Christmas 2007 at Percy House



As Christmas approaches Percy House offers a selection of work by new and regular artists to the gallery. Watercolours by Jim Binns, pastels by Shirley Shackleton and acrylics by Venus Griffiths plus many more.
New artists to the gallery include Claire and Ian Mcmean who have recently returned from South Africa to paint in Cumbria, landscapes by Godfrey Tonks and portraits by Gary Craig. We also have in a wide range of jewellery, ceramics, textiles and photographs.
The exhibition starts Saturday 10th November and runs until the 10th of
January.

‘Little we see in nature that is ours'
An exhibition of paintings in oils exploring the inspirational Lakes
by Peter Dworok
October 6 to November 7, 2007

After leaving college Peter lived and worked on the Isle of Skye and later Edinburgh where he exhibited his work widely. On moving back to his native Nottinghamshire, he helped to establish Rufford Craft Centre as a centre of excellence for the applied arts.

"I have always had an interest in the landscape, especially dramatic landscapes, those that have an underlying threat to human settlement. Where the line of the hills gets lost in a leaden, storm ridden sky and a glimpse of sunshine on the horizon promises a brief interlude to the wind and rain of a passing storm. It is these glimpses that I attempt to capture, the moment in time when the light creates an ephemeral landscape, a landscape in transition that a moment later would have changed completely. The Lakes have all of the landscape characteristics that I look for. They provide the backdrop to this changing drama of light and shade that I attempt to capture."

Drawn to the Light - Jim Wright
September 1st - October 3rd.

Chris Mouncey
Watercolours of landscapes and seascapes
of the North West.
Exhibiting July 28 to August 29 2007

Recent Works - Thuline de Cock

Thuline observes animals and their shapes,
gestures and mannerisms
Sat 30th June - 25th July 2007

The Changing Face
of a Northern Landscape
by Wendy Jones
2nd - 27th June 2007



Born into a family of painters in the North, Wendy Jones completed her studies at Camberwell College of Art before becoming a teacher. She has been a painter all her life, but on her retirement was able to devote herself to painting full-time. In her studios at home in North Yorkshire and at Farfield Mill, Sedbergh, she explored various themes including Byzantine, Middle Eastern and Indian influences as well as pure abstraction. However for the last few years Wendy has concentrated on interpreting the beautiful landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, the Cumbrian Hills and the North Yorkshire coast, using oils and mixed media. Her understanding of the media and love of colour allow her to create deeply satisfying works of art which capture the essence of her subject. Wendy exhibits widely in the North; she recently showed work in the Great North Art Exhibition in Ripon Cathedral. Her paintings are in private collections in this country and overseas.
Wendy's exhibition starts Saturday 2nd June and runs until 27th June.

A Holiday on Shetland
Christine Crofts

Sat 28th April - 30th May


..a viking ship drawn up on Unst;
ancient settlements; pebbles on a beach;
the colours of the rocks

'Passion'

Christine Romano
Sat 31st March
25th April

‘Passion’ by Penrith artist Christine Romano is an exhibition of fused glass, sculptures, and wall tiles.
‘Deciding on a theme for my exhibition is always a bit of a challenge and organic themes have proved to be very successful in the past, but this time I wanted to try something completely different. I decided on an emotion because it can be interpreted in so many ways and everyone has experienced it.
Passion comes in many forms, in a person or a belief, you just have to watch the crowd at a football match to see the passion they feel, it can be all consuming.
I know only too well how passionate and obsessive I can be, when I get caught up with an idea for a new piece of work, and have tried to interpret that in my glass.’

Captured Images

Captured Images
Photographers Bob Douglas, Malcolm Farrar,
Jim Kearney, David Herrod and Mike Shepherd
Sat 3rd March - 28th March 2007

Girls Alone
January 20th -February 28th


Girls Alone is an exhibition of work by talented female artists living and working in Cumbria.
Cockermouth artists Linda Cooper and Jackie Scammell will be displaying work alongside a host of others including Venus Griffiths, Marilyn Laugesen and Shirley Shackleton.
Kate Tame has produced large multi layered embroidered textiles and Angie Flynn is bringing in
her humerous female forms drawn with her sewing machine needle. Felt hangings by Dianne Standen and pewter ware by Roma Vincent and Maria Santos.

Full Programmne of Exhibitions 2007 (See left panel)

Exhibitions 2006

Christmas
Selection

4th November-
10th January 2007



Alongside our wide range of jewellery, textiles and ceramics, we are featuring work by both new and regular artists to the gallery. There are new watercolours by Jim Binns, pastels by Shirley Shackleton, dramatic panoramic images by Jim Kearney (pictured above) and paintings by Jim Wright and Chris Mounsey to name but a few.
Furniture makers Mike Mossop and Craig Murchie have been producing beautiful tables, cupboards, oak and pebble mirrors and handmade wooden boxes.

