We’re delighted to welcome Razvan Chisu to the Yorkshire Arboretum this Autumn with a new exhibition running from Wed 20th Sept until Sun 15th Oct 2023.

Items from the exhibition will be available to purchase at our Visitors Centre. For further information please email visit@yorkshirearboretum.org or call 01653 648598.

About the Artist:

Born in 1981, in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, and moved to Cheshire, a decade ago, Razvan trained as a horticulturist but had always had an affinity with crafts and art. Whilst in Romania, he graduated a 3-year long evening ceramics class and one of his pieces has been exhibited in the first edition of The International Cluj Ceramics Biennale (Looking for a needle in a haystack, 2013).

Lately he has tried his hand at illustration, printing and alternative photographic techniques. Through his work he tries to document plants and places; and is particularly drawn to meadow and woodland plants which remind him of the Transylvanian countryside.

We’re delighted to welcome contemporary landscape artist Janine Baldwin to the Yorkshire Arboretum this Summer with a new exhibition running from Friday 16th June until Friday 14th July 2023.

Exploring the beautiful woodlands, moors and coastline which surround her, Janine makes sketches directly from the landscape and this forms the basis of her studio work. With a strong focus on mark-making and texture, she uses layers of pastel and other dry media to gradually create her artwork. Influences include Cy Twombly, Abstract Expressionism and Joan Eardley. Janine is passionate about the conservation of our landscape and since 2006 has been a conservation volunteer for the North York Moors National Park, working on tasks such as tree planting and butterfly habitat management - these projects have allowed a deeper understanding of the landscape, in turn enriching the artwork she creates. 

For this exhibition Janine has created new work using pastel, charcoal, graphite and collage inspired by the stunning array of textures and forms at the Yorkshire Arboretum, and recorded her observations in a sketchbook which will be on display throughout the exhibition. 

Items from the exhibition will be available to purchase. For further information please email visit@yorkshirearboretum.org or call 01653 648598.

About the Artist

Born 1979, Leeds, UK. Janine lives in Scarborough on the North Yorkshire coast and produces paintings, prints and works on paper inspired by landscape. She has exhibited extensively across the UK, including with the Royal Academy of Arts, the Pastel Society and the Society of Women Artists, London. Janine's work is included in private collections worldwide and has received several prestigious awards, most recently The Artist Magazine Award in 2021. In 2017 Janine was elected a member of the Pastel Society, London, and she is also an Associate Artist of Unison Colour pastels.  

www.janinebaldwin.com

instagram.com/janinebaldwinartist/

twitter.com/janine_baldwin

etsy.com/uk/shop/JanineBaldwinArt

We’re delighted to welcome artist Lesley Williams to the Yorkshire Arboretum this Spring with a new exhibition ‘At the Margins’ running from Saturday 4 March until Sunday 26 March 2023.

‘Meet the Artist’ Preview Event on Friday 3 March, 6 – 8pm.
Please reserve your place here.

Lesley’s exhibition of semi-abstract oil paintings reveals the translucent colours found in gardens and the wider landscape. Her work featuring ponds explores her interest in spatial dynamics as well as the reflective qualities of water within plant forms. Lesley encourages the viewer to look through and beyond the immediate surface.

“Marginal areas within the landscape have increasingly become of interest to me and have formed the subject matter for this recent collection. Areas on the edges and at the meeting points within the landscape are often overlooked. At the foot of trees, in the hedgerow and at the water's edge, there is a wealth of flora which provides a vibrant, multi-layered, and colourful scene.” Lesley Williams

Items from the exhibition will be available to purchase. For further information please email visit@yorkshirearboretum.org or call 01653 648598.

About the Artist

Lesley gained a BA (Hons) in Textile Design and an MA in Fine Art from Leeds Metropolitan University. She taught Art and Design for many years before leaving to concentrate on her own work, which has been collected here and abroad. Her paintings are developed over a period. From relatively figurative starting points, multiple layers are created, allowing time for the subtle sensations and memories of the time and place to be included. Circular shapes are sometimes embedded in the composition to reflect the cyclical rhythms of nature.

