Yorkshire Coast

Up Hill & Down Dale, John Harrison

Published on June 26, 2018July 30, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

PLEASE NOTE: In a change of plan John will now be at the Old School on Sunday 15th July rather than Saturday 9th.

Running between Saturday 30th June & Sunday 29th July the Old School is proud to showcase the wonderful line and watercolour drawings of Yorkshire artist John Harrison in our Hartlake Gallery.

John’s work is featured each month in the Dalesman Magazine and last year John took part in Sky TV’s Landscape Artist of the Year.

The exhibition features over 20 original paintings, many of which depict our very own Muker and the surrounding villages and countryside, will take us Up Hill & Down Dale, with a short detour to Yorkshire’s stunning coastal villages.

John will be at the Old School on on Sunday 15th July to talk about his work and inspiration, don’t miss it!

Yorkshire Coast & Sea, Tide Receding

Published on April 30, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

The tide is receding at the The Yorkshire Coast & Sea Exhibition as it enters its final two weeks, and we’ve put up new work to take us through to the end of the exhibition including: Whitby Snowstorm by Paul Berriff (above), Filey Beach by John Harrison, Staithes Harbour by John Wood, and Scarborough Spa and Whitby Pier by Richard and Janet Burdon.

Whitby Pier and Scarborough Promenade |Richard & Janet Burdon

Yorkshire Coast & Sea, Denise Burden

Published on April 6, 2018April 6, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

We’re really pleased to announce a late entry to our Yorkshire Coast & Sea exhibition, in the form of the hand-printed linocuts and collages of Denise Burden.

Denise originally hales from Bradford where