These two small canvases by Sarah Adams are now finished and available to view in the gallery. The product of a number of outings to sketch on site, they represent the changeable nature of Trevone, at two states of the tide and in very different weather conditions.
Sarah Adams, Carnewas 1, oil on linen, 60 x 120 cm
A number of new canvases are on show at the gallery this month as part of an exhibition of work in progress, including four paintings from the Buttress series (2, 3, 4 and 5) and the first of the Carnewas series to be completed (above). More large pieces are on the go in the studio, and all are intended for a major show of caves and arches in London next year.
In the meantime there are several smaller paintings, studies on panel and works on paper available direct from the studio this summer, including images of Trevone, Constantine and the Camel Estuary.
Lynn Golden has work from her recent trip to Barbados on show at the Osbourne Studio Gallery in London (www.osg.uk.com) from May 26th until June 6th, as part of their ‘Flora’ exhibition.
Alternatively, if you would like a chance to visit her studio, Lynn is also taking part in this year’s Open Studios Cornwall event and will be opening her doors from 11 am - 5 pm every day from May 29th through to June 6th. Call ahead on 01326 270596 for more details, or visit www.lynngolden.co.uk.
Kit Surrey exhibited at the Society of Graphic Fine Art’s 89th Annual Open Exhibition held earlier this year at the Menier Gallery in London, and won The Arquadia Award for the best work in monochrome and a Stabilo Award: Highly Commended.
We have two beautiful new pieces by Kit in the gallery at the moment, including Granite faces XIV: Atlantic Ocean wall, graphite and conte, pictured here.
James Campbell has just delivered a new series of pieces, pictured here. The flat jar ‘Night Landscape’ (top left, 15″ high) and the jug ‘Crest of the hill’ (bottom right, 11″ high) are wonderful examples of his work, with different images on each face.
James has also been experimenting with new shapes; the shield pot, ‘Towers by the sea’, and the more circular form of the footed pots, which are painted in the round. ‘Road by the sea’ and ‘The boat and the bridge’ are both 8 1/2″ high.
All five are currently on show in the gallery, and prices range from £ 375 - £ 650.
The gallery will be closed on Saturday May 1st for the Padstow May Day celebrations. 
Kim Bentley 'Safe Bathing' (detail)
These affectionate and delightfully observed textile pieces are the work of Kim Bentley. Inspired by people-watching on the beaches around Padstow, they are a combination of embriodery and fabric ink on silk taffetta. Kim is best known for her work as one half of the textile design partnership Bentley & Spens, which she set up with Sally Spens after they studied at Goldsmiths College together. They are represented in the V & A collections, and have created fabrics for many other fashion and interiors collections, including Paul Smith and Liberty. Kim escapes to Cornwall whenever she can and loves to take her airedale Tashi off to the beach for a canter and another chance to gather ideas.
Lots of new things to see at the studio this month, including this small canvas (Sarah Adams, Gulley at Harlyn, 50 x 40 cm, oil on linen), and several other studies including sketches of Constantine and Booby’s Bay, Tregudda and the dunes. We also have some fantastic new pieces by Lynn Golden, Alison Pullen and Mo Farquharson in the gallery at the moment.
Visitors are most welcome to see works in progress too, including a large ongoing series of panoramic caves and arches.
One arch has left the studio recently. Tall arch at Bedruthan (Sarah Adams, oil on linen, 180 x 120 cm) pictured right, is currently on show at the Royal West of England Academy Open Painting Exhibition in Bristol until May 9th.
We have a few rather special 19th Century Cornish and West Country pictures on show this month, kindly loaned by The Maas Gallery, London, and mixed in with a new collection of works by our contemporary artists.
This picture of Land’s End is by John Brett ARA (1831-1902), painted while he was staying in Sennen in 1872. Brett often worked in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and also based himself in Padstow on at least one occasion, staying at Dennis House in 1889. This is a beautiful study, only 10″ x 14″, made in oil on board and painted on site (probably in a single sitting) and it’s a joy to have it here.
Sarah Adams, Buttress II, oil on linen, 30" x 72"
I was surprised and delighted to learn that my painting, Buttress II, exhibited at the Royal West of England Academy Autumn exhibition last year, was awarded the Viewers Choice of the Year prize, having received the most votes from visitors to the exhibition during the course of the show. I would like to thank the Friends of the RWA, who organise the competition, and everyone who voted for my picture.
