Left: Philippa Beale. Right: Tim Craven
Following on from previous exhibitions by the Arborealists at Nature in Art, this exhibition is a collaboration between them, a group of professional artists of diverse art practise who share the subject of the tree,and Julian Hight, a celebrated authority on ancient trees and the author of Britain’s Tree Story.
This unique selection of pictures explores the extraordinary physical presence and diverse colourful histories of a varied selection of these great survivors. Some have been selected by Hight for their significance, species and geological spread and others chosen by the artists as local favourites. Some trees are variously interpreted by different artistic approaches,styles and media and these will hang together for context and insight.
Although the least forested, Britain possesses the largest number of ancient trees in northern Europe of many species for a number of reasons. Some may have stood for over a thousand years while some British Yew trees are reputed to be up to four times that age, which if true, makes them the oldest living trees in Europe. Small wonder that artists have been inspired by their beauty, presence and aura.
From a human perspective, it is their constant presence within the community,surviving through one generation to the next and carrying with them events and stories, that elevates ancient trees to a higher place in our psyche. Over the centuries people have revered and named them. They act as silent witnesses to the past. Indeed, it is amazing to think that such is their longevity that some could be only ten generations away from the end of the last ice age when they first colonised our islands.
PLUS:
September 10th: Do join us for a private view of this show to meet some of the artists and find out about the Arborealists and on September 26th: An join us for an evening talk with Julian Hight. Find details of both HERE
. 
.
Elizabeth Gray (left) and Dafila Scott
It is hard to believe that we recently celebrated the 36th anniversary of us opening our doors to the public. Over the years we have been fortunate to work with many hundreds of artists, either as exhibitors, artists in residence and/or tutors. These associations have been part of our journey developing and building up the museum, its collections and activities, and we hope a valued part of their artistic journey too.
So as we look to the future, we are presenting a unique exhibition of A5 sized original works by some of these artists. Drawings, paintings, prints, even sculpture, each a nature-inspired to raise funds for our David Trapnell Legacy Project.
The fundraising element works like this ….each card will be allocated a number although this will be kept secret. Numbered tickets will be available for you to buy for just £30 each, a sum which we hope will make participation within reach of almost everyone. Once all the tickets are sold the numbers will be revealed. Only then will‘buyers’ discover which original postcard they have acquired.
So, we do hope that you will be keen to purchase a ticket for this special project! As well as a great way to help the museum, it is a rare opportunity for you to acquire a unique original signed piece of artwork.
Buy a ticket when you visit, or if you can’t make it, give us a call on 01452 731422.
Blending geology with creativity, Jackie Garner’s contemporary art is thoroughly modern, yet echoes Earth’s most ancient forces. Her acrylic paintings are inspired by, and celebrate, the rich patterns and textures of minerals, rocks and fossils. Wildly colourful to subtly intricate, sometimes fanciful and often surprising, this exhibition encourages us to look afresh at the ground beneath our feet. Rethink your perceptions of the humble rock! Instead, revel in shards of texture, light and colour.
One of the very first showings of the winning and commended images from the very latest awards following its launch. 70 stunning photographs from around the world selected from over 23,000 entries, including ..
all the winning images
From Small Acorns
. January 7th – February 2nd
A selling display of 2D and 3D work by Elizabeth Gray.
Elizabeth Gray died in March 2022, two weeks before her 94th birthday. Originally a concert pianist, she was completely self taught as an artist and it was from the ‘small acorn’ of a natural skill that she developed her talent. Her work is held in public and private collection internationally and she was the first person to donate an item to Nature in Art’s collection. A uniquely creative person, her work over the years was as multi-faceted as that of any artist. In fact, so diverse were her influences and output, she used different names for different elements of her work – Elizabeth Gray, Ben Venuto and Emmie Gee. It is likely that many people had no idea that these different names were in fact the same person. For her, the diversity of her work was as natural as night and day, yet to many it is still hard to believe that her creations came from the same artistic soul.
The exhibition includes watercolour paintings, pastels, drawings, reduction lino cuts, mixed media work, ceramics, decoupage and more.
In her life-time, all the proceeds from her work were donated to charity, particularly relief work in the developing world (including the purchase of an aeroplane for medical relief work in Africa). In this case, 100% of the proceeds from sales will benefit Nature in Art Trust. Prices range from under £50 to £1000. We are most grateful to the family for making these works available to benefit the Trust.
Gloucestershire Society for Botanical Illustration
February 4th – 13th
The Gloucestershire Society for Botanical Illustration annual exhibition. Members include winners of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gold, Silver Gilt and Silver Medals.
Meet members every day. Some exhibits for sale.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
4th February – 6th April
Selected from 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories, the winners of the Natural History Museum’s prestigious competition in its 60th year are all on show in this stunning exhibition of 100 images revealing the natural world’s most astonishing and challenging sights.
Inspired by Nature
February 15th – 23rd
A colourful selling display by five local artists from Junction 12 Art Group. It includes art, landscapes, figurative and abstract paintings, plus fused glass.
Meet artists each day.
Disappearing Woodlands – Disappearing Skills
April 8th – 27th
A sumptuous display by members of the Goldwork Guild showcasing varied techniques of hand and goldwork embroidery. The show aims to revive these endangered art forms to portray the intricacies of woodland nature.
The exhibition will feature the historic, traditional and modern interpretations of two and three-dimensional hand embroidery whilst embracing the use of modern textiles and textures. These together with the use of meticulously reproduced historical materials and techniques that have now been in decline for decades or even hundreds of years, will showcase the art form in the round.
See members demonstrating April 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 26th and 27th.
Same Sea, Different Boat
April 12th – 27th
See the power of craft as a force for good, helping us share stories, relieve stress and connect with one another. An open-ended project, over 600 printed and stitched squares, joined into panels, have produced a large community quilt.