County exhibitions offer something for everyone

1:08pm Thursday 6th March 2008

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SEVERAL new exhibitions are currently running in Herefordshire galleries.

In The Courtyard's exclusive contemporary exhibition spaces, paintings and print work from three local artists are featured from tomorrow (Friday).

Janine Martin presents Landscapes: Body and Mind, a collection of paintings that she describes as a "journey of visual discovery through intense expressionist colour", while Sara Hayward and Paul Powis's Autographic Impressions is a showcase of prints produced during their recent inspirational residency in Venice.

"The Courtyard is a wonderful venue for all the arts," says Janine, whose paintings take their inspiration from the countryside of Herefordshire, Cumbria and France, where she grew up.

"For painters and other artists, it offers a showcase to people who do not normally visit art galleries, but can experience contemporary art while perhaps going to a film, a concert or show."

Sara Hayward returns to The Courtyard after the success of her 2006 solo exhibition, this time as part of a joint display with Paul Powis.

They were recently awarded a printmaking residency in Venice, supported by the Venice Cultural Department, at the Large Format Print Studio on the Fondamente Nuove.

Spending time working in such a unique city obviously had a profound effect on the two artists, who came to feel like part of the community. This is reflected in this new body of work, and Sara explains how involved they felt: "One of the main philosophies of Venice printmaking is to allow visitors to experience the residential side of Venice, enabling them to experience daily life and work in the community, and thereby contribute to the cultural side of the city."

The two exhibitions run at The Courtyard, from 9am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, until Saturday, April 26.

At Galanthus Gallery, the current exhibition features out-of-the-ordinary and lovely objects from Anna Raymond, whose vibrant works blur the boundaries between traditional printing techniques and new technologies; Joanna Hardman, a h.Art prizewinner last year with her charming works in wire; Cornish potter Sarah Dunstan's delicately detailed pieces and Colin Chetwood's expressive illuminations. The exhibition runs until Tuesday, April 29, from 10am to 5pm six days a week (closed on Wednesday).

In Hay-on-Wye, life-size sculptures of goats, a hare and a fox are among the exhibits in the latest exhibition at Silent Voices Gallery. Entitled A Celebration of Rural Life, the exhibition features work by painters Julia Harris and Robin Kenchington, animal sculptures from Rachel Ricketts and jewellery from Sharon McSwiney, with a selection of pieces on the rural theme from other local artists.

A Celebration of Rural Life runs at Silent Voices Gallery, Castle Street, Hay-on-Wye until Thursday, April 3. Open 10am to 5pm, Monday and Wednesday to Saturday (closed Tuesday), 10.30am to 4.30pm, Sunday.

For further information, visit www.silent-voices.co.uk or email info@silent-voices.co.uk