Art Fair

Just When You Thought the Art Fairs Were Over…

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Well, we thought we were done.

After a busy year of art fairs, exhibitions, packing, unpacking, driving, hanging, selling and generally wondering where on earth we keep finding the energy to do it all again… we thought 2026 was finally winding down… And then Manchester happened!

Completely out of the blue, we were offered a late cancellation stand at Manchester Art Fair – and after a little bit of discussion we decided to say YES!

serena pugh at manchester art fair 2026


Manchester, here we come!

Manchester Art Fair takes place at Manchester Central from 19th–22nd November 2026, and this year’s event is shaping up to be a big one. The fair has expanded to four days, with an exclusive preview evening on Thursday followed by a new public opening on Friday, before the traditional Saturday and Sunday. There will be more than 180 exhibitors and around 600 artists, bringing an enormous variety of original art together under one roof.

manchester art fair


And Serena will be right in the middle of it all at Stand 747.

We’re really excited about this one because Manchester is a completely new audience for us. We’ve travelled all over the country with Serena’s paintings over the years, but this will be our first time exhibiting at Manchester Art Fair – and we’re looking forward to seeing how her colourful, atmospheric works go down with the Manchester crowd.

manchester art fair


There should be plenty to see, too. Alongside Manchester Art Fair is The Manchester Contemporary, bringing together independent galleries and artist-led spaces from the UK and internationally, with a programme of talks, workshops and collector events. In other words, if you’re interested in art, there should be plenty to keep you occupied for the weekend!

manchester art fair


We’re not quite sure what we’ll be taking yet. We’re already imagining Stand 747 gradually filling up with colourful figurative works, atmospheric Scottish landscapes and all those little glimpses of places that Serena somehow manages to turn into something completely different with her work.

Once again we will be hoping to stay in Vinnie (our beautiful campervan!), although the nearest campsite is about 1/2 an hour away. It will definitely make it more of an adventure though! Getting ready and then hopping on the tram to head to the city centre.

If you’re anywhere near Manchester in November, we’d absolutely love you to come and say hello. Come and find Serena at Stand 747 at Manchester Art Fair, 19th–22nd November 2026, at Manchester Central.

And if you’ve never been to an art fair before, this could be a pretty good one to start with.

Art in the Pen 2026 – What a Brilliant Weekend!

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What a weekend!


Our visit to Art in the Pen in Skipton this year was everything we had hoped for – and more. It was particularly special to be part of the event’s 20th anniversary celebrations, and we feel incredibly lucky to have been there to enjoy it.

From the moment we arrived, there was such a lovely atmosphere. The other artists were friendly, welcoming and always happy to stop for a chat, and there was a real sense of community throughout the whole event. It was wonderful to see so many talented artists all together in one place.

And then there were the visitors. We had some fantastic conversations with people who really took the time to look at Serena’s paintings, ask questions and find out more about her work. It’s always lovely when someone connects with a painting, but even better when that connection eventually results in one of Serena’s paintings finding a new home. We were delighted with our sales and couldn’t have asked for a better response to the work.

Serena Pugh - pen 163 at Art in the Pen 2027


Of course, Art in the Pen wasn’t just about the artwork. This was also the trip that saw us properly put Vinnie through his paces! Staying on site made the whole experience feel like a bit of an adventure, and there was something rather lovely about finishing a busy day in the pen, heading back to Vinnie and settling in for the evening.

A huge thank you has to go to Andy Lynan and the whole Art in the Pen team. They did an amazing job of putting everything together, and despite the scale of the event, everything felt friendly, well organised and welcoming as always. Twenty years is quite an achievement, and they should be incredibly proud of what they have created.

We came away tired, happy and already talking about doing it all again.

So, thank you Art in the Pen, thank you to everyone who visited our pen, chatted to us, bought a painting or simply stopped to say hello – and congratulations on 20 fantastic years. We absolutely loved being part of it.

Hope to see you there again next year!

50 at 50 – Little Paintings, Big Idea!

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There’s something rather exciting happening behind the scenes at SerenArts at the moment…

As Art in the Pen celebrates its 20th anniversary, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to do something a little bit different. So, we came up with 50 at 50. The idea is simple – 50 original paintings, each just 4 inches square, and every one priced at £50.

A selection of 4" original paintings by Serena Pugh for the 50 at 50 collection


These aren’t prints or reproductions. They’re all original little paintings by Serena, created especially for this collection. There are flowers, landscapes, seascapes and plenty of Serena’s trademark colour and texture – each one completely individual. And although they’re small, they certainly aren’t lacking in personality!

13 have already found homes… We decided to give our lovely subscribers a little sneak peek at the collection before we headed off to Skipton – and they clearly liked what they saw! That means there are now 37 paintings remaining in the collection, and we’re taking them all with us to Art in the Pen.

Why £50?

serena pugh 50 at 50 collection of original 4 inch artworks


Well, the 50/50 theme seemed too good to resist! Serena normally sells her 4-inch original oils for £65 at art fairs, but because this is a special collection celebrating Art in the Pen’s 20th anniversary, we thought we’d make them £50 each. It’s a bit of fun, but it’s also a great opportunity for someone to own an original Serena Pugh painting at a particularly accessible price. And they’re the sort of paintings that make wonderful little gifts too – although we’re sure quite a few will end up being kept rather than given away!

One of the things we particularly love about these little 4-inch paintings is just how much Serena manages to squeeze into such a small space. They’re full of colour, texture and movement, and once they’re framed, they have a real presence. And because they’re all originals, once one has gone, it’s gone!

So, if you’re coming to Art in the Pen, make sure you come and find us early and take a look at the 50 at 50 collection. And if you can’t make it to Skipton, keep an eye on our social media – we’ll be sharing the collection along the way.

50 little paintings. 50 little stories. £50 each.

The Calm Before the Adventure

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If you’ve visited SerenArts Gallery over the last few weeks, you might think everything looks wonderfully calm. The paintings are hanging neatly on the walls, visitors are browsing at a leisurely pace, and there’s the usual friendly chat about colours, favourite places and whether that painting would look just right above the fireplace.

Behind the scenes, however… it’s a slightly different story!

In just a few weeks, we’ll be heading north to Art in the Pen in Skipton – one of the country’s best-loved art fairs – and while we’re incredibly excited, we’re also at that familiar stage where every flat surface seems to have become a temporary storage area for something art-related.

There are paintings waiting to be framed. Others are drying just that little bit longer because “one more day won’t hurt.” Serena’s 4-inch oil paintings are appearing in neat little rows ready for framing, while larger originals are quietly competing for a place in the van. It’s a bit like putting together a football team… everyone deserves a place, but sadly not everyone can make the starting eleven!

serena pugh paintings ready for art in the pen skipton


Then there are the lists.

Lists of paintings. Lists of display items. Lists reminding us to check the lists. Somewhere there may even be a list of where we’ve put the other lists.

Thankfully, experience has taught us that all this organised chaos eventually comes together. It always does. The bubble wrap gets wrapped, the labels get printed, the van gets packed (usually with military precision after several rounds of artistic rearranging), and before we know it we’ll be setting off on another adventure.

One of the nicest parts of preparing for an exhibition is seeing a collection of paintings slowly come together. Individually, each one tells its own story, but together they begin to create a conversation. Looking around the gallery, it’s exciting to imagine them hanging in a completely different setting, meeting thousands of visitors over the course of a weekend, and hopefully finding new homes.

serena pugh paintings hanging in serenarts gallery


Of course, before any of that happens, there’s still plenty to do. A few finishing touches here, a bit of varnishing there, perhaps the occasional cup of coffee (or three), and undoubtedly a few moments where we both stand in the gallery wondering, “Are we sure we’ve remembered everything?”

We probably haven’t.

But that’s all part of the adventure.

The countdown has well and truly begun, and we can’t wait to share the journey with you.

Wish us luck… and if anyone invents a way of packing a van so that it still has room for the kettle, we’d love to hear about it!