RALPH MCGAUL: A SOLO SHOW 7-21 MAY 2011

'the brew', a new painting by ralph mcgaul

Emily Mugridge's hugely successful show might seem like a hard act to follow, but we think we have something equally special lined up.

From Saturday 7 May to Saturday 21 May, thewhitegallery is hosting an exhibition of new work by another talented local artist (and someone I've been raving about for ages) Ralph McGaul.

His work caused quite a stir at last year’s highly prestigious East Cheshire Hospice Art Fair exhibition, which thewhitegallery helped to hang. Ralph's work really stood out: there is something so visceral about his style, and his figures have such personality. Each painting tells a story and you feel drawn into the picture, sure that each person is about to speak.

Ralph McGaul was born in Bollington and now lives in a disused mill on Sunderland Street in Macclesfield, which doubles as his studio.

“I grew up drawing,” he says. “My mum’s an artist and she encouraged me to experiment with different techniques. I love re-using old materials too, and often make woodcuts using old skateboards or bits of plywood. My paintings are very intuitive – I don’t really know where my ideas come from but I enjoy the process of creating something from my imagination. Although sometimes I’ll see something in a café or waiting for the bus and think, yeah that would make a good painting. Then I’ll take out my sketch book and draw a few ideas.”

It’s not often you come across someone so young, with such artistic maturity. He just knows how to create really striking images that are often quite unsettling, but in a good way.

Ralph exhibited at last year’s Macclesfield Barnaby Festival, as part of the ‘Save Us’ Contemporary Art Exhibition alongside internationally recognised artists like Ian Davenport, Andrea Booker and David Shrigley. His striking seven-foot tall mosaic of a skeleton sat very comfortably in the mix.

Ralph McGaul is at thewhitegallery on Wellington Road in Bollington from Saturday 7 May to Saturday 21 May. Don't miss it.

'girl drawing' a new work by ralph mcgaul.

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST

When did you first start to draw/ paint?

I think that all young children like to draw and paint just as I did. The question is more whether or not you enjoy it enough to keep doing it. The desire has always been there for me, although I’ve not always been as productive as I am now. A family trip to Zurich when I was twelve really re-ignited my interest. Seeing a city completely covered in graffiti left a deep impression on me. I was surrounded by bold, striking patterns and vibrant colours on a massive scale and was immediately inspired to begin painting again. The style and approach of street art was the starting point of my development as a painter.

Your mum is an artist – was she an influence?

My Mum always encouraged me to paint and draw but I was not drawn to the landscapes and seascapes that are her inspiration. However, I can now appreciate that although our subjects are usually different there are links between our styles and techniques. I’ve even recently entered the Jobling Gowler art competition with a local landscape.


Explain how you start work on a painting?

I like to work intuitively and become absorbed in the process. Sometimes I will start with a sketch or subject in mind but often there is no preconceived idea. In this case I will begin by painting in an abstract fashion: making marks, lines and shapes and building up areas of colour until an image is glimpsed. At this point some of the shapes become form and a degree of representation is achieved.

How did you become interested in printmaking?

I first began to experiment with woodcuts after seeing an exhibition that included works by Anselm Kiefer. Relief printing especially appeals to me as the technique limits the colour palette, creating strong opposing blocks of colour that form powerful simplified images.

What are your techniques and influences?

I mainly paint with acrylic on wooden boards. This enables me to scratch and scrape into the surface, building up textures and exposing the multiple layers of paint. Often I paint on salvaged boards and will allow the existing colours or textures to show through. I put a lot of energy into my paintings, working intensely and sometimes franticly. This is something I hope comes across in the finished piece.

A wide and varied range of art influences my works. Most recently I’ve been inspired by modern British artists such as Robert Colquhoun and Henry Moore. However, I am also drawn to the simplicity of medieval art, movements such as Art Brut and die Brücke and the expressive and decorative style of African art.

I have now been working from my studio on Sunderland Street for around four years. A series of successful exhibitions last year finally gave me the confidence to commit to my artwork full time and my work has really benefited since. Having the time to explore my style and develop my techniques more intensely has enabled me to achieve a greater satisfaction and belief in my work.

