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‘When Soft was the Sun’ Autumn Exhibition and h.Art 2024

 

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’  which opens on Saturday August 31st 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 Herefordshire stained glass maker Tamsin Abbott will be showing several pieces. 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.

New to the gallery is artist Shelagh Popham who studied at St. Martin’s School of Art and the West of England Academy. She lives in the Radnorshire Hills, looking across the Wye Valley to the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons. Shelagh works in oil, watercolour, pen, pencil, charcoal and pastel as well as wood engraving and etching. Small sketches, colour notes and detailed observations are reworked and combined in her studio. She says: “If living is a process of coming to terms with our surroundings, then I would see my paintings as an interpretation of this process by means of inquiry or celebration; a public reflection of private rejoicings and unexpected incidents”.

David England came to three-dimensional work in his late thirties when he tried his hand at stone and fell in love with the medium. He lives and works in Herefordshire and his themes reflect a rural life: green men, river maids, hares and deer, but with an ongoing passion for the human form and a smattering of angels thrown in for good measure. 

Joanna Griffiths studied at Hertfordshire College of Art and the London College of Printing and had a successful and long career as a graphic designer. She now depicts the hills, moors and farmland of the Welsh Marches in oils, pastels and acrylic inks, never tiring of the transformations brought by the seasons and the changing weather. Joanna often only has to walk a short distance to study the subjects she loves, describing her daily walks as her ‘absorption time’.

We’re delighted to re-introduce the work of woodcarver (and talented bass guitarist) Peter Meyrick, his selection of bird carvings capturing the character of his subjects, without losing the tactile quality of the wood or the beauty of the grain. Bright colours, animal imagery and humour have always been an integral part of his work. He has been inspired to take up his tools again after a period of illness, we look forward to seeing the results.

Open every day 11am – 5pm through h.Art week

Otherwise open Wednesday to Saturday 11am – 4.30pm, Sunday 12am – 4pm

This exhibition will run till the end of October 2024

For more information contact Yasmin on 01544 388842 or visit www.oldchapelgallery.co.uk. 

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‘Song of the Earth’ Spring Exhibition 2024

‘Song of the Earth’ the Spring Exhibition 2024 at Old Chapel Gallery opens on Saturday March 9th and continues to the end of April.

Each piece inspired by nature, encompassing a unique collection of hand picked, desirable contemporary British fine art and craft including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, stained glass, jewellery, mosaics and wood we hope this latest exhibition strikes a heartening mood of optimism. 

Artist Sue Hayden brings a glorious new collection of seascapes and landscapes to our Spring Exhibition, painted whilst on location in Pembrokeshire, Ireland and Shropshire. Sue is excited by the relationship between texture, shape, light and space and paints with acrylics and pastels on paper that have been layered up beforehand with paint and paper creating a collage effect. This adds energy, randomness and interest to the subject. Her work is created from sketches and notes based on her impressions of what she is looking at and feeling. She rarely refer to photographs.

New to the gallery is artist Ann McCay whose 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.

Toff Milway has been a maker since childhood and has always tried to invent useful things, and creates salt-glaze pots that are not only beautifully elegant, but are also highly functional and useful. His own enjoyment of food makes him want his pots to inspire people to make good food, present it on or in interesting pots and to eat it in convivial company. In his own words, ‘Let’s live life with style and enthusiasm! I am a born enthusiast and want to encourage everyone. As a country potter I like to create pots that have an old fashioned country feel to them yet still retain their elegant lines.’ 

Saffron Guy hand builds pottery in a small studio in the Welsh Marches. Most of her sculptural ceramic vessels are hand built using slabbing, pinching and coiling methods and decorated with coloured slips, glazes and underglazes. She takes inspiration from both natural organic forms and also from the laboratory – vessels that she might have come across while working as a chemist and biochemist. She likes to work with symmetrical, even shapes, in some instances altering their surfaces with wax resist and erosion or carving before decoration.

John Mainwaring left school to become a carpenter. Private art tuition led to him selling cartoons to agencies for publication in magazines and newspapers. Having discovered woodturning in the early 1970s and finding wood carving more satisfying and rewarding he now produces carved and painted pieces of great character, charm and complexity. 

Rachel Bailey has been a jeweller for over 20 years. She studied at Portsmouth College of Art in the late ’80’s and then went on to West Surrey College of Art and Design in the early ’90’s taking a degree in three dimensional design – specialising in metals. Her work 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 in which the creatures inhabit. Each piece is individually made and therefore unique, in sterling silver and Hallmarked in Sheffield.

