Winter Exhibition 23rd January -28th February 2021 Posted on 22 Jan 15:20 , 0 comments
'The Snowdrop and the Primrose our woodlands adorn and violets bathe in the wet o' the morn' Robert Burns
Snowdrops are a symbol of hope in the darkness of midwinter. Associated with the festival of Candlemas in early February and named 'Candlemas Bells' for their purity, they are also linked to the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc. The snowdrops arrive at the turning point of the year when winter starts to give way to the spring and the promise of new life quickens in the earth as lambing season begins.
We have never needed the symbol of the snowdrop more than now as we battle the challenges of this particular winter and endure another lockdown through the worst of the winter.
Art is a powerful tool for expressing hope and our Winter Exhibition brings together a collection of art which aims to throw off the bleak midwinter and let in the light.
Anna Perlin 'Magnolia' mixed media 76x60cm – Art and Artists – Iona House Gallery
Anna Perlin's delicate spring flowers and studies of blossom trees are quintessentially English. They capture the promise of a world waking up from its long dormant sleep and bursting into colour and life once more. The first flowers must weather floods and frost but they are tenacious and refuse to be beaten down by the winter storms. They endure and return year after year despite the struggle to survive.
Mike Hall 'View of Mooring' acrylic on board 36x30cm – Art and Artists – Iona House Gallery
Remember the warmth of the sun on your skin and glittering light on water? Mike Hall's lucid paintings of France take you far away from the gloom of January to a world of open windows and soft breezes, relaxation and the simple contentment of sitting outdoors in a chair in the sunshine.
Celebrate the joy of birdsong in the hedgerows and the complex patterns woven as sunlight filters through branches and flowers peep out between the leaves. Este's work seems to glow with an inner warmth and to embody the qualities of poetry in her subtle layering of imagery and hidden forms.
Pete Gilbert 'Riverbank Reflections' acrylic 56x50cm – Art and Artists – Iona House Gallery
Stand, for a moment, by still water and watch the reflections of blossom trees in the cool surface. Pete Gilbert's scintillating studies of the natural world seem to dance with light and gentle beauty. Inspired by the gorgeous landscape of his beloved New Forest, his work encapsulates the timelessness of this ancient corner of England.
Creativity is an act of hope because it invests in the future and gives permanent life to a moment in time or to something that we hold dear. Unlike the delicate snowdrops which bloom and fade back into the earth, art is a permanent record of beauty which allows the viewer to re-live many times over the pleasure of a particular experience; the light on a specific day, the little bubble of joy that rises when the sun comes out from behind a cloud and lifts our mood or a sense of a deep connection with nature.
We hope that you find joy in our collection and that art gives you hope in the weeks ahead. Spring will come again!
From the team at Iona House Gallery.
Winter Exhibition 23rd January – 28th February 2021 – Art and Artists – Iona House Gallery
Blog post by Katherine Newman