Sat 8 Mar 2025
AF Art Collective: The Natural World
Garden City Arts Club: 20 March - 19 April 2025
A collaboration of styles and interpretations, with each artist celebrating the beauty they see in the natural world and recognising the fragility and need to conserve the environment.
About the AF Art Collective
The AF Art Collective (AF) is a small group of local artists who meet monthly to share their work and to discuss and encourage each individual’s artistic growth. The group is supportive and friendly, each member having different personal goals but all sharing a love of art.
Members of this group have successfully entered and sold artwork in local galleries and exhibitions.
Meet the Artists
Toni Gates – Tg Art
Gallery
A self-taught artist who works from her tiny home studio. Born in a small village in North Hertfordshire Toni has carried through her life a love of rural spaces and animals both of which feature heavily in her art.
Toni has an eclectic approach to art frequently changing her style, technique and medium. Her work is often born from imagination and evolves in front of her as she works rather than being planned in advanced. Drawn to bold colours and a slightly whimsical feel her paintings are a clear contrast to her very realistic and detailed pencil drawings.
An active member of Herts Visual Arts, Toni believes art is an endless journey of expression and discovery and is constantly exploring and pushing her artistic boundaries.
Nicola Goss – Nicola Heather Art
Gallery
I am a self-taught Pet Portrait and Wildlife Artist working in watercolour and coloured pencils I strive to reproduce realism in my work that makes you feel like you could reach out and touch the fur.
After being medically retired at a young age, I was determined not to let my MS diagnosis hold me back in life, so I rekindled my love of art.
Based in Hertfordshire, I have built a network of likeminded artists and art lovers to share my passion with and to support my mental health.
Pet portraits are drawn with highly pigmented lightfast pencils and usually drawn on quality drafting film, alternatively on archival acid free paper ensuring you have a quality portrait that you can cherish for years to come.
Sonia Kang – Sonia Kang Designs
Gallery
I am a British South Asian nature and landscape artist who loves to create colourful art. Working primarily with oils and palette knives, I carry inspiration from my surroundings, nature and artist like Van Gogh. My art is known for being bright, vibrant and expressive which mirrors how I see the Natural World in my eyes. I find it beautiful how our imagination can give a blank canvas a new lease of life. Being creative brings me purpose, love and light. Life is full of ups and downs, and nature will always be a constant to radiate peace in my life. Being a member of Herts Visual Arts has helped me to push forwards with my art.
Deb Dowie
Gallery
Drawing has been my lifelong passion and relaxation. I recently retired from teaching, but it was my early career as a tool-designer in mechanical engineering that gave me an eye for detail. Animals and birds are a big part of the natural world and I enjoy capturing their beauty, particularly, the intricate detail of patterns and colours in their fur and feathers. I use mixed media but primarily work in pencil, with the multiple layering of colours and tones to achieve the desired level of clarity and complexity in my artwork. I belong to several, informal local art groups and have successfully entered my work in galleries and exhibitions.