Frans Wesselman, who grew up in the Netherlands, moved to England in 1979 where he has worked and exhibited widely. From the delicacy of his etchings and watercolours to the strength of line and clarity of colour characteristic of his wood/linocuts and glowing stained glass, his enigmatic images often tell an intriguing story.

Morag Archer’s urge to create magic from lost items led her into the world of mosaics. She found she could combine lovely old broken vintage china with clay to make little picture treasures. Birds are her main inspiration. Each element plays its part. Tiny up-cycled paper fragments lovingly added layer upon layer; accents of ink, paint and gold leaf are stirred into the eclectic mix.

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OWN ART

Own Art 

The Simple and Affordable Way to Buy Art & Craft

 

Own Art

 

Old Chapel Gallery has just signed up to become a member of Own Art.

Own Art loans allow you to borrow from as little as £150 up to £2,500 and pay it back over 10 months, completely interest-free. You can choose to finance all or just part of your purchase and multiple items can be bought with one loan.

That means you can choose more or less anything you want from paintings, prints, drawings, and sculpture to glassware, ceramics, jewellery, furniture, and textiles. Whatever you decide to buy, it must be made by a living artist as we want to support the artists of today by encouraging sales of their work to new buyers.

The best part is that you can take your masterpiece home with you straight away.

Applying for an Own Art loan is easy!

The first stage is the difficult bit – deciding what to buy. Once you’ve found the artwork that you want to buy, just let us know that you’d like to apply for an Own Art loan to finance your purchase. All you will need is proof of residence and signature – for example, a driving license. Own Art is available to all UK residents over the age of 18, subject to status. This means that you must be able to meet one of the criteria in order to be approved for a loan.

  • Working at least 16 hours a week (employed or self-employed)
  • A retired person in receipt of a pension
  • If you are not working but are married to or living
    with a partner who does meet the above criteria, then you may still apply, provided that your partner is happy for their employment details to be included on your application form.

It only takes 10 minutes!

We’ll take you through the loan application process, which normally takes
about 10 minutes. Once you have given us all the information we need, you’ll
get an instant decision. Once your application is approved you will need you to
sign the agreement and you can take your artwork away there and then.

Own Art is a Creative United initiative supported by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Helping  customers, supports artists & makers and sustaining galleries

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‘Winter Curiosities’

The Christmas Exhibition 2023 at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge 

entitled ‘Winter Curiosities’ opens on Saturday November 4 with a dazzling collection of hand picked, hand made delights! Give the High Street a miss this Christmas and shop for unique British made presents in the calm and tranquil atmosphere of the gallery. Enjoy a truly delightful shopping experience.

We will be featuring a cornucopia of wonderful Christmas present ideas from the best of British artists and makers, many from Herefordshire and its surrounds –  something for everyone! Including handmade cards, candles and soaps, Christmas tree decorations in copper, brass, glass and porcelain, jewellery in silver, acrylic, pearls and semi-precious stones, studio glass and stained glass, ceramics – functional and decorative, ironwork – including pokers, snuffers, candle holders, bronzes, and sculpture – both for indoors and to grace the garden, original paintings, prints, including limited edition etchings, a wide range of textiles to include jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, cushions and throws.

To adorn your walls we will be showing a new collection of textile embroidery pictures by Rachel Wright.  Rachel is inspired by many subjects, including landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, harbour towns, boats, lighthouses and windmills. These themes are then translated into machine embroidered fabric collages that are lively and swirling with movement, with vibrant threads used like a fine paintbrush to fill in the details, worked onto carefully cut pieces of fabric. This enables Rachel to draw and paint through fabric and stitch, providing a rich source of colour, texture and pattern which forms her ‘palette’.

Colin See-Paynton is a Fellow of the Royal Cambrian Academy, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers and a member of the Society of Wood Engravers.  He is widely regarded as the leading exponent of wood engraving in the United Kingdom and his work is represented in many private and public collections around the world. We welcome him once again to the gallery.

New to the gallery is stained glass artist Lilly Eris who finds her inspiration in the rich tapestry of human mythology and the boundless intricacies of the natural world. She works in the traditional storytelling medium of stained glass to create mythical scenes. With its luminous translucence and timeless beauty, stained glass offers the perfect medium for Lilly to express the narratives and aesthetics that have captivated her imagination for years.

