Artists Talk at the Delamore Stables Gallery

On a sunny Spring afternoon we arrived for an early lunch at Delamore’s busy and excellent ‘pop up’ café which is located near the main house.

Delamore’s Stable Gallery is a short walk from the café where we found some early visitors already viewing our SWAC exhibition and eagerly awaiting the start of the talks scheduled for 2.00pm by four of our SWAC members, who had kindly offered their services.

Steve Manning (Printmaker); Carolyn King (Illustrator); Helen Ridehalgh (Sculptor); and Philip Clayton (Painter). Standing next to their work, each artist had a fifteen minute slot in which to explain their work and methods and to answer any questions.

Academy Trustee and Academician, Alan Bourne (Talks and Workshops) welcomed the visitors and introduced our first speaker Steve Manning , a recently appointed Associate member. Steve is a printmaker who works from his own studio but also uses some of the services provided by the Double Elephant at the Phoenix in Exeter.

Steve explained his time consuming technique of meticulously cutting into small sheets of lino, describing his methods of adding colour at the different stages in the process to create beautiful delicately muted lino prints.

Helen Ridehalgh is also a SWAC Associate, sculptor and lecturer. The story of how she came to create her bronze sculpture ‘Dog’ was a fascinating one and her description of the intricate techniques involved equally so. Helen has just created a sculpture of Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood who served with Admiral Lord Nelson, and was, so I believe, a distant relative of mine!

Illustrator Carolyn King was the third artist of the afternoon. She spoke movingly about creating ‘family paintings of times gone by’ inspired by delving back into her old collections of old family photographs. Carolyn talked about the egg tempera medium and oil paint that she often uses in her work.

She is also the author and illustrator of several children’s books, often in verse, and these were on display.

Carolyn ended her fascinating talk by reading her poem created especially for her partner Phil, and entitled ‘The Man in the Hat’. This neatly led her in to introducing our last artist of the afternoon, painter Philip Clayton.

Phil chose to give his talk in the area outside the stable block. Not surprising really, as some of his canvases were the largest on display. Phil is a natural teacher as was evident to my husband Alan and myself, when we took our two young grandchildren to some of his after school classes held at the Mill Gallery Lyme Regis.

His intuitive juxtaposition of ‘fauvist’ colours really ‘Zing’ in his paintings. He described the gradual evolution of his style from realism to abstraction and all achieved with just a single paintbrush and some paint! Phil’s advice was not to hurry – to take time to allow your paintings to evolve and provide you with clear moments for quiet contemplation.

It was an excellent afternoon shared by many visitors and SWAC members. Our special thanks to our four SWAC members for not only allowing us a peek into their art world but also perhaps inspiring us to think more clearly and imaginatively about our own.

Ann Jones (Ann L Roe Hon SWAc)
Photos by Alan Jones

Tom FynnMay 15, 2019