'untitled' by ralph mcgaul.

EMILY MUGRIDGE : 'SCENE & HERD' EXHIBITION 26 MARCH - 9 APRIL

'Love Moo' by Emily Mugridge

From Saturday 26 March to Saturday 9 April, we're delighted to be hosting an exhibition of new work by up-and-coming Bollington artist Emily Mugridge.

A full-time lecturer in Art at Macclesfield College, Emily’s work is much in demand. Her cow paintings are especially popular and people just love the way Emily manages to convey each cow's personality. At the last East Cheshire Hospice Art Fair in Macclesfield, the wife of top celebrity and BBC Radio 2 DJ, Christ Evans, bought two of Emily’s cow paintings for their little boy’s nursery.

“That was a really nice surprise,” says Emily, “although I’m delighted when anyone buys my work. It’s just nice to know that people appreciate what I’m doing.”

Brought up in an artistic household (Emily’s mum is also a well-respected local artist), Emily spent her childhood making and creating things. “There was a time when the whole family had to watch TV through the rib cage of a life-sized horse made from paper,” she says. “My GCSE Art project. That hung in the lounge for about four months!”

Emily’s paintings are loose and textured, often incorporating a mix of paint, tile adhesive, plaster, enamel and collage which she constantly sands, scrapes and washes back to reveal hidden layers. Her work is very evocative and with some you can almost smell the flowers in the foreground. Emily has a wonderful way of communicating a sense of place in her paintings, making local landscapes of Bollington and the surrounding hills come to life.

‘Scene and Herd’ is at thewhitegallery from 26 March to 9 April 2011.

To accompany the exhibition, Emily has produced a 'cow sketchbook', available to order online at www.blurb.com - just search for her by name.

'Late Summer Colours' by Emily Mugridge

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST...

Emily, you've become rather well-known for your cows! Explain the fascination please, for yourself and others?

I think the real fascination began for me when I was stuck in a ‘cow jam’ in Adlington one morning. My car was surrounded by a herd of dairy cattle on the milk run. I had my camera with me and although the photographs were not great, they gave me a starting point for a painting.

From a young age I have always drawn and painted animals, particularly horses. Whilst horses undoubtedly make great subject matter they have been the subject of many paintings through the ages, whereas cows have traditionally been in the background – part of the scenery. I know there are many other contemporary artists who would agree with me that cows deserve to take the limelight once in a while. There is something about cows that I find more challenging as a painter – they are cumbersome, lumpy and angular. They are also very beautiful in a more down-to-earth way and they have a sort of gentle humour about them. I try to capture that in my work. I can’t speak for everyone of course, but I think that the element of humour or narrative appeals to people who buy my work. My cows have a tangible personality.

You paint other things too, landscapes and cityscapes. How do you go about choosing your subject matter?

We live in an area of stunning natural beauty and can also be in the city within 30 minutes, so choosing subject matter is never a problem. I tend to look for subjects that will provide me with a challenge. It might be a single factor, like the colour of a stormy sky, which triggers an idea for a painting. Sometimes the subject matter is chosen for me – someone will commission me to paint a specific place. And then some places just have a resonance for me and I know them well, so I paint them often and instinctively.

Your mum is a talented local artist as well, Joan Fisher. Was she a big influence?

My mum spent a lot of time with me drawing, painting and sewing. As well as teaching me practical skills I realise now that she showed me how to be resourceful and creative. Both my mum and dad were a great influence as I grew up because they allowed me to have an imagination and never complained about the mess I made in the process! I remember making a picture out of pasta shapes glued onto the kitchen wall when I was about three. There was a time when the whole family had to watch TV
through the rib cage of a life-sized horse skeleton made from paper – my GCSE Art project. That hung in the lounge for about four months.

You work full time as a Lecturer in Art at Macclesfield College, as well as having three small children - how do find the energy (or time) to paint?

I always find the time somehow! It often means late nights. I have a very supportive husband and kids who are proud of what I do and don’t mind living with the boxes of canvases and splashes of paint.

