A COLONY of artists based at a St Lawrence studios have teamed up with an unusual nearby venue for their summer exhibition.

Binnel Studios, which consists of three painters and four ceramicists, opens once a year to the visiting public.

This year the exhibition is a double hander, as Binnel’s near neighbour, The Bunker, is also opening its doors.

The Bunker is a wartime structure restored by architectural designer Lincoln Miles as a studio.

He and partner, artist Lisa Traxler, also designed and live in the adjacent house.

Lincoln will be showing some of his ever-inventive designs, while Lisa will display wartime-inspired Dazzle work, alongside her three-dimensional ‘exploded paintings’.

The exhibition is called Unlocked. For the artist enclave at Binnel Bay and the Bunker, that’s not simply an announcement of the return to near-normality. It sums up the space given by the weeks of lockdown in which to think, reflect, experiment, even to change.

“When lockdown happened I felt I could breath again,” says Celia Wilkinson, hinting that the demand on successful artists to fulfill commissions and exhibition commitments can be relentless.

“Because I paint from my subconscious, the strange new world caused me to paint strange landscapes. But once into the rhythm, it was bliss.”

New Binnel resident Sue Paraskeva has long been followed for her fine porcelain work. At Binnel she intends to build a kiln to explore wood ash glazing.

Jane Cox, a fellow ceramicist, has fired her largest shape to date, which will be on show at Unlocked.

Matthew Chambers has also has welcomed the pause in his busy schedule of sending his sculptures to exhibitors and customers worldwide. He said: “Doing what I was doing before didn’t seem normal. So I experimented a little bit.”

There may be a hint of his new direction at the open weekend.

Molly Attrill has secretly enjoyed the quietude, and while carrying on her work throughout she has been “playing”. Collectors of her earthenware and majolica-ware will doubtless be watching for any lockdown-induced innovation.

Amanda Wheeler’s semi-abstract paintings are inspired by the sea and coast. She has been venturing beyond the shaggy beauty of St Lawrence to paint obscure bays round the Island.

Award-winning watercolourist David Firmstone will be away for the exhibition, but he will be previewing a new work in the central foyer. Expect something extraordinary.

Joining Binnel Studios is The Bunker Gallery, the abandoned RAF bunker which has been transformed into an avant-garde home, sculpture park and gallery.

Lisa will be creating a new limited edition interior sculpture, unique to the exhibition.

Lincoln Miles's architecture practice will be showing a selection of conceptual projects exploring themes for a changing world.

Unlocked takes place on Saturday, August 29, Sunday, August 30, and Monday, August 31, from 11am to 4pm.

From Ventnor, continue past Ventnor Botanic Garden until you reach Old Park Road and then follow the signs for Binnel Studios. You will pass The Bunker but need to park in the Binnel car park and walk back.