‘When Soft was the Sun’ Autumn Exhibition 2026

As the evenings start to draw in, our thoughts turn to home and a good fire in the hearth. To set the scene we mark the beauty of the changes of the season, and introduce our special Autumn Exhibition combined with h.Art entitled ‘When Soft was the Sun’ Autumn Exhibition & h.Art which opens on Saturday September 5 at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge, promoting the work of talented British artists and makers from around the county and beyond

Heading the line up is artist Lynda Jones. Her mysterious canvases and drawings are mostly depictions of the Monmouth landscape, and its rolling hills, that surrounds her – the final image often bears little relation to the original subject but all have a common starting point – the memory of a place she knows well. Even when working on a larger scale, a tiny detail, such as a soaring kite, will intrigue and draw the viewer in.

Sought after artist Ann McCay is showing here for the fourth time. Her paintings convey a sense of space and have a strong narrative element. Settings are theatrical, often portraying man-made structures within natural vegetation. The eye is led along paths, through windows and into doorways. The familiar is made strange through the use of intense colour and light. The juxtaposition of images and archetypal nature of the figures inspires the viewer to create their own story. 

Back by popular demand is Helen Martino, who describes her own work as ‘serious, posh and frivolous’. Fascinated by body language, her ceramic sculptures embody a sense of narrative, where a still gesture captures a moment which suggests a past and a future story. Her pieces are hand built and surfaces are painted with slips, underglaze pigments and resists, often glinting with silver and gold lustres.

Stained glass artist Jane Littlefield is inspired by the nature, history and folklore of her home in the Peak District and deeply influenced by medieval stained glass. Using age old techniques, she has developed her own contemporary style in which traditional glass paints create multi-layered and textured images on small panels that are then fired in the kiln.

Tamsin Abbott’s stained glass panels are influenced by the natural world and its associated myths and legends. She tries to imbue her work with a sense of these magical qualities which connect humankind to the landscape while doing justice to the alchemical qualities of the glass itself.

Rachel Bailey’s jewellery explores her love of wild creatures, our native animals and birds and magical realms. The semi precious stones she uses are an integral part of her inspiration as they suggest landscapes that the creatures may inhabit. Each piece is individually made and therefore unique, in sterling silver and hallmarked in Sheffield