- Lesley Williams (lesleywilliamsartist.co.uk)

Resident, award-winning photographer Mathew Harrison explores the arboretum and the surrounding landscapes of the Howardian Hills in this new exhibition. Aether & Wood captures the exceptional natural beauty on our doorstep, with framed and unframed prints for sale.

Find Mathew on social media @iphotomat

The ‘Language of Leaves’ is a collection by textile artist Sue Walsh, who has produced a body of work based on the Yorkshire Arboretum during her year long residency.

"It's such an honour to have been invited to be artist-in-residence at the Yorkshire Arboretum for the next year. It will give me a chance to discover a whole new range of more unusual trees and other plants to print with as the seasons unfold. I relish this opportunity to grow my knowledge and intimacy with this unique collection of trees."

The exhibition runs from Saturday 17 September until Sunday 16 October. It is free to attend and is open during normal visiting hours.

An Introduction to Ecoprint

Friday 7 October: Join Sue Walsh for a one day workshop and discover the unique botanical signatures of the plants and trees around the arboretum. Please click here for more details.

Yorkshire-based emerging artist, Dianne Turner, has a love of art and architecture and has, over the last couple of years, been developing artwork inspired from the places she has visited.  Her aim is to create pieces which express feelings and emotions using mixed media in sketchbooks through to finished pieces in mainly watercolour.

She started her career as a potter then returned to study, as a mature student, to gain a BTEC Diploma General Art & Design at Huddersfield and a BA (Hons) Interior Design at Teesside University.  Her training and current profession as a Freelance designer is the perfect grounding for the understanding of her latest artwork using her knowledge of spatial design and mixed media.  

Original artwork, prints and cards from Dianne’s collection are for sale.

Find out more about Dianne by following her on Instagram here.

The arboretum is delighted to announce an exhibition by photographer Peter Heaton.

Peter Heaton studied Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University and later gained an M.A. in Fine Art from Leeds Metropolitan University. He now works primarily with photography and digital imaging.

Over the last few years Peter’s work has revolved around the complexities of layering visual information and our interpretations of the resulting images. He has continued to exhibit widely since 1987, his work being featured in many publications and on both BBC and ITV Television. He has work in private collections in Europe and America.

Visit Peter’s website here.

Peter’s Meet the Artist evening is sold out

Mixed media and textile artist Justine Warner returns to the Yorkshire Arboretum, bringing her unique, nature-inspired works crafted with vintage ties, textiles and found objects.

Our 2018 Artist-in-Residence, Justine’s work is influenced by her local environment in the North Yorkshire countryside - she trained in interior design and worked as a secondary school teacher in product design, textiles and food technology.

Visit Justine’s website for more images and to learn about her fascinating process: https://www.justinewarnerartist.com/

Our Artist-in-Residence and birding enthusiast Jonathan Pomroy exhibits work inspired by his year at the Yorkshire Arboretum.

Jonathan has been a regular visitor to the arboretum since moving to the area in 2010 with the highlight being the first to see the rare, large flock of Hawfinches that settled there over the winter in 2017/18. Working predominantly in watercolour, but also experimenting with oils, charcoal and pencil, Jonathan’s exhibition will emphasise the benefits to us all of observing nature throughout the year.

Visit Jonathan’s website to learn more: https://jonathanpomroy.wordpress.com/

Photographer Julie Cowdy ARPS is holding an exhibition at the Yorkshire Arboretum, featuring her portfolio of fine art botanical prints, for which she was recently awarded the internationally respected and sought-after distinction of Associate of The Royal Photographic Society.

On the theme of ‘Fruits of the Earth’, the images took Julie over a year to complete. These intricate compositions feature fruits, flowers and vegetables.

Julie said: “I’ve always loved pushing photography further, so I combined studies of botanical specimens with textures and antiqued papers. There’s a nod to the illustrated plates in botanical books of old.”