Another newcomer to the gallery is stained glass artist Jane Littlefield. 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.

Duncan White creates intricate ceramic sculpture. He is an enthusiastic collector of antique ceramics and other collectable artefacts and his own creations appear at first glance to suggest tiny but valuable archaeological finds that could be found locked away in a museum’s display case. 

His constructions are witty and amusing but with serious undertones.

Justine Allison hand built ceramics are very much concerned with the simplicity and beauty of the clay and incorporating pattern and texture as well as glaze to create subtle, unique variations. Thinness and movement are very important in each piece.

By popular demand Jemima Jameson returns for ‘Winter Curiosities’ with a beautifully executed collection of painted boxes and cabinets. Hares, foxes, kingfishers are just some of nature’s beautiful creatures that Jemima captures in acrylic paints as she creates these heirloom pieces.

Morag Archer creates jewel-like mixed media mosaic pictures, using scraps of broken vintage china, paper, paint and gleaming gold leaf. Birds are her main inspiration.

Jo Verity shows a great love and respect for folk law and the cycle of life and death within the natural world in recreating the journey of our land’s repossession of animals that once lived among us. Sometimes a little on the dark side each piece tells its own unique story. 

Tamsin Abbott’s magical stained glass always attracts much attention, drawing on the natural world around our Herefordshire countryside and its hares, badgers, ravens, foxes and more. 

Potter Josie Walters makes tableware and cooking pots in earthenware clay, which are decorated with lively motifs in slips and coloured glazes. Most of the pots are thrown on a traditional momentum wheel, even though many of the finished shapes are oval or rectangular.

‘Winter Curiosities’ will also be showing a  new collections of jewellery by Rachel Bailey, Rebecca Lewis, Elizabeth Terzza, Leoma Drew, Chrissie Nash,  Gail Klevan and Rozie Keogh.

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‘Caught in Flight’ Autumn 2023

Autumn 2023 ‘Caught in Flight’

Open every day 11am – 5pm through h.Art week

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 ‘Caught in Flight’  which opens on Saturday September 2nd 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.

New to the gallery is stained glass artist Jane Littlefield. 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.

Sought-after Herefordshire stained glass maker Tamsin Abbott will be showing several pieces. 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.

Kathryn O’Kell has been making woodcarvings for over 30 years. In a methodical, almost meditative process, she transforms her chosen medium, specifically English lime, into carefully sanded and painted pieces. She has only to look out of her shed window and her inspiration, the birds that have always fascinated her, can be found flying past, circling overhead or resting on the woodshed.

Printmaker Flora McLachlan’s work grows out of the experience of observing the landscape and the process of translating this experience into print. As she works on her etchings, she wants to evoke a single charmed moment out of time, a magical vision that stills. The scene is our ancient and enchanted landscape, roamed by guardian spirit-like animals, shadowed by woods where the holly springs green amongst the bare oaks and beeches.

Helen Martino describes her pots as “serious, posh and frivolous’, using hand building techniques with soft and flexible sheets of clay, freely cut and manipulated. She plays with perspective by distorting the objects as in a stage set. By inclination she is also a painter, and views these flattened forms as three dimensional canvases, painted with slips, underglaze pigments, and resists with accents of silver and gold lustres. 

Rachel Wright is inspired by many subjects, including landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, harbour towns, boats, lighthouses and windmills. These themes are then translated into machine embroidered fabric collages that are lively and swirling with movement, with vibrant threads used like a fine paintbrush to fill in the details, worked onto carefully cut pieces of fabric. This enables Rachel to draw and paint through fabric and stitch, providing a rich source of colour, texture and pattern which forms her ‘palette’.

 

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‘Splendour in the Grass’

‘Splendour in the Grass’ Garden Sculpture Exhibition 2023

After the cold and wet winter season we look forward to longer days, balmy evenings and with Summer around the corner when our thoughts turn to our gardens. With this in mind Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge opens its annual garden sculpture exhibition ‘Splendour in the Grass’, showing the work of talented British designer/makers in a variety of media. 

Opening on Saturday May 13 2023 the exhibition will run throughout the year. 

We have worked with sculptor Helen Sinclair since we opened the gallery in 1989 and she is still a firm favourite. Helen makes semi-figurative sculpture, cast into either resin or bronze from originals which she makes in plaster, clay, wax, cardboard, wood.

The materials she works with are as stimulating to her as the subject matter.