Also, there is (or should be) a symbiotic relationship between teaching art and practicing art. I am a big believer in ‘practice what you preach’. When I was at Art College the lecturers were quite guarded about their own work and I found that frustrating. The one lecturer who had the biggest influence on me was the one who brought his own work in to discuss and offer technical advice. So I try to do that myself and I take work in to College to discuss with students. When I’m not teaching I normally have a painting on the go in the corner of the studio. The students that I teach are mainly studying on Higher Education level (Foundation Degree) courses already or preparing for Higher Education, so it is important that they have a clear sense of professional Fine Art practice.

Any advice for budding local artists?

I always say to my students that the world of Art, Design and Craft is highly competitive and although raw talent is important, success is also about perseverance:

Enter competitions and take part in exhibitions. Get involved in local arts festivals. Contact galleries. Don’t be put off by rejection. Be organised and never let people down. Keep your name in peoples’ consciousness. Have a good ‘web presence’. Have good quality photos and jpegs of all your work.

Most of all…make work that you enjoy making! It will probably be necessary to strike a balance between what you enjoy doing and what people want to buy, but never let it become a chore.

Are there things you'd like to see happening in Macclesfield to improve the arts scene & to help promote local artists' work?

The Barnaby Arts Festival has really helped to highlight the wealth of creative talent that thrives in Macclesfield and the surrounding area. However, I would love to see a permanent public gallery space/ Arts Centre in the town to showcase this talent, ideally a space where various sectors of the community (schools, colleges, community groups, artists and makers etc.) could collaborate on creative projects.

'Lavender Fields' by Emily Mugridge

pictures to be quite with...

It's not often that I insist people see something up close to appreciate it's beauty, but in the case of Susan Laughton's work, I do. The iridescence of each piece, and the sense of stillness they exude, requires more than just a jpeg.



Susan uses a trowel to apply layers of plaster to the canvas, then works in paint and ink, scrapping back and putting on, until she's happy with the result. Each trace line has meaning, each tiny mark a message like some kind of artist hieroglyphics. The overall effect is incredibly calm & beautiful. The perfect picture to be quiet with.

ken mosley returns...

Customers may remember when the gallery was owned by Ken and Val Mosley, who ran it as the Greenhouse Gallery for 24 years. Ken's watercolours and pen and ink drawings of the village were extremely popular and many's the time i've visited someone's house and seen one of Ken's pictures on the wall.

Since they moved to Sheffield three years ago, Ken has continued to paint, although his work has taken a very different path as you'll see from these pictures.Ken Mosley has exhibited widely at galleries throughout the UK and participated in open exhibitions such as the Royal Institute, the Royal Watercolour Society, The Royal Society of Marine Artists & The Manchester Academy of Fine Art.

lots to look forward to this new year...

thewhitegallery is busy planning exhibitions and events for the coming year, including two solo exhibitions this spring and a summer garden party which will extend throughout the month of July. Treats will include lots of outdoor sculpture and several artists in residence, who will paint and demonstrate their skills in the summer house - prepare to be dazzled.

EMILY MUGRIDGE: SAT 26 MARCH - SAT 9 APRIL
Nosey Old Cow, by Emily Mugridge

A solo show by Bollington 'artist to the stars', Emily Mugridge, who is known affectionately as the cow lady! Several of her bovine beauties now grace the nursery walls belonging to BBC Radio 2 DJ, Chris Evans no less. Don't miss this opportunity to view a brand new collection of work by one of the North West's most up and coming artists. Oh, and Emily paints beautiful landscapes & cityscapes too, so they'll be plenty to choose from.

RALPH McGAUL: SAT 7 MAY - SAT 21 MAY





















'The Walk Home' by Ralph McGaul

Local artist Ralph McGaul presents a series of new paintings, created in his studio in Macclesfield. Another rising star, Ralph's mainly figurative work is primitive in style and visceral in nature - you can't help but be effected by the energy of his work, punching out from the canvas. Ralph also produces striking woodcuts which will be on show and available for sale.

'The Old Couple' woodcut by Ralph McGaul

Work by both artists is extremely popular, so to avoid disappointment please make sure you put these dates in your new 2011 diary.

