Exhibitions
"When Birds Do Sing" Spring Exhibition 2010
Srarts Saturday March 6th 2010
With the snow only reluctantly disappearing from the tops and as the days slowly lengthen, we are welcoming the prospect of spring at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge with the first in our 2010 season of exhibitions, “When Birds do Sing”. The spring exhibition, which begins on Saturday March 6th and continues till the end of April, strikes a mood of optimism with a line up of collectable and appealing pieces by several talented British artist/makers. Collectors of pottery will welcome the chance to see more work by long established potter Lawrence McGowan with his Japanese inspired sweeping decoration of birds, flowers and foliage. Returning by popular demand is ceramic sculptor Elaine Peto who brings her animals to life in stoneware. Her collection includes hares, horses, goats to name but a few. Shropshire artist Anna Ravenscroft has a brand new collection of etchings. Her work has its roots firmly planted in her childhood; her love of mountains, plants and animals, all of which are presented in handmade wooden frames. Newcomer Sarah Lean also from Shropshire paints on handmade canvas in acrylics and oils and focuses on painting landscapes whether they be figurative or more abstract. Her work is considered to be accessible, affordable and has appeal to a wide audience. To complete the line up we welcome blacksmith Kate Risdale with some new designs in metal sculpture. Kate is able to create pieces with a light fluid sensitivity despite the unyielding nature of the medium.
Anna Ravenscroft - Artist
....."The clash of a place in an art college or an audition for the National Youth Orchestra was, at 15, a difficult decision. Finally, I chose the college of art. After all I could draw my hares and rooks couldn't I?! A degree in painting and printmaking was followed by a Post Graduate Degree in Art Education. With this I began teaching. This took me again to wild parts to teach adults and children who were more deprived of the creative side of life. In between I was able to travel and paint."
Elaine Peto
Each animal is individually made by the process of slab building in clay, i.e. rolling out a sheet of clay and forming the body, then gradually adding slab by slab to form the whole animal. The details are then remodelled until the animal is complete. It is then biscuit fired, glazed and re-fired to stoneware. Elaine wishes to develop other animals such as African animals and to incorporate other materials such as metals with ceramics.
Lawrence McGowan
Lawrence produces wheel thrown functional forms and decorates in the traditional majolica style. Decorative motifs are taken from plant and bird life and applied to both enhance the pots form and reflect something of the exuberance of nature. Some pieces include caligraphy.
Sarah Lean - Artist
In 1999, having followed the art route throughout school and sixth form college, Sarah travelled to Wrexham Yale College to complete an art foundation course in order to pursue a Fine Art degree at the University of the West of England, Bristol. She graduated in 2003 with a BA Hons in Fine Art which had mostly centred itself around conceptual art. Having found this not to her liking, she took the opportunity to do some travelling and returned after 18 months with a strong desire to paint. Having spent the last four years dipping her toes in the market and finding it pleasantly warm, she has taken the plunge and is now considered to be an emerging artist.