News

We are thrilled to be included in Cornwall Livings Dogs Love Guide and we're so proud to call ourselves dog friendly. We see so many of your furry friends here at the gallery and it's always a pleasure to welcome more. If you are passing through Marazion with your beloved pooch and you would like to pop in and see some of the beautiful Cornish art on display, we would be delighted to see you.

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Featured in our gallery photograph is Mack The Bear, who is of course our furry expert when it comes to Cornish art. He is also an international traveller who spent 5 years in an animal shelter in foreign lands before travelling to the UK and becoming a big part of our gallery family. As we say here in the gallery, the painting finds you and here, Mack definitely found us.

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On a wet and windy Friday in an otherwise hot and sunny July we held our community beach clean, in support of Surfers Against Sewage.
The event was held alongside our one man show by Kit Johns entitled 'Breaking Point' which focuses not only on the beauty of our oceans and coastline, but also the perilous balance our environment finds itself in.
Kit joined us on the day, and once our bags were full he took some found plastic to use in further artwork.
We pride ourselves in being a gallery with a community heart and were so pleased to receive an official plastic free status in 2018.

'Where The Path Leads' which follows one of Cornwall's most exciting contemporary impressionist artists Imogen Bone as she makes her way along the iconic coastal path around West Cornwall. The body of work comprises of Imogen's visual diary, a narrative made up of lush, dark greenery giving way to vast expanses and ocean vistas as her journey progresses and also acts as a contemplation and reflection of environment and energy and an intuitive response to the environment, filtering thoughts and seeking simplicity.

Mary Ann Green undertook her art education at Mid Warwickshire College of Art and Goldsmiths College, London before moving to Cornwall in the early 1970s. Since 1998 she has been involved with the Rambert Dance Company during their visits to the Hall for Cornwall, working with them during rehearsal, her work captured the human form both in movement and at rest. Her work is both well established and well loved and in 2005 she was shortlisted for the Jerwood Drawing Prize.
The video offers a very special chance to see Mary's artistic process, simply click on the link below to view.

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We had a wonderful time at the opening for our first show of 2018, Blooming Marvellous. Thank you to each and every person who braved the awful weather to come and experience a bit of sunshine at The Summerhouse in the form of some beautiful artwork and a glass of prosecco!

One of our guests, Tanya Von Zychlinsky composed this wonderful poem, inspired by the work on show here at the gallery.

Sun rays mirror your perfection,

Light hearted mindset lets us in,

This month The Summerhouse was proud to host a wonderful show, celebrating the female artist and how she views the world. A diverse, and stunning body of work by a collective of talented artists was showcased here in our gallery and we were delighted by the response.
Our opening night saw pink prosecco cocktails served alongside contemporary poetry readings, and a silent auction. All of the proceeds of which have been donated to Target Ovarian Cancer, a charity very close to our hearts. We are thrilled to have raised over £1000 so far from the silent auction and a percentage of all show pieces which have been sold. For more information on this wonderful charity, and the work that they do, visit http://www.targetovariancancer.org.uk/.

We are delighted to share this wonderful video, shot by John Freddy Jones which features Maggie sharing the thoughts and experiences which inspired our show 'Where Have All The Songbirds Gone'

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A wonderfully insightful video from our John Piper retrospective 'Halcyon Days'

John Pipers inspiration for his work has always been the West Cornwall landscape pared down to its basic elements of looming skies, lichen covered buildings and rugged moorland.

Compositionally simple yet dramatic and beautiful, his work focuses strongly on colour and texture, which vary dramatically throughout his paintings, despite them possessing characteristics which make them instantly recognisable by people throughout Cornwall and further afield.

Johns love for the area is evident in the way in which he creates, and he has quietly and unassumingly become one of Cornwalls most prolific and well loved artists.

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We are so proud of the amount of awareness, and the response that our one-woman show, featuring the hugely talented Maggie O'Brien generated here at The Summerhouse.

On our opening night, on the 20th of April, the gallery was full to capacity, and it was amazing to see just how much this work touched its viewers.

Originally, the show stood as a call to save our precious dawn chorus, in the face of shocking songbird decline throughout the country. It then took on a new meaning when Maggie’s son became poorly, and evolved as a whole into a body of work that highlights the fragility of life, and appreciate what we have around us. We also held a charity donation, the proceeds of which will go to the RSPB.

