Opening
times: Tue-Fri 12-5pm; Sat & Sun 11am -4pm;
Closed
Monday
Journeys: The Energy and Spiritual Presence of a Place
A
few years ago Claire Wiltsher decided to embark on
a personal adventure. She left her job, sold her house,
packed her bags and started a series of journeys, personal
travels to various corners of the world. Along her
way she started a collection of sketches, notes and
photos, along with the other paraphernalia that travelers
accumulate. On returning home a rich catalogue of ephemera
provided the ideas for something more stable and lasting.
This collection of recent paintings by Wiltsher, entitled
Journeys, is the culmination of thoughts, feelings
and the tangible objects that accompany living in unknown
fields.
Wiltsher, who cites Portuguese-French artist Maria-Helena Vieira da Silva as
an influence, is interested in the structural and architectural
composition of places she visits. The majority of her
canvasses are square, which she feels is important
in creating a balance and harmony in her paintings.
The work is ambiguous however; despite some realistic
elements, structure gives way to light and energy and
an evocative sense of a place emerges. The teacher
of life drawing, believes looking too realistically
can sometimes hinder her creative process. She works
from photographs but follows natural impulses, recreating
a place by collaging different sections together -
an alchemy of ideas all built into the composition.
Claire Wiltsher has gained a wealth of exhibiting experience, alongside her 15
years of teaching. She holds a Masters in Fine Art
from Northumbria University and her work has been shown
in the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, the Darlington Arts
Centre and the Jelly Leg’d Chicken Gallery in Reading,
to name but a few venues.
www.clairewiltsher.com |
