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Sep07
- Paul Rumsey works in charcoal. This year, he says, his
picture for the gallery is even more unpleasant than usual! Three
skeletal figures running across a dark landscape........ The
exhibition runs from 1 - 30 Sept Mon-Sat 9.30-5.30 (closed
1-2)
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July07
- From 1 - 31 July, Annie Bielecka Exhibition. New work 'Glimpses
of Mexico' reflecting impressions of Annie's recent travels there,
using fabric as paint, moving the materials on canvas - using a
needle instead of a brush. Annie said: "Planning work for this
tiniest of galleries is challenging". For more about Annie
Bielecka, click here
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Mar07
- We
are very excited to be showing once again the work of
Dale Mann. Dale
is
a self-taught artist currently based in Sudbury who understands both
his own work and that of other artists in a deep and intuitive way.
His works are evocative, often shocking, funny, and need to be seen
and experienced in order to connect with their extraordinary beauty.
He says of his work " My small scale works fuel the larger
paintings which I approach knowing exactly the feeling I want to
express. The surface of the painting is hugely important to me and is
most of the meaning of the painting. A completed work is not made
but emerges through a process of action and struggle and in this way
narrative and form are created simultaneously."
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Feb07
- Coastal
Inspiration.
An
exhibition of watercolours by Suffolk-based artist David
Green. Nine watercolours are on show from the series ‘48
Abstracts and Fragments’, depicting scenes from beach, boatyard
and the water’s edge. Inspired by walks around the coasts and
estuaries of
East Anglia
, they were also greatly influenced by the patterns and rhythms of
Bach’s Preludes and Fugues.
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Sep06:
We are very excited to be showing two new linocut prints from James Dodds of Wivenhoe who is well known locally and internationally for his huge paintings and brilliantly crafted prints of boats and everything to do with them. One depicts the house of another famous Wivenhoe artist Guy Taplin and is called Homage de Villa Taplin. The other, Colne Marine's Scottish Derrick is a detailed view of Guy Harding's Boatyard as it used to look when it was a working
boatyard.
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|
 July06:
Dale Mann is a self-taught
artist who understands both his own work and that of other
artists in a deep and intuitive way. His works
are evocative, often shocking, funny, and need to be seen and
experienced in order to connect with their extraordinary beauty. He
says of his work " My small scale works fuel the larger
paintings which I approach knowing exactly the feeling I want to
express. The surface of the painting is hugely important to me and is
most of the meaning of the painting. A completed work is not made
but emerges through a process of action and struggle and in this way
narrative and form are created simultaneously." Pictured here
is “Strange Afternoon”.
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| Jun06:
Everard Longland -
has always painted in watercolour, which, he says,”… can be
bold, bright, illuminating and free of constraint. It takes over the
brush, goes it’s own way and frees itself to form a myriad of
patterns and shapes as if by magic – almost dispensing with the
artist, but not quite.” Click here
for more about Everard Longland
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| Oct
2005: Kate Lammin is the artist exhibiting at the Over-the-Sofa Gallery during October. This current work is influenced by a visit to Japan where Kate experienced the juxtaposition of different media and opposing cultural references. From small collages using kitsch and traditional images, her work has developed into folding screens using paper, wooden panels and silk.
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| Sept
2005: Painter Joan
Howard with an exhibition entitled "Altering Shapes".
Joan said "I am interested in the thought that eventually
all things disintegrate and then reform, and in every particle there
will be a pattern which will then transform into other shapes. This
will go on ad infinitum."
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| August
2005: The photographic work of Frances
Belsham will be shown during August. She has concentrated
on unusual studies of Wivenhoe to capture the mood of the town and
her emotional attachment to it. She says: "Having recently
moved to Wivenhoe I have discovered an area that provides an endless
changing landscape that constantly moves me to reach for my
camera.Scenes that can look ordinary in the middle of the day
suddenly take on a completely different mood when the sun is just
rising or when the lights of Wivenhoe are on.To have this changing
water and landscape on my doorstep is a constant inspiration and
provides me with many opportunities to capture the scenes that
surround me."
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| June
2005: Colchester based artist Jane Frederick is currently
exhibiting at Firstsite and will also be showing her work during
June 2005. Jane works in the medium of painting, drawing,
printmaking and photography with an interest in the theatre of
fashion photography in particular, and its possible fusion with the
art form of the painted portrait. Jane also teaches at the
Colchester Art School.
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| April
2005: DALE DEVEREUX BARKER. "Plates by Sir Amex". The
exhibition includes unusual and unique ceramics produced by Dale
Devereux Barker during an Artist in residency at The Royal Worcester
Porcelain Factory. This a rare chance to see these strange and often
absurd objects which combine all the usual elements associated with
Dale's work. The "Life of Sir Amex - an artist "
series is well worth the visit.
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| March
2005: Features recent work by Helen Lee. Helen, a painter trained at the Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal College of Art, lives and works in Colchester, and has exhibited widely with public and private collections worldwide.
After recently attending a drawing course (basic visual language) for fun at the Colchester School of Art, Helen has discovered how exciting it is to go back to the rudiments and to
re-emerge! |
| February
2005: Ron Sims is showing a carefully designed geometrical arrangement of his small works. It is vivid show and exhibits his continuing interest in re-structured living forms. |
| December
2004: This is the second year of our annual retrospective of
artists who have shown work in the Over-The-Sofa Gallery since
it opened in May 2002. In order to fit all of the work into our
delightfully small space we ask artists to submit a work no larger
than 7” x 9” in their chosen medium. Last Christmas’s
exhibition was very well attended and a great success with artists
and the public.