Helen lives by the sea and collects driftwood, broken furniture, discarded plastic debris and other beach-found ‘stuff’, all of which regularly introduce a new and unexpected vocabulary to explore.

Like many ceramic artists Cathi Penter draws inspiration from her surrounding environment – predominantly the amazing landscape and woods she calls home. Nestled at the far end of The Malvern Hills, tucked at the edge of Herefordshire, home is a tumble-down cottage with a large, cultivated garden and an ancient coppice. – both crammed with seasonal flora and fauna.

Simon Meiklejohn is an artist engineer. He initially trained as a mechanical engineer before taking an art foundation course, then going on to complete a Fine Art Sculpture degree course.
He now combines both disciplines in the metal artwork he creates and his sculptures encompass a broad mixture of figurative, abstract & kinetic sculpture as well as ‘found object’ constructions.

Another newcomer to the sculpture garden is sculptor Nik Burns, who creates one of a kind Steampunk-style sculptures of animals, fish and insects. The combination of nature with machine is central to his creative practice and offers a common theme throughout the work as he continuously experiments with materials and processes. His sculptures are made predominantly from metal and are designed for exterior display.

Potter Lyn Harrison works in stoneware crank clay, a strong, gritty clay which has a grainy, rustic appearance. She uses hand building methods, mainly coiling and slab work, to form her ceramic sculptures, and completes the pieces with slips, glazes and a wood ash finish. We will be showing a range of garden planters, bird baths and garden pots all highly decorated with hares, snakes and birds and all frost proof.

'Two Frogs' Bird Bath
‘Two Frogs’ Bird Bath

 

Also showing is sculptor Andrew Roache, retired veterinary surgeon, who has a keen eye to animal anatomy. Most of his work is intended for outdoor display so is life-size or larger. He favours iron resin because it lends itself well to animal subjects and each cast matures in an interesting and individual way.

Several artist blacksmiths will be showing a collection of their latest work in forged iron and stainless steel, including Neil Lossock, John Twiddy, Jenny Pickford and Sally Gaston where the visitor will discover cardoons, poppies, ferns, wild flowers as well as practical garden pieces, including a bird bath and plant supports. Some will be galvanised to protect them from the weather and others will feature hand blown glass.

Each piece of garden sculpture is designed to give hours of pleasure to enhance time spent in the garden. All available online at oldchapelgallery.co.uk

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Hay Festival Exhibition @ OCG

Hay Festival Exhibition @ OCG opens on Saturday May 13

A special Festival Exhibition at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge, to run during the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts 2023, opens on Saturday May 13, continuing to the end of June and features the work of talented British artists and makers from far and near. 

This year we are combining this exhibition with our Garden Sculpture show ‘Splendour in the Grass’ which also opens on Saturday May 13.

Heading the line up is artist Lynda Jones. Formerly from Sunderland, she settled in Monmouth in the early 1980’s, where she has lived ever since. Her canvases are mostly depictions of her local area – 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.

'Into the West'
‘Into the West’

 

New to the gallery is ceramicist Cat Santos. Her vases are printed both inside and out with distinctive decorative designs. She enjoys exploring the possibilities inherent in a variety of surfaces, from smooth porcelain, to heavy textured grogged clay. Her affectionate, life-affirming stoneware sculptures, with their silky glazes, show her preoccupations: ‘my imagery is often about people in spaces, the scale of our environment, and I try to capture moments of the wonder it is to live on this earth.’

'Walks' Vase
‘Walks’ Vase

 

'Young Explorer'
‘Young Explorer’

 

Karin Celestine Karin is an artist and author, who creates needle felted animals of charm and character, including the stars of her own delightful stop-motion animations and her series of children’s books.

Her joy in the natural world is also reflected in her sculptural copper pieces which complement her feltwork.

'Snoozing Dormouse'
‘Snoozing Dormouse’

 

Tamsin Abbott lives in rural east Herefordshire, making colourful stained glass pieces. Specialising in medieval literature at Stirling University, she later re-focussed her interests with an art foundation course and an evening class in stained glass at Hereford College of Art and Design. Influenced by the surrounding countryside, she is also drawn to the wider world of myths and fairytales connecting humankind to the environment, trying to imbue her work with a sense of this magic and to do justice to the mysterious, inspiring nature of the glass itself.

Maria Santos Alcantara creates pewter ware, using a combination of enamels, veneers, semi-precious stones or glass to create mirrors, boxes, photo frames and decorative panels. She is currently showing her range of pewter jewellery at the gallery.

