Our friends

Kirstie Trobe Fine Art

I am a professional artist and art tutor working primarily in watercolour and pastel. My work focuses on figurative portraits, landscapes and still life, with an emphasis on light, atmosphere and the quiet character of everyday subjects.

After studying Graphic Design at the Victoria Institute in Worcester and Southampton Institute, I began my career in the graphics industry. Following a 23-year break while raising my family, I returned to art in 2015, discovering a particular passion for watercolour.

What began as a personal creative pursuit quickly developed into a professional practice. Within four years, I was invited to teach at the studio where I had trained, and in 2019 I established my own independent teaching practice.

Helen Gee Art

Each piece begins on a hardwood board, carefully prepared and primed to create a stable surface. A rich base colour is applied, followed by layers of gold or silver leaf which introduce depth and luminosity, before being gently distressed by hand to reveal texture and character beneath. 

The work is sealed in a satin or gloss finish for protection and clarity, before being professionally framed by Russell Fine Art Framing, ensuring a high-quality presentation ready for display. My creative life is also shaped by a love of history and craftsmanship.

Touch Wood UK

Using sustainably harvested native hardwoods, I make a wide range of items for sale from turnery and treen to furniture, treebogs and other timber framed structures. Also chestnut fencing and gates.

I have long had a fascination for traditional woodland crafts, and have researched the subject exhaustively, and been lucky to be able to develop my skills and understanding of the ways traditional woodland crafts can swiftly transform wood into useful and attractive items. The use of hand tools and the skills our ancestors possessed are still accessible to us today; we just need to sharpen up those old tools and make the journey into the wood! 

I have been a teacher of green woodwork since 2001. Throughout 2025 I am able to offer a series of courses from April in our canvas covered workshop, within the beautiful woodlands on the slopes of Marcle Ridge.

Steve Elsby Sculptures

With a background in forestry, I've been carving for about 16 years. I attend shows and events, often demonstrating chainsaw carving for the public.

I undertake many commissions private and public, either on site where a tree stump needs carving or providing the wood myself. All the wood I use is locally sourced from woodlands or through tree surgeons and other contacts.