Mystery Masterpiece Auction

Broadway Arts Festival is giving the public the chance to snap up original artwork by internationally renowned and emerging artists for as little as £25!

John has a mystery painting that you can bid for in the auction – the deadline is 21st March!!

The auction has now started, so log in to the website and place your bids. The online auction is taking place from 6th to the 21st March 2026 with 92 artworks generously donated anonymously by talented professional and amateur artists.

Once bidding closes at 8pm on the 21st, all will be revealed when the artists’ names are published alongside their work on the website. Masterpieces can be posted to winning bidders for a flat fee or you can opt for free local pickup from Willersey.

If you are interested in bidding in the online auction, please create an account by registering your email address (if you haven’t already got an account).

Funds raised go towards the running the festival, the Outreach programmes with local primary and secondary schools and local students studying at university for a career in the arts.

Find out more

View the 92 masterpices

Register for an account / log in to bid

I hope our newsletter finds you well, making the most of the heat-wave – or staying cool as you choose. Our recent lapse in communications doesn’t mean John has retired, just getting a bit lax on the admin side.

So, still painting, and pleased to report, happily getting on with commissioned work and supplying fewer, but busy galleries.

Presently, he’s framing up some recent work for the fifth
Inkberrow Village Green Art-Fair on 25 August Bank Holiday Monday

It’s an annual gathering of about twenty local artists and some crafters, who make up an informal exhibition. Each with their own display of work, and happy to chat about it with all comers, all have fingers crossed you’ll join us for a lovely summer day.

Meantime, at Bevere Gallery in Worcester, there’s an interesting show of John’s work in an area newly designated for hire which can be used for meetings, art events, classes, etc.

John was invited to fill the space to launch the idea, and his work displayed in there is a series of atmospheric watercolours inspired by the Black Mountains. Bevere – a gallery that specialises in contemporary ceramics and now houses several independent artists, is well worth a visit and the room is just before the café.

Oriel Cric Gallery is also well worth a visit. Above the Visitor Centre in Crickhowell, it’s a bright and busy gallery – a lovely space with a great range of arts and crafts. A swift turn-over ensures John’s paintings are always fresh on the walls!

Crickhowell is a great little town – we make a day trip of our deliveries there and enjoy the pleasant, civilized vibe of independent shops, pubs and cafes. Walkers abound as it’s a first stepping-stone into the Brecon Beacons. Stunning scenery – even from the car-park!

Apologies for the short notice re: the Village Green Art-Fair. We hope it might be an opportunity to catch up with lots of old friends, and make some new ones.

With all good wishes

Stella and John

Bevere Gallery’s Winter Show: Lots of interesting ceramics, unusual sculptures, jewellery, cards and a fresh collection of JH paintings! Hope you’ll find time to call in and enjoy the display – also to find something tasty to tempt you in the yummy cafe.

The Winter Show runs until 24 December

Russell Wilson

Russell is strongly influenced by depictions of animals portrayed in prehistoric cave paintings, primitive sculpture from history, his love of folk art, early English pottery and Staffordshire figures/animals. A particular inspiration comes from antique 19th Century Noah’s ark animals, which were carved in wood in a naive, stylised way by people who had often never encountered the animals they were trying to depict. This had the effect of making the carvings slightly odd, or often wrong but ultimately gave them an endearing quality which he hopes in his work he some way achieves.

See more of Rusell’s work here

Michelle Young-Hares

Michelle’s work is an attempt to communicate a meaningful connection with the natural world. A joyful expression of lifecycles, repeating patterns and textures seen in the microscopic to the macro level of observation. A keen interest in botany and natural science fuels a fascinating world of discovery and is an abundant source of inspiration.

See more of Michelle’s work here

Mark Smith

Each piece of work by Mark Smith draws inspiration from the sea, and each has it’s own unique appearance and story to tell. Objects found on travels or by shoreline often become part of the work. Mark uses a variety of techniques to achieve the finished look of a piece, focusing mainly on decay and repair. The work is constantly changing due to the materials found, each piece can never be replicated. Ships, boats, wrecks, beach huts and houses are the main focus of the work, all textured with raised and indented objects that have an indication of our industrial past.

See more of Mark’s work here

Richard St John Heeley

Richard practices free flowing brushwork and spends long hours repeating his designs to gain a fluid feel and simplicity that matches the thrown clay and fits as part of the pot, working in harmony with the form. His work is Influenced by a deep appreciation of Korean 16th century ware from the Chosôn dynasty. The brushed decoration is a combination of slips made from local clay, and found and hand-ground scrap flake iron, which produces a rich variation in colour and brush stroke quality and texture. His work varies between stoneware oxidation and reduction fired depending on the desired surface finish, colour of the clay body and glaze quality.

See more of Richard’s work here

Ostinelli and Priest

Ostinelli and Priest have always thought of their work as a cross-over. On one hand is sculpture, with pieces created in clay and fired, and on the other is painting, where the colour is applied. Bringing both of these elements together builds the character and individuality of each piece. The working partnership flourishes and develops simply due to the balance of understanding between the two artists. This in turn enables them to continue to create work that pleases and inspires.

See more of Ostinelli and Priest’s work here