‘First Stirrings’ the Spring Exhibition 2025 at Old Chapel Gallery, Pembridge near Kington is open until the end of April

Each piece inspired by nature, encompassing a unique collection of hand-picked, desirable contemporary British fine art and craft including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, stained glass, jewellery, textiles and pewter, we hope this latest exhibition strikes a heartening mood of optimism. 

Artist Joanna Griffiths uses a variety of media including pastel, acrylic ink and more recently oil on canvas. 

Her new oils focus on her locality in the Welsh Marches, showing her fascination for details which make up a landscape: tall grasses bent and battered by winter, tiny yellow flowers opening on resilient gorse, and farmland bursting into life with lush new grass and thriving lambs. 

She says: "Spring comes late in upland areas but gradually the bright, sharp sunlight breaks through the remaining snow and driving rain to reveal a glistening world brimming with life”.

Lynda Jones’ mysterious canvases and drawings are mostly depictions of the Monmouthshire landscape, and its rolling wooded hills, that surrounds her. The final image often bears little relation to the original subject but all have a common starting point – the memory of a place she knows well. Even when working on a larger scale, a tiny detail, such as a soaring kite, will intrigue and draw the viewer in.

Ceramicist Simon Rich had such a strong interest in pottery that at an early age he started to teach the craft to his fellow pupils at school. For the last 25 years Simon has been refining and perfecting his craft, creating beautiful ceramics with a crystalline glaze applied to porcelain. During a lengthy firing, zinc oxide forms crystals, the patterns resembling the intricate and utterly original growth of frost. His latest pieces are enhanced by a subtle iridescence. 

Justine Allison’s fine porcelain vessels are eloquent and uplifting. Effectively so because of their unassuming presence - light is attracted to them, held, and radiates from them. There is a quietude to Justine’s work that reflects the meditative process of its making and the grace of the finished forms. They are not perfect, they are precise, with strong lines and soft colours, fixed forms that convey movement and make us hold our breath.

Stained glass artist Tamsin Abbott is influenced by the natural world and its associated myths and legends, she tries to imbue her work with a sense of these magical qualities which connect humankind to the landscape while doing justice to the alchemical qualities of the glass itself, her designs making skilful use of the glowing colours flowing through it.

Barbara Shaw creates art in textiles and ‘paints’ with fabric, constructing images by hand-stitching small pieces of material together in layers, reflecting her interest in Impressionist painting. She hopes to interpret subjects in a fresh way which encourages viewers to take a second look. She is a self-taught artist, having started experimenting with fabrics after sewing patchwork quilts.

New to the gallery is Trish Woods who creates individual handcrafted statement jewellery pieces and giftware in pewter, striving to bring a new, contemporary aesthetic to this traditional metal. Originally trained in silversmithing, she has worked in pewter for over 15 years. Researching new methods of patination, she has developed a unique process for colouring pewter which is now a signature of her work.

This exhibition continues until the end of April. The gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday 11 am - 4.30 pm and Sundays from 12 am - 4 pm. Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment

For more information phone 01544 388 842 or visit our web site www.oldchapelgallery.co.uk