The Sanctuary Gallery marks the turning of the seasons with an exhibition that celebrates a place which brings land, community, and nature together. Allotment draws on the fruitfulness of these unlikely creative spaces, where toil in the early part of the year yields an abundance of flowers, fruit and vegetables in late summer and early autumn. 

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In the lingering summer heat, bees and butterflies flit between flowers, pollinating and perpetuating life, as gardeners tend to their sweet peas, potatoes and lettuces. Allotments have greatly enriched our environments, becoming rural oases and green urban corridors for birds, insects and other wildlife. They have also become an important part of the wellness and mindfulness movement, offering growers a space to engage with the soil and the seasons in the peaceful company of our fellow creatures.

All the artworks in this exhibition are inspired by the things we grow for pleasure, and the habitats created between shed, flower pot, patio and veg patch. They include: watercolours by Kate Osborne, whose background in textile design and illustration is reflected in the rhythm and spaciousness of her wildlife and botanical subjects; needle felted creatures by Naomi Beevers, whose quirky and characterful wildlife is handcrafted from pure British wool, scraps of fabric and upcycled cutlery. Continuing the textile theme Jess Rayson is creating her beautiful hand block printed lampshades, cushions and accessories.

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Pottery includes platters and vases by Amelia Tuttiett, who combines her love of clay with her passion for painting to create richly decorated works inspired by England’s flora and fauna; tableware by Michelle Lowe, whose wheel thrown and slab built pieces are detailed with birds, flowers and the greenery of wild hedgerows. Returning to The Sanctuary, ceramic sculpture by Remon Jephcott, who creates exquisitely detailed sculptural works inspired by decaying fruit, using slip-casting, glazes, lustres and silver. 

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Paintings include works by Rosemary Burn, whose ‘portraits’ of bees, butterflies and garden produce highlight the intimate wonder of natural forms; Sarah Jennings, who is inspired by the uplifting colour and disordered composition of rural and town allotments; Freya Barton, who plays with perspective and intensifies colour to create joyful natural imagery; Sandra Haney, whose lively, gestural paintings of green spaces focus on the tonal contrast of daylight and thrown shadow; Mary Liddell, whose plein air scenes and still life fruit and flower paintings are rich with colour and dappled light; and finally Sally Stafford, who works with the seasons to document time and change in natural ‘plantscapes’, with a focus on hidden and overlooked places. 

 

Opening times: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm

 

 

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