EVAN Blog

Interview with Tom G H Adams by Caroline Lamb – Abstract Mixed Media Artist – over the phone – 22nd August 2025 It certainly wasn’t the perfect run-up to my first ever experience interviewing a member of the Eden Valley … Continued

Interview with Kate Lavender by Polly Marix Evans – Stained Glass artist – at Rheged – 19 May 2025 I’ve never met Kate before, usually I’ve at least bumped into my victims (!) before I interview them, and, rather poorly, … Continued

Oscar Fenner – painter and mixed media artist – February 2025. Oscar holds the title of “youngest member” at EVAN and, aged 25, he’s one to watch. Born in Nunhead, London, Oscar’s family moved to Cumbria when he was four. … Continued

Gallery Northwest is honoured to be hosting a truly unique and captivating exhibition, which will feature ten amazing and extremely successful female artists from Cumbria and South West Scotland. This event presents a fabulous opportunity to witness and appreciate such … Continued

Interview with Margaret Shaw by Polly Marix Evans – 6 December 2024 There was so much going on in the run-up to Christmas that Margaret and I couldn’t find a time to meet up in person, which is a pity … Continued

Interview with Martin Reid, at The EVAN Gallery in Penrith, by Polly Marix Evans – some time towards the end of August 2024. Oof, this was always going to be a tricky one as I think Marty is really quite … Continued

Interview with Wendy Ann Stanger – Fibre Artist – by Polly Marix Evans This was supposed to be an in-person interview with me going to see Wendy Ann at The EVAN Gallery in Penrith but, due to me recovering from … Continued

Interview with Pam Roelich at The EVAN Gallery in Penrith – March 2024 – by Polly Marix Evans I’m on duty at The EVAN Gallery for quite a few days in March, so Pam comes to chat to me there. … Continued

Up-coming Exhibitions ‘First Meeting 2’ sold from the Wiliamson Art Gallery during the first leg of the Exhibition’s tour. New Light Prize Exhibition judges selected the sister painting ‘First Meeting 1’ as replacement. If you happen to be in London … Continued

Interview with Lou Windle ‘The Curious Zebra’ by Polly Marix Evans – December 2023 I’ve been angling for an invitation to Lou’s house ever since I discovered where abouts she was moving to in Penrith. Lou and I sat and … Continued

Interview with Kim Tillyer, AKA Witchmountain, at her studio near Braithwaite – September 2023 by Polly Marix Evans This was always going to be a fun day out, I’ve known Kim for quite a few years now and count her … Continued

Interview with Julia Neubauer – by Polly Marix Evans – 30 May 2023 There are some people in this world who are simply lovely through and through, like a stick of seaside rock with ‘lovely’ stamped right through to the … Continued

Interview with Mike Turnbull, musician – March 2023 – by Polly Marix Evans Well, this is a new one for me, I have never interviewed a musician before, unless we count Gwen Bainbridge but she’s a ceramicist too and a … Continued

Interview with Emma Scott – Jeweller – December 2022 – By Polly Marix Evans You have no idea how excited I’ve been about interviewing Emma. I had this idea that I’d go swooshing off to her fairy-tale Rapunzelesque tower of … Continued

“There’s nothing quite like the meeting of two printmakers to get the chat flowing, though not always just about printmaking.” Interview by Polly Marix Evans Kirsten Gilder is a screen printer, based in North Cumbria, creating hand-crafted textiles and original … Continued

“I usually like to meet face to face so I can see the work of the person I’m interviewing, it makes it easier to understand the way they work, and the processes involved, but on this occasion, we are conducting … Continued

‘I couldn’t draw at all. A friend of mine keeps an early picture I did of her dog, and you can’t even tell it’s a dog! Everything I do I have learnt, and I believe one hundred percent that anyone … Continued

Polly Marix Evans has always loved drawing, colouring and making. Throughout her 1970’s childhood, she and her elder sister would spend hours producing endless drawings on reams of ‘computer printout’ their father brought back from work. For her 6th birthday … Continued