b'INTRODUCING THE 2023 EMERGEBURSARY ARTISTSWhether youre a recent graduate with an art degree or seeking a lifestyle change from regular employment, finding your place in the creative arena can be challenging. Taking part in WOS Summer Art Weeks is a proven catalyst in this journey, so we offered four bursaries to enable emerging talent to get involved this year.Clare ShilvockArt @ St Nicholas House & Snitterfield Studio (Venue 80 & 97) 17 years ago I went on a course to learn how to plant and maintain a living willow dome. The first time I felt the flexibility and energy within a willow rod, I was hooked! I now have more than 5,000 willow plants across 60+ varieties which I transform into finished pieces of function & formtraditional & contemporary baskets, garden structures & homewaresshowcasing its natural colour, texture and flowing lines.Darcy HillArt at the Alex & Art on the Lawn (Venue 34 & 61) I stumbled into ceramics in 2019 and now have an obsession with all things pottery. I gained a first in Furniture & Product Design and now work part-time, while spending the rest of my hours in my studio, at my kiln or mixing glaze. Ive been focused on developing my production skills and the quality of my work, but Im now running out of space in my cupboards!Hayley BurgessCotswold Edge (Venue 131) I graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art & Design with a degree in Fine Art. As a printmaker, I approach my pieces in a painterly manner, often using two or more techniques to construct the final print which allows my work to evolve more intuitively. I am inspired by long walks in the rural countryside, and use the transformative qualities of nature as a metaphor for myselfthe seasonal cycles of growth and decay holding a mirror to my own mortality.Ian WhiteAll Saints Church (Venue 77) I use computer art programs to create digital artworks that I convert into colourful wall-hung painted panels using spray paints and stencils. The style of imagery is influenced by abstract surrealism and by my interest in editing digital art. I describe my paintings as recoding digital art. The guidance and support I am receiving from the team at WOS has helped me gain the confidence to take a step towards becoming a more confident artist.'