An exhibition of work by printmaker, photographer and artist Jill Welham.

In February 2019, one of Jill’s wet cyanotype prints was chosen as the overall winner of the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition.

This exhibition will showcase Jill’s original pieces and prints will also be for sale.

Jill will be on hand to talk about her work all afternoon in the Visitor Centre, Saturday 31st October.

Find out more about Jill by visiting her website: www.mirrored-images.co.uk

An exhibition by Artist-in-Residence Meg Huby, celebrating the circles, cycles and transience of life at the Yorkshire Arboretum. Meg Huby’s paintings and prints produced over the year evoke ideas of change in space and scale as well as time.

This exhibition is free to view in the Visitor Centre, and Meg will be selling original pieces and prints.

Come and view this new exhibition of work by acclaimed artist Mark Hearld, who brings his recognisable, distinctive style to the arboretum. This exhibition sees Mark drawing inspiration from the vivid colour that defines the autumn season.

A collection by contemporary mixed-media artist Lesley Seeger, who has produced a body of work based on the Yorkshire Arboretum during her year long residency here.

This exhibition is free to view in the Visitor Centre.

For more information about the artist, visit: www.lesleyseeger.com

Work by young pen and pencil artist Ryan Chadwick, who’s dynamic, minimalist approach brings to life the striking beauty of the Earth’s largest mammals and tiniest insects.

Find out more about the artist by visiting his website: http://www.ryanchadwickartist.com/

Available to view free in the Visitor Centre. View some of Ryan’s work below:

Locally based artist Patrick Smith draws inspiration from the landscape of North Yorkshire and beyond. This exhibition, entitled ‘Landscapes of the Mind’, shows his distinctive style and 'muscle memory' approach, synthesizing photographs, found images, and experiences in the field.

Visit Patrick’s website here: www.psmithstudio58.co.uk

Available to view free in the Visitor Centre. View some of Patrick’s work below:

Celebrating Our Oaks, a special category of the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition, was developed in partnership with Action Oak*.

This outdoor exhibition showcases why oaks hold a very special place in the hearts of the nation. The free exhibition supported by HSBC will showcase the photographs from the competition finalists and a number of celebrities. 20 wooden panels will be displayed in the arboretum showing the very best of the UK’s oaks.

Normal admission applies.

*Action Oak is a major campaign to protect the UK’s oak trees from threats including pests and diseases. It is made up of charities, environmental organisations, government and landowners who are seeking to raise vital funding for research and monitoring to help safeguard the 121 million oaks in UK woodlands. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew is proud to be a found partner of Action Oak.

Work will include capturing the first detailed picture of the current health of oak trees, helping to gain a greater understanding of how to preserve their iconic position in our landscape for generations to come.

For more info visit: http://www.actionoak.org/

For info on IGPOTY, visit: https://igpoty.com/

Work by local mixed-media and textile artist Justine Warner who has produced a body of work based on the Yorkshire Arboretum during her year-long residency. The exhibition includes twelve pieces inspired by the seasons and different views of the arboretum.

Free

An outdoor exhibition of sculptures in willow made by Leilah Vyner.

Free

(Normal admission applies)

Locally based artist Jonathan Pomroy  is inspired by the landscape & wildlife of North Yorkshire & beyond. This exhibition shows some of his recent paintings including studies of hawfinches made at the Yorkshire Arboretum over last winter and his recent pictures of swifts in flight.

Free

An exhibition of photographs, and a painting of hawfinches by Robert Fuller. The exhibition includes a fascinating video of what was involved in getting such great close-up photos of these special birds over the winter of 2017-18.

Free

We welcome back Corinne Young, joined by Scarborough-based Shirley Vauvelle with a brand new exhibition of textile and mixed-media art inspired by plants, nature and the
sea.

Free

Works by two long-standing arboretum volunteers May Townsend and Rosie Wade. Both have been inspired, at least in part, by their association with the Arboretum to produce this
mixed media body of work.

Free.