It's also worth noting that thewhitegallery will be sponsoring and taking part in this year's Macclesfield Barnaby Festival, which runs from the 17-19 June 2011. For more information, please visit www.barnabyfestival.org.uk over the coming months...

a winter welcome to artist debbie goldsmith...

thewhitegallery is delighted to be hanging some beautiful work by artist Debbie Goldsmith













Debbie's use of sumptuous colours (especially blues and oranges) make her canvases fizz with energy and life: looking at one of her pictures makes my tummy go funny. There is something quite visceral about the marks she makes, and the confidence with which she places the image on the canvas. Abstract landscapes have depth and movement, cityscapes reveal buildings and figures comfortably inhabiting the impressionistic space.














Debbie Goldsmith is an established artist who has exhibited nationally and internationally, most notably with the British Council in Sao Paulo, Brazil. hHr work recently featured in the book, 'A Colourful Canvas - Twelve Women Artists in the North West', which accompanied a group exhibition at St Peter's House in Manchester.

Debbie has also worked on numerous commissions for both private and public collections including Manchester Art Gallery, Rocco Forte for the Lowry Hotel and St David's Bay Hotel, Manchester Airport and Castlefield Gallery.

new limited edition prints by dean entwistle

'bollington autumn', by dean entwistle

just in time for christmas, a beautiful new print of bollington incorporating many of the village's iconic landmarks such as adelphi mill, waterhouse surgery, blaze hill and the canal. you might even spot your own house if you look closely...

artist dean entwistle painted the original watercolour several years ago and it has now been made into a limited edition print for others to enjoy.

printed and framed in bollington, the picture costs £350. demand is expected to be high, so please order soon to avoid disappointment.

other new prints include a moonscape of shuttlingsloe and a nightscape of kerridge ridge, with white nancy illuminated against the sky.

'nightscape of shuttlingsloe' by dean enwistle

'kerridge ridge II' by dean entwistle

all things white and beautiful...

I love this time of year, with the dark nights and the air cold enough to bite. Here at thewhitegallery we're preparing for christmas, bringing together lots of new and original gift ideas so that customers have as much choice as possible.

Works on paper by Chloe Holt

You might like to treat yourself or some one you love to a piece of affordable, original art. We have several new artists showing at the gallery, including Scottish painter, Mary Tully and Chester-based artist Chloe Holt, whose work was exhibited at the Florence Biennale in 2009 alongside headlining artist Marina Abramovic. Chloe has been awarded the International 'Lorenzo il Magnifico' prize for her works on paper.

Or perhaps you have a teenage daughter or neice who loves to doodle, in which case you might like to see our new journals, with re-usable covers made out of vintage silk scarfs by local artist and maker, Heather Penn.













Quality journals, with covers made out of silk scarves. Replace the journal, reuse the scarf!

Women of any age will love new work by Manchester-based artist Lily Greenwood, who hand-paints beetles, bugs and butterflies which she then incorporates into delicate collage on canvas.

Or perhaps you know someone who might appreciate work by Derbyshire printmaker, Sue Vanderplank, who delivered some wonderful new screen prints (both framed and unframed) to suit everyone's pocket.

We also have some handmade textile pictures designed by Jilly Duffy Unwin that would appeal to anyone, which depict the iconic White Nancy as a christmas pudding!

Ho, ho, ho...

new work for the winter...

'Memories' by Karen Wise



















This beautiful painting by Karen Wise is just one of the treats in store for visitors to thewhitegallery this winter.

Prestbury artist Karen recently received an award of merit for another painting on show at Stockport Art Gallery, and has successfully exhibited her work in galleries and exhibitions through out the region. Not so long ago, she was also in line for a Daily Mail 'Not the Turner Prize' award.

Karen has honed her skills over the years working as a designer and training with a top sculpture artist in Manchester. You can see more of her work here at thewhitegallery and at Stockport Art Gallery until November 28th.

'Pomegranate' by Andrew Parker

More new work from another talented artist, Andrew Parker, who has his studio in Vernon Mill in Stockport and is best known for his portrait work.

'Mother' by Andrew Parker, which was shortlisted for the BP Portrait Exhibition 2009, at The National Portrait Gallery, London.










