Norfolk


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-norfolk3.jpg" alt="Impressionist painter artist Sophia Williams in her Stiffkey studio, North Norfolk" class="wp-image-50179" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-norfolk3.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-norfolk3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-norfolk3-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p><a href="https://www.northnorfolkstudios.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">North Norfolk Open Studios</a> is an unmissable chance to meet artists, buy some fabulous local art and have a nosey at some inspiring arty places.&nbsp;From <strong>Sat 25&nbsp;May &#8211; Sun 2&nbsp;Jun</strong>, over 160 talented artists will be swinging open the doors to their studios, homes and gardens for an intimate glimpse into their creative process. One of the artists you can meet is <a href="https://www.sophiasloves.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sophia Williams</a>, who also volunteers as trail co-ordinator. We caught up with her to talk art, wine and falling in love with Norfolk.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-did-you-move-to-norfolk-and-what-drew-you-to-the-county">When did you move to Norfolk and what drew you to the county?</h3>



<p>My husband and I moved here in January 2021. We have visited the area for many years on holiday with my in-laws. They lived here in the 1980s and came back to Norfolk to visit old friends, we tagged along and fell in love with the vibe of the place.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-how-you-became-a-practising-artist-and-about-your-style-of-painting">Tell us about how you became a practising artist and about your style of painting?</h3>



<p>The Corn Exchange in Manchester was struggling to let its retail outlets during the financial crisis of 2007, because of this they allowed me to rent one on a profit share basis. This enabled me to fulfil my dream of setting up an art gallery and become a working artist.&nbsp;</p>



<p>I am a landscape artist, employing the methods of the 19<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;century impressionists with my own twist. My paintings up close don’t make much sense, but when you step back you see the landscape they portray.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="833" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/holkham-beach-painting-sophia-williams-artist-833x1000.jpg" alt="Holkham beach by impressionist painter artist Sophia Williams in her Stiffkey studio, North Norfolk" class="wp-image-50181" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/holkham-beach-painting-sophia-williams-artist-833x1000.jpg 833w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/holkham-beach-painting-sophia-williams-artist-667x800.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/holkham-beach-painting-sophia-williams-artist-768x922.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/holkham-beach-painting-sophia-williams-artist.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 833px) 100vw, 833px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-and-who-inspires-your-work-any-places-in-norfolk-nbsp">What and who inspires your work? Any places in Norfolk?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Claude Monet, the 19<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;century impressionist artist. I admire his fascination with light. I love how his style of work evolved over time, just like mine. Like him, I enjoy revisiting locations, and attempt to capture the beauty in front of me. I repeatedly return to the varied landscapes of the Holkham Estate. The beach just takes my breath away. Every time you visit it, nature gives you a different view to enjoy.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-you-make-your-work-nbsp">Where do you make your work?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Most of my work takes place in my studio in Stiffkey. I paint outdoors too, only in fair weather. Even though I am a hardy Yorkshire woman, I don’t enjoy battling the elements to paint. I tend to finish off my in-situ work, back in my studio. Flies try to become part of my work when I paint in the warmer months outdoors.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-riverside-studio.jpg" alt="Artists easel set up by riverside in garden of impressionist painter Sophia Williams's Stiffkey studio, North Norfolk" class="wp-image-50182" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-riverside-studio.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-riverside-studio-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-riverside-studio-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-riverside-studio-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-riverside-studio-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-long-do-you-spend-making-each-of-your-pieces">How long do you spend making each of your pieces?</h3>



<p>Most of my work takes weeks, sometimes months. I employ techniques that allow layers of paint to come through, which means the oils need to be partially dry for them to have the most impact. Although saying that I do create some of my pieces over several days. It just depends on what I am trying to achieve.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-your-greatest-success-and-greatest-failure-as-an-artist">Tell us about your greatest success and greatest failure as an artist. </h3>



<p>Moving to Norfolk has been great for my work. I have been supported by locals and visitors who have purchased many pieces. Some of my customers have evolved into friends too. I have also been able to support fellow artists by volunteering my time as a trail coordinator for the North Norfolk open studios events.</p>



<p>When I lived in Manchester, I painted cityscapes. Subsequently, I realised that I am not a fan of painting buildings. For me the most engaging and successful pieces of art convey a sense of awe. To achieve that as an artist you need to love what you’re painting. My joy is sparked by Norfolk’s big views, big skies and engaging with nature. I now only paint views that I enjoy getting lost in.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-norfolk2.jpg" alt="Artist Sophia Williams in her studio in Stiffkey, North Norfolk" class="wp-image-50178" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-norfolk2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-norfolk2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/sophia-williams-artist-stiffkey-norfolk2-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-an-artist">What’s the best thing about being an artist?</h3>



