil, he takes time building up the layers and tones, using quality acid free Italian papers to ensure no fade longevity. Each piece varies in time taken - the larger works can take around 50-60 hours to complete. fineartbyshaun.co.uk VICTORIA VINADER

Victoria Vinader is a Leeds-based artist. With a passion for drawing since she was old enough to hold a pencil, she works mostly in pastels, a medium that combines extreme purity of colour with the drawing technique.

Her drawings tell stories and have an intimate quality; they are bold in colour, yet delicate in detail. SUSAN WALGATE

Susan found art when living in Antwerp, studying for three years at Academie Noord, Brasschaat. She started selling her art on returning to UK. From 2009, she has been regularly exhibiting at The Station and sales have seen Susan’s work travel across the UK and Europe. Susan searches for the light, dark and colour to create impressions of subjects in space. She is inspired by Hopper, Freud and Hockney. susanwalgate.wixsite.com JOHN WARBURTON

John studied at Sunderland College of Art, Sunderland College of Education and Winchester College in fine art and education. He pursued a successful career in teaching and headship for many years. He lives and paints in the Yorkshire Dales, a wonderful environment and source of inspiration for an artist. Over recent years John has balanced his work between studio painting and plein air, taking advantage of the immense space and splendour of the Dales. wensleydaleart.com Facebook:Wensleydale Art ALLISON WEBSTER

Allison is an artist based in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, gathering inspiration from nature and people around. She works mainly in watercolour, ink and pastel. allisonwebster.co.uk Instagram - allibrona HELEN WESLEY

Helen is a local artist born in Bedale. She moved to Buckinghamshire for 17 years before moving back to Yorkshire and now lives in Northallerton. She has been interested and involved with art since her school days. This has continued through her work with children and young adults with severe learning disabilities. Helen enjoys watercolour painting, fine pen and pencil drawing. JULIE WILKERSON

Julie is a self-taught embroiderer, with a long-time love of all things fabric and thread related. With a passion for hand stitched embroidery, she had her first solo exhibition in 2019, bringing together the two arts of hand-stitched embroidery and tattoos, one art form inspiring another.

Her work is always colourful and aimed at producing pieces that show how embroidery can be seen as a wonderful and vibrant 21st century art form. DAWN WILSON

Dawn has been creating and painting for many years. She made art her full-time career after going ‘back to school’ and gaining a degree in Fine Art in 2010. Dawn lives in beautiful Teesdale and is inspired by the countryside, the changing seasons and big skies which surround her rural home and studio. Studio visits are by prior appointment. dawnwilsonartist.com CAROL YATES

Carol has always been creative. She studied art at school and renewed her love for painting eight years ago when she was inspired to pick up her pastels. Carol now views the world around her very differently, noticing colour, shapes, shadows and textures so much more than before- that’s what inspires her to paint. Carol’s work to date has mainly focused on wildlife, but she is also venturing into landscapes and still life. carolyatesart.com