Category: Blog

With the promise of Spring comes St Valentines Day and at Old Chapel Gallery we are celebrating with an exhibition entitled ‘Made with Love’.

A heart throbbing display of unusual and romantic presents and cards are on display… So, to enhance your chances in the love stakes, visit the gallery anytime between now and the end of February.

Beautiful handmade cards, jewellery and exquisitely crafted wooden jewellery boxes, sumptuously decorated scarves and cushions, cosy British-made throws, romantically-themed metalwork, small limited edition ceramic sculpture ……handmade ceramics, fused glass hearts, coasters, soft lambswool scarves, hats, snoods, jackets and much more. All on the theme of love and perfect for the love in your life…..

Featuring work by regular gallery artists and makers.

‘Burning Bright’ Christmas Exhibition 2016

Opens on Saturday November 12 featuring a festive collection of British Contemporary fine arts and crafts, from jewellery & textiles, lighting, paintings, original prints, ceramics & glass to Christmas decorations, candles and cards….something for everyone!

 

 

The Christmas Exhibition 2016 at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge
entitled ‘Burning Bright’ opens on Saturday November 12 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 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, tongs, snuffers and candle holders, bronzes, sculpture – both for inside and the garden, original paintings, prints, including limited edition etchings and photographs, a wide range of textiles to include jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, cushions and throws.

New to the gallery will be a collection of original acrylic paintings by Shropshire based artist Matt Jenneson. Hannah Willow will be showing her hand embellished small edition prints with 24ct gold leaf alongside stained glass panels by Tamsin Abbott.
There will be a gorgeous collection of porcelain lighting by Amy Cooper, whose quirky lamps add a certain ambiance and festiveness to any room.
We will have new collections of jewellery by Alison Varley, Zoe Wright, Hannah Willow, Leoma Drew and Rozie Keogh, who will also be showing a magnificent angel in wire with sequins.
Sculptural ceramics by John Maltby and vapour glaze ceramics with lovely lustre by Margaret Gardiner.

To keep out the winter chill there will be a ‘must have’ collection of scarves, wraps and bags in lambs wool and Nuno felted merino wool with silk fibres by Kathie Barrs, all desirable accessories for any ladies wardrobe!
There will also be chunky sweaters for men in lambs wool and silk, felted lambs wool jackets in a fabulous collection of colours for women and new winter collections from our regular British designer/makers.

Now stocking Textile Taxidermy Trophy Heads inspired by Victorian Taxidermy and the Brecon Beacons National Park. Hand made in Wales in Welsh woollen fabrics. We have a collection to include Roe Deer, Badger, Fox, Hare and Rabbit. They have to be seen to be believed! Here is an image of the Roe Deer.

Summer Exhibition at Old Chapel Gallery

The Summer Exhibition at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge, entitled ’Snapdragon Solstice’ opens on Sunday July 10 2016 and will feature an exciting collection of work by talented British contemporary artists and makers, some of which will be new to the gallery.

This exhibition promises, once again, to inspire and excite collectors and appreciators of fine art and quality craft.

We will be showing the work of several artists new to the gallery, one of whom
moved to painting after a twenty year career in large scale garden ceramics and was originally led by a love of colours and evocative names on paint tubes; alizarin crimson, cerulean blue, viridian and carmine, stretching her own canvases in a traditional way using raw linen, fixed with tacks and sized with rabbit skin glue.

Several of our artists have recently been featured on BBC Countryfile and one of these will be showing a delightful range of colourful watercolours, mainly of birds and hares.

Returning to the gallery by popular demand is one of our best selling gallery artists from Shropshire who will be showing a new collection of painted wooden boxes and oak panels. She includes intricate detail in her artwork, combining birds, hares, fishes and foxes with wildflowers and hedgerow berries.

We will also be showing a new collection of beautiful nature inspired papercuts all with a dash of magic, hand drawn and hand cut illustrations.
Nature lover Jen lives in the Welsh mountains, where the stunning scenery and miles of wilderness provides her with constant inspiration for her work.

Last but not least we will be showing a gorgeous range of summery ceramics in a vivid turquoise glaze, highlighted with copper carbonate and over glazed with a satin white glaze. These are hand built from a variety of stoneware clays and include slab built bottles, reminiscent of human forms having defined shoulders and narrow necks. The finished pieces are light and elegant. The coiled bottles are spherical in form, but each one is completely different due to the nature of the construction method.
The glazes and decorations are then added to evoke landscapes, seascapes and marks found in the landscape.

