‘Moorhen in the Rain – Minsmere’ Watercolour c1984. Peter Partington SWLA (1941-2025). Included in this exhibition together with an accompanying poem written by the artist.
In Sync: Words and Wonders
A selection of work, both 2D and 3D, shown with contemporary and historic poetry.
For centuries, art has inspired poets, and poetry has inspired artists.
Vincent Van Gogh was a voracious reader and was a fan of many British authors and poets, including Charles Dickens and John Keats. He often wrote out extracts from different passages that inspired him and sent them to his brother, Theo. In one of Van Gogh’s first letters from London, he copied out the poem ‘Autumn’ by Keats, writing, ‘The last few days I’ve enjoyed reading the poems of John Keats, he’s a poet who isn’t very well known in Holland, I believe. He’s the favourite of the painters here…’
In Chinese culture poetry and painting are deeply intertwined. Many painters took ancient poetry as their inspiration. The poetic tradition, which reaches back over two millennia, provided these artists with a rich wellspring from which to draw, including verses on nature. For painters who were themselves poets, one of the greatest ambitions was to create a work that combined their original poetry, calligraphy, and painting into coherent artwork, known as the ‘three perfections’ in Chinese – a chance to stand on the shoulders of their poetic heroes and add their voice to the tradition.
So, this selection of works from our collection brings together poetry (some written by the artist) and painting.
We’ll also be inviting visitors to pause and write their own poetic responses to the exhibits on display.
Looking Deep into Nature
Peter Partington SWLA (1941-2025)
Painter – Printer – Sculptor Teacher – Lover Of Mother Nature
This unique exhibition is a celebration of the remarkable life and work of Peter Partington SWLA.
Peter spent his life observing and sharing our living world, bringing birds and animals to life in their habitats and seasons. He sketched in the field and created pictures, sculptures and prints with an incredible touch of the eye and hand.
Peter showed work in Nature in Art’s Inaugural 1985 exhibition, the year he was elected to the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) on whose council he served some years later. In 1989 he was Nature in Art’s very first artist in residence and one of the first to donate work to the collection. He was a valued friend and encourager of Nature in Art until his death early in 2025. He leaves a prolific output with thousands of painting’s across UK homes and many inspired people who experienced his live teaching and conversations.
This show will feature Peter’s studio, diverse works and some not previously displayed in public from private and public collections. All tell the story of a man who lived life to the full and from the heart, and inspired others to do the same. Peter’s legacy will live on, not just through his own work, but through the work of countless others who were encouraged and enabled through him.
A printmaker, painter and sculptor, it is hard to know which he enjoyed the most, and, site unseen, a parallel body of abstract art, many 3D as well as experiments in colour and form. This show includes some of these so one can see these creative steams feeding his capability across all the works. As one commentator said ‘His art was in every inch, his personality. His personality was in every inch, his art.’
Peter expressed himself through his art, which was widely published in books, print runs, ‘How to Draw’ guides, online videos and magazines, numerous local and professional exhibitions, poetry too and his ‘natural illustrator’ to bring life to other writers. His compulsion to venture into the great outdoors to watch birds (sometimes worryingly from his moving car too!) meant he could draw from memory and describe their behaviours in his art.
Small wonder that his studio groaned under the weight of thousands of works, most finished and many in states of re-work. This exhibition will sing out his enthusiasm and represent this unique English master artist, generous to a tee with his support and engagement with the public.
The show is accompanied by a new book ‘Peter Partington ‘The Artists Anthology’ by his son Jerome Partington, which includes many of the exhibition, to raise funds for a SWLA nature art school programme, Nature in Art and his conservation charities.
There also is a special launch event on September 29th.
Join us for a launch and private view of the special retrospective exhibition of works celebrating the life and work of Peter Partington SWLA (1941 – 2025). Find out more about this show here
Although this is a FREE event, PLEASE BOOK HERE
Course details:
Explore the colour pencil techniques required to draw this little kitten using assorted colour pencils on Mount Board including indenting and colour layering for stripes in fur.
Line Drawing supplied to trace or copy.
Materials
Supplied by tutor, £3 charge (cash)
Suitability:
Suitable for all
Spaces:
12
Price: £62 / £79
Course details:
Explore the techniques required to draw this portrait using Derwent Coloursoft Pencils and Water-soluble Graphite pencils to create muted tones.
Materials
Supplied by tutor, £3 charge (cash)
Suitability:
Suitable for all
Spaces:
12
Price: £62 / £79
Course details:
Explore the techniques required to draw this portrait using Derwent Coloursoft Pencils and Water-soluble Graphite pencils to create muted tones.
Materials
Supplied by tutor, £3 charge (cash)
Suitability:
Suitable for all
Spaces:
12
Price: £62 / £79
Wild
Cotswold Craftsmen at Nature in Art
Bringing together a wonderfully diverse range of disciplines, this selling exhibition will showcase the breadth and individuality of contemporary craft. Visitors can discover printmaking, jewellery, wirework, textiles, willow work, sculpture, painting, resin art and more, with each maker offering their own interpretation of the wild world around us.
From ancient woodland forms and botanical structures to animals, landscapes and the textures and materials found in nature, Wild celebrates the endless ways the natural world can spark creativity, whilst offering a glimpse into the rich and varied work of the Cotswold Craftsmen, whose members create thoughtfully made work across a remarkable range of traditional and contemporary disciplines.
We have another amazing Dare to Dabble planned for you!
Designed completely around the absolute beginner, or those who just fancy a dabble, these sessions provide a great opportunity to try out new art techniques and mediums.
Morning Session: 10am – 12pm
Afternoon Session: 1pm – 3pm
Inspiration, materials, guidance and fun are all provided, and as all tasks should, we’ll begin with a brew.
Follow this link to see what we have going on in the session today: Dare to Dabble
The Gift and Craft Fair has been held for over 20 years and is always well attended, helping to raise essential funds for the Nature in Art Trust. Here at Nature in Art we are extremely passionate about supporting local artists and craftspeople, helping to highlight the array of crafts available and the creativity of the people in the local area. Our event strives to have a large selection of stallholders showcasing a variety of crafts, from woodwork and ceramics, glassware and photography to jewellery, textiles, resin art, flower art and much more.
In 2026, it will take place on Saturday 31st October and Sunday 1st November, 10am-4pm both days.
To apply, click here
Course details:
Make a magical Christmas wreath. Start a family tradition that you can enjoy year after year. I will bring a wide selection of glass, ceramic, mirror and vintage china, so you can create a wreath to your own colour scheme – richly traditional, silver and frosty, jazzy or shabby chic!
Materials and additional costs:
£22 (cash) to be paid to tutor for materials
Please bring a shoebox size cardboard box to cut tiles into.
Suitability:
Suitable for all
Spaces:
10
Price: £124 / £158