Although our show officially ended on the 5th of May, we have kept a small beautiful selection of work which really captured viewers of the show, up on our walls for visitors to enjoy a while longer.

Following our extensive renovations over January and February, The Summerhouse invites you to join us in celebrating our grand reopening with our spring show.

Headlining our show are critically acclaimed artists Imogen Bone and Iona Sanders, both of whom use contrastingly accomplished techniques and will provide a stunning range of work on our brand new walls.

We will be featuring the entire range of new work from both Iona, Imogen, and all of our wonderful Summerhouse artists ahead of our opening on the 31st of March.

Images: Double Luck Mounts Bay, Imogen Bone

Just over twelve months ago here at the Summerhouse Gallery we were honoured to hold 'Spotlight on Strang'. To celebrate we have just taken delivery of a new body of work from the mighty Michael Strang entitled 'Autumn Collection 2016'.

Michael captures the beautiful effect that this season has on Cornwall. For example, in 'Gulval Windfalls', he depicts bountiful hauls of ripe fruit, and transforming Summer meadows into vibrant fields of jewel like hues in 'Towards St Michaels Mount' and 'Poppies and Other Wild Flowers'.

Dramatic late Summer sunsets show the earth clinging to that final burst of warmth, which is balanced by the calm moonlight scenes of the stunning 'Moonlight Symphony'.

Indeed, this warmth and brightness run through the heart of this stunning body of work, as Strang celebrates this last crescendo of colour before Winter descends.

The Summerhouse is thrilled to showcase a beautiful new array of work from local ceramicist Sarah Dunstan. Featuring an array of electric blues and pastel hues, and inspired by the delicate oriental style of the willow pattern, Sarah's designs take on many unique shapes and sizes, each piece displaying a wonderfully skilled level of craftsmanship.

This July, a fascinating exhibition at the Summerhouse Gallery in Marazion will provide an insight into one of Cornwall’s most loved painter's artistic process. Paper, Pencil, Paint sees a new collection of Michael Praed paintings placed side by side with the initial sketches that inspired them.

At the centre of this exhibition is a spirit of transformation. By placing a focus on the movement from paper to canvas, the exhibition highlights the consistent techniques and vivid imagination that are integral to the artist’s sensitive but strong trademark style.

Those familiar with Praed's work will recognise his undeniable ability to capture the magic of the Cornish landscape in a way that is his own. The strong near vertical lines are present on both paper and canvas. This provides a distinctive skeleton for Praed to build upon with a compassionate use of colour, shading and light.

Jayne Elliott, Director at the Summerhouse, said: "Since opening the Summerhouse five years ago, we have had a wonderful relationship with Michael. He is one of the county’s artistic gems and we are delighted to celebrate his wonderful work in a slightly different way. Paper, Pencil, Paint is both beautiful and insightful."

The team at the Summerhouse Gallery are delighted to be celebrating fifty years of masterful painting from Michael Strang. Running in August, ‘Spotlight on Strang’ is a showcase of new work alongside exclusive private collection pieces that further shines a light on the exceptional talents that this renowned painter possesses.

The highlight of the month is likely to be the ‘Spotlight on Strang’ evening taking place at the Summerhouse on 14th August. People will be given a rare opportunity to meet the man behind the paintings and hear about his artistic processes. There will be a short Q & A where Strang will provide further insight into his painting techniques and the fascinating variation of influences from across the arts that still inspire him today.

Primarily an oil painter who has continually been celebrated for his ability to capture the magic of a country scene, Strang’s plein-air seascapes were included in the Tate’s ‘Century of Images’ exhibition in 1995. His work has been included in many prestigious collections including London’s Royal Academy and Oxford’s Ashmoleum Museum. Whether it be the magic of a distinctive sunset or the energy that fuels a vibrant field of poppies, Michael Strang has that rare ability to add that extra twenty percent to a painting that converts it from good to great.

On display as a part of Strang’s private collection will be a selection of his portraits. Michael actually studied under David Poole, the eminent president of the Royal Society of Painters. When viewing Strang’s portraits and landscapes side by side, his talents become even more apparent. While the work contrasts in style and subject, there is a cohesive artistic voice that runs through everything that he paints.