Our aim from the beginning has been to promote the work of British contemporary artists and makers, some already well known in their field and many talented new comers. Now in our 27th year, this continues as strongly as ever.

 

 

 

 

 

Hay Festival Exhibition 2016 at Old Chapel Gallery

A special Festival Exhibition at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge to run during the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts opens on Saturday May 28th and continues to the end of June and features the work of talented British artists and makers from far and near.

Heading the line up is artist Karen from West Wales.
Karen’s work reflects the landscape around her home town of Aberystwyth. Using tone and colour, each painting explores the meeting of different elements such as town and sea or land and sky through changing times of day, weather or seasons.

Artist Michelle,  a painter inspired by colour and nature and who was featured artist on BBC Countryfile recently will be showing a collection of limited edition giclee prints alongside some original paintings of her very colourful birds and hares.

New to the gallery is ceramicist Shaun,  who has been working in Raku since 1998. He has developed a personal style of decorative/ sculptural ceramics based on the vessel form and exhibited his work world wide. He is well known for using the Copper Matte fuming technique as well as lustrous copper glazes. Each work is hand made and unique.

Also new to the gallery is artist and jeweller Hannah Willow whose inspiration comes from the land, wild and free places, stories and folklore, poetry, myth and legend. She strives to capture the hidden memory held within.

    
Another new comer is potter Fleen Doran with a collection of wood-fired salt glazed pottery both useable and collectable. She make pots that both enhance and are enhanced by food. Doran enjoys the earthy warmth of the colours that emerge from wood firing and the way in which the salt glaze enhances the simple patterns. Fired to stoneware her pots are durable and intended for daily use.

A regular favourite at the gallery is CPA potter David Frith. His reputation is well established and with his mastery of the potter’s wheel he makes majestic pieces decorated with his personal style of waxed motifs under heavy reduction over-glazes and glaze trailing. He shares the pottery with his wife Margaret and they have just celebrated 50 years of potting. Hard work and commitment underlie this unique partnership.

There is always an ever-changing collection of unique garden sculptures to enhance your outdoor space in a variety of media to include stoneware, forged iron, stainless steel, glass and more.

 

 

‘Spring Fever’ opens on Sunday March 6 from 11am

As the days gradually lengthen, we welcome the prospect of Spring at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge. Our Spring Exhibition which opens on Sunday March 6th entitled
‘Spring Fever’ encompasses a collection of hand picked desirable British made art and craft including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, stained glass, jewellery and automata.  The line up of collectable and appealing art, all inspired by nature, strikes a heartening mood of optimism.

This exhibition will continue to the end of April 2016

Heading the line up is well known artist Mary Woodin who studied Textile Design at Manchester Metropolitan University and Ceramic Design at the Royal College of Art. Her watercolour paintings will include garden birds and flowers.

Artist Jane Keay paints in a distinctive and individual in style using pen, ink, watercolours and acrylic. Her work reflects the constant changes in nature, showing an energy and spiritualism. Many pieces of work represent her passion for linking pre-historic landscapes with the present and the future, often using elements of imagery and symbolism connecting strongly with her Celtic heritage.

Also on show will be a new collection of stained glass panels by Tamsin Abbott. Her work always draws much attention and her subject matter is based on the natural world around our Herefordshire countryside and will include hares, badgers, ravens, foxes and more.

Photographer Brian Griffiths, who has made furniture for us in the past, has turned his hand to watercolours and paints anything from landscapes to fruits and vegetables.

By popular demand we have a new collection of Raku fired ceramic tiles that are carefully painted and include quotes. Each tile is made individually by hand using ancient techniques dating back to Roman times. The tiles are created by carving into the clay whilst it is still wet and then using coloured slip to bring images and words to life making each tile unique.

Once again, with spring in mind, we will be showing a new collection of automata made from reclaimed natural wood and colourful off-cuts to include a lady gardener digging her plot and a man playing golf! The mechanisms are quite simple and the colours are natural and depend on what woods are used.
Finally artist blacksmith Malcolm Sheppard has turned his creative flare to making a stunning range of chunky jewellery in silver, some oxidised, and some incorporating red and yellow gold.