Gallery

May 19 to June 13:

Four elements... Caroline Parrott, Claire Hincks, Debby Kirby and Nina Squire

It's Dorset Art Weeks time, and at Gallery On The Square four Dorset artists have combined their talents for our new show.

They are Caroline Parrott, who works mainly in aluminium, ceramicist Claire Hincks, weaver Debby Kirby and pastel specialist Nina Squire, and the exhibition is our contribution to Dorset Art Weeks. Call in and see what they have created specially for Dorset Art Weeks.

Dorset Art Weeks runs from May 26 to June 10, but our show starts on Saturday May 19. In the cafe/shop you will also find seascapes by Simon Read, wildlife originals by Kate Wyatt and ceramics by Colin Jones, as well as textiles by Annabel Wilson and Karen Erlebach... and lots more.

And Nina will be drawing in the gallery from time to time. Stop by and have a chat!

Until May 16:

Simon Read: Beside The Ocean

Some people go to the Jurassic Coast to sail or swim; some to walk or lie in the sun.

West Dorset artist Simon Read goes there just to watch the sea and sky, revelling in the times when a sea mist clears in the morning or the evening sun lights up the clouds of an approaching storm.

He can be found on the shoreline in almost all weathers, making drawings and colour sketches.

His fascination with the sea in all its moods is reflected in the dramatic seascapes he works on at his studio in Bridport, and which are currently on show in the gallery.

He says: “Most of us have some natural feeling for the sea and the sky, and I’m just drawn back to the coast almost every day.

“I think the landscape and seascape – all the elements of the natural environment – are important to the human spirit. We all have some sort of instinctive connection with it.

“For me it is all about the here and now – the immediacy of it; the energy of the sea and the ever-changing light.

“Everyone’s response is personal to them, but I hope I am able to convey something of the essence and mood of one point in time.”

Simon Read: Beside The Ocean continues until May 16. Accompanying Simon’s pictures is the distinctive ceramic work of New Forest potter Colin Jones. His wheel-thrown pale stoneware is glazed mainly in blues and greens, with whites and browns providing atmospheric colour mixes.

(Until April 12):

Kate Wyatt: The Art of Nature

Kate Wyatt is a Dorset artist who has rapidly won a big reputation. Her vibrant wildlife pictures are now in collections around the world.

We are pleased to have a number of fresh original pictures from Kate in this exhibition, as well as framed prints.

During her childhood in Weymouth, Kate was painting and drawing from an early age (“Sometimes on the wallpaper, unfortunately,” says her mother). As a teenager she took a fine art foundation course, but then set out upon an unexpected path... flamenco dancing.

“I saw the film Carmen,” she says, “and then went to a local flamenco class.” Before long she was pursuing a successful career as a dancer – touring with her own company and even teaching flamenco in Spain.

It was the best part of 20 years before her flamenco obsession waned and she began to think about painting again. She embarked on a fine art degree course, and even before it had finished she was selling her pictures.

In the space of just a few years her work drew a national and international following. “It just snowballed,” she says. “As soon as I finished my degree course I was a professional artist.”

Her paintings capture the essence of some of Britain’s most popular animals. She works primarily in watercolour, layering it with acrylic ink and pen to create the lively wildlife portraits in a manner she has described as “a mixture of looseness and precision”.

Kate has exhibited widely in London, and her paintings are held in private collections in the UK as well as the United States, Canada and Australia.

Kate Wyatt: The Art of Nature continues until April 12.

Sat February 18 to March 15:

Coastal Expressions

Jan Walker and David Walker

We love Jan Walker’s pictures! In fact, we bought a couple of them long before we thought of opening a gallery.

We love David Walker’s ceramics too – and they combine dramatically in our new exhibition, Coastal Expressions.

Jan’s unmistakable pictures, inspired by the geology of Dorset’s coastal landscape, reflect her fascination with the processes that have created it and the evidence of change over time that is sealed within the rocks and cliffs.

Jan works on her paintings in much the same way, layering paint, creating texture and surface and scratching back to reveal previous layers.

David Walker’s contemporary ceramic pieces are varied and extravagant. The finished pots and dishes combine elegance of form with the beauty of the Raku process, producing dramatic black and white designs on the surface.

He says: “Every element of the making process is exciting – building the pots by hand and sculpting the clay, to the drama of handling the red hot pot, fresh from the kiln. After plunging it into sawdust and water, it’s truly thrilling to see the design emerging from beneath the blackened surface revealing the patterned pot.”

Coastal Expressions runs until March 15.

Review

: http://www.a-n.co.uk/interface/reviews/single/2072251

Coming up:

Kate Wyatt

Starting March 17

Prints AND originals from the local girl who has won a worldwide following with her bold, vibrant wildlife pictures.

More details soon.