TWENTY artists have contributed a selection of their latest paintings to an extended exhibition at Art Matters gallery in Tenby, starting tomorrow (Saturday). Skilful, vibrant and varied, the work provides a surprisingly coherent exhibition from such a disparate group of artists, generating warmth and excitement in terms of colour, subject and style. Art matters and so does size! The 70 paintings, representing all media, range from tiny to huge and fill the Main Gallery and the Ridgeway Room above. Preseli-based artist Elizabeth Haines's small, richly coloured images of ordinary places and things made dreamlike and sometimes disturbing, contrast with Shropshire artist Penny Timmis's large exuberant landscapes emphasised with extravagant flourishes. The finely observed pen and ink pieces by David Beattie share their precision with that of Lesley Chapman's watercolours of Venetian squares and palazzos, Sally Reynold's poignant 'portrait' of old boots and Paul Woodford's layered collages. Impasto acrylic land and sea-scapes are brought by Sue Pomery Wilks and Andy Faulkner, watercolour plants and hedgerows by Jenny John and Annie Butler, and intricate and thoughtful abstract work by Andy Wardrop and Phil Alder. Newly inspired by horses, Andie Clay's equine subjects and landscapes pulsate with colour and light and the mixed media work of Susan Sands includes sea and farmyard subjects as do Tina Lewis's paintings. Both Tom Tomos and Ken Hayes bring images of Tenby, the former spattering the architectural drawing, the latter adding bright calligraphic marks whereas Stella Watras brings images of Grecian beaches and cerulean blue seas and Jack Cogdon paints unusual views of familiar places. People appear in Derek Williams's scenes, boys daring a wave and buyers wandering in a flower market, and they also inhabit Andrew Douglas Forbes's mysterious textured landscapes of Pembrokeshire and the Gower, filled with red cottages. This is truly an exhibition with something to suit all tastes and pockets. The exhibition will be shown from tomorrow (Saturday) until Friday, December 8, from 10 am to 5 pm daily (except on Wednesdays and Sundays when the gallery is closed). Entry is free and everyone is welcome. Art Matters gallery is in South Parade, Tenby, next to the Fire Station. For more information telephone: 01834-843375 or e-mail: [email protected]">[email protected]. The entire exhibition may be viewed on the website: http://www.artmatters.org.uk">www.artmatters.org.uk.