<p>Being present in every landscape. Having the awareness to find beauty in what lies in front of me, be that a hue of electric green set off by the crimson tractor lines, a pocket of light peeking through the tree canopy or a cloud misbehaving in a cobalt blue sky.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-doing-when-you-re-not-making-art">What are you doing when you’re not making art?</h3>



<p>I am a part-time wine educator. I spend a lot of time reading about wine, listening to wine podcasts, and drinking wine. When I moved my art gallery from Manchester to the Ribble Valley, I started to host “Discover Your Palette” events with a local wine merchant and world cheese award judge. This sparked a love affair with wine. I’ve been on journey of discovery, gaining professional qualifications in wine along the way. Every wine tells its own story. Every drop is a time-capsule, it can transport you to another place, start a conversation, create memories, and spark recollection of events gone by.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-you-recharge-your-batteries">Where do you recharge your batteries?</h3>



<p>In the morning, I wander down to sit by the river Stiffkey in my garden with a cup of coffee and listen to the birdsong whilst watching the wildlife.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-walk">Favourite walk?</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/morston-quay-norfolk.jpg" alt="Looking towards Blakeney from Morston Quay at sunrise" class="wp-image-50180" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/morston-quay-norfolk.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/morston-quay-norfolk-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/morston-quay-norfolk-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>From my house in Stiffkey to Morston quay. I love the contrasts along the coastal path. Walking past the playing field to the Coneyford Plantation with its wiggly holm oak trees, then catching a glimpse of Stiffkey’s five bridges nestled in between the samphire and sea lavender in the summer. An ascent through the gorse and blackberry bushes to Freshes Creak, listening and watching the birds going about their business along the way &#8211; watching the Marsh Harriers soar, the spoonbills fly, and the egrets hunt. Finishing the walk watching the tide ebb and flow from the benches by the National Trust café before catching the bus home.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-place-for-a-glass-of-wine">Favourite place for a glass of wine?</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.vinedme.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VinedMe</a> in Walsingham. It is worth making a pilgrimage to Walsingham for the wines at VinedMe, which has just won Best Wine/Beer Specialist in the Muddy Awards 2024. They have over 30 wines by the glass. Even if I didn’t work there, I would be waxing lyrical about how wonderful it is to spend time in this engaging and welcoming venue.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-your-favourite-spaces-to-exhibit-your-work-and-where-would-be-your-dream-place-to-show-your-work-nbsp">What are your favourite spaces to exhibit your work and where would be your dream place to show your work?&nbsp;</h3>



<p><strong>I</strong>&nbsp;love seeing my work in the homes of people that have purchased my art, they often live near those landscapes. I would really like to create a trail of my work around North Norfolk with pieces in locations near the landscapes that I have depicted. This trail would enable viewers to enjoy the location and my perspective of it too.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-you-want-people-to-feel-when-they-encounter-your-work-nbsp">How do you want people to feel when they encounter your work?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Happy. I want my work to evoke joyful memories and encourage people to go out and spend time in nature.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-artists-will-you-be-visiting-during-the-open-studios-and-why-nbsp">Which artists will you be visiting during the Open Studios and why?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>I am closed on two days during open studios so that I can visit fellow artists this year. I love the artists on the Stiffkey to Salthouse trail that I am a part of. As their trail co-ordinator, I have got to know them and their work really well. I would like to expand my horizons and venture out to see artists whose work I’ve long admired. This year I plan on visiting <a href="https://www.northnorfolkstudios.co.uk/artists-makers-2023-24/keri-lowe-58a0efa7-44e9-49a6-93ca-191eb9619804-list" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Keri Lowe</a> and <a href="https://www.northnorfolkstudios.co.uk/artists-makers-2023-24/sue-welfare-f14336a2-4aa9-424b-8419-ac15034e76a2-list" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sue Welfare</a> in Cromer. Then I am going to treat myself to lunch with a view at <a href="https://no1cromer.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">No1 Cromer</a>.</p>



<p></p>



<p><strong>The 2024 <a href="https://www.northnorfolkstudios.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">North Norfolk Open Studios</a> will run from Sat 25 May &#8211; Sun 2 Jun. <a href="https://www.northnorfolkstudios.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">View map</a> to locate the artists and to see which other artists are nearby. Contact the artist on the day that you’re planning to visit to check they’re open that day.</strong></p>


Muddy meets: Stiffkey artist Sophia Williams

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