Jim Wright and Chris Mounsey will be featured in a forthcoming exhibitions in 2007.

The French
Collection
28th September
- 31st October 2006

From the 28th September, Percy House Gallery will be staging an exhibition of work by a group of artists from Marvejols in France.
The new exhibition coincides with the 23rd anniversary of Cockermouth’s twinning with the French town.

There is a wide variety of work in the exhibition ranging from oil paintings by Bernard Mabrier, a graduate of the national college of modern art in Paris, to delicate watercolours by Jeanne Contou-Carrere. Other artists include Guy Rigo, Florence Pradier, Agnes Farges and mother and daughter Elisaberth and Elsa Thyss.
Please feel free to visit the exhibition which runs from the 28th September until the end of October.

Embellished Women - Angie Flynn
Paper, Fabric and Threads
Sat 2nd September - 27th September 2006

Angie says of this her third exhibition at Percy House;
I love colour, shape, pattern and texture and I hoard scraps of fabric, papers and threads which can be applied to my work using a variety of techniques, applique, quilting, stitch and papier mache. My sewing machine is my drawing tool, using the needle like a paintbrush to lay down colour, it achieves painterly qualities but also the tactile quality of textiles.

The Full Spectrum - Shirley Shackleton
Exhibition of Pastels
Sat 29th July - 30th August


Shirley Shackleton’s pastels capture the dramatic lighting and stormy skies which are so much a part of the English Lake District.. Working from sketches and photographs she applies the pastel boldly on heavy grade sandpaper, completing the work in her studio.
The exhibition runs from 29th July until 30th August. If you would like to meet Shirley she will be in the gallery between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday 29th July.

A Moment in Time - Barry Herniman {MCSD}
Watercolour Landscapes
Sat 24th June - 26th July

Space, Light and Colour by Geoff Marsters

Geoff Marsters is a professional painter living and working in Cumbria. He is a painter of land and seascapes, working in oil, acrylics, pastel and watercolour. Geoff studied at the Cambridge School of Art, Bath Academy of Art and The Beaux-Arts, Paris. and has exhibited widely in the UK and France.

His exhibition at Percy House Gallery is in oils and pastels and brings together studies in Cumbria, Scotland, The Auvergne, Brittany and Gascony. These studies aim to translate the ambience of a subject through a direct freshness and vitality of the painted surface, making works of boldness and of subtlety of tone and colour.
The exhibition runs from the 27th May until 21st June.

Living Colour



Venus Griffiths
Sat 29th April -
24th May


‘I cannot remember a time when I have not felt the desire to draw and paint.
When I was thirteen I was awarded a scholarship to Wakefield Art College. After that I became a technical illustrator, giving up when marriage and raising four children became a priority.

I moved to Keswick in 1988 and set up my own studio at home. My work includes acrylics, watercolours and mono screen prints. Each discipline requires a different approach which is exciting and demanding. I am still thrilled and often amazed how an idea in my mind develops into a finished piece of work.

Many people have asked where the name Venus came from - I was named after my maternal Grandmother and to the relief of my daughters the name has not been inflicted on the next generation.

Living Colour is an exhibition of paintings about the places that are special to me.
I feel passionate about North Yorkshire, The west coast of Scotland and especially Cumbria where I am fortunate to live and work.’


Frayed Edges

Sat 1st April - 26th April



Frayed Edges consists of the nine designer weavers who, in the summer of 2004 graduated together in Handloom Textile Design from Bradford College. The course is well known among members of the Spinning, Weaving and Dyeing community. The friendships forged and the skills acquired led to a determination to keep weaving together and thus Frayed Edges was born.

The 9 members are spread widely across Britain which brings a wide variety of approach and style to the work adding interest and vibrancy to the exhibition. Some have been weaving and selling items for several years whilst others are venturing into the market for the first time but all have achieved a high standard of skill and design ability.

The aim of the group is to produce beautiful and imaginative woven textiles for both home use and fashion. They produce a wide range of items from wall hangings, rugs and throws to scarves, bags and wraps. The members are:
Kath Allen, Mirja Dawson, Alison Daykin, Jane Deane, Jill Dexter, Carole Dickens, Janice Moilliet,
Jillian Morris and Tessa Smith.

