Ten portraits in oil and acrylic form the February exhibition at Bishop's Stortford's ArtWall.

They are all the work of artist and printmaker Chris Chandler. After graduating from London art school Central Saint Martins, Chris, who also paints pets and still life, has been exhibiting locally and has completed several commissions over the last year.

The exhibition details his recent experiments in technique and composition, with figures in various sizes, framed in different ways, using a multitude of methods.

The ArtWall is at optician Ashwell & Barrie in North Street, Bishop’s Stortford, and was established by principal optometrist Simon Harris when he noticed the lack of affordable exhibition space in the area. It is free for use by local artists and photographers, and there is no hanging fee or commission taken on sales.

Any professional or amateur artist, or group of artists, can hang their work. Each exhibitor is given a whole month to show any work they wish; there is no judging or editing (providing it is suitable for a family audience). The artist can display one large artwork, or a selection of their choice as a themed range, or a cross-section of work.

The ArtWall is 3m x 1.5m and can include up to a maximum of 12 artworks (depending on size); the only requirement is that the artworks can be hung using the display system in place, which usually just requires metal eyes or D-rings on the frame or stretcher.

It is co-ordinated by Bishop's Stortford Art Society member and graphic designer Nick Dittrich, who hangs the work and promotes the artists via social media, so you don’t have to be local to see the work, but to exhibit there you do have to live in the area.

To exhibit your work, email artwall@ashwellandbarrie.com. For details of ArtWall on social media, search for Stortford ArtWall on Facebook and ArtWallUK on both Instagram and Twitter.

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