27th January 2023 - 25th February 2023
Preview: Friday 27th January 17:30 onwards, all welcome!
A joint exhibition of paintings by Mandi Stewart and Caroline Darke.
Caroline Darke
‘I am an artist drawn to landscapes. Living in the Sussex downs close to the river and the sea gives plenty of inspiration to go out sketching. I have worked in various mediums – watercolour, oil and acrylic. On balance, I prefer a mixture, often using collage as well.
I am a graduate of the Porthmeor Programme at the St Ives School of Painting where I completed two years of this Programme and as a result have held exhibitions in St Ives for several years and have had work selected for the St Ives Society of Artists Exhibition.
I use multiple sketches as inspiration for a painting in order to get a feel for a landscape that is emotional and vibrant rather than prescriptive. I have a physical response to the landscape and the changes wrought upon it by the weather, the seasons and man. The texture and layers of my paintings represent the wear and tear and the layers of time on the landscape.
Since the pandemic and being in lockdown my landscapes have taken a slightly different route.
Observation and experiences are heightened due to the restrictions placed upon us all. Along with a despair of current events both domestic and world-wide. Small things like the first snowdrops take on a whole new importance and inspire a painting. The theme of ‘getting through it’ is translating into some scenes – both in a mental health way and an imagined travelling through the landscape.’
Mandi Stewart
Mandi is a disabled artist who has lived in St Ives for most of the past two decades. In 2022 she graduated from the Royal College of Art with a MA Print (Distinction) and a sellout graduation show. Her journey to the RCA began in 2017 when following life-changing ill-health she completed the Porthmeor Programme at the St Ives School of Painting and specialised in printmaking. She currently works between the historic Porthmeor Print Workshop in St Ives and Acme studios in East London.
Mandi’s work is predominantly autobiographical as she explores a range of personal interests from identity to activism and the bonds that connect us. Her current practice considers the relationship between physical and mental health and breath and is influenced by her own experience. Within this show she is exhibiting a range of prints which explore colour, shape, texture and time. This series of prints are made using layered collage plates and recurrent circular shapes. Many of her prints are single edition multi layered monotypes, a technique she has developed over many years.
Mandi is a Leverhulme Arts Scholar and a Trustee of Shape Arts. She has exhibited in a range of galleries including; Outside In at Sothebys, The Royal College of Art, Green & Stone Chelsea, East London Festival of Print, Southwark Park Gallery and the Salthouse Gallery. Her work is held in several private collections.