Spirit of the Land - Mike Shepherd

Limited Edition and monochrome photography
4th March - 29th March



Feminine
Touch
14th January- 28th February

Percy House Gallery starts 2006 with a Ladies Only exhibition featuring upstairs in the gallery.
Work will include oils, watercolours, acrylics and pastels, embroidered and hand tufted hangings, jewellery and ceramics. Artists will include Judy Coleman, Linda Cooper, Christine Crofts, Mary Taylor and Shirley Shackleton plus a selection of work by The Rural Women’s Network.
Feminine Touch runs until February 28th.

Previously in 2005

Christmas Selection
runs until
Jan 5th 2006

A new selection of Lakeland watercolours by Cockermouth artist Jim Binns are part of the Christmas Exhibition now on display at Percy House Gallery. Other works include pastels by Shirley Shackleton, acrylics by Judy Coleman and photographs by David Herrod and Mike Shepherd.
Artists new to the gallery include Martin Norris, also from Cockermouth, who has produced beautiful fish and bird sculptures. Martin works with clay that has been modified with wood pulp. The finished product is then smoke fired to give its subtle shading.
We also have in a new range of jewellery by Paula Boulton, hand tooled pewter boxes by Maria Santos plus lots of lovely textiles including alpacha bags, shawls and scarves.
The Christmas Exhibition runs until the 5th January.
Percy House is open 10am - 5pm Monday till Saturday. For more details please telephone the gallery on 01900 829667.

Poetic Landscapes
Sue Lawson
Sat 1st October - 2nd November

The Colour of Peacocks
Christine Crofts
Sat 3rd September - 28th September

Loose Threads by Angie Flynn
Saturday July 30 until August 31.

Angie successfully exhibited at the gallery last year and we are very much looking forward to her latest work.
“I am thrilled to be asked back to exhibit at Percy House gallery for the second time.” said Angie.
“I live in Cumbria spending my childhood in Egremont and now living in Barrow-in-Furness with my family. Having taught embroidery and art and design for some years I made the decision to concentrate on my own work. It’s a challenge because you have to be both focused and disciplined.
“The work that will be shown, again, shows the ‘female form’ developed and explored. Inspiration is drawn from everyday surroundings, observing family and friends. Working with a variety of techniques gives me diversity and freedom to choose what suits the subject best.
“Applique, paint and stitch enables me to create shape, colour and line and my sewing machine is my drawing tool.
“The motivation behind my work is to take a fresh approach with each piece and to capture situations with Humour that the viewer can identity with.”

25th June - 27th July
10am - 5pm

Out of the Mist
By Jim Binns

Impressions of
Nature-In Stitch
by Mary Taylor
Sat 28th May
- 22nd June

Mary Taylor is a textile artist, living and working in South Cumbria. Her work is inspired by our landscape. The cycle of the seasons and ever-changing light provide a limitless source of inspiration. Her pieces are created by layering fabrics, particularly organza and chiffons over velvet, stitching into them before burning and heating to reveal the colours beneath to create a wonderful textured surface. This is enhanced with further machine embroidery and hand beading to emphasise the texture and add highlights. The work is then made into long narrow hangings, which represent a narrow slice of landscape, smaller framed panels, cushions, lamps and jewellery. Each unique piece of jewellery, (pendants, bracelets, bangles, brooches and earrings), is like a miniature landscape. Impressions of Nature runs from Saturday 28th May - 22nd June

Shifting Landscape by Annie Hudson: Saturday 30th April - 26th May Annie Hudson has been drawn to the hills and rugged landscape since childhood. It is only in the last few years that she has had the oportunity to immerse herself in it, and experience the rewarding pleasures of living and working in Cumbria. Annie studied at the Royal Academy Schools, London in the 70s, and through an initial compulsory 3 months of life drawing, she developed her love of drawing, which remains central to the work she does, whether in pastels, oils or mixed media. Working from drawings made in the open, but developing ideas in her studio, Annie tries to capture the sense of movement and energy of the landscape. ‘ I am fascinated by the way rock formations reveal so much about their dramatic making,and transformation through time. Shifting weather and light, add further layers of visual information, providing me with a dynamic mix of subject matter.’ Shifting Landscape runs from Saturday 30th April - 26th May Percy House is open 10am - 5pm Monday till Saturday.

Mixing Materials
Diane Standen
March 26 - April 27



Producing high quality,handmade textile work from sustainable/recycled
materials.
"A fascination with colour and texture has led me to work with textiles. From an early interest in fabric and threads I have focused for the past decade on feltmaking. Not only is this an extremely versatile technique with huge
scope for exploration,the raw material,wool, has excellent qualities.
"In recent years growing concern about sustainability and waste has led me to experiment widely with bonding used textiles with wool and incorporating
synthetic material .In addition to innovative feltmaking I use traditional rag techniques and experiment widely with new ideas to produce very
contemporary pieces.The result is vibrant ,colourful work which has given new life to old textiles and produced goods which are durable,functional and attractive.It gives me great personal satisfaction to reduce the use of dyes and diminish the amount of textiles entering landfill . I take many of my ideas for designs from the movement of water/sky and land formations.I'm continually inspired by wanderings in the Lake District or the Cumbrian Coast where I live."

