Embracing the fresh, invigorating spirit of spring, here we take a closer look at five of our current favourites here at the gallery.
1. ‘The Fish Market, Venice’ by David Sawyer, RBA. Oil on panel. 16” x 7”. £1,500
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Chosen by: Philip Short, Director
“It was a delight to see David and fellow plein air artist Michael John Ashcroft painting in York at the end of last month. David brought a number of new paintings with him, including ‘The Fish Market, Venice’. Awash with rich and exquisite tones, one becomes momentarily lost in the azure blue of the grand canal, before the eye is drawn up toward the sun-baked cityscape. It is a mesmeric painting, by an artist of irrefutable quality.”
2. ‘Robin’ by Carl Whitfield. Oil on panel. 5” x 6”. £895
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Chosen by: Alan Short, Director
“One of the finest wildlife artists working today, Carl’s ‘Robin’ makes for an extraordinary study. Each fresh glance brings about another fine detail, previously unnoticed. A wisp of feathery down, or a delicate flourish of bright yellow buttercups. An unforgettable little picture.”
3. ‘A Fine Way to Spend the Day’ by Clare Haley. Oil on panel. 24” x 18”. £995
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Chosen by: Deanna Dawkins, Gallery Manager
“A soulful, riveting landscape, Clare’s latest painting lulls the viewer into a world of silvery light and shapeshifting hills. The wild grasslands surge like ocean waves, rupturing into plains of luminous brilliance before disappearing into shadow. Rolling over the scene, the brooding sky adds both balance and contrast to the land below. Bruised and heavy, yet punctured by beams of pale sunshine, sky and earth meld into one and other, rising to a pitch of perfect harmony.”
4. ‘Quarnford Paths’ by Julian Mason. Oil on canvas. 16” x 16”. £1,000
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Chosen by: Kirsty Maclennan, Gallery Assistant.
“The sort of painting you breathe in, like a gulp of fresh, bright spring air. When I look at Julian’s latest piece, I can hear the birdsong emanating from distant treetops, and the soft crackle of grass underfoot. Plein air painters seem to capture something directly from the environment they have painted in and in this case, it the feeling of spring.”
5. ‘York Minster’ by Michael John Ashcroft, ROI. Oil on panel. 10” x 12”. £1,100
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Chosen by: Sarah Pearson Short, Gallery Assistant.
“What I like most about Michael’s elegant rendition of Minster Yard is the personal, ground-level feel of the piece. Rather than take in a grand, foreseeable scene of York’s famous cathedral, Michael has opted for a skewed, partial view, just like the one you get when on foot. This offers insight and an ordinary perspective, transforming something imposing and unknowable into something every day, without losing one ounce of poetry in the process.”
To find out more of our favourites, visit the gallery, drop us an email or strike up a conversation with a member of our friendly team on our live chat.
