Xmas Show / Sioe Nadolig

Exhibition of members and guests of OLA

painting, sculpture, prints and more

until / tan Dec 31 Rhag.

Friday 9th Dec. music by

Guto Dafis and Mikey Price

Friday 16th Dec. "Of Witches and Demons"

story telling by Francis Maxey

Tables And Other Things

paintings by

Chris Griffin

Exhibition continues until November 19th 2011

Arddangosfa yn parhau tan Tachwedd 19fed 2011

Pete Sainty

"Claw"

New work in cast iron based on beach detritus

56 Group

Mixed exhibition of the 56 group Wales, drawings, paintings, sculptures, digital print and more

Ruth McLees

Room Tour

An exhibition of portraits inspired by the YouTube phenomenon of 'room tours', painted on vintage fabrics, chosen to match the decor of the subjects room.

As part of the exhibition the artist will be inviting the public to submit their own 'room tour' photos. selected pictures will be painted live in the gallery during the exhibition.

Follow Ruth on Twitter@RuthMcLeesart

www.ruthmclees.co.uk

June 10th - 2nd July

Raft/Rafft Exhibition 30th April- 28th May

PRIVATE VIEW 29th 6PM-9PM

An exhibiton of lighting, textiles, ceramics, painting, installation and video by Cardiff based artists, Judy Foote, katie Rigby, Lisa Tann, Alice Smith, Helen Malia, Beth Sanders, Laura Howe, Marega Palser and Johana Hartwig.

Saturday stay and Play Workshops.

Space is limited on a first come first served basis so come early to avoid disappointment.

Saturday 30th April Felt Flower Making
Saturday 7th May Paper Making and Collage
Saturday 14th May Clay Modeling and Tile Making
Saturday 21st May Lantern Making
Saturday 28th May Badge Making

11.00-12.30 and 1.30- 3.00

INTIMATE CARTOGRAPHIES 1: Landscape Explorations

As an artist-letterer working with issues to do with the environment, language and cultural identity, a sense of place is fundamental to Valerie's work, much of which is made in response to a given location. The poetic resonance of language and its connection to the environment drives her work, which is concerned with how the environment is defined through language and cultural identity.

In recent projects she has been exploring ideas of mapping in relation to a sense of place, as well as an understanding of community and landscape. She has also been looking at the act of journeying itself. To journey is to explore and discover cultural traces embedded in the land. These traces include fragments of objects, memories, history and remnants of text and sound. It is these ‘unseen paths’ that connect us to nature, to the liminal, to the invisible world of currents, winds, ideas and language.

The first stage of this work-in-progress explores the poetic responses of various writers to the landscape and looks into the diversity of languages that we use to connect to our internal and external human geography. One aspect of this is looking at the relationship between walking and creativity. Another aspect looks particularly at the poetry of Ivor Gurney, Edward Thomas and John Clare, all of whom suffered from depression or mental illness, and how they used walking the land to create a sense of well-being.

ACROSS THE TOP… AND BEYOND



For the last few years my work has been involved with marks made on the land by man, the changing significance, symbolism, politics and beliefs of the people who have made them,
the obviously important yet frequently forgotten, or at best only part remembered, reasons, that can change with new archaeological discoveries. It is precisely this only part known-ness in combination with the natural geography and changing weather, which imbues these places with a strong mystical quality.

For this exhibition I have concentrated more on the natural geography and natural conditions that together produce things that I find beautiful in a particular area of Britain – the north of Scotland and the Isles beyond. These, and indeed painting itself, are all things that hold much importance and fascination for me, and still invoke a sense of mystery, reverence and awe.

I mainly use acrylic on canvas and graphite on paper. Images in both emerge slowly via the application of many layers and much rubbing and scratching back, and the techniques I use reflect this only part known, only part revealed way of seeing things, leaving the eye and brain to do their own archaeological dig beneath the surface of the paint to reveal what else might be imagined there.

Anyone who has been to the top of mainland Britain may recognise the expression ‘across the top’ – the journey from one side to the other; and as for the isles beyond, well, there’s literally hundreds of them.

Bryan Smith, February 2011.