Sue Hayden’s paintings are based on the relationship between texture, shape and light. Starting with observational drawings from life she uses bright acrylics and pastels on layered surfaces to add randomness and energy to her work. Particularly drawn to natural objects and landscapes her work emphasises a love of colour, texture and movement in what can be touched and what can be seen in the distance.

Running concurrently is an ever-changing collection of unique garden sculptures to enhance your outdoor space in a variety of media such as stoneware, forged iron, iron resin, stone resin, stainless steel, glass and more including the work of several sculptors new to the gallery.

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‘First Song’ the Spring Exhibition 2023

‘First Song’ the Spring Exhibition Old Chapel Gallery opens on Sunday March 11th 2023 and continues to the end of April.

Each piece inspired by nature, encompassing a unique collection of hand picked, desirable contemporary British fine art and craft including paintings, textiles, sculpture, ceramics, stained glass, jewellery and automata, we hope this latest exhibition strikes a heartening mood of optimism. 

Artist Jane Winton paints mainly in acrylics. Inspired by her love for all things vintage, she is constantly influenced by her own eclectic collection that surrounds her at home. Having a great love of American Folk Art, she is fascinated by the symbolism and simplicity of the work and the overall naive charm it conveys. She feels her work is a homage to those far off amateur artists, maybe with the inclusion of a little contemporary twist and a bit of humour of her own!

Tamsin Abbott lives in rural east Herefordshire, making colourful stained glass pieces. Specialising in medieval literature at Stirling University, she later re-focussed her interests with an art foundation course and an evening class in stained glass at Hereford College of Art and Design. Influenced by the surrounding countryside, she is also drawn to the wider world of myths and fairytales connecting humankind to the environment, trying to imbue her work with a sense of this magic and to do justice to the mysterious, inspiring nature of the glass itself.

New to the gallery, Worcestershire artist Karen Stone works in water-colours, oils and pastels, winning awards across the UK. She studied Fine Art in Birmingham and Life Drawing at The Slade School of Art, University College London. Her evocative still lives elevate everyday domestic objects, analysing the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary. Her enjoyment of the medium is evident in her expressive watercolour landscapes, the underpinning of observational drawing lending clarity and precision.

Another newcomer to the gallery is sculptor Nik Burns, who creates one of a kind Steampunk-style sculptures of animals, fish and insects. The combination of nature with machine is central to his creative practice and offers a common theme throughout the work as he continuously experiments with materials and processes. His sculptures are made predominantly from wood and metal and are designed for interior display.

Also showing for the first time is Maria Santos with her beautiful range of pewter jewellery. Using a combination of enamels, veneers, semi-precious stones or glass, she also creates mirrors, boxes, photo frames and decorative panels.

Back by popular demand is ceramicist Kirsti Brown who uses a variety of stoneware clays glazed with turquoise and watery blue. Elegant slab built bottles, their defined shoulders and slender necks reminiscent of human forms complement her coiled vessels, rounded as worn beach pebbles.

Another firm favourite at the gallery is felt maker Kathie Barrs who creates functional and decorative pieces from wool in an array of textures and vibrant colours, marbled together with plant fibres – vintage silk a favourite. These unusual designs are a never-ending exploration of a dynamic process, in which there are so many variables.

Marian Watson’s silver jewellery has a natural feel, inspired by the landscapes of Shropshire. She gained her B.A. in Fine Art painting at St Martin’s School of Art, then studied jewellery in Oxford. Working in silver and gold, she draws with metal in an organic way, adding texture suggestive of moss or bark, accenting with semi-precious and precious stones.

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‘Winter Curiosities’ Christmas Exhibition 2022

'Late Shopping and Prosecco'

Christmas Exhibition 2022 entitled ‘Winter Curiosities’ opens on Saturday November 5 with a dazzling collection of hand picked, hand made delights! Give the High Street a miss this Christmas and shop for unique British made presents in the calm and tranquil atmosphere of the gallery. Enjoy a truly delightful shopping experience.

We will be featuring a cornucopia of wonderful Christmas present ideas from the best of British artists and makers, many from Herefordshire and its surrounds –  something for everyone! Including handmade cards, candles and soaps, Christmas tree decorations in copper, brass, glass and porcelain, jewellery in silver, acrylic, pearls and semi-precious stones, studio glass and stained glass, ceramics – functional and decorative, ironwork – including pokers, snuffers, candle holders, bronzes, and sculpture – both for indoors and to grace the garden, original paintings, prints, including limited edition etchings, a wide range of textiles to include jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, cushions and throws.

