David Barnes, Nick Pritchard, The South Wales Potters

About

Picturesque scenes of the snowy hills of Snowdonia, the moon shining in Anglesey, the pretty hay field in Llanellen and Manorbier Beach are just some of the paintings on show from the David Barnes and Nick Pritchard. The exhibition will also feature work from the South Wales Potters, one of the largest groups of professional and hobby potters and ceramicists in the UK.

David Barnes was born in Africa and spent his early childhood there. A former chartered accountant, he then went on to work at the Open University. Although he enjoyed art at school and has been an art collector for many years, it wasn’t until he retired in 2006 that he began to paint seriously, progressing very quickly after spending many hours in the studio.

He has been based in north Wales most of his adult life and spends much of his free time walking in the mountains of Snowdonia and on the coastline of north Wales and Anglesey. It is his response to these landscapes that inspires much of his work.

In this exhibition, there are dramatic paintings of Anglesey, Bethesda and Scottish Lochs. There are also beautiful images of winter in Snowdonia and the old lighthouse in Llanddwyn.

Since graduating from Newport College of Art, Nick Pritchard has worked in the creative design industry as a graphic designer. Working with clients such as The National Parks of England and Wales, Natural Resources Wales, and The Marine Conservation Society, further fuelled his existing passion for the environment and landscape, particularly the reclaimed landscapes of South Wales’ industrial past and the rivers and streams that were often integral to it.

Working on archival paper or directly onto panel, Nick predominantly paints in acrylic, using a combination of palette knives and brushes to achieve his desired results. Balancing his energetic and expressive mark making with an eye for representation, he aims to capture and celebrate the often remote and wild qualities of the South Wales Valley’s landscape, as well as the natural beauty in the familiar streams, canals and rivers he frequently revisits.

The exhibition will also feature work from the South Wales Potters, with many varied examples of work on show from the likes of Jane Blair, Paul Vining, Mary Watkins and Andrew Trimby.