LOCAL artist Sian Storey is to exhibit a collection of her paintings in the Proteus Creation Space.

Her solo show Adorned will be available for public viewing in the Council Road venue from January 20 until February 1.

Adorned draws inspiration from artists such as Ingres, Matisse, Klimt, Dumas, Beardsley and Mucha and is influenced by Geishas, modern icons, goddesses, femme fatales, Art Nouveau, Japanese culture, glossy fashion shoots, secret gardens and opulent palace interiors.

Exploring colour, texture, pattern, as well as themes of beauty, often borrowing vivid feminine symbols, such as birds, butterflies and flowers, the works are adorned with intense colour or pattern, immersed in fluid glossy varnish and spray paint pools.

Sian’s work has been on show in Basingstoke exhibitions a number of times, including the Young Basingstoke Artists and Best of Basingstoke visual art events, both of which took place in Fairfields Arts Centre.

In addition, last year she appeared in Festival Place painting a large rhino sculpture as part of Marwell Wildlife’s Go! Rhinos event, in celebration of its 40th anniversary.

Sian said: “I am fascinated by colour and enjoy experimenting with new techniques and processes to intensify my palette. I choose to work in oil and acrylic paint. I use oil paint with varnish like mediums to create pools and stains of rich colour.

“I find that acrylic paint is a very flexible medium and lends itself perfectly to my style. I have developed a technique described as acrylic appliqué, creating acrylic doilies and collaging them onto my canvases.”

Find out more online at sianstorey.com.

Exhibitions in the Creation Space are free to browse and are open between 10am and 5pm weekdays and Saturdays until 1pm.

Log on to proteustheatre.com for details.