PRESS RELEASE
16 | 11 | 21
Paintings by Eleanor Brooks
25thNovember - 24thDecember 2021
Wooded Hillside| EleanorBrooks
This winter Tŷ Tân Art of Hay on Wye present an exhibition of paintings by respected 20thcentury artist Eleanor Brooks. The collection of over 30 works is inspired by the landscape around Eleanor's home at Gelli in Snowdonia, and offers collectors the opportunity to acquire works by one of Wales most beloved artists.
Eleanor Brooks was born in Lincolnshire in 1925. She was educated at a convent school in Brighton, where she was introduced to works of Renaissance art and was inspired to pursue a career as painter. As a child Eleanor spent her holidays in Wales, later attending Aberystwyth Art School before joining the W.R.N.S. in 1942. While in the W.R.N.S. Eleanor painted the portraits of three hundred sailors, earning three hundred pounds which she saved up in order to attend Art School. During one home leave her uncle, Matila Ghyka, author ofThe Geometry of Art and Life, taught her the history and application of the Golden Section. From 1946 to 1950 Eleanor attended Camberwell School of Art where she studied under influential painter Martin Bloch, whose teachings inspired her and developed her understanding of colour. In 1950 she married the writer Jeremy Brooks and moved to North Wales where she raised a family and began to pursue her interest painting, holding her first solo show at the Artists International Association Gallery in London in 1957. In 1966 Eleanor met Mrs Spinks, who became her model and is synonymous with Eleanor's career. From 1973 onwards, Eleanor began exhibiting the oils, etchings, watercolours, ink and charcoal drawings, sculptures, recordings and multi-media installations that came from this exceptional collaboration between artist and model.A Portrait of Mrs Spinkswas first shown in the Morley Gallery, London, and would go on being shown around the UK, with the most recent exhibition taking place at Oriel Brondanw in North Wales in 2017. Eleanor also began teaching art in 1973 and used her pupils as models whilst also modelling for them. Her portraits of schoolgirls led to the exhibitionSome of Our Girlsin 1986, and these same works were included in a 2008 exhibition at the Machynlleth Museum of Modern Art, under the titleMiss. Today, aged 96, Eleanor continues to live and paint in her beloved corner of Wales. She still exhibits regularly in both group and solo exhibitions and participates in Helfa Gelf / Open Studio events.
The Deep Pool| Eleanor Brooks
Tŷ Tân Art,Castle St, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford HR3 5DF
www.tytanart.co.uk| info@tytanart.co.uk
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Print Ready 300dpi images for press use:
ELEANOR BROOKS Wooded Hillside
ELEANOR BROOKS The Deep Pool
Editors Notes
Tŷ Tân is a contemporary art gallery in the beautiful market town of Hay-on-Wye. Home to sculptor Jeremy Stiff and painter Menna Angharad, it also represents a select list of artists from Wales and across the UK. From spring 2022, the gallery will present a regular programme of exhibitions, including the very best in painting, sculpture and studio ceramics.
Opening hours:
From 24thNovember 2021, Wednesdays to Saturdays 11am to 4pm
Tŷ Tân Art,Castle St, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford HR3 5DF |www.tytanart.co.uk|info@tytanart.co.uk
For further press information or additional images contact Mercedes Smith at Fine Art Communications director@fineartcommunications.co.uk | Tel 07825 270235 | www.fineartcommunications.co.uk
