Joy sees only beauty in the devastation and destruction
Painter Joy Lomas’ career lies in ruins – figuratively that is. Her latest collection features the abbeys and landscapes of the North York Moors.
In the past the artist has taken inspiration from Scarborough’s seascape, renaissance and architecture – this time she has gone further afield.
Whitby, Bylands and Rievaulx abbeys, Mount Grace Priory and the villages of Lastingham and Rosedale feature in the paintings which go on show at the Inspired by ... Gallery, Danby, from October 29.
Joy also went to Monks’ Trod which are steps at Ruswarp.
The exhibition features 27 oil canvases and is the culmination of 18 months’ work, which has included numerous visits to the historical sites to soak up the atmosphere and take numerous photographs.
“I became captivated by the history and survival of these bludgeoned yet still magnificent remains, finding each abbey inspirational in its own way,” said Joy.
“Rievaulx, statuesque in idyllic surroundings, Byland rising from a site that was mostly marshland, and Whitby awe inspiringly bleak and on the edge of a stunning coastline.
“Their skeletons stand with a dignified beauty, survivors of plundering and rampaging and the dissolution of the monasteries.
“They may have been stripped and battered but they are not destroyed,” she said.
Joy lives in the Newby area of Scarborough with husband Colin who is her constant companion on trips to the English Heritage sites. Her studio is in the top floor of their semi and she paints for six hours a day, five days a week.
She describes her approach in the words of artist Pablo Picasso. “I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.”
This explains the etheral quality to some of the paintings in Abbeys and Landscapes of the North York Moors and the depth of thought which has gone into portraying each one – giving some a heavenly quality – Heavenly Rievaulx – while others menace – Whitby Abbey at night – or sadden – Byland Abbey: Turbulence.
Her research into the history of the abbeys and priory feed her imagination which is then given free rein on canvas. Her paintings are much more than still life.
“These are the naked skeletons of the monasteries, moody, melancholy and magnificent,” said Joy.
She sums up what she has tried to capture in these canvases like this:
“Flashbacks to war, famine and plague: plundering and rampaging by the Scots 1322: tragic consequences of the Black Death 1348: dissolution of the Monasteries 1538: Cromwell providing Henry with untold riches in a cynical misanthropic bid for the destruction of Roman Catholicism: a reign of fear; Suffering and death.
“Stripped and demolished. Life literally crashes down on peace loving, hard working Cistercian monks. Gone were the happy days of Rievaulx, the first Cistercian abbey in the North of England. The Duncombe family, early to mid 18th Century, bankers and wealthy goldsmiths, became its saviours.
“The legacy of the Cistercians now triumphant in the serenity, unadorned beauty and drama of these bludgeoned yet still majestic ruins. Amazement at their history and survival.”
For those who remember the Magic of Scarborough – landmarks and scenes painted in cocktail glasses and tumblers – and the First Resort – inspired by Scarborough’s renaissance, the canvases are small.
But they are still inspired by the love of Scarborough and its surrounding coastal towns and countryside.
All her paintings reflect her love of what has become her adopted home. Born in Scotland, Joy worked at various jobs in Leeds including estate agent and moved to Scarborough in 1999.
Her work and bringing up her family meant artistic yearnings had to take a back seat. She has two daughters, Faye and Claire, and between them Colin and Joy have eight grandchildren.
“When Colin and I first started seeing each other I was living in Leeds and Colin was living in Manchester. He whisked me away to Scarborough, walked me round the castle and Marine Drive and I fell in love with the place,” said Joy.
“When he suggested moving here I didn’t need much persuading. I’d always had a desire to paint. When I got here I realised I had a fantastic opportunity to do just that,” said Joy who retired early from her career as an estate agent.
Once settled in Scarborough she first attended classes in watercolours at the YMCA in St Thomas Street, Scarborough, and then embarked on a degree.
She has been painting for more than five years and this is her third major exhibition. Her next project will see a continuation of the Abbeys and Landscapes of the North York Moors collection.