April, 2008
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Drawing mainly in pastels and charcoal but also painting in oils and acrylics, one of North East England’s most renowned landscape artists, Peter Podmore, works between the spectacular Northumberland coastline and the Cheviot Hills in the Borders countryside between Scotland and North East England.
His studio is in the Northumberland National Park.
Peter Podmore studied first in Ireland at Trinity College, Dublin, then, in 1976, graduated in Fine Art from West Surrey College of Art, Farnham. In 1991 he took an M.A. in Fine Art from the University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne.
His work is in the collections of the Pushkin Museum, Moscow, The Gemeentemuseum in the Hague, The Museum of Modem Art in Chelm, Poland, the House of Lords, and Newcastle University.
Since leaving his studio at 36 Lime Street In Newcastle, he now has a studio on the farm in Westnewton, Northumberland, where he lives and where it is possible to for anybody interested to see his work - but by appointment only. Arrange a day on Yeavering Bell or up the College Valley and he will be happy to show you the work he has done in the surrounding area on a visit to his studio.
Peter Podmore will be be exhibiting pastel drawings of the Isle of Mull in the Cloudhouse Gallery. The show runs from 29th April to 1st June.
Below are a some photos from the Peter Podmore exhibition
(Click thumbnail for full size)
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Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Peter Podmore will be be exhibiting pastel drawings of the Isle of Mull in the Cloudhouse Gallery. The show is from 29th April to 1st June with an opening from 6pm till 9pm on Friday 2nd May.
Peter Podmore’s main source of landscape material is the north of Northumberland, but he sometimes travels to Scotland to contend with the unpredictable but theatrical weather of the West Coast. The humidity there gives a blue and a softer light quite different from that in the East. Of course much of this is due to the reflected light in the expanses of water that surround the hills as well as the dampness of the air. He has made a number of visits to Mull, usually in the spring and autumn when tourists and midges have left, and the weather is often more settled. However he usually loses a few days to storm force winds and saturating drizzle.
He enjoys the challenge of unsettled weather. Peter always works outside without reference to photographs and works quickly to establish the transience of the light and the way that hills can close in and move away with rain and sun, and that clouds form dark patterns and shapes in the landscape that alter the form of the hills and the space that surrounds them. The colours change kaleidoscopically with the light and dark, mist and clear air.
He works with pastel because it is a medium that allows him to make alterations and follow the changing colours and moods very quickly providing an uncertainty and a sense of impermanence that is at the centre of his work.
After leaving West Surrey College of Art in Farnham in1976 Peter’s work was very abstract and used geometrical forms to explore illusions of space. He changed to landscape in the early nineties and moved up to north Northumberland where he still explores those geometrical principles to create the tensions and structure that he hope gives the work its force and energy. Last year he put together a book, available from the gallery – Cold Breeze, Dark Fire: Drawings and Paintings of North Northumberland – which explains some of his working processes and illustrates the range of landscape problems that he undertakes.
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Friday, April 25th, 2008
Sophie Bancroft is one of the most inventive and distinctive artists to emerge from Scotland, jazz-folk singer-songwriter Sophie Bancroft has drawn comparison to artists as classily diverse as Peggy Lee, Joan Armatrading, and Norah Jones. With her music used on hit TV drama ‘Six Feet Under’, Sophie’s songs about life can be fun, flirty, heart-wrenching, shocking and beautiful.
“Refreshing and utterly magical†The Herald
Read more about Sophie Bancroft at www.sophiebancroft.co.uk
Tickets £15 . 2 course supper included. Drinks and coffee extra. Licensed. Open at 7.30pm for supper at 8pm.
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Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Cloudhouse are supporting the Afghan Schools trust by exhibiting and selling craft items donated by the trust. If your yurt poles need a cover then check it out!  We also have on dispaly some beautiful lapis lazuli jewellery and polished pieces, for which Afghanistan is famed. More items for sale include intricately woven textiles and other interesting items.
About the Afghan Schools Trust
The Afghan Schools Trust is a small charity dedicated to improving the lives and opportunities of children in Afghanistan. They fund and support community initiatives, particularly in areas outside the reach of government or NGO assistance. So far they have provided complete funding for four schools educating over 400 girls and boys in Nuristan, northeast Afghanistan. They also fund teacher training courses for the local men and who run and staff the schools.
To help support the efforts of Afghan communities to educate their children for the future, please donate at www.afghanschools.org.
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