A trio of artists
The work of three artists is being celebrated in a new exhibition.We profile what’s on show at Cardiff’s Albany Gallery
CARDIFF’S Albany Gallery is bringing together three artists – Nick Holly, David PorteousButler and Penelope Timmis – for its latest show.
There’s a huge seascape featuring Rhossili Bay by Nick Holly, beautiful bouquets from Penny Timmis and examples of both brush and knife painting techniques from David Porteous-Butler.
Holly, who studied at Swansea School of Art and Design, admits that he is getting more and more obsessed with including animals in his work as he gets older.
He said: “I am not ashamed to state that the older I become I find I have more compassion for animals than mankind and perhaps this is why more and more cats, dogs and other four legged friends are appearing in my works – the sooty black dogs, a labrador and Scottish terrier have become my trademark appearing in every painting I produce.
“I’m generally inspired by cities, the hustle and bustle, mams, dads, children, gran and grandad, the business executive rushing with briefcase in hand going about their business in the city or the old gent simply heading to the corner shop at the end of the street for a newspaper.
“Every day observations, chapel or church on Sunday and children rushing home from school or a day out at the seaside have been my subjects for many years.
“For this exhibition I have been inspired by the natural landscape/ seascape. Two very large paintings will feature in this show – Rhossili Bay, Causeway to Worm’s Head which I know well and swim there regularly throughout the summer months, with the scene dotted with sheep, seals and seagulls.
“Church Doors cove at Skrinkle Haven, Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, is the subject for the other large painting. There is something magical about the place and it does look like a doorway or gateway through the cliff into another world. Feline friends feature in my work also. Having three at home gives me plenty of opportunity to observe their quirky characters, each of them different.”
Porteous-Butler, studied under the late Welsh artist Sir Kyffin Williams. He shares Kyffin’s fundamental belief that drawing and draughtsmanship are vital to an artist’s work.
He said: “His advice was that I shouldn’t paint with a palette knife as I would be an outcast from the art world. I replied that I had nothing to lose as I wasn’t an ‘in-cast.’ I painted a few brush canvases, but I felt they were lacklustre and certainly not going to attract much of an audience. As soon as I turned to the knife I was off.
“The work showing at the Albany is from a new era in which I have started using knife and brush together, something that Kyffin said was not viable. You will see in some paintings how brushwork gives the sky and far away landscape a great sense of distance. In each of these same canvases the near ground subjects benefit from the extra vigour that the palette knife provides.”
Timmis’ style is characterised by colour.
She said: “I am fortunate to travel a lot and am influenced by all the new landscape I see. So from Wales, my home county of Shropshire and even Africa, the bulk of my paintings this time, have been influenced by a stay I had earlier this year on the island of Lismore in the Hebrides.”
But flowers remain a constant inspiration.
“Generally, a reminder of a bunch given or picked by me. I try to keep the flowers fresh and ‘alive’ in my paintings so that you can virtually smell them.”
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