The exhibition is a challenge for the artists, but they have all
succeeded in producing exquisite pieces of works in a range of media
including oils, watercolour, collage, embroidery, pottery, and even
a mosaic. |
| November
2004 - Dale Mann. We
are very excited to be showing the work of Dale Mann during
November. He has recently enjoyed great success with an exhibition
at the North House Gallery in Manningtree. Mann’s mixed media
works defy categorisation, and evoke a range of responses in the
viewer. They are often shocking, very funny, and completely
original. ‘Village Life’ and three other works are on view in
the gallery at the Wivenhoe Bookshop until the end of November. |
| July
2004 - Richard Allen. Richard’s scraperboard illustrations of
wildlife have appeared in The Times’ gardening section over the
last five years, and he also specialises in watercolour paintings of
wildlife and landscapes. He will include some he has painted
locally. |
| June
2004 - Sarah Mayhew. Wivenhoe artist Sarah Mayhew, Sarah feels
that we need variety and change in our lives to stimulate and
entertain our minds. This inspired her to create an abstract art
basis in which the final outcome is determined by the viewer. The
work she is showing consists of interchangeable squares which are
fixed onto the background with velcro and can be rearranged by the
viewer! The squares work on different levels - colour, texture or
shapes - the meaning is left open to individual choice. |
| May
2004. Hilary Lazell and Julie Howe, both
Wivenhoe-based artists, have created this month's exhibition from
their combined light-hearted views of the female form.
Using line, wash, a dash of colour, texture and plenty of humour,
Hilary takes the mythological woman and the classical female pose
and puts them firmly into the context of the 21st century and the
reality of the lives of many women today. Here you can see Aphrodite
as she has not previously been seen as well as the ubiquitous
reclining nude with more on her mind than is usually associated with
the pose. On a similar theme, Julie explores the lumps and
bumps of the female body in earthenware clay. She is keen to take
her medium to the limits of its plasticity and her fascinating
female creations, with their handbags, tights and voluptuous curves
demonstrate her skill and celebrate their own cellulite! Click here
for photo of Hilary and Julie at their launch party. |
| Apr
2004 - Robina
Jack. This
month’s artist works with stained glass, and has created
everything from large decorative window panels to delicate jewellry,
all in her singular and attractive style. Robina’s work on show
includes a framed lit window entitled “Waders”, several
exuberant hanging glass panels featuring animals, birds and abstract
designs, and exquisite glass pendants and earrings.
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| Mar
2004 - Dale Devereux Barker. Works
by world-renowned local printmaker Dale Devereux Barker, including a
selection of books which he has produced in collaboration
with poets both in the UK and in America. One of his books
is in the Tate Gallery in London and one is on show in a public
library in New York. This is the first time Dale has exhibited a
collection of these books which he has designed, printed and
illustrated himself. He is also bringing along some of
his exquisite miniature prints. |
| Jan
2004 - Liz Pollard. Originally
from Harrogate in Yorkshire, Liz has been a resident of Wivenhoe
since 1986. Her watercolours and prints are evocative of her
Yorkshire past.
Liz creates work using a wide range of printmaking techniques, from
simple monoprinting and relief prints to multi-plate etchings, using
photographic references, sketches and drawing to develop her
ideas. Click here
for more about Liz Pollard.
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| Dec
2003 - The 7x7 Wivenhoe Retrospective Exhibition. Click here |
| Nov
2003 - The artist for the month of November is Helen Lee who is showing her stunning drawing of a wedding
group. She will be in the shop from 2.30 – 4.30pm on
Saturday 8 November to do a demonstration and to talk to visitors about her work. There will also
be the added attraction of homemade cake and glasses of wine. All are welcome!
See picture and report. Click here |
| Oct
2003 - For the month of October we will be
showing Robert Priseman's recent watercolour series, ‘Moods of the
Sea’ which are a preparation for much larger oil paintings on the
same theme. Robert is a full-time painter, living in Wivenhoe and
who has painted portraits for an impressive list of sitters
including Basil Hume and the Dalai Lama. |
| Sept
2003 - The Over the Sofa Gallery will be filled with Barry
Woodcock’s exquisitely executed wood engravings during September.
Barry Woodcock is a full-time artist printmaker working from his
home in Brightlingsea. Born in 1945, he went on to study at Ipswich
School of Art from 1960-63. Beginning in 1985, he is a self-taught
wood engraver whose work has been hung in many gallery venues and
exhibitions including the Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition. He
is currently preparing his fourth solo exhibition of engravings
which opens in October ’03 at the Wildwood Gallery, Bury St
Edmunds. He is a regular exhibitor with the Society of Wood
Engravers who will be taking a show to the Irma Stern Gallery in
Capetown in November ’03.
Click
here
for more details.
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| June
2003 - Stephanie Harland, a lens-based multi-media
artist/illustrator who has worked in photography, 2D animation,
film/video production, illustration and digital imaging. Stephanie
is now a freelance visual artist and lecturer, after a stint in
Philadelphia. Click here
for more about Stephanie Harland |
| May 2003 -
photographer Sophie Ives’ work. Sophie studied at
Colchester Institute and the University of Brighton and has been
teaching Fine Art and Photography at Colchester Institute for the
last five years. She has been involved in various exhibitions
including a solo show at the Hay Gallery.
Sophie likes artwork to be engaging and considers
this piece, which uses slightly out of the ordinary materials,
‘essentially humorous as it describes repetition, something which
I encounter daily having two small children. Additionally,
frustration, chance, longing, greed, dreaming and the feeling that
the grass is always greener.’ Come and see for yourself – but be
warned: Strictly NO SCRATCHING! Click here
for more about Sophie Ives
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Click here for
the Over the Sofa home page |
