- Venue
- Glasshouse Gallery
- Location
- South West England
David Beer has produced some interesting landscapes for the current collection. There is a strong composition involving an interesting local element in 'Across to Logan’s Rock' with a granite Celtic cross in the foreground. However, most eyecatching are his nude figure studies. These glazed pastel/acrylics in deep blue and black – or in red and black- are lyrical and composed pieces that have a gentle sense of calm about them which makes them memorable and engaging. His gallery in St Ives is in the heart of downalong is certainly worth a visit in its own right and can be seen at www.penhavengallery.co.uk/.David was co-ordinator of the education working party for the St. Ives Tate Action Group, before the Tate Gallery; He retired from teaching in 1988 and now spends most of his time painting and running the Penhaven.
Colin Orchard paints on calico, mounted on board. He prepares his own panels, using traditional methods for glueing and priming the panels and gessoing the frames. He has a number of intriguing paintings of a wide number of scenes from the old windmill at Southwold to the rooftops of Amsterdam and masques and carnivals of Venice. Then back again to the streets of old St Ives. These works are all square in format and have a sense of integration about them which is due both to the configuration of forms, especially the shadows, and the expressive, atmospheric use of colour. For instance there is a painting of the Tate Gallery itself, showing a few figures perusing the canvases. This captures the atmosphere in a thoughtful but light-hearted manner. Indeed these paintings keep you turning back to them-they would be easy to live with and they grow on you at the same time. This is a pleasant exhibition worth a journey down to Penzance-then a coffee next door!
