Press Release 18 | 08 | 23
River to Forest
An Exhibition of Drawing, Painting and Contemporary Craft
13th October to 17th November 2023
Sharon Harvey |Severnsider
The Sanctuary Studio & Gallery presents ‘River to Forest', an exhibition of painting, drawing and contemporary craft inspired by the natural beauty of the estuary valley and forest landscape.
Sharon Harveygraduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Fine Art from Winchester School of Art. Her paintings are inspired by the natural world, from botanical forms to the endless horizons of wide-open spaces. These paintings explore the landscape of the beautiful Severn estuary where she lives and works. With an emphasis on sensory experience and the process of painting, she uses shape and texture to express the unique atmosphere of ‘place', making painted and drawn marks in both oil and acrylic to build layered compositions which capture the vital energy of Gloucestershire's hills, river and sky.
Sally Stafford |Here Before
PainterSally Staffordstudied art at Stroud School of Art and the University of the West of England.Sally works in series with the seasons, recognising and celebrating the influence of time and change on natural ‘plantscapes', with a focus on overlooked and forgotten spaces. Celtic mythology is a recurrent theme in her work, particularly the idea ofSummerland- a heaven to soothe the soul, and the eight stations of the Celtic year. She uses acrylics, spray paints, gold leaf and oil pastels - all layered, scratched into and overpainted, allowing natural forms to emerge by chance and accident.
Warren Day |Sunset at Woorgreens
Warren Dayis a landscape painter specialising in trees, forests and rural landscapes in and around the beautiful region of the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley. Hidden paths and trackways, undergrowth and scrubland, and the endless variety of deciduous and evergreen trees are rendered in mixed media gouache works with the inclusion of local earth pigments, fragments of leaves and seeds that reinforce the connection between the landscape and the finished painting.
Claire Leach |Turning a Corner
ArtistClaire Leachgraduated with an Honours Degree in Fine Art from the University of Gloucestershire and an MA in Fine Art from Winchester School of Art. She draws inspiration from the landscape, memory and nature, with a particular interest in the peace and beauty of British woodlands. Her ongoing woodland study series is comprised of detailed pen drawings inspired by The Royal Forest of Dean on the English/Welsh border, a location which holds for her the magic and wonder of special childhood memories.
Annabel Cullen |Rejuvenated Beech
Annabel Cullentrained at Camberwell School of Art and Crafts, and the Royal College of Art. She is a member of the highly respected Arborealists group of artists, and through drawing and printmaking she explores the beauty and extraordinary natural structure of trees. Studies made in situ are the basis for further drawings and lithographs which explore the interplay of observation, memory and imagination, the emotive power of random marks on paper, and the suggestion of movement within a static form.
Karen Taceyceramic
CeramicistKaren Taceyworks from her studio in Ross-on-Wye. She specialises in hand thrown stoneware and porcelain in a palette of beautiful natural colours, making both functional and decorative pieces in a variety of elegant forms. Each piece is completely unique, thanks to her use of reactive glazes, in grass greens, soft blues, sky greys, warm mustards and cool creams, that produce a never ending and sometimes unpredictable array of beautiful finishes.
Jamie Gauntcarved wood
Kent based artistJamie Gauntis a designer and woodcarver who creates sculptural forms and functional pieces in locally sourced oak. Blending both contemporary and traditional carving techniques he balances form and texture by way of a freedom of expression that he calls 'free carving', which allows the unique characteristic of each piece - a twisted knot or a compelling split - to direct the flow of his work.
Seethe River to ForestExhibition from 13 October to 17 November at The Sanctuary Studio & Gallery, High Street, Newnham, Gloucestershire, GL14 1BB.www.thesanctuarygallery.com
-END-
Print Ready 300dpi images for press use:
SALLY STAFFORD Here Before
WARREN DAY Sunset at Woorgreens
CLAIRE LEACH Turning a Corner
KAREN TACEY ceramics
Editors Notes
The Sanctuary Gallery & Studio
Established in 2022 by artist Sharon Harvey, The Sanctuary Studio & Gallery exhibits the best in contemporary painting and craft in an intimate and historical setting at the heart of the village of Newnham-on-Severn. With an ever-changing program of exhibitions, the gallery offers a broad spectrum of work from figurative to abstract, and represents emerging and established British artists.
www.thesanctuarygallery.com
For further press information, interviews or additional images contact Mercedes Smith at Fine Art Communications director@fineartcommunications.co.uk | Tel 07825 270235 | www.fineartcommunications.co.uk