Recently Andrew started an MA in Fine Art at Manchester University and was keen to broaden his portfolio, so began painting still lives of fruit which can be seen at the gallery, each painting a study in strength and beauty. i've never known so many people beguilded by a banana.














Andrew is also available for portrait commissions. Please contact the gallery by phone or email if you'd like more information.

SPECIAL SUNDAY OPENINGS...

Untitled by Jane Morley

To celebrate the first Bollington Walking Festival, thewhitegallery is hosting an exhibition of landscape paintings (see information below).

We will be opening over both weekends of the festival, including
10-3pm on Sunday 17th and Sunday 24 October. Please join us for a glass of wine and an opportunity to meet some of the artists whose work will be on display.

Jane Morley & Tim Ball...

I'm delighted to introduce two new artists to thewhitegallery: Stockport-based Jane Morley and Derbyshire artist, Tim Ball.

Both artists exhibited at this year's Wirksworth Arts Festival - a real gem of an event worth looking out for next year if you've never been before - and I was immediately struck by the beauty of their work.

"My previous paintings were inspired by modernist architecture and classical landscape painting," says Jane, "but my most recent work deals with actual locations, giving a cropped picture-postcard view of some favourite buildings and places around Manchester and beyond."

Janes almost photographic paintings have a beauty and light reminiscent of the American artist Edward Hopper. People are absent from her pictures, allowing the buildings to stand alone, as personalities in their own right.

Tim Ball focuses on the natural landscape for his work, in particular trees.























"Landscape has been my inspiration for many years and my main focus has been the Peak District. I attempt to capture images that are a snapshot of a certain place at a certain time, often revisiting throughout the various seasons. The colours and compositions are very important, often obscure but which represent a chance glimpse into the ever-changing spaces of our environment."

Both Jane and Tim refer to photography in their analysis of their work which is very interesting: as a photographer myself I enjoy framing a picture in-camera and finding interesting and unusual ways to present quite ordinary things - a chair perhaps, or a building against the blue sky - and I can see this approach in both Jane and Tim's illuminating paintings.

'ART OF LANDSCAPE' 15-30 OCTOBER

'Soft Light over Shuttlingsloe' by Dean Entwistle

As part of the first Bollington Walking Festival 2010, thewhitegallery is hosting a new exhibition of work inspired by the joys of walking, examining the way in which the landscape influences and defines a painters work.

Local artists taking part include Dean Entwistle, Colin Halliday, Jenny Hirst, Zelda Pickup, Emily Mugridge, Emma King, Jane Osmond, Carlo Eves and Di Metcalfe.

thewhitegallery will be opening on both Sundays through the festival fortnight, from 10-3pm, with a glass of wine and nibbles available to help you enjoy your afternoon. We look forward the seeing you then.

colin halliday

It was a pleasure to visit the home of artist Colin Halliday last week, whose Derbyshire attic is stuffed full of beautiful landscapes. There is a barn too, which you walk to from his front door past the chickens and up some precarious wooden steps, to find more of the same: exquisite oils on canvas, the colours melting into one another, big bold skies and windswept hills.




Each painting was as glorious as the next and made choosing just five or six to bring back to the gallery really difficult. There is an energy to Colin's work which really takes your breath away.

"You should paint how you feel" he says. "That's where the soul and spirit is."

We talk about the way he uses his own energy, working quickly and instinctively with the paint.

"The purer the marks the more soulful the painting. If you try and control it it becomes contrived and looses its integrity. You need to just let it be"

Colin Halliday's work will feature in a new exhibition of landscape paintings to be held next month at thewhitegallery. Other artists include Dean Entwistle, Jenny Hirst, Emma King and Zelda Pickup.

