Elizabeth Feltham and Bruce Barnden: A Retrospective at the Bishop's Palace (From Hereford Times)

Elizabeth Feltham and Bruce Barnden: A Retrospective at the Bishop's Palace

12:00pm Sunday 19th August 2012 in Visual Arts

A RETROSPECTIVE exhibition opens at The Bishop’s Palace in Hereford on September 8 featuring the work of Hereford-born and educated Elizabeth Feltham and her late husband, Bruce Barnden.

The exhibition, organised by Elizabeth’s niece Pippa Burns, came about when, following her husband’s death, Elizabeth asked friends and relatives to have a look in the attic and discovered that, contrary to Bruce’s assertion that ‘there was nothing much left’, there were in fact ‘a tremendous number’.

These paintings by Bruce, who exhibited widely during his lifetime, form the core of the exhibition and, together with paintings lent by friends, present a picture of his work over the years.

“I’m very excited about this exhibition,” says Elizabeth. “He was a wonderful painter, but he underestimated himself. So many people admired him and have wanted to contribute and to help. I hope this will lead to a reassessment of his work.

“He loved the landscape and seascapes, but later he became interested in tree roots and mudflats.”

The exhibition also features a selection of Elizabeth’s work. The couple met at Hereford College of Art and, like Bruce, Elizabeth had work exhibited at The Royal Academy.

This is not the first time their work has been seen together. “We had an exhibition at Hereford art gallery in 1959,” Elizabeth recalls.

Elizabeth’s interests tended towards the patterns she found in flowers: “I liked looking for design and atmosphere.”

Just lately, she says, she has renewed her interest in painting.

“I am just getting ideas. I have two little grandsons and I’ve been doing some paintings of them.”

Elizabeth Feltham and Bruce Barnden: A Retrospective is at The Bishop’s Palace from September 8 to 11.