A HUGELY popular artist is to exhibit her most recent work in Tenby's Art Matters gallery in June. Sue McDonagh, who made her name in England and Wales for her empathetic pastel representations of children at play on the beach, unselfconsciously absorbed in their world, has made a rapid shift in the last year in terms of subject matter, medium, style and presentation. In acrylic and mixed media, the new series of dynamic landscapes of South and West Wales, including townscapes of Tenby and Fishguard, equals her earlier much sought-after work for its vibrant colour and audacious brushwork. Sue has a liking for the work of Fauvist Raoul Dufy, and the Expressionists' concentration on painting emotion rather than physical reality. Hence Tenby, her 'favourite seaside town', is shown in vivid blues, the harbour wall as brilliant as the sky on a hot day, with the multicoloured houses sandwiched between the two - and a view of the Black Mountains layers warm reds and cool greens, fading to violets and blues in the distance. Both are joyous alternatives to reality, and typical of this energetic and optimistic artist. Once a police officer, then a cancer patient who learned to paint as part of her recovery, Sue retrained as a swimming teacher. At this time her natural subjects were children and her preferred medium soft pastel. She has had her own studio-gallery in Cowbridge for the last 12 years and for a number of years she demonstrated for prominent art materials manufacturers, travelling all over Britain to art clubs and societies. Now her work has been bought by major print companies and reproduced also for greetings cards, and she is represented in many galleries in England and Wales. She has been shortlisted for the prestigious Welsh Artist of the Year Award and regularly shows her work in St. David's Hall in Cardiff. This will be Sue McDonagh's second exhibition in Tenby, the first being a very successful show two years ago. In addition to the latest land and seascapes, many on canvas, there will, of course, also be some collectable child paintings. The exhibition opens on Sunday at Art Matters gallery, in South Parade, Tenby. Everyone is welcome to come and meet Sue between 10 am and 1 pm and enjoy coffee and croissants at her 'breakfast' opening on Fathers Day. The gallery is open every day except Wednesday, between 10 am and 5 pm. For further information tel. 01834-843375.
