As a painter of trees, autumn is always a treat, especially as a walk to work allows me to pass through Hirst Woods, where the beaches, planted in past centuries for bobbin-turning timber, have put on a wonderful show. My latest work, which started as a demo piece at the latest Air Valley Arts show in St. James’ Hospital Leeds is now nearing completion and shows the woods with just a touch of mist.
Sadly it won’t be dry for The Bingley Gallery’s forthcoming Christmas show, where, alongside my paintings and new work from regulars, Jane Fielder and Amy Charlesworth, we have a couple of paintings squirreled away from Judith Levin’s last exhibition and a few favourites including, Stella Verity and Rob Thomson. There’ll also be new blood in the shape of Josie Barraclough’s vibrant oils, Helen Shearwoods contemporary designs and a magnificent copper owl from Kawa Sead, not to mention a range of 3-D artworks and fresh supplies of stocking fillers including calendars (of my trees), mugs, coasters and chopping boards. The exhibition will be launched on the evening of 27 Nov (7-9 all welcome) and will run to Christmas, and perhaps a little beyond, opening the gallery on a daily basis until Christmas Eve.
Another innovation is to join with some of the new (and some older), independent shops that have sprung up along Park Road for a late opening night (to 8pm) on Thurs. The most recent is our neighbouring ‘Mason and Rose Home Fragrances’. There’s the new ‘Five Rise Records’, ‘Gather’ gifts and part supplies and perhaps the most unexpected, ‘Park Road Newsagents’, which has a room of exquisite, hand-knotted carpets.
As usual I’ll be sorry to say farewell to most of the magnificent current exhibition of Clark Avery’s oil paintings, . If you haven’t seen them, there’s still one or two in the gallery– it’s a rare opportunity to view a hugely impressive Yorkshire artist.
Finally, I’m pleased to be one of the sponsors for the Saltaire Living Advent Calendar, an event I’ve been long involved in. If you haven’t yet bought Christmas cards, and would like to send something a bit special then the gallery does stock packs featuring last year’s images. Better still, do go along to the event, which runs through December.
If you wish to keep up with developments, new works and events, my work and that of other artists at the Bingley Gallery can be found at: http://davidstarleyartist.com/bingley/
For Facebook followers,www.facebook.com/Starley.Artand www.facebook.com/thebingleygallery/should include developments as they happen.
Cheers, Dave