Cameron Short\u2019s \u2018Ode to the Ash\u2019 was inspired by ash dieback. He said he felt compelled to celebrate this tree \u2018not just for its graceful lines, but for its usefulness over the ages.\u2019 His beautifully worked wood block print evokes a sense of history and depth. Around the ash tree are figures from folklore and times past: a herdsman who carries an ash stick to keep the Evil Eye away from his stock, a country girl who, hoping to meet her true love, keeps an \u2018even ash\u2019 (a leaf with an equal number of leaflets on either side) in her glove, and a woodsman who kneels reverently beneath the great tree. \u2018Ode to the Ash\u2019 is one of many special pieces exhibited in the third Marshwood Arts Awards exhibition at Bridport Arts Centre this month.
\nDavid Risk Kennard\u2019s striking engraved panels, showing for the first time outside of his studio in Powerstock, are made from found driftwood. They are drawn, painted and stained until quite dark, then cut back to the lighter wood. The effect of his work is incredibly powerful and impressive. A first sight of his long landscape is unforgettable.
\nMaggie Luff\u2019s vibrant colours impressed Lord Bath so much that he choose her for his \u2018Collector\u2019s Choice\u2019 award, whilst Philip Hutt\u2019s closely observed still-life photographs of seed heads compliment Linda Wilkes\u2019 beautifully detailed pastels of birds. Strong fresh colour repeats in the work of Elise Menghini\u2019s \u2018Bulb Sign\u2019 and \u2018Bowls\u2019 as well as Christopher Taylor\u2019s fabulous ceramic pots, whilst thirteen year-old Mary Florence\u2019s painting of a sheep called Jack is delightfully enchanting.
\nJohn De Pauley\u2019s glowing burnished steel \u2018Ares\u2019 stands like a powerful figure of a boxer or swimmer, contrasting with the flowing design in curves of Jack Draper\u2019s brown oak chair and Alice Blogg\u2019s wooden towel rail. Victoria Upton\u2019s crashing wave photograph, taken at night in Cuba, is from a larger body of photography on the subject of water.
\nIt is not possible in this space to highlight every exhibitor and these few lines cannot do justice to the broad scope of an exhibition that is both intriguing and beguiling. Sculptured shapes challenge our view of the world we inhabit, whilst textiles, ceramics, furniture, photography and paintings create a collage of inspiration; coaxing the viewer to delve deeper into each piece.
\nThe system of using different judges to choose who will exhibit in each exhibition ensures a fresh approach and throws up surprises and often exciting new work. And by also changing some of the judges each time, there are new connections and challenges for both artists and visitors.
\nThe Marshwood Arts Awards exhibition was born out of a wish to highlight the work of artists throughout the wider community, as well as out of an interest in creating a challenging mix of form and creativity in one room. It has achieved both, with the added bonus of capturing one of the more unlikely and memorable moments in our time. A fitting celebration of the 200th issue of the Marshwood Vale Magazine.
\nThanks to the sponsorship of the Awards by the local businesses below, all artists exhibiting receive a financial reward as well as the opportunity to participate alongside the judges in this unique exhibition.<\/p>\n
The exhibition is at Bridport Arts Centre and runs until November 21.
\nClosed Sunday and Monday. (See www.bridport-arts.com for more information).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cameron Short\u2019s \u2018Ode to the Ash\u2019 was inspired by ash dieback. He said he felt compelled to celebrate this tree \u2018not just for its graceful lines, but for its usefulness over the ages.\u2019 His beautifully worked wood block print evokes a sense of history and depth. Around the ash tree are figures from folklore and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","category-arts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2511\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}