Exhibition - Autumn 2007

The Winter Exhibition 2007

The Retford Art Society Autumn Exhibition took place at St Swithuns Church in Retford on three successive weekends in October 2007. The exhibition featured more than eighty pictures and art works created by the members and included an impressive collection of pictures contributed to the exhibition by accomplished guest artist Julian Bray.

The church, as always, provided a dramatic backdrop to the exhibition and the recently installed spot lighting helped to display the pictures to the very best effect.

The exhibition this year contained works by the majority of the society members in a variety of styles and mediums.

West Nottinghamshire College Lecturer in Art & Design, Julian Bray, opened the exhibition on Wednesday October 3rd and was genuinely impressed with the standard of work on display. Julian is a popular member of the Nottinghamshire art community and regularly exhibits at galleries in the north of the county. He lives and works in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and his previous two exhibitions at the Harley Gallery, which focused on local architecture, sold out within weeks of launching.

Click here to see the images of Julian's contribution to the winter exhibition.

From L to R: Warren Cookson (Chairman) Pat Lyon (Secretary)
Joan Vickers (Treasurer) and Julin Bray (Guest Artist)
Picture coutrtesy of The Retford Times

The five paintings that Julian chose to exhibit with the Art Society amply illustrate his facination with grand stately architecture and include images of Welbeck and Chatsworth Arch. The collection also inculdes two more intimate studies of a Head Gamekeeper and the inner workings of a small woodyard.

With a wealth of different subjects acting as inspiration for the pictures in the exhibition there truly was something for everyone to enjoy and the themed groupings of the exhibits added greatly to the overall experience. Portraiture, landscapes, still life and abstract work were all well represented with most visitors requiring at least two circuits of the church in order to digest the the full array of offerings on display. It will require quite an effort from the members of the Society if the next exhibition is going to surpass the quality and diversity of this one.

The winter exhibition attracted a steady stream of visitors over the nine days that it was open to the public and the comments in the visitors book were all very favourable indeed, with several regular attendees commenting that this was the Art Society's best exhibition yet.

With a good many of the exhibits for sale many members managed to successfully sell both framed and unframed pictures indicating healthy support of the Society by the people of Retford and beyond.

Click here to view more of Julian Bray's artwork

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