BEACHCOMBING - aspects of beach life

Peter Baldwin, Hilary Davies, Krys Leach, Jenny Rumens and Paula White

Exhibition runs: Sunday 30th April – Saturday 1st July
2006

Opening times:
Monday – Saturday 11 am – 5 pm
Sundays in May 11 am – 4 pm

Hilary Davies

BEACHCOMBING - aspects of beach life

Life comes to the beach from afar – washed up by the
tide, wandered on by people, worked for a living. The
motions of the tide, retreating and returning, echoes
the way in which work and leisure flow in and around
each other.

Amongst it all wander the artists whose work has
inspired this exhibition. They observe and capture the
comings and goings of human traffic, record the ever
changing watery landscape of a fragile coast, and
collect the flotsam and jetsam washed up from remote
places.

Retrieval – be it of memory, salt winnowed wood, or
weathered fragments that once formed the wall of a
lost house – is at the heart of much of the work. The imagination is touched, and silent histories are hinted at.

Whether capturing the colour and textures of
fishermen’s floats and nets; the haunting glow of sea
and sand stretching to infinity; the use of stitching
and collage to describe space and light; or the touch
of pastel spray to a wave hitting a beleaguered groyne
– every artist has paid great attention to the detail
of a big theme. Boats made from fragments of glass,
pebble and wood. Paintings capturing the enduring pull
of the beach as a place for exploration and
relaxation. Elegant objects and furniture fashioned
from chunks of timber and metal worn smooth by the
sea. There are delightful uses for cast-offs from the
fishing boats, and much to reward in this show infused
with a breath of sea air.

Artists taking part:
Peter Baldwin – oil paintings
Hilary Davies – glass and beach-find wall pieces
Megan Green – pastels and ornamental beach-finds
Krys Leach – oil paintings
Jenny Rumens – furniture from beach-finds
Paula White – mixed media paintings

Krys Leach

Come and join artist Romey Brough at the Church Street Gallery’s anniversary exhibition on

Sunday 1 May 2005.

Cromer’s latest gallery opened in May last year and has rapidly established itself as part of the growing North Norfolk arts scene. Offering work from some of the best artists and crafts people in the UK, the venue has proved popular with visitors and residents alike.

Derbyshire based, Romey Brough’s pictures evoke thoughts of wild landscapes and the exhibition includes work inspired by a recent visit to the North Norfolk coast.

“I find the Norfolk landscape calming after the hectic “ups and downs” of the Derbyshire environment and my life!”

Monoprinting is a technique used by Degas, among others, that involves painting on glass and transferring the image on to paper, producing a single image. It is this unique and somewhat unpredictable process that Romey finds so attractive.

“When the paper print is removed the glass is wiped clean so each print pulled is an original. I am fascinated by the contrasts of texture produced and above all by the way the viewer is required to slow down a contemplate what colour and texture can stimulate in their imagination.

Romey will be in gallery from 12 noon on Sunday 1 May.

The exhibition continues until Thursday 30 June (Mon-Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 12noon - 4pm)

Paula White

Peter Baldwin

Jenny Rumens