To adorn your walls we will be showing a new collection of pastels by Mary Griffin, her intimate cafe scenes and busy high streets sparkling with festive lights depicting the pleasures of ordinary life with warmth and gentle humour…..a delight to the eye.

Morag Archer creates jewel-like mixed media mosaic pictures, using scraps of broken vintage china, paper, paint and gleaming gold leaf. Birds are her main inspiration.

As popular as ever is artist Seren Bell with her intricate pen and ink drawings, featuring coloured pencil. Although she has an affinity for all animals, she returns to sheep again and again.

Jo Verity shows a great love and respect for folk law and the cycle of life and death within the natural world in recreating the journey of our land’s repossession of animals that once lived among us. Sometimes a little on the dark side each piece tells its own unique story. 

Tamsin Abbott’s magical stained glass always attracts much attention, drawing on the natural world around our Herefordshire countryside and its hares, badgers, ravens, foxes and more. 

Potter Josie Walters makes tableware and cooking pots in earthenware clay, which are decorated with lively motifs in slips and coloured glazes. Most of the pots are thrown on a traditional momentum wheel, even though many of the finished shapes are oval or rectangular.  

Lyn Harrison works in stoneware crank clay, a strong, gritty clay which has a grainy, rustic appearance. She uses hand building methods, mainly coiling and slab work, to form her ceramic sculptures, and completes the pieces with slips, glazes and a wood ash finish.

John Mainwaring creates quirky wooden sculptures that are carved and then painted.

It has been said that his pieces are the collectables of the future.

To keep out the winter chill there will be a ‘must have’ collection of scarves, wraps and bags 

Nuno felted merino wool with silk fibres. There will also be chunky unisex sweaters in lambswool and silk, felted lambswool jackets in a fabulous collection of colours for women and new winter collections from our regular British makers. 

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‘When Soft was the Sun’

'When Soft was the Sun'
‘When Soft was the Sun’

‘When Soft was the Sun’ Autumn Exhibition 2022

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’ which opens on Saturday September 3 at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge, promoting the work of talented British artists and makers from around the county and beyond.  

Our line up this year will feature artists Lynda Jones, Karen Pearce, Sue Hayden, Rachel Wright and Jemima Jameson. 

Heading the line up is artist Lynda Jones. Formerly from Sunderland, she settled in Monmouth in the early 1980’s, where she has lived ever since. She studied Art Foundation at Newport College of Art & Design, followed by a degree in Visual Art at The University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Her canvases and drawings are mostly depictions of landscapes in the Monmouth area – 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.

Karen Pearce paints mainly in acrylics on canvas. Her latest works reflect her interest in rocks and water, her experimentation with different media and her love of the coastline in West Wales amongst certain other locations. Aspects of painting water excites her, such as the affinity it has with paint layering and glazing techniques and the way it can have a unifying effect on a composition as it reflects the sky.

By popular demand Jemima Jameson returns with a beautifully executed collection of painted boxes and cabinets. Hares, foxes, kingfishers are just some of nature’s beautiful creatures that Jemima captures in acrylic paints as she creates these heirloom pieces.

Artist Sue Hayden is excited by the relationship between texture, shape, light and space in landscapes and employs acrylics and pastels on paper that has been layered up beforehand with paint and paper creating a collage effect. This adds energy, randomness and interest to the subject. Glorious Pembrokeshire forms her main preoccupation.

Rachel Wright is inspired by many subjects, including landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, harbour towns, boats, lighthouses and windmills. These themes are then translated into machine embroidered fabric collages, using vibrant threads, worked onto carefully cut pieces of fabric. This enables Rachel to draw and paint through fabric and stitch, providing a rich source of colour, texture and pattern which forms her ‘palette’ and the threads are used like a fine paintbrush to fill in the details. Rachel’s trademark is her use of striking, rich colour, which captivates and draws the viewer in. Her aim is simply to delight the eye.

Karin Celestine, fibre artist, writer and illustrator from Monmouthshire, has created a delightful collection of needle felted creatures from hares to badgers and mice, each one with its own charm, character and mischief. She can happily turn her hand to making all creatures great and small, mythical and real.

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 in which the creatures inhabit. Each piece is individually made and therefore unique, in sterling silver and Hallmarked in Sheffield.