The summer exhibition of the Isle of Purbeck Arts Club has opened with a great display of paintings, ceramics, and poetry, all inspired by the stunning landscape, coastline, history and culture of Purbeck in Dorset.
The Pearls of Purbeck show started on Saturday 22nd August 2026 and continues daily from 10 am to 5 pm until 31st August 2026 at the Catholic church hall on Rempstone Road in Swanage.
Plenty to view at the Pearls of Purbeck exhibition
“A wonderful eclectic mix”
The Isle of Purbeck Arts Club meets on Tuesdays at the hall, with a programme of guest artists running art workshops.
These sessions take place during autumn, winter and spring, but during the summer a separate programme of sketching outdoors at local beauty spots takes place.
The club attracts artists of all abilities with the annual exhibition being the focus of the year. Everyone takes part for the fun but there are awards for the best entries.
Guest judge for 2026 was established Purbeck artist Heather Gibbons. She said:
“The whole show is very good – very fine work, which makes it almost impossible to judge which is the best. In art there is never a best – there is no right and there is no wrong.
“The exhibition is a wonderful eclectic mix with some very exciting work.”
There’s something for everyone
The Purbeck Poets latest collection on the theme of Journeys is available to buy
Even Swanage’s local celebrities have been captured on canvas!
Winners 2026
- Best in show: Jenny Ellis – Resting
- Best oil: Vince Nunn – Cliff Edge Walk
- Best mixed media: Christine French – Sea Horse
- Best acrylic: Sue Brummitt – Drinking Dragons Jurassic Dawn
- Best watercolour: Joint winners Barry Goulding – View of Peveril Point, and Douglas Adderson – Corfe Castle
- Best pastel: Sue Brummitt – Ceramic II Relaxing
- Best collage: Sue King – Wellington Tower
- Best 6 inch by 6 inch: Liz Hatcher – Lulworth Cove
- Best en plein air: Yvonne Adams – Durlston
- Most improved artist: Jayne Ashton – Old Harry
Some of the 2026 winners
Guest judge Heather Gibbons with the best in show winner Resting by Jenny Ellis (top left)
“My forever subject to paint is Purbeck”
Heather specialises in abstract oil paintings of the Jurassic Coast and has a studio at Sandy Hill Arts in Corfe Castle.
Every year she displays her artwork during Purbeck Art Weeks at the end of May. She added:
“I prefer exhibiting as part of Purbeck Art Weeks as I can set my own pricing as there’s no gallery taking an extra added cost. I’m not a commercial animal and like to just charge a fair rate. To be honest I really paint for myself!
“I always paint in oils as they are so versatile and movable, and you can get some extraordinary mixes of colour. My art is always evolving but my forever subject to paint is Purbeck. The Jurassic Coast and the geology of the cliffs never fail to inspire and lend themselves perfectly to abstraction.”
A fabulous montage created by club members of Peveril Point and the old pier is on display
Chair of Isle of Purbeck Arts Club Barry Goulding (right) welcomes everyone to pop in
“I’d encourage everyone to come and visit us”
Most of the artwork is for sale, and one picture was snapped up even before the exhibition opened, by a person who just wandered in and couldn’t resist an impulse purchase!
There is also an amazing selection of gift cards at very reasonable prices.
Chair of Isle of Purbeck Arts Club Barry Goulding said:
“There’s a vast amount of art to view and it’s free to look around all the paintings, prints, ceramics, cards and even poetry, so I’d encourage everyone to come and visit us.
“There’s also a raffle and one person could win an original pastel picture by Sue Farmer, which makes a lovely prize to take home.”
The Isle of Purbeck Arts Club currently has a waiting list to join, although there is space to take part in the outdoor sketching sessions at the start of summer 2027.
One of the club’s Tuesday sessions at the Catholic church hall in Swanage
During the summer members get outside to paint en plein air
Further information
- The Isle of Purbeck Arts Club website and Facebook
- More about Heather Gibbons and her work
