I had the great fortune to work in an art gallery many years ago and from these three blissful years, I developed a real love of’ and appreciation for art. So it was a real treat this weekend to be taken to, not one but, two galleries!
The first gallery that we visited was the Modern Artists Gallery, which is in the delightful village of Whitchurch on Thames near Pangbourne in Berkshire. Here there are a wide selection of contemporary artists working in a good mix of mediums, including: some totally amazing, deep coloured, surreal sky-scapes by Kathryn Thomas; some energetic city scenes by Anita Austwick; some gorgeously cheeky bronze sculptures by Mark Hall (if you’re not familiar with his work, it’s definitely worth looking up!); some surreal contemplative paintings by Lucy Orchard that gave me a real sense of unease! There is plenty to look at and you even get to cross a lovely toll bridge on the way there, where Ken Livingstone has obviously not got his hands on the income from the 20p each way charge!
The second gallery that we discovered was a real find, but if you’re reading this after the 8th September, you’re too late! Take 5 Artists is the third year that these local artists have mounted an exhibition at the top of the town in the Henley Exhibition Centre. We chanced in on Matthew Burley hanging his amazing paintings in the evening and he very kindly let us browse round their work. Matthew is charming and his canvases of water foaming behind a boat and water sparkling in a weir were achingly realistic. He also paints totally lifelike portraits and there is one there with a fantastic headdress in a riot of colour. For those of you in New York, keep an eye out for him… he’ll be working in your fair city from the end of this month. The photographer, Steve Bumphrey, also had dynamic colours, but it was his moody nudes that really caught our eye… stunning!
Irrespective of whether you catch the exhibition, I can really recommend a Saturday afternoon and evening in Henley… it is a beautifully graceful town with loads of proper shops and a good choice of restaurants… it’s best to book a table though, as I think that we were very lucky!