Eloise Pilbeam

Eloise Pilbeam is an art teacher at JFK Secondary School and a fine artist based in Old Town, Hemel Hempstead. Her submitted piece grew from her work in the classroom, drawing on a body of self-portraits created this term by her Key Stage 3 students. The studies are brought together into a single mixed-media collage, layering and combining the portraits to create one collective work shaped by many hands and perspectives.

The piece reflects her interest in bringing student creativity into community spaces, celebrating the voices and identities of young people growing up locally. By amalgamating the students’ self-portraits, Eloise has created an artwork that speaks to both individuality and collaboration, with each contributing face becoming part of a larger, shared picture of the school and its pupils.

Alongside her teaching, Eloise continues to develop her own practice, working across tonal and mixed media approaches. Eloise is keen to bring her work, and that of her students, into Hemel’s creative scene.

Self Reflection

This piece brings together forty-five black and white pencil self portraits, each drawn by a Key Stage 3 student at JFK Secondary School. Created by their art teacher Eloise Pilbeam, the work began in the classroom, where students were set the task of observing and recording their own likeness in pencil. Over the course of the term, forty-five studies took shape, each carrying the hand, mood and confidence of the student who made it.

Rather than leaving these portraits separate, they are brought together into a single collage, layering and arranging the drawings so that no one face dominates the whole. The result is a work built entirely from young people’s own observations of themselves, assembled into a collective portrait of a year group at a particular moment in their education.

Seen individually, each drawing is a personal record of self-exploration. Seen together, they form something larger, a shared image of a school community made up of many faces, marks and perspectives. Celebrating students’ creativity and effort, a tribute to forty-five young artists finding their own way of seeing themselves.

Leisure Centre, Park Rd, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1JS

Wonky Hobo

The Wonky Hobo is a photographer based in Hemel Hempstead, known for abstract, bright and curious images that explore nature and rural life. Working mainly outdoors, The Wonky Hobo is drawn to the overlooked corners of the countryside, finding unexpected colour, pattern and texture in hedgerows, fields, water and light.

Rather than aiming for traditional, straightforward shots, The Wonky Hobo favours a playful and experimental approach, often pushing focus, framing and exposure until familiar scenes become something stranger and more abstract. The resulting images sit somewhere between documentary and dreamlike, capturing the energy and unpredictability of rural life rather than simply recording it.

This curiosity runs through every project, whether photographing a single leaf caught in low sun or a wide stretch of open countryside. The Wonky Hobo is less interested in perfect symmetry than in the small, slightly off moments that give a place its character, the wonky details easily missed at a glance.

Based locally and shooting close to home, The Wonky Hobo’s work reflects a deep affection for the landscapes around Hemel and the wider countryside, turning everyday rural scenes into bright, abstract and slightly mischievous photographs that invite a second look.

Skyline Stories

Wonky’s photos come from a collection called Silent Memories, with the sky as both subject and inspiration. The name Hemel Hempstead carries this in its roots: Hemel, echoing the Dutch Hemel and German Himmel, meaning heaven or sky, and stead, from the Old English stede, meaning place. Sky and place, woven together in the name of the town.

This body of work follows the sky through its endless moods, heavy low cloud, hot summer blue, pink and orange evenings, scattered light moving across the landscape in seconds. Beneath it, nature and urban buildings sit side by side, hedgerows meeting rooflines, water and open country behind familiar architecture.

True to his style, the work favours the playful and the slightly off, asking viewers to look up, notice these silent memories held in the sky and reconnect with the place they call home.

Nationwide, Unit C1, Riverside Shopping Centre, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1BT

Child Of

Child Of Project C.I.C. is a Community Interest Company delivering creative recovery and art intervention programmes across London, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and the West Midlands. Founded in 2022, we specialise in using creativity as a pathway to recovery, positioning art-making not as therapy, but as a legitimate form of agency and resistance.

We deliver programmes in educational settings, recovery services, and community spaces, with particular expertise in supporting individuals in addiction recovery. Our mentorship program has led to exhibitions across the country, including an artist residency and exhibitions at Saatchi Gallery. 

Our approach is grounded in authenticity, trust, and shared experience, developed through direct, sustained work within the communities we serve.

child-of.com

It Was Meant to Be a Pit Stop

‘It Was Meant to Be a Pit Stop’ is stitched onto a single duvet cover, inspired by the hand-stitched tapestries of Tracey Emin. It was created by textile artist Michele Herbert and a team of women during a weekly sewing workshop at Safer Places and Cocoon womens refuge.

The duvet cover was given to Michele when she arrived at Safer Places. Hemel Hempstead was meant to be a temporary stop during a time of uncertainty and turmoil, but the town welcomed Michele, and many others from the refuge, and has since become home.

The Roundhouse Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1ST

Katharine Harper / BigDayDoodles

Katharine Harper is a Hemel Hempstead-based artist, illustrator, and photographer who is drawn to the character of people, places, and everyday moments.

Her creative practice includes live wedding guest illustration, workshops, daily sketchbook and nature journalling, and the photography featured here. Her practice is rooted in storytelling, close observation, and a strong sense of connection to local places and community.

Katharine keeps a daily visual diary and finds inspiration in both ordinary moments and the landscapes, flora, and wildlife of the Hertfordshire countryside. These influences run through her images and layered digital photography techniques, giving them an expressive, impressionistic quality full of movement and life.

Through her “Big Day Doodles” commissions, Katharine creates detailed illustrations that celebrate special moments, from beloved pets and family homes to weddings and other treasured occasions.

She has also been commissioned to create illustrated maps for Hemel Hempstead, Nash Mills Parish, and Dacorum’s 50th anniversary.

Katharine is especially passionate about community arts, sustainable creative practice, and exploring textiles and foraged fibres. She loves sharing that enthusiasm with a wide range of groups and helping make art accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Her work has been shown in local exhibitions and in her home studio, and she also shares it online.

big-day-doodles.square.site

The Magic Roundabout

One morning in June, as I was driving around the Magic Roundabout on my way to work, the sight of the wildflowers at the base of the KD Tower completely took my breath away. The poppies, in particular, were stunning, they stood out so vividly that I found myself looking for them every time I passed. I knew I had to return with my camera when I had the chance.

By the time I had the opportunity to visit, the wildflower beds had evolved: the last of the poppies added flashes of red into a mix of daisies, cornflowers and marigolds.

Savouring the moment and Sharing Joy

I stayed for ages and took hundreds of photos, trying to savour the moment and capture the area in all its fabulousness. During this time, I was joined by several passers-by who had stopped to admire the flowers, and share the joy the flowers had brought them – lots of lovely moments of connection! One young couple told me they had first noticed the wildflowers from their bus the previous week, passing through Hemel, and had made a special trip back to take photos of themselves with the flowers.

Creating the image 

At home, I made a collection of my favourite images, but no single photo could encapsulate everything. To overcome this, I created a composite image. Eighteen individual photos, taken at different angles and in different directions, were carefully layered and blended together. 

The result is a 360-degree view, featuring close-up shots of individual blooms as well as wider views of the scene, encompassing the trees on the skyline looking towards the moor from one side and the road sign for the iconic Magic Roundabout in the other direction. 

My aim was to convey a sense of place, by retaining the road sign, and invite the viewer to share a sense of what it was like to be there in that moment, among the wildflowers.

The Roundhouse Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1ST

James Lark

James Lark is a professional fine artist and founder of OhMyArt, based in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire. With over 20 years of experience as both a practising artist and educator, his work sits at the intersection of fine art, community engagement and wellbeing.

Specialising in portrait and figurative painting in oils, James creates emotive, story-driven work that explores human connection and experience, seeking to reveal the narrative, character and emotional depth of his subjects rather than just their likeness.

Through OhMyArt, James delivers diverse, inclusive and high-quality creative experiences across schools, community groups, cultural organisations and corporate settings, designing workshops, events and commissions that make art accessible and meaningful for all. His approach is grounded in a strong belief in the transformative power of creativity to build confidence, support wellbeing and unlock potential.

Drawing on his background in education and leadership, James combines artistic excellence with a deep understanding of how people learn and grow through creative expression, with a consistent mission to inspire and reconnect people with their innate creativity.

The Garden Getaway

Although James’s practice is rooted in portrait and figurative painting, his work has always been driven by a deeper interest in the relationship between people and place. For him, a portrait is never just about the individual, it is equally about the environments they inhabit and the quiet dialogue between the two.

This piece, an oil landscape, is a natural extension of that approach. Set in a privately owned garden, carefully curated yet presented as a natural scene, the painting was commissioned by a couple to mark the place chosen for their wedding, capturing their story in a more nuanced and enduring way than a traditional portrait.

While the scene appears organic and observational, it is subtly shaped by personal references that reflect the couple, both separately and together. The result is an unconventional portrait, where the landscape itself becomes a layered narrative of identity and shared experience.

The Roundhouse Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1ST

Amy Huitson

‘My works are inspired by the natural world and its textures, colours, movement, and shifting light. I work with bold, expressive marks, combining drawing, painting, and mixed media. Through layering and building rich surfaces, I aim to capture the atmosphere of a place or fleeting moment, translating my experience of a place or landscape into expressive paintings. At the heart of my practice is a deep enjoyment of the creative journey finding joy in every step of the exploration. For me, art is as much about the experience of making as it is about the finished piece.’ 

Amy has a Masters in Fine Art and a First Class BA (Hons) degree in Three Dimensional Crafts. Amy is a member of the Buckinghamshire Arts Society and Bucks Visual Arts.

Amyhuitson.com

Morning Freedom / Mapped Trails

Throughout 2024 I developed a body of large-scale abstract acrylic paintings inspired by my training for the London Marathon, which I ran in 2023 and 2025 in support of the local charity WheelPower, British Wheelchair Sport based in Stoke Mandeville. Much of this training took place in the Chilterns and surrounding areas. Key to my training plans were the open marathon long run training days run by Gade Valley Harriers. The marked routes started in Hemel and took me out along the canal and local countryside. What was lovely about the events was that you didn’t need to be a member of the club the sessions where open to all and provided a safe route. These sessions were incredibly welcoming and supportive, reflecting a strong sense of inclusivity, community, and shared wellbeing.

The Forum, Hertfordshire HP1 1DN

Helene Engrand

Hélène Engrand is a French-born artist based in Berkhamsted, working primarily with watercolour ink and graphic pen, while also exploring acrylic, oils and digital media. She holds a BTEC in Graphic Design from WAES.

Inspired by the beauty of nature and the emotions evoked by the world around her, Hélène is fascinated by the rhythm of lines—whether found in the elegance of Art Deco architecture, the intricate forms of plants, or the luminous glasshouses of gardens such as Kew. She paints whatever captures her heart, from portraits and botanical subjects to local landmarks and places rich in atmosphere.

Alongside a full-time career, Hélène paints whenever she can. Art is her sanctuary—a place of calm, wellbeing and self-expression that gives meaning to her life. Painting allows her to preserve memories, capture fleeting moments and express emotions that words cannot always convey. Helene seeks to translate a feeling onto paper or canvas, creating moments of joy and shared emotion. Her hope is that each painting invites the viewer to pause, reconnect with their own memories, and experience a sense of wonder, comfort or delight.

Hélène regularly exhibits throughout Hertfordshire and has also shown her work at the French Consulate and as part of local art trails.

helenengrand.co.uk

This work is presented as a triptych of three panels, with the option for the final panel to be exhibited on its own. Together, the three pieces draw a parallel between the evolution of a person and the imagined future of a city, suggesting that the resilience and hope carried by individuals form the blueprint for the cities yet to come.

The first portrait is minimal and unguarded, mirroring a city at the edge of possibility, a place where foundations are still forming and where vulnerability coexists with the quiet persistence of hope. The second is richer in texture and presence, evoking a growing city learning to expand with intention, confronting its challenges while cultivating layers of community and culture. The final piece erupts with colour and geometric rhythm, reflecting a future city vibrant with diversity, innovation and radical inclusivity, a place where resilience has become structure and hope has become design.

Across the series, the figure becomes a symbolic architect. Their journey from sketch to radiance echoes how cities evolve, through courage, adaptation and the vision of those who believe tomorrow can be brighter. The work suggests that a city’s future is not built by infrastructure alone, but by the resilience of its people, and that each act of personal growth becomes a small but vital contribution to a collective future.

Helene’s triptych invites viewers to imagine a city shaped not by fear of what is coming, but by the strength and luminous hope of those who will inhabit it. It is a celebration of a city stepping boldly into the future, powered by diversity, creativity and the unstoppable energy of its people, a metropolis that is not only growing, but glowing.

The Library, The Forum, Hertfordshire HP1 1DN

Mary Casserley

Mary Casserley creates paintings that revisit a classic era of railway poster design, brought to life in the vibrant tones of 1930s travel art. Born and raised in Berkhamsted and educated at JFK School in Hemel Hempstead, she now lives in Tring and is chairman of Berkhamsted Local History and Museum Society, also researching and publishing local history articles and books.

Mary studied at Watford School of Art before completing a Fine Art degree at Portsmouth. Working traditionally in hand-painted gouache, with no computers involved, her style draws on the pre-war railway advertising posters she admires, particularly the work of Norman Wilkinson, a discovery made while working as an art technician at Berkhamsted School for nearly twenty years.

Self-employed since 2017, Mary takes on private and commercial commissions, with work held in collections including those of senior political and public figures, and recent recognition spanning Parliament and national television. Her depictions of the Chilterns and surrounding area continue to grow in popularity, with interest and commissions steadily increasing.

https://www.marycasserley.com

Old Town / The Water Gardens

Dating back to medieval times, many of the historic buildings in Hemel Hempstead’s Old Town survive today, making for a picturesque scene. St Mary’s church spire dominates this eclectic destination, home to a theatre, restaurants, pubs and bars, and independent shops and cafes, all adjacent to the glorious Gadebridge Park.

Mary’s painting captures the Old Town in her signature 1930s railway poster style, hand painted in gouache and rich with character. For this exhibition, the artwork has been gently brought to life. Presented in a postcard style frame, the scene takes on subtle movement, with clouds drifting across the sky, trees swaying lightly in the wind and a train easing forward through the view.

Set to calming music and the soft background chatter of daily life, the piece becomes a living postcard, inviting viewers to pause, look closer and step into a quietly animated corner of Old Town Hemel.

West Herts College, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1HD