Four Artists



Miles Heseltine Woodland II (sold)

 Opening this Saturday at 10am a collection of new paintings by four of our artists. Miles Hesletine, Myles Oxenford, Benjamin Warner and Andrew Giddens.  All four artists are exhibiting their own response to the world around them, embodying the sentiments of the impressionist movement. 

Miles Heseltine.  Woodland IV

Miles Heseltine has four stunning paintings of woodland.  Bristling with energy and almost exploding with emotion, beautifully simple yet full of depth these little paintings take you by the hand, right into the woods and almost shove you headlong into the bluebells.  They are quite beautiful and as you may be able to tell, have taken my breath away.  They really need to be seen, in person as the strong scribing marks that break the surface of the paint cry out to be studied closely.

Benjamin Warner. Winter View from my Studio towards Stithians Reservoir

Benjamin Warner has been to London and produced beautiful atmospheric paintings of the Thames at night.  As well as the end of day river pieces, there are two exquisite landscapes, the view from his studio, one with the sky like battered lead bent over fields barely scraped with snow. 
His paintings, as usual, seemingly simple but upon closer inspection revealing intricate layers of oil paint thrown and scraped and painted with such skill that the resulting paintings hang on the walls with the confidence and presence of an old master.

Benjamin Warner.  February Morning towards Truro.

Myles Oxenford's paintings are fresh, delicate and gentle.  Capturing the ephemeral quality of the dawn or the ending of the day in such a way that, when looking at them, I seem to hear the distant call of a lapwing.  Really lovely paintings with the tidal waters of the creeks running the eye up to a beautifully rendered horizon of ancient oaks and that sharp line of light caught on the very edge of the water.

Myles Oxenford.  Dawn Perranaworthal.

After standing back and resting your mind in this dawn and twilight world step closer and admire the masterful application of thin layers of carefully chosen colours that go to show such tranquil scenes.  Certainly a balm for the soul in such a mad world.

Andrew Giddens.  Rinsey Sunshine.

Finally there is a collection of new paintings by Andrew Giddens.  Rolling surf and blinding sunlight, woven colours let the huge splendour of the Cornish sea pour off the canvas, if you are a fan of this very popular artist then you will love this set of paintings.  Andrew's colours gush forth and his love for the spirituality found at the edge of the land are very apparent in his work.

Wimperis, Hoskin and Helford

Sarah Wimperis and Amanda Hoskin continue the Contemporary Impressionism series of exhibitions, at Beside The Wave, with their own individual visions of the Helford River.
In this, Sarah's first major collection for Beside The Wave, works include the Helford (where she lives) come rain or shine, exquisite portraits of gardens and a rich collection of paintings from Sarah's recent visit to Provence - a welcome reminder of what a sun-drenched summer really looks like.  

Wimperis. Low Tide, Polwheveral Creek



Hoskin. Misty Day, Helford.



Meanwhile, with her epic painting journey around Cornwall done, Amanda has found inspiration further inland around the Helford River. In painting the Helford for the very first time Amanda has sought to capture the essence of the river throughout the year.

Paintings are made by coaxing misty shapes out of the paint, using her fingers and splattering subtle colours onto the canvas. Amanda often paints from memory or from sketch books and studies made outdoors working to create and communicate the spirit of place.

Sarah paints as much as she can en plein air, or out there, in the rain, mist and sun, completing entire works of art outdoors. Her work seeks out strong colours, deep shadows and brilliant light, and she will often painting into the light ("contre jour") from the creek side or from her floating studio out in the river.

 

Sarah Wimperis and her floating studio


 For both Amanda Hoskin and Sarah Wimperis, the challenges of painting Cornwall in the winter, misty and moody with lush greens and subtle greys, and Cornwall in the summer, hazy sunshine, hot colours against deep cool shadows have produced breathtaking collections of work. And unsurprisingly, from the same stimulus of the Helford River each has such different and refreshing responses - which of course is part of what the joy of art is all about. Unique ways of seeing and utterly individual ways of voicing them.
 

Hoskin.  Rain Clouds over the Field.  Helford.



Wimperis.  Hazy Helford



Sarah, meanwhile, has also spent some time this summer in Provence, painting en plein air and has filled the gallery with paintings of blue Provencal skies, terracotta walls and purple shadows and of course Lavender.

Sarah and painting kit in Provence

Here you can see the process of painting, but you can't sadly hear the cicadas or feel the hot sun but clearly much of that has seeped into the paintings!!!


Wimperis.  Shadow Shed



Wimperis.  Lavender Stripes.

Anyway, it's now time to go and hang these paintings on the wall so they can be there for all to enjoy!
This exhibition opens on Saturday 6th August and continues until Thursday 18th August.