From The Same Earth
An exhibition of Pastel Paintings and Ceramics
Paintings – Pastels
Jenny Keal, John Scott Martin, John Wood, Pascale Bigot, Vivien Bromley, Helen Harnett, Alan Yates
Kim Taylor Gallery Owner tells us “Pastels are a unique painting medium in that the colours are mixed on the paper by overlaying or blending, rather than on a palette. Light reflecting from the jewel-like particles that form the surface of the painting. Today there has been a massive revival in the old techniques of pastel painting, artists love them for their immediacy and brilliance and trueness of colour, art lovers treasure them for the brilliance and freshness.” Alastair Taylor adds, “All of the artists exhibiting this month show, in their own styles of creating their pictures, the vibrancy and yet subtly of pastels, it should be a feast for our eyes.”
Ceramics – New Work for Spring
Joy Bosworth, Jean Jenkins, Andrew Palin, Susan Nemeth, Jenny Beavan
This exhibition demonstrates the richness of contemporary studio ceramics. An opportunity to compare and contrast styles and approaches from the mixed media work of Joy Bosworth to Susan Nemeth’s integral decoration using coloured clays.
Ceramicists
Worcestershire’s Joy Bosworth explains “The ability of clay to mimic other materials interests me and its use historically to make cheaper copies of objects made in more valuable materials like pewter, bronze, silver. My work is non-functional. and pieces are thrown, hand built and assembled. Raku firing creates a dark, almost black surface, rich with the nuances of the reduction chamber. The vessels are embellished with silver leaf, which is patinated to suggest the passage of time and to give ‘value’ to the humble nature of the clay.”
Worcestershire’s Susan Nemeth was born in Adelaide, Australia in 1957 then studied at Bournville School of Art in the 70s and latterly Wolverhampton Polytechnic, she says, “My porcelain pieces are inspired by historical textile and wallpaper patterns. Sometimes I find my patterns in the backgrounds or details of paintings by Matisse, Klee, Nicholson, Eva Hesse and others.”
After a successful career as an occupational therapist, Jean Jenkins gained a first-class degree in ceramics from Wolverhampton University. Using impressive technical ability, she makes large stoneware hand-built vessels of a sculptural nature, creating great visual impact. Her work received immediate recognition: ‘The Potclays Award for Outstanding Work in Clay’.
Andrew Palin was born and brought up in the coastal Northwest of England but has now lived in Warwickshire for six years. It was during his scientific career, researching his PhD in mammalian genetics and chromosomal biology at Cambridge, that he discovered ceramics and began a long fascination with the art form, both making and collecting. He feels strongly that “Different vessels have different voices and I aim to represent each one accordingly.”
Jenny Beavan tells us “My work is an exploration into material and place observing processes of interdependence between water and geological change. Working rhythmically, sometimes tentatively sometimes decisively, I seek to merge imagination with memory in search of insights and surprise. I seek to portray the ‘nature’ of both porcelain and water as they share the same free spirit, both determining their own life force/equilibrium, defying unnatural pressures to be tamed.”
Painters
Jenny Keal draws her main inspiration from the rich history of the landscape. Her special interest is in vernacular architecture and local culture, and she will explore the most remote places to locate an old farm or cottage set in wild scenery. Her inspiration is also drawn from the atmospheric effects of the weather on the landscape, and the geology of mountains, valleys and coast. She frequently travels in the UK studying the similarities and differences in the local buildings styles and cultures.
John Scott Martin was born in Nottingham and studied painting at Nottingham College of Art in the 60’s. He now lives in rural Warwickshire, just about as far from the sea as you can get. “My inspiration comes from not only the most beautiful ocean going yachts in the world, but smaller sail, such as Thames barges and fishing boats”.
Alan Yates now living in Worcester is a retired Architects Advisor in the Construction Industry, and his time now is taken up in search of new scenes in this wonderful countryside of ours, using pencil, watercolour, pastel and pen and wash. Alan has enjoyed much success of late with his pastel paintings in vibrant colours, using scenes from his Mediterranean travels as well as local landscapes.
Pascale Bigot was born in Tulle (Correze) France and always loved drawing and painting even as a child, on anything and anywhere, paper, stones, walls and doors….
When Pascale moved to England she tried to paint “A l’Anglaise” but it was not bright enough for her. When looking for a new medium she discovered pastels. Over the years Pascale has painted almost every subject and there is no subject she would not tackle as long as she likes it and can visualise it as a simple drawing and reduce it to its essential lines.
Helen Harnett was born in Birmingham and now lives and works in a village on the outskirts of Worcestershire. In 1991 Helen took voluntary redundancy from a job as a buyer of Rover cars and then spent a year studying art at Worcester College of technology for a Diploma in fine Art before embarking on a career as an animal portrait artist. Helen works mainly in pastels and today her paintings sell by commission countrywide, each original portrait is produced with a level of accuracy and likeness that is a distinctive trademark of her work.
Forthcoming events and exhibitions
5th April – 1st June
The Art Of Dining
Ceramics – Kiln to tableJennifer Hall, Josie Walter, Graham Hudson, Morgen Hall, RAMP, Martin Lungley, Tanya Gomez, John Leach, Jan Kare Myklebust, Kaori Tatebayshi, Ninna Gotsche, Sun Kim, Jane Cox, Katrin MoyePaintings – Still life and floralNel Whatmore, Beth Fletcher, Libby Edmondson, Cathy Savells, Paul Stone, Chris Howells, Bridget Rochford
7th June – 31st August
Gallery In The Garden – Summer Show
An exhibition of outdoor work to include glass, ceramics and metal pieces located in the woods and on the lawns