Alison Orchard’s paintings arise from a lifelong conversation with the landscape, shaped by her experience of the Cornish coast and of the woodlands surrounding her Hampshire studio.
Alison Orchard in her studio
This weekend, her new show, Continuum, sub-titled Connections Through Landscapes, has opened at the Penwith Gallery, colourful, evocative works, including diptychs and triptychs.
A graduate of Harrow College, University of Westminster, she initially built a successful career as a commercial illustrator and designer before pivoting fully into fine art with her first solo exhibition in 2009. She has since exhibited widely with
prominent galleries.
Alison is fascinated by the sky and the sea, the vastness of the coastal horizon and, closer to home, the light filtering through trees and the changing colours of the heathland.
In our magazine, we wrote that her paintings are confident, expressive, and rich in colour, inviting the viewer to pause, to experience the physicality of the paint, and the quiet power of the landscape. But you have to go along to the exhibition to witness the true splendour and power of the works. Earthy and aquatic palettes of colour create mesmerising scenes. The great outdoors brought inside.
Watching The Waves, mixed media on linen
“One of my primary drivers is to create paintings that make people pause, to consider the colours and physicality of the paint, to feel an emotional response,” says Alison. “In the same way that looking out to the horizon connects so deeply, I want my paintings to stop people in their tracks, for them to be held in the moment and left with a deep sense of connection.” As a man from Hampshire, now living in west Cornwall. I get that connection.
Continuum runs at the Penwith Gallery until 2nd May.
The spring exhibitions for members and associate members of the Penwith Society of Arts also opened last night. They’re captivating displays of a wide range of talent across several media, as ever brilliantly curated by the gallery staff. So much to see!
Penwith Gallery | Back Road West, St Ives TR26 1NL | penwithgallery.com/
