Castle Park Arts Centre's new exhibitions, Beyond Landscape and Decorated Books, are now open to visitors, and will run until October 28th.

Beyond Landscape

Beyond Landscape, by multimedia artists and mountaineering enthusiasts, Clipped-in, is an at times intricate, at times panoramic tribute to our most spectacular landscapes, both at home and abroad.

From the brilliance of the snow in Andrew Croughton's painting, Annapurna South Face to the delicate tendrils of wind and waves in Sue Marsden's sensual weavings, this exhibition creates a tactile portrait of the wild beauty of the natural world.

Moving off the wall and into three-dimensional form, Jim Symon's clay-work evokes the craggy coarseness, but also the vibrant colours, of various mountain peaks, honouring their breathtaking immensity.

In contrast to their colleagues, Phoebe Marsden and Philippa Maye reflect on more abstract and intangible environments, turning their focus to urban spaces and the emotional landscapes of the mind.

Phoebe's textured weaves conjure the colours and patterns of inspiring trips to Lisbon and Burano, creatively recalling the liveliness of these human landscapes.

Meanwhile, Philippa's graceful ceramics chart the internal expanses of feeling that have been forced into unmapped territories by the coronavirus lockdown.

Decorated Books

In the gallery dedicated to the Decorated Books exhibition, the walls are lined with a collection of moments and musings, captured in all their vitality by Jackie Sumerfield's expressive watercolours and sketches.

As well as finished paintings, this exhibition includes pages from Jackie's journals, which record a multitude of events, both ordinary and extraordinary, lending the viewer a glimpse into her life.

With her deft and sharp-eyed touch, Jackie manages to seize these fleeting experiences, without stifling their personality or deadening their movement.

From the pleasant surprise of a frog spotted in the garden, to the vivid sights and sounds of a Indian holiday, she illustrates the little joys of the day-to-day, the views, the creatures, the people and the things that are so easily forgotten as we rush forward into tomorrow.

You can read more about the exhibitions on the Castle Park Arts Centre website.

There is currently a one-way system operating in the Arts Centre gallery, and visitors are requested to wear face coverings while inside.

Contact details for Clipped-in's members can be found on their website, and you can read more about Jackie's work here.