Olympia McEwan

Meet-the-Maker drop-ins : Saturday 3rd October & Saturday 10th October, in the church. Details on our website; www.williammorris.gg

"How William Morris Makes Things Better" : a lecture by author, curator and lecturer Suzanne Fagence Cooper. Wednesday 7th October, 7pm, Frossard Theatre, Candie. Tickets via Guernsey Arts Commission's Eventbrite page.

Autumn Walking Festival : Visit Guernsey will be running walks exploring William Morris's connection to the island and to St Stephen's Church. 

Radical Beauty is kindly supported and sponsored by Guernsey Arts Commission. "Guernsey Arts is pleased to be supporting this collaborative project celebrating the Island's cultural and heritage links with William Morris. We look forward to seeing local artists come together to explore and shape contemporary creative dialogue, reinforcing the Island's reputation as a place where heritage and creativity go hand in hand."

With special thanks to:

Guernsey Arts Commission — support & sponsorship / Olympia McEwan — William Morris Collective founder & exhibition curator / Anna Symons — Marketing, Comms & assistant curator / Fr Joe Thompson — St Stephen's Vicar /  Tony Kaines — St Stephen's People's Warden / Rosalyne Le Huray — St Stephen's Church historian/  George McEwan — Graphic designer / Oliver Brock — Website designer and content provider.

✉️ w[email protected]

Meadow Flower triptych with Common Blue Butterfly

50cm x 60cm each panel / 150cm x 60cm in total

acrylic paint and oils on canvas panels

Meadow Flowers with Bumblebee

50cm x 60cm

acrylic paint and oils on canvas board

Wildflower with Common Blue Butterfly

10cm x 16cm

acrylic paint and collaged paper on paper

Blossoms in Yellow

acrylic paint on linen canvas / 30cm x 25cm

Wild Flowers in Pink Pot (medium)

oil paint on canvas / 20cm x 25cm

Pink Pot with Wild Flowers (small)

oil paint on canvas / 20cm x 25cm

Cherry Blossom for Linda

acrylic paint on linen boards / 120cm x 60cm (in total)

Cherry Blossom for Kerry-Anne

acrylic paint on canvas / 60cm x 60cm

Cherry Blossom Tree

acrylic paint on linen panels / 90cm x 80cm

Guernsey Wild Orchids

Acrylic paint on board / 30 x 40cm

Cobo Wild Flowers (large)

oil paint on canvas / 60cm x 76cm

Wild Flowers in Red

acrylic paint on canvas / 36cm x 46cm

Wild Flowers (drawing)

mixed media on Chinese paper / 33cm x 41cm

Wild Flower Drawing

inks on paper / 30cm x 42cm

Wild Flower Drawing on hemp

mixed media on hemp paper / 21cm x 30cm

Guernsey Lilies No. 1

oil paint on board / 30cm x 40cm

Guernsey Lilies No. 2

oil paint on board / 30cm x 40cm

Orchid Study

oil paint on canvas board / 20cm x 25cm

Annoula's Orchid

oil paint on canvas / 35cm x 45cm

Meadow Flowers with Red Tailed Bumblebee

50cm x 60cm

acrylic paint and oils on canvas board

Bathybic Blue Cherry Blossom (large)

60cm x 50cm

acrylic paint on canvas board

Cherry Blossom (detail)

60cm x 60cm

acrylic paint on canvas board

Bathybic Blue with Cherry Blossom (medium)

acrylic paint on canvas board / 55cm x 65cm

Meadow Flowers with Common Blue Butterfly

40cm x 50cm

acrylic paint and oils on canvas board

Meadow Flower with Bumblebee

32cm x 47cm

acrylic paint and oils on mdf panel

Meadow Flowers with Humble Bumble

33cm x 28cm

acrylic paint and oils on canvas

Wild Grass with Common Blue Butterfly

20cm x 26cm

acrylic paint and paper collage on paper

Ecosphere

20cm x 20cm

Collagraph print with collaged paper

Autumnal Flowers & Blue Pot

50cm x 60cm

acrylic paint on canvas

Autumn Flowers with Elephant Hawk Moth

acrylic & oil paint on board

33cm x 44cm

From Saints Slip

Acrylic on linen board / 60cm x 50cm

Marble Bay

Acrylic on linen board / 60cm x 50cm

Saints Headland from slip

Acrylic in linen board / 50cm x 40cm

Sasha Kazantseva-Miller : entrepreneur, sustainability champion, mentor, start-up advisor, mum of three and Deputy for the States of Guernsey.