25th Feb - 24th March

Watercolours & Smoke Fired Ceramics Nancy Tingey & Wendy Rotarides Nancy Tingey established her studio at Isel Hall in 2002 and her paintings for the exhibition at Percy House concentrate on work inspired by the view of Skiddaw from the entrance of Isel Hall. The watercolours aim to capture the elusive and mercurial quality of the lakes landscapes. After graduating in Fine Art at Durham, Nancy has developed a varied career in the visual arts. She has worked as art curator and exhibited her paintings and textiles at Abbott Hall in Kendal. She has also worked as lecturer and practising artist in both England and Australia. Wendy Rotarides started potting many years ago after joining classes at Carlisle College of Art. She set up a small pottery workshop and this was the beginning of a lifetime love of pottery. She was a member of the Guild of Craftsmen and has had work in many outlets across Cumbria. After an introduction to sawdust smoke firing she decided this was the process she wished to concentrate on. Pots fired in this way require a very special clay in order to be able to withstand the thermol shock of being exposed to the quick heating and cooling demanded by this process. The pots are burnished to produce a very smooth surface, then smoked in a sawdust kiln in the garden to produce a beautiful smoky finish.

Winter Blues
January 8 -February 23
2005

As the New Year gets under way we now have the final details of our 2005 exhibitions in Percy House.
The mixed exhibition entitled Winter Blues continues until February and includes new pastels by Geoff Marsters. Geoff is a painter of land and seascape with a strong interest in the qualities of light and atmospheric colour. His work is reproduced in numerous books, his pictures held in private and corporate collections worldwide.
We also have work by Judy Coleman whose acrylic paintings are inspired by Cumbrian landscapes. Judy has held numerous exhibitions and is an elected member of 'The Lake Artists Society'.
From the end of February, and into March, the gallery will be showing watercolours by Nancy Tingey and smoke fired ceramics by Wendy Rotarides. Also planned are four textile exhibitions, more watercolours by Jim Binns and oils and pastels by Sue Lawson and Annie Hudson.
For more details please telephone the gallery on 01900 829667

Last Year's Shows
October 2nd to November 2nd
Present Works and Cumbria life Illustrations
by Trevor Green This exhibition at Percy House Gallery included recent works in acrylics and a selection of watercolour illustrations which have appeared in Cumbria Life since Trevor and writer Christian Dymond were asked by the magazine to start a series of town visits.

'Paper Eye'
Jackie Scammell
4th September -
29th September

Jackie Scammell spent her childhood on the East Coast of America and although Jackie now lives and works in Cockermouth, her exhibition at Percy House is very much to do with her environment and upbringing.

Landscape, Seen & Felt
by Jenny Cowern
31st July - 31st August

In Stitches with Angie Flynn 26th June - 29th July Evidence of Habitation by Joe Dias 29th May to 24th June Reclaimed II - textiles by Dianne Standen 27th March - 28th April       Wood and Water Linda Ryle/Cooper 1st May - 26th May       Full 2004 Listing Evidence of Habitation Joe Dias 29th May - 24th June In Stitches with Angie Flynn 26th June - 29th July Pastels, Paintings and Felts Jenny Cowern 31st July - 31st August Paper Eye Jackie Scammell 4th September - 29th September Present Works & Cumbria Life Illustrations Trevor Green 2nd October - 2nd November Christmas Selection Various Artists 4th November - 3rd January

Exhibitions in 2003

	Cumbrian Sketches Tony Sharp 3rd October - 1st November
	Textiles by Christine Crofts & sculpture by Sky Higgins 22nd August - 27th September
	Watercolours Jim Binns 28th June - 31st July
	Mixed Media David Herrod, Shirley Shackleton plus many new artists 3rd May - 26th June

	April 1st-30th Creative Textiles by Dianne Standen
	March 1st-29th Photoshoots Featuring works by Helen and Malcolm Farrar.
	February 1st-28th The gallery exhibition season starts in February with paintings by Clifford Rowan. Rowan established a name for his haunting landscape paintings in 1961 at Zwemmer in Charing Cross Road, and in 1964 at Helen Lessore’s legendary Beaux Arts Gallery in London, which also gave a start to Sheila Fell who studied alongside Rowan in London.
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