Swimmers and Other Stories by Charlie Buchanan

Swimmers and Other Stories - an art exhibition by Charlie Buchanan

Running from Tuesday the 30th of September until Friday the 24th of October between 10am and 5pm at the Art at the Park Gallery, the National Trust of Guernsey's Folk and Costume Museum, Saumarez Park. Please be aware that the exhibition will close at 2pm on the final day.

Charlie Buchanan is showcasing a new collection of work entitled 'Swimmers and Other Stories'.

Sumptuous colours and graphic presentations - Charlie's bold style and attention to detail draws in the viewer. Her art tells a story and is entrenched in myth and meaning.

Artist’s Bio: Charlie Buchanan

Swimmers & Other Stories

Charlie Buchanan is an artist/illustrator living and working in Guernsey. After graduating with a BA Hons in Fine Art Painting from Falmouth, she travelled widely before settling in Guernsey to raise her family and split her time between painting and teaching.

Charlie works predominantly in watercolour on a variety of different papers. Her work explores folklore, storytelling, intergenerational connections and her relationship with her home, the island of Guernsey.

Charlie has published three books with her husband Magnus and her subsequent illustration work has included Extraordinary Editions’ 2022 publication of G.B. Edwards’ The Book of Ebenezer Le Page and a recent contribution to the publisher’s forthcoming Mr Pye by Mervyn Peake. She has exhibited widely in Guernsey, Jersey, the UK and Spain and has been long-listed for various international competitions.

Charlie cites Alfred Bestall’s illustrations for Rupert Bear as one of her earliest influences; she continues to be inspired by the contemporary illustration of Angela Barrett, the nostalgic 20th century American imagery of Andrew Wyeth and the timeless photography of Sally Mann.

Charlie is a year-round sea swimmer but this year the sea has taken on new significance as she has trained to swim from Guernsey to Herm. This challenge has deepened her relationship with the tidal waters that surround us here. In turn, it has provided visual and emotional stimulus for a new set of images which rely less on story and more on the elemental and visceral experience of being immersed in the ocean. However, within this, the potential for the folkloric and even the mythic still abounds.