oil on canvas / 40cm x 50cm

Cathy Best : Internationally acclaimed fine jewellery designer and charity supporter.

oil on canvas / 40cm x 50cm

Teresa O’Hara : Manager & Co-Founder of Dyslexia Day Centre.

oil on canvas / 40cm x 50cm

Anna Smith : life long voluntary and charity worker

oil on canvas / 40cm x 50cm

DR JAYNE OZANNE OBE : INCLUSIVITY CHAMPION

“The truth shall always set you free. Please know that you are loved, you are loveable and that you are wonderfully made, just as you are!”

Jayne is originally from Guernsey. She is a passionate advocate for LGBT+ rights in the Church of England. She is one of the most powerful and influential international campaigners on the subject and has a large following amongst religious and non-religious leaders alike. In 2024, Jayne was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Kent, for her work in equality, and as Research Fellow at Regent’s Park College at the University of Oxford. In 2025, Jayne also became a Deputy in the States of Deliberation (Guernsey's parliament) serving the island in a four-year term. And in this year's honours list 2026, on the recommendation of the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, Jayne has been awarded an OBE for her outstanding contribution and service to Religion and the LGBTQ+ Community.

DAME MARY PERKINS : PHILANTHROPIST EXTRAORDINAIRE

“I am extremely proud to be Everywoman’s patron and part of such an amazing group that so actively promotes the merits and talents of women and the vital contribution they make to the economy.”

In 1984, Mary and Doug famously established Specsavers in Guernsey, on a table tennis table in their spare room – and within three years it had grown into the largest privately-owned opticians in the world. As well as her ongoing hands-on involvement in running a multinational business, she still finds time for charitable work. And she is patron and/or trustee of over 28 charities and was proudly Chair of the Guernsey 2023 Island Games Committee.

BARONESS PITKEATHLEY : FROM BISSON TO BARONESS

“No matter how much homework I had, the tomatoes must be picked, packed and sent away, and this simply could not be put off. Consequently I have a strong ‘get it done’ gene and never miss a deadline.”

Jill Pitkeathley (née Bisson) was born in Guernsey in 1940. She left the island for a university education and worked in a range of social care roles until becoming Chief Executive of the Carers National Association, for which she was awarded an OBE in 1993. Tony Blair invited her to become a working peer in 1997, and she was appointed to the House of Lords as Baroness Pitkeathley of Caversham – the first woman from the Channel Islands to sit in this chamber. Amongst her proudest achievements has been giving a voice to the UK’s six million carers through her work at the Carers National Association (now known as Carers UK).

NESSI GOMES : THE SOUND OF THE COSMOS

“My voice has been my biggest companion in life and it has helped me through many difficult moments and so I want to share that with people.”

Born in Guernsey to a Portuguese family, Singer-Songwriter Nessi Gomes channels influences from both sides of her ethnicity, blending the essence of the traditional, emotional and ‘larger than life’ Fado folk music with British progressive modern inspiration. Her acclaimed debut album Diamonds & Demons was released in October 2016 and received huge media attention and has since played in 30 countries including major festivals and stages. In parallel with her recording career, she created the Vocal Odyssey workshops through the experience gained from studying music therapy at university. Her retreats encourage participants to meet with the spirit of their voice.

JO PRIAULX MBE : A GIFT TO THE ISLAND

In November 2003, Jo Priaulx gave birth to daughter Danniella five weeks early by emergency caesarean section. Following this traumatic experience – and a similar experience with their first child, Sebastian a few years earlier – Jo and husband Andy decided that they wanted to help other families going through a similar experience – and the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation was born. Over the last twenty years the charity has gone from strength to strength and despite its original name, the charity has extended its remit to also helping critically ill children and their families from Guernsey. In 2025, Jo was awarded an MBE for her services to neonatal care in Guernsey.

