Christine Howard will present a survey of work produced over the last decade at her new exhibition ‘A Decade Later’ at Cath Ray Gallery and Studios, 58b Bridgegate, Retford DN22 7LZ, from Saturday 9th November to Saturday 21st December.
Christine’s subject matter varies but often focuses on the natural world. Having grown up on a farm in Nottinghamshire, she is continually drawn to the fields, woodlands, animals, and insects that inhabit the land. Her richly coloured paintings of butterflies, dragonflies, wasps, and bees range from tiny jewel-like works featuring gold and silver leaf to large-scale paintings that capture the grandeur and structure of plants against vibrant backgrounds, reflecting the beauty and life force of nature.
Christine is fascinated by the transformation of plants and animals as they grow, mature, and decay, inviting viewers to look more closely and appreciate the flora and fauna that are often overlooked in daily life.
Christine trained as a painter, obtaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art from Staffordshire University in 1995. She primarily works in oils but also incorporates a variety of materials, including pencil, ink, watercolour, and occasionally precious metals. The exhibition will feature one of Christine’s large pencil drawings of bees in a hive, with honey represented by gold leaf applied to the surface of the paper.
These works, marked by their incredible detail, are achieved by working directly from life.
Reflecting on her work over the past decade, Christine shared: “I remember there came a point where I decided I needed to change my working methods and just stopped using photography as a reference point. I began drawing and painting from life again. I would collect all sorts of bits and bobs whilst out walking such as dead insects, leaves and flowers and would always take a sketchpad with me to make notes. It completely changed the way I thought about constructing a painting.”
The exhibition runs from Saturday 9th November to Saturday 21st December. During this period, a series of nature-inspired workshops will take place at the gallery. These two-hour Sunday sessions are aimed at children and their families and include workshops on squirrels, nuts, leaf-litter, and hedgehogs.
The workshops will be led by ‘Nature Hog’, aka Jo Galtrey, a wildlife expert who regularly works with school groups at Creswell Crags. Sessions will be held on Sunday 10th November and 17th November, with options to attend either the morning session (10.00am to 12.00pm) or the afternoon session (1.00pm to 3.00pm). The cost is £10.00 per child. The workshops are both educational and fun, with children (and adults, if they wish to participate for free) leaving with creative projects they’ve made. For bookings and information on the nature workshops email jogaltrey@icloud.com.
For further information, please contact Cath at the gallery on 07803 204424 or raybooks@msn.com.