Flora, the latest exhibition at dot-art Gallery explores the historical and contemporary representation of flowers, plants and the genre of floral still life.
Each of the artists in this exhibition interprets through their uniquely developed style the organic curves and soft folds of flowers and leaves that we display in our homes or plant in our gardens.
Clare Chinnery and Hilary Dron add a contemporary pop of colour with abstracted roses and pansies dripping down the canvas. Andrew Sherriff offers a traditional observational view with his flower studies, having a background in life drawing and working tonally with light and shadow, adding surprising backgrounds of textured swirls.
If these artists are on a scale of style then Grahame Ashcroft sits in the middle, with his shapely compositions of close-up flowerpots and planters, all in zingy bright colours but true to the form of the flower species he analyses.
Andrew Sherriff – Featured in this exhibition is Andrew’s ‘Lockdown Flowers’ series. “Normally I like to capture people but because of lockdown that was restricted but I was still keen to keep creating. I would arrange some flowers each week to draw and see what developed. I worked in a loose and energetic style in the hope of giving the flowers a sense of movement; it is surprising how much flowers move, following the light.”
Clare Chinnery – “With an interest in 17th-century Vanitas paintings I have been studying the symbolism and chiaroscuro techniques of the old masters; interpreting and translating historical images and creating my own still lives using expressive colour and spontaneous mark making.
These paintings are inspired specifically by Jan Davidsz DeHeem’s baroque style still lives, their complex and overladen sumptuous compositions focus on tropical summer fruits and flowers with added suggestions of snails, seashells and skulls.”
Hilary Dron – Hilary was born in Liverpool and completed her degree at Central School of Art and Design, London. She worked as a designer for Liberty before beginning a 30 year career, teaching Art in schools and in Further Education.
After a sabbatical in Japan and the Far East, she decided to leave teaching and concentrate on her own work, something she has always wanted to do. The last six months have represented a huge step for Hilary and have included a commission by Aintree Hospital and exhibitions in and around Liverpool.
Grahame Ashcroft – “At the start of the pandemic lockdown in March 2020, I decided to paint in my garden. Although his garden paintings are looser than mine and in a different medium, I found Emil Nolde’s work encouraging. Nolde’s experience of a lockdown was being forbidden by the Nazi regime to paint or exhibit. For me, not being allowed out came as a perversely liberating experience. So much so that, two years later, I’m still painting in my garden.”
All artworks are for sale
Join them for the Private View of the exhibition on Thursday 22nd September from 5pm-7pm. All welcome, but you must register here: https://floraprivateview.eventbrite.co.uk
The dot-art Gallery can be found at 14 Queen Avenue, Castle Street, Liverpool, L2 4TX (just 5 minutes’ walk from Liverpool One).
Opening times: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-6pm
The exhibition runs 23rd September– 19th November 2022.