The Art of Landscape (15-30 October) is part of the Bollington Walking Festival. For more information, please visit www.cheshirepeakdistrict.com

a shining success...

at a time of global financial gloom, it's nice to be able to report that the art world is still shining, and that people can still see the worth of original art.









































the feedback from everyone who visited our open house in wilmslow was fantastic: over 300 people came through the doors, treating the house with great respect and letting us know how much they appreciated the work that had gone in to the show.

the paintings looked so beautiful, hanging in such a great space and it was interesting to see how people reacted to the work in situ. so often, large galleries can seem rather austere and it's difficult to image a piece of work hanging in your own living room. by exhibiting art in a home environment, you begin to see it in a different light and perhaps visualise it above your own mantle.



























it was a great weekend for all the artists, especially jo deas who hosted the occasion and whose work virtually sold out - a testament to her talent and ability.

thank you to everyone who took part, and to everyone who visited the exhibition.















artist and host, jo deas.

open art house - 3&4 july 2010

For one weekend only, thewhitegallery and artist Jo Deas are hosting an open art house at Jo's beautiful designer home in Wilmslow. Jo and husband Ben have kindly given over their living space so that five talented local artists (including Jo) can exhibit their work.

“We thought it would be a great opportunity to invite people to come and have a look at contemporary art exhibited in a home environment,” says Jo, who began life working in illustration and design and returned to her first love, painting, once her three children had started school.

The house has featured in a number of interiors magazines and the space is ideal for an exhibition. “Sometimes visiting large galleries can be a little bit daunting” Jo explains. “The art is beautifully displayed but it’s difficult for people to imagine how it might look above their own fireplace.”

All that is about to change, as we hang over 40 pictures by Jo, Amanda Wigglesworth, Jenny Hirst, Sabine Kussmaul and Fiona Charis Carswell.

All work is for sale and people are welcome to come along between
2-4pm on Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 july to enjoy the exhibition.

Lindow House can be found on Lindow Lane (off Racecourse Road), Wilmslow SK9 5LH.

mixed media painting by jo deas

For more information about the open art house, please call Fiona on 0776 167 7370.

thewhitegallery sponsors Young Macc: ART at Barnaby...

thewhitegallery is pleased to be sponsoring a great event at the Barnaby Festival.

Young Macc: ART is a mixed-media show of the best art from over 20 Macclesfield primary and secondary schools. It celebrates the hard work and creative vision of pupils of all ages and their teachers too. All schools have been invited to exhibit the work they are most proud of.


Visit the exhibition, which takes place at the Town Hall on Market Place, and spot the talent of tomorrow.

Young Macc: ART, sponsored by thewhitegallery, continues until 26th June.

'Art at al PANINO' - 17 June to 17 July

A specially commissioned photomontage of Macclesfield by Jack Lloyd, for the 'Art at al PANINO' exhibition.

As part of the Barnaby Festival, we've teamed up with al PANINO cafe bar on Chestergate to present a new exhibition of work by over 20 white gallery artists, including Amanda Wigglesworth, Jenny Hirst, Di Metcalfe, Carlo Eves and Jane Osmond, who, although best known for her beautiful etchings, is presenting oil paintings for the first time.

Art at al PANINO is a new collaboration: for a while now i've been looking for new and interesting spaces to hang my artists' work. When Julia, who owns the cafe, came into the gallery one day last year we got talking. Only days before I'd been in the cafe, coveting its wall space. Don't you just love serendipity. So now we're putting on an exhibition together - a great opportunity to showcase more work to more people, and enjoy great coffee into the bargain.

Art at al PANINO runs from 17 June to 17 July.

Please come along over the Festival weekend especially, and enjoy seeing Macclesfield as you've never seen it before. If you go on the festival website there's an art quiz for the kids too, so you can enjoy walking around all the different exhibitions and venues, whilst the children are kept busy hunting for clues.

Don't miss out - please get involved, buy tickets for some of the fabulous events, and support this not-for-profit festival which deserves every success.

al PANINO cafe bar is open 7 days a week, 8am-6pm Monday to Saturday & 10am-4.30pm on Sundays.

Macclesfield Barnaby Festival 18-20 June

Over the last few months, thewhitegallery has been busy helping to promote a wonderful new arts and culture festival happening this summer in Macclesfield.

The Barnaby Festival is a re-invention of the centuries-old tradition of celebrating St Barnabas’ feast day, when in more recent times factories and schools would shut down and everyone would head off to the seaside. It had virtually died out, but now it's back with a flourish.

