Words and photo by Tristan Ovington.

Despite being opened as a gallery over 30 years ago, Fisherton Mill, located near Salisbury train station, remains fresh and vibrant.
In her seventh year at Fisherton Mill, manager Lauren McQuaid describes the themes of the exhibition she helped set up, some of the newer artists, and festive workshops.

“We have a lot to offer, despite the year nearly being over,” said Lauren. “Lots of our workshops are perfect as Christmas gifts. Like the Festive Polar Bear Needle Felting workshop, for example, or the “crochet a cactus” workshop in December.
“We are also excited to have taken on some great new shops and artists recently,” Lauren continues. “Honeycombers opened just a few weeks ago and sells many different kinds of honey and beeswax products.
“Exploring the first floor is always exciting, where Rob
and Robyn’s painter and printmakers studio ‘Peg knife’ are always busy with prints
and are currently doing Christmas card workshops.”
“We currently have an exhibition about the animal world called Not Just Camels which started on November 5 and runs until the end of December.
“The theme is animals, not just for Christmas but all year round. Everyone has a favourite animal, so there is something for everyone in this exhibition.
“We have art by Tanya Hinton from Amesbury and ceramic mosaics by Dorset artist Colin Davis. The ceramic animals by Colin are especially interesting because some are made using beautifully printed plates that give a historical feel. But the eyes of the deer are more cartoony, giving it a clever, humorous touch.
“It’s always fascinating to see how our artists respond to the theme. Throughout the exhibition, we have a good mixture of media, such as paint, ceramic, various printing techniques, jewellery, and stained glass.”
“Christmas is always a busy time of year for us, so we encourage people to see locally made art or chat with our artists. If you cannot visit us Monday to Saturday, we will also be open 11am to 3pm on the 4, 11 and 18, which are all Sundays in December.”
fishertonmill.co.uk