Art in the garden

Saturday 6th August charcoal drawing in the garden, run by Susan Tracy, free just pay for coffee and cake!

Lesley Linley & Johanne Danielle

Johanne Danielle and Lesley Linley, have joined forces to exhibit their work from April 6-May 3. It represents a wealth of experience and a range of skills which are translated into some awe-inspiring images. Johanne’s mixed media abstracts pay homage to a very personal spiritual journey.

Lynn Presland

An exciting new exhibition of Lynn Presland’s art work begins on Saturday, 1^st September, 2018 and continues until the end of the month in the Main Exhibition Room at Leabrooks Arts Complex. It comprises a mixture of impressionistic floral and landscape paintings in Lynn’s characteristically bold and colourful style.  These are images which are guaranteed to provide an arresting focal point in any room, inspiring interest and admiration.

Halloween

As usual the surfeit of pumpkins and the spirit(s) of Hallowe’en inspired me to do something artistic in a seasonal sort of way.  I, therefor, purchased a couple of oddly shaped pumpkins and set about carving and decorating them with a view to making them the centre pieces at a family party.  Their faces turned out to be deceptively jolly with twinkling glass eyes, large, insincere smiles and wild, yellow string bouffants.  They won no prices for artistic merit but prompted some discussion as they stood in pride of place two or three days before their formal presentation: their similarity to Donald Trump and Boris Johnson caused comment. But when i got up on the morning of the 31st October it was to discover that the two pumpkin heads were collapsed and weeping; there face were intact but they were softened and mouldy behind.  I just hadn’t noticed the corruption and whiff of decay; it didn’t spoil the party but left it without a worthy focal point. and that was that – or was it?

Autumn colour at Leabrooks Arts Complex Garden

What a difference a day makes!  Towards the end of last week, the first week in October, the gardens at the Complex were looking distinctly sad as the summer flowers faded and then, like a small miracle, late dahlias bloomed and the trees and creepers were transformed by autumn colours: brilliant reds, gold, bronze and copper tones. It was a very classy show in the unexpected sunlight.

There was an increase in the activity of the creatures that inhabit the garden too. A hedgehog was spotted foraging for food near the wood pile, a young squirrel learned how to tease the cats and a heron came swooping in early in the morning..  Then there were the magpies: two new kids on the block who’ve set up home at the top of a tall tree.  Despite their reputation I quite like these birds. They’re ill mannered and aggressive but they do have some admirable qualities: they strut with a confidence that verges on the comic, their plumage is unexpectedly colourful and they mate for life.

As with all aspects of experience – including and especially art – beauty is in the eye of the beholder.