Highlights of the festival include an opening street parade; ‘Save Us’ - a stunning exhibition of art and sound sculptures by award-winning artists with a Macclesfield connection; a community opera written by local conductor Nicholas Smith based on an old Maxonian courting ritual called the ‘Monkey Run'; a Late Night Cabaret; a Flaming June Fire Show and a live concert by internationally celebrated folk musician Jim Moray.

Andrea Booker SOS 2009 Reclaimed signage

Visit the website, pick up a brochure and plan how to spend one of the most exciting weekends of the summer.

Most of the events are free, but some are ticketed (and selling fast!) so please do drop in and buy yours from thewhitegallery. We're delighted to be a ticket venue and it's been a great opportunity to tell people about the festival, the events planned and also the people behind it. It's been a fantastic team effort and if everyone turns out to support us, we can look forward to many more Barnaby's in the years to come. If you fancy volunteering for a few hours over the weekend, then please let us know - the more the merrier I say!

For more information about events and artists, please visit www.barnabyfestival.org.uk.

'PAK JOY' EXHIBITION 1-15 MAY: New paintings by Christopher Rainham & Di Metcalfe

we are delighted to present a new exhibition of work by talented artists Christopher Rainham and Di Metalfe, which begins on saturday 1 may and continues for two weeks. the gallery will be open both sundays and on bank holiday monday too, from 11-4pm.

Rochdale-based Christopher Rainham paints beautifully realistic birds and modern still-lives, such as pak choi and ice cream sundaes. His fresh palette of colours – lime greens, cherry reds and iced gem blues – is perfect for leading us towards summer. An established artist, Christopher has exhibited throughout the UK - including successful Art Fairs in London and Glasgow – as well as America.

Di Metcalfe lives in Poynton and spends all her free-time painting in the garden shed! She creates vibrant sea and landscapes, using North Wales as her inspiration. Her paintings have been described as “little explosions of joy” and Di has created quite a stir since first exhibiting at the East Cheshire Hospice Exhibition two years ago.



If the weather’s nice, you'll also be very welcome to explore the hidden sculpture garden behind the gallery to enjoy ceramics by Amy Daniels and metal wall art by Congleton-based artists, Ian Turnock and Susan Laughton. There might even be tea and cakes, so make sure 'pak joy' is on your bank holiday to-do list!

paintings & chicken soup....

artist fiona charis carswell creates beautiful paintings: she also makes great chicken soup! one frosty morning recently, i drove over to chester where fiona lives. we'd been trying to meet since before christmas, when i saw her paintings for the first time at the 'off the edge' exhibition in styal, but sadly, snow, a flooded cellar (fiona's) and a dodgy clutch (mine) had prevented this. an invitation to lunch finally brought us together.



having spent most summers since childhood on the isle of jura in scotland, fiona's work is the result of a natural empathy with the wild and awe inspiring beauty of the island. interpreting its natural energy in the expanse of the landscape, her paintings and drawings are experimental in essence. she is searching out a balance, a fluency of composition, having observed the contours stretched and surrendered to the elements.



using lines of charcoal, blocks of pastel and paint, fiona works on board and perspex, layering with plaster and papers - building up or scraping back.

there is a stillness to her work - something so simple about the lines and the gentle colour palette -and yet there is also an energy and vibrancy which gives each picture a character of it's own.

fiona's background is fascinating: she studied fine art in oxford and was tutored by the world famous bookbinder, Ivor Robinson. her uncle was assistant to the sculptor Henry Moore, her cousin an assistant to anthony caro, and her grandfather a poet and writer. fiona has inherited those writing skills, and often incorporates text into her pictures. she is also currently working on the illustrations for a retelling of an african bushman tale.

the beautiful mural on her twin daughters' bedroom wall is also testament to her skills as a children's illustrator.

happy new year...

a very happy new year to all our customers, in this our third year of business. i can't thank people enough for their support and encouragement: we had a fantastic christmas, with customers choosing to visit us first for inspiration, which was lovely and much appreciated.

i'm just glad we seem to be offering something a little different & original- please keep visiting, and be assured we will keep offering lots of new and exciting things for you to enjoy.