Southsea Coastal Scheme: First artist unveiled for new 'outdoor art gallery' near The Briny

Residents and passersby will soon enjoy a seafront art gallery near The Briny Restaurant. The gallery, called The Windbreaks, will sit beneath a new shelter and feature work from a different artist every four months.

Emily, one of 48 artists who applied, said: “I am absolutely ecstatic to receive this news. I’m so very proud to contribute to the cultural life of Portsmouth in this way and I can’t wait to work with the team on realising this project.”

Her impasto oil painting style features thick layers of paint applied to the canvas, creating a rich texture with bold, vivid brush and knife strokes.

Most of her work depicts landscapes, which she describes on her website as “celebratory – memorialising light, life and landscape through the vibrant medium of paint”.

When Speaker’s Corner opens later in December, visitors will be able to view five of Emily’s still life paintings and five landscape pieces, including scenes of Portchester Harbour and the Isle of Wight.

Portsmouth City Council leader Councillor Steve Pitt said: “The Windbreaks is part of the council’s seafront arts programme to enhance the new sea defences through a series of sculptures and public art projects.

“By rotating the exhibitors, the gallery will showcase the wide variety of creative talent in our city and provide opportunities for the local arts community to exhibit their work in a popular, public space.”

The first three exhibitions in The Windbreaks are sponsored by VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster, contractors for the Southsea Coastal Scheme who built the shelter.

Jon Benton, divisional director at VolkerStevin, said: “We’re proud to support the incredible talent of local artists by sponsoring a project that celebrates creativity.

“The Windbreaks project further enhances the engineering excellence we’re building to protect Southsea by providing the community with a space that is far more than just a sea defence.”

Portsmouth-based artists of all disciplines are encouraged to apply for future exhibitions through the Hotwalls Studios website: www.hotwallsstudios.co.uk/thewindbreaks.