MEGAN PULLUM KC : ILLUMINATING THE RULE OF LAW

“Just listen to her reeling off the answers during a States debate – she’s like a walking wikipedia for Guernsey.“ Laura Clayton, Bailiwick Express.

Megan Pullum was appointed HM Procureur and Receiver-General in 2016, the first woman to hold a Crown Officers’ position in Guernsey. Following a legal career in the UK, Megan was called to the Guernsey Bar in 2006, where she initially worked in private practice. She was appointed Queen’s Council in 2012, HM Comptroller in 2012, before her promotion to HM Procureur in 2016. As Guernsey’s Attorney General, Megan is legal adviser to the States Assembly on constitutional and legal issues and rules of procedure. She is also responsible for drafting new legislation to implement the resolutions of the States, as well as representing the States in Guernsey’s Courts and the prosecution of criminal cases.

PROFESSOR JOSEPHINE ARENDT : THE QUEEN OF MELATONIN

“The field has lost one of its shining stars. A pioneer, a trail blazer!” Prof Debra J. Skene, University of Surrey.

Josephine was born in Yorkshire in 1941, and after World War II she and her family moved to Guernsey. She went on to study biochemistry at University College, London. When she graduated, she worked in London and Geneva, becameing interested in the science of sleep. She returned from Switzerland to the UK and rose to the position of Professor of Endocrinology at the University of Surrey. Jo spent most of her career studying the effects of melatonin and light in humans. Her work led to ground-breaking advances in our understanding of sleep – including the use of melatonin to alleviate jet-lag; helping blind people and shift-workers keep their internal rhythms in sync and discovering the use of blue light to treat seasonal depression. She also worked with the British Antarctic Survey to devise new ways to help workers in Antarctica adapt to the unusual light conditions.

You can listen to my interview with the Professor’s colleague Prof Debra J. Skene - here.

Oil on canvas board / 30cm x 30cm

Oil on canvas board / 30cm x 30cm

Oil on canvas board / 30cm x 30cm

Oil on canvas board / 30cm x 30cm

Oil on canvas board / 30cm x 30cm

Oil on canvas board / 30cm x 30cm

Kelleher commission

Andrew Dyke CCD Architects

Dyke commission

Monkhouse commission

Arendt commission

Morgan commission

Drake commission

Self portrait 2003

Morgan commission

Kelleher commission

Pratt commission

Kelleher +10 Years commission

Taylor commission

Bell commission

Coupe commission

The book can also be purchased on-line at www.blueormer.co.uk

Waterstones Book shop: https://www.waterstones.com/book/in-living-memory/olympia-mcewan

Amazon Books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Living-Memory-Olympia-McEwan

OUR LIVES IN 25 WORDS / mixed media / 127cm x 61cm

Edward ‘Ted’ Smith, his brother and mum were evacuated to Nottingham in 1940. During the Occupation of the Channel Islands, Red Cross letters could be sent between family members. The letters were heavily censored and they were restricted to 25 words. Up to two letters could be sent or received per year.

Copies of the Red Cross letters sent between Ted’s mum and dad feature within this portrait.

BAREFOOT, BUT WE KEEP SMILING THROUGH / mixed media / 133cm x 75cm

Mavis Lemon who was born in Sark and lived through the occupation years with her extended family. They made do with what they had. She and her sister were dressed in clothes made from curtains and she remembers being barefooted at times. If Mavis wanted to go to the weekly dance, she’d have to borrow a pair of shoes from her aunt. Times were hard, but their close knit community always looked out for each other.

HOMECOMER STORY, dedicated to Beda / mixed media / 113cm x 75cm

Beda Thompson represents the story of the Homecomers of Alderney. Beda, her sister, her mother and father, all fled the island in 1940. She had mixed feelings about their Homecoming Day in December 1945: “I was very happy to come home but sad to see the state of the island. Some people saw it, turned around and never came back.” Her parents’ generation were determined to stay, in order to rebuild their lives and their precious island home.

I have gifted the portrait to the Alderney Museum and the artwork can be seen in the museum’s permanent collection.

Mick - Lockdown Hero 2020

charcoal, pastel, gouache paint & collaged papers / 55cm x 91cm

Wild Flowers in Pink Pot / oil on canvas / 20cm x 25cm

Private collection : Mrs & Mrs Trevor Wakefield