Exhibition of wood engravings by Hilary Paynter PPRE FRSA

About

Hilary Paynter is widely recognized as one of Britain’s leading wood-engravers, and, through her involvement with the Society of Wood Engravers, has made a significant contribution to the revival of interest in this exacting medium around the world.

Born in Dunfermline, Hilary spent much of her early life abroad, in China and Malta, and studied sculpture and wood-engraving at Portsmouth College of Art. 
After combining a career in teaching, and later as an Educational Psychologist, with intense and prolific wood engraving, Hilary has now for a long time been a full-time artist, and organizes the SWE’s annual touring exhibition, other events and related publications.

Her wood-engravings are held in many public collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), the Ashmolean (Oxford) and the Fitzwilliam (Cambridge), and in city galleries including Birmingham, Hereford, Portsmouth and in the universities of London and Northumbria.  Her work has featured in international print exhibitions in North and South America, Russia, Australia, Sweden and Switzerland and she has exhibited frequently with the Royal Society of Painter- Printmakers, of which she is the Past President.

From 2nd to 28th July the White Lion Street Gallery in Tenby will be showing a collection of recent work drawn from some of the many projects she has been involved with over the past couple of years including:

 The Memory of water series which originated from a collaboration with poet Simon
Armitage and has resulted in a superb limited edition book featuring poems from his Stanza Stones project in the Pennines, illustrated by wood engravings of the locations where each of his poems have been carved on the rocks.

The Peak Prints project followed from an invitation to a group of engravers to visit and interpret the Peak District National Park over a period of a couple of years which resulted in an exhibition that toured the area.

The Toledo project that came about as a result of an invitation to this stylish Spanish city (and how could she refuse?) where she produced a fine suite of engravings.

 Wood Engraving Collages are an avenue that Hilary has explored recently.
These large one-off pieces are made by collating parts of many wood engravings
into a single new original piece of work. They have been very well received in her London exhibitions and  will be showing here in Tenby for the first time.

Also be showing will be many of her earlier pieces including many Welsh subjects and ‘Escaped from the Ark’ which sold 137 prints at the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy Summer Show last year (so there are very few left) and there will be a large collection of unframed work for visitors to browse at their leisure too.

Hilary Paynter is taking a day out from her very busy schedule to be in the gallery on Saturday 11th July where she will be demonstrating wood engraving, signing copies of her book ‘Full Circle’ and available to answer any questions. Everyone is invited to come along and meet her, there is no charge.

The White Lion Street Gallery is in White Lion Street, Tenby next to the new Premier Inn and near North Beach. For further information phone 01834 843375 or view the exhibition on the gallery website: www.artmatters.org.uk