Seasons in the Garden Exhibition Preview

It was a pleasure to be invited to the Preview evening at the Conservatory within the Luton Hoo Walled Garden, and I did wonder just how many or more probably how few I might meet whom I might know.

I strolled along methodically past the displays to see which of the works stood out, and as before, during the setting up that I had witnessed the day previously the first pair of pictures that caught my eye were a couple of small square oils by Anthony S. Jones, entitled the Old Fence and the Old Shed Window, and I vowed I would return to these later.

As I continued, I came across paintings that resonated with images of my own photos, the two that had this effect on me were A Blaze of Maples from Ronald Salveson which reminded me of an image I had taken one autumn late afternoon in the Botanical Gardens in Cambridge. The other was a monoprint by Teresa Kirkpatrick: Acer Leaves II reminding me of the one autumn three seasons back when my own tree was ablaze with colour.

I suppose I should also add Professor B.A. Cooke’s Last of the Autumn leaves, except that though I have witnessed just such an image, my attempts to capture what I saw did not live up to my expectations or to the professor’s photograph. He succeeded where I consummately failed! Lucy Phillips’ Silk Tasselbrush reflected an image I found when photographing earlier this week in the Stockwood Discovery Centre, Lucy’s watercolour was beautiful, a study in simplicity. Whilst at this end of the marquee, I spotted Steve Parkes, whom I had met and photographed at an Arts Day in the Walled Garden last Summer.

Eleanor Griffin’s Ladypond in oils was very striking and I did not know it then, but I had already seen the artist when I met Gurmeet of Artscape with her and overheard her being introduced as ‘Eleanor’, it was much later in the evening that I met up with her again standing by her work and chatting again with Gurmeet. His is a face almost totally hidden by a profuse white beard through which shines a pair of twinkling smile-wrinkled eyes – once seen never forgotten, a face I think I should photograph sometime!

Other pictures that caught my eye were a watercolour by Peter Robinson – Early Morning Light, and Winter Landscape which to my eye was reminiscent of Roland Hilder, but lacking his skies, a pastel by Jennie Daniels, but somehow I managed to fail to note the title, and finally an amusing watercolour by Barbara Kiff, entitled Wellies Next Time, Girls!

I did do a further trip past the displays, looking deeper and also, it was when I jotted a few notes. I was spotted by Sue Turner from the Estates Office, and we had a quick chat, and just before leaving I spoke to two people I had met during the setting up the evening before: Sandra Wall Armitage and Hannah Brimblecombe. Altogether a very enjoyable evening.

I wish the exhibition every success, and there is such a variety of styles, it should have a wide appeal, I have simply drawn attention to the pictures that moved me; that I have mentioned such a few was not meant as any criticism of the quality of the exhibits.