The Northern Girls art collective exhibition in Cheshire

The Northern Girls art collective is a group of Cheshire-based professional artists who have exhibited their diverse, yet complimentary works, on numerous occasions over the past four years.

The Northern Girls on a plein-air painting trip to Capesthorne Hall. From left: Kate Fawcett, Zelda Pickup, Alison Stafford, Allie Pottinger, Ginny McDermott, Antoniela Ginourie, Di Metcalfe. Image: Northern Girls Allie Pottinger, Zelda Pickup, Alison Stafford, Di Metcalfe, Ginny McDermott, Kate Fawcett and Antoniela Ginourie have their next exhibition from November 1 to 3 (10am to 4pm), at the Clonterbrook Gallery, Trap Road, Swettenham Heath, CW12 2LS.

Allie Pottinger is a watercolour artist, painting and teaching around Cheshire, including at Capesthorne Hall, Toolerstone and from her studio at Clonterbrook. Recently her career has seen a prolific return to her roots as an illustrator, and she is delighted to be working on some high-profile projects. In the meantime, she continues to run her popular watercolour workshops, sharing my knowledge of watercolour techniques, in a calm, inspirational and fun environment.

Sunflowers and Japanese Bowl by Zelda Pickup Zelda Pickup also has her studio at Clonterbrook. During lockdown, Zelda developed a style of colourful painting in traditional oils. Her new works have been very well received resulting in significant sales, both at Northern Girls' exhibitions and online. Her work is in collections in the UK and Europe and she has created new collections for the Macclesfield Art Fair (September 26-October 3) and Goosfest's ‘Art in the Barns’ Art Festival, September 27-29.

Alison Stafford with Here Comes the Rain In 2023, Congleton- based artist, Alison Stafford was a finalist in BBC 1’s The Big Painting Challenge collaborative art projects and exhibitions. This year she was the winner of the SAA Artist of The Year 2024 Competition – Abstract and Experimental and runner-up in The British Art Prize 2024. She runs workshops in Acrylics and Abstracting the Landscape and teaches art to adults courtesy of Seasons Art Classes in Congleton once a week.

Every first and third Thursday of the month you will find her running Paint and Sip events with Fizzcasso at venues in Cheshire as part of her mission to ignite the creative spark in as many people as possible.

The Goyt Valley by Di Metcalfe Di Metcalfe is a Poynton-based artist working with oil over acrylics and inks, using a palette knife. Her distinctive style has sold well at Northern Girls exhibitions leading to commissions and further sales. She has some wonderful pieces in the mixed summer exhibition at Plas Glyn Y Weddw Gallery on the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales (until October 2) and is preparing for a solo exhibition with a gallery later next year.

The Confidante by Ginny McDermott Ginny McDermott produces atmospheric landscapes and townscapes in oils or acrylics from her studio in Macclesfield. She exhibited and sold at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2023, and this year is a wildcard in the next series of Sky Landscape Artist of the Year. She has exhibited and sold regularly at the East Cheshire Hospice, Artfair Cheshire and has work available at Bollington’s Northern Exposure Gallery.

Garden Posy by Kate Fawcett Kate Fawcett, from Macclesfield, has an experimental and energetic style, often using unusual painting tools or found objects to apply the paint, sanding and scraping back, adding texture in the form of collage and mixed media. Kate had a piece accepted for this year's exhibition of the The Royal Society of British Artists at the Mall Galleries in London, and as a result of this and Northern Girls exhibitions, has sold many works from her studio.

Towards the Evening by Antoniela Ginourie Antoniela Ginourie is ceramist and painter, based in Macclesfield. Her organic ceramics regularly feature in local galleries. Her first solo exhibition sold out, with work now in collections as far away as Australia. Wetherspoons commissioned her to produce paintings for its opening in Macclesfield and she has just worked on a commission for an apartment at the golf course at Praia del Rei, Portugal.