Old Masters

Sunday, 21 May, - Sunday, 2 July, 2023

Overview
Works

They are not only recognised for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the arts in Wales but also for the years they devoted to encouraging generations of art students.

John Smout

I believe the creative process knows of no hard and fast divisions, I like to emphasise structure and order in the visual world, whether landscape, architecture, life or portrait painting. For me, the real and abstract constantly intermingle.

I am aware of the positive and spiritual force of light and colour, which forms an integral part of my work; together they are an active element in my art, which are used to reinforce structure and stimulate the viewer’s engagement.

The underlying skeleton of the subject matter is an important part of the process and the subsequent ‘fleshing out’ and exploration of these layers results in a finished work that takes the eye and mind on a journey into the heart of the painting.

My drawings and water colours, which, whilst complete in themselves are always, for me a part of the creative process when working towards larger oil paintings.

I trained as a painter at Stourbridge and Liverpool Colleges of Art and taught at Secondary and Further Education levels. I have been an academician of the Royal Cambrian Academy since the 1970’s.

My one man exhibitions have included Theatr Clwyd, the National Library of Wales, the Royal Exchange Manchester, Ectarc, Llangollen, the Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough, the University of Leeds, St David’s Hall Cardiff, Abbott Hall Kendall.

I have had many two man and joint exhibitions and regularly exhibit with The Border Visual Arts and in Open Exhibitions

Neil Johnson

After a highly successful career teaching Art and Design in South Manchester, Neil Johnson returned to Wales in 2007 to concentrate on his own work and ideas.

Neil is a member of the Royal Watercolour Society of Wales, a founder member of Borth Arts, a member of the Room 103 group, a committee member at Mid Wales Arts and a trustee of the climate change charity Art+Science. He has exhibited throughout Britain and internationally, including a solo shows at the Museum of Modern Art Wales and Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

In recalling a place or time we rarely remember a single image from a specific viewpoint. My work attempts to give a sense of ‘passing through’ a place or time: sometimes it is rhythmic and harmonious, sometimes discordant and disturbing. The subject matter is drawn from observation, imagination, memory and, where necessary, secondary sources.

Some of my more recent work considers surveillance and observation. So much time, energy and resources are spent on spying and mistrust. This is particularly disturbing when - during a global pandemic and climate change crisis - humankind should be working together.

All my recent work is in the transparent medium of watercolour and uses no black or white paint.’

Jon Middlemiss (1949-2021)

Jonathan Middlemiss exhibited paintings extensively throughout the country and with the Pastel Society.

His ceramics have been collected and awarded around the world:

Gold Medal - 13th Biennale, Vallauris (France) 1992
Silver Medal - Kutani International Ceramics Competition (Japan) 1997

Collections include: the Cologne, Kestner and the Keramion Museums in Germany, The Royal Cornwall Museum and others in Britain, Portugal, the USA, Canada, Taiwan and others.

He exhibited internationally with 50 years of mainly solo exhibitions.

Member of International Academy of Ceramics- Praque 1994-2021
Lecturer - Falmouth College of Arts, Ceramics (BA Hons) 1996-2005
Lecturer - University College Falmouth, Contemporary Crafts (BA Hons) 2005-2009

The dynamics of powerfully constructed geometric symbolism using sprayed acrylic on canvas has invited me into the subtle light with tonal realms. Drawing quick and spontaneous, images of felt polarities as a dance has bought vigour, alertness and moments when the mind and the hand, have said more than I could have preconceived.

Reliving the experiences from my first 13 years on our farm in Yorkshire, my deep sensory engagement has reinvigorated my profound love of the landscape.

I always feel the sensory world of nature as a portal to age-old wisdom and a sense of spiritual belonging.

I have always had a reflective nature and with the aid of the discipline of spiritual pathways, expressions have come to show me insights into my particular journey, and the journeys we all share.

Spirituality is not about escaping the reality we are engaged with, nor about inhabiting some dreamy other world. If anything it is about engaging more with the world than if we were trying to find other diversions. It is about the present - something people talk a lot about, but which can be elusive.

Eric Rowan (1931-2020)

Born in Liverpool, Eric won a scholarship to Liverpool Grammar school and secured a grant to attend Liverpool Art School. He was then awarded a scholarship to study in Italy at Florence Art School. He became a full time lecturer at Cardiff College of Art while working as Art critic for The Times, He later moved to the Shropshire-Welsh borders where the countryside and calming horizontals inspired his mature work in which he uses vibrant colour and simpler symbolic shapes.

Education:

1951-55 College of Art, Liverpool

1955-56 Scholarship, Florence Academy of Art

1956-57 Art Teachers Course

1957-59 Art Director, New Shakespeare Theatre, Liverpool

1959-60 Lived and worked in Italy

1960-61 Lecturer in Art Nonington College of Education Kent

1961-63 Lecturer, Liverpool College of Art

1963.... Lecturer, Cardiff College of Art

1967-2020 Member of the 56 group of Welsh Artists

Exhibitions:

1957 &1959 Liverpool