City & Land | Selected works by Bee Bartlett, Andrew Hood & Christopher Farrell

About

Bee Bartlett’s town and landscapes create a distinct essence of place, she abstracts elements of skylines or buildings often layering them upon one another. Bee makes many in situ sketches which become her reference materials in the studio. She often adds collaged materials into the paintings, autumnal leaves and textured paper. One of Bee's signature elements is her use of gold leaf to reflect the golden light of her favourite city to paint Oxford. In this collection, we see rich paintings of the Oxford skyline, rooftops and spires jostle with each other as figures walk in the foregrounds. The paintings have crisp cool hues contrasted with gold leaf as well as some stunning mystical landscapes of Port Meadow.

Andrew Hood makes several trips abroad each year, taking with him his sketchbook where he creates lively sketches of the places around him – it is from these sketches his compositions begin to build. It is his aim for the viewer to see beyond a picturesque location as he captures an elemental energy of time and place. Andrew spends at least a week making drawings, recording not only details of buildings and people, but absorbing the atmosphere of a particular place will allow him to build a real experience for the viewer.

Focusing on the urban landscape, Christoper Farrell’s approach combines digital and traditional methods of painting. He unpicks lines, patterns and shapes with his mark making, creating an electric energy to his cityscapes, dissecting the architectural foundations of the city he is depicting. The skylines in London and bustling scenes of Hong Kong are among the subjects in the work for this exhibition.