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.
