During the 1950s the Bardfield artists included: John Aldridge, Edward Bawden, George Chapman, Stanley Clifford-Smith, Audrey Cruddas, Joan Glass, Walter Hoyle, Sheila Robinson, Michael Rothenstein, Marianne Straub, among others. The Great Bardfield Artists were diverse in style and rivalled the better known art community at St. Ives. Clifford-Smith and the other Bardfield artists exhibited in the large 'open house' shows in the isolated village in 1954, 1955 and 1958.
The Great Bardfield Artists, a group of diverse artists active during the 1950s, consisted of notable figures such as John Aldridge, Edward Bawden, George Chapman, Stanley Clifford-Smith, Audrey Cruddas, Joan Glass, Walter Hoyle, Sheila Robinson, Michael Rothenstein, and Marianne Straub. This collective rivaled the more prominent art community at St. Ives. In 1954, 1955, and 1958, Clifford-Smith and his fellow artists participated in large 'open house' events held in the isolated village.