Between Tide and Tale
ArtHouse Exhibition (14th April – 2nd May 2026)
Guest Blog by Martin Dawber
Two Lancashire based artists, Pauline Rigby and Jayne Jolly, who have been friends for 35 years, will be wowing visitors to Southport with their showcase at the ArtHouse in Eastbank Street.
No stranger to exhibiting around the region, Pauline from Chorley explains: “We decided on a joint show as although we have different disciplines (Jayne’s is abstraction, mine is figurative), we felt that they would complement each other if we had a common theme. As we both love nature and the sea, it fell into place that as the gallery is in a seaside resort it would be appropriate to use the sea as the basis to underpin our exhibition.”
A graduate in Fine Art from Bolton University, Pauline uses both watercolours and oils to explore the boundaries between the natural world and the imagined one: “In my work I merge the physical forms of marine creatures with symbolic and human elements, creating hybrid figures that inhabit a space between myth and biology. The ocean has always been a site of mystery and storytelling and I draw on its depth – both literal and cultural – to examine how folklore shapes our understanding of the unknown.”
Later this year, Pauline has been accepted to exhibit at the prestigious International Watercolour Masters in Telford.
In contrast, Jayne who also lives in Chorley, takes her own inspiration from the Scottish Hebridean seas and beaches:
“For me, the ocean is a place to dream, a place to be still and allow my soul to catch up. I lose myself and just for a moment nothing else matters. I borrow the colours and energy of the ocean and the big skies that surround it. I use photographs and precious beach finds to create my pieces in my little studio at home”.
Jayne openly brings a therapeutic value to her work: “I use art as a way of processing my emotions, providing me with a sense of wellbeing and joy. My abstract acrylics evoke tides, rhythms and emotional undercurrents. Each piece is a quiet meditation on movement and space. My paintings organically evolve and flow to create calming pieces, full of layered meaning.”
Between Tide and Tale will be on display at the ArtHouse, Eastbank Street, Southport from 14th April-2ndMay 2026. The gallery is open Tuesday – Friday 10.00-15.00. Saturday 11.00-16.00. Certainly not one to be missed, Pauline and Jayne will be hosting a Private View on Saturday 18th April at 1-3pm and a Meet the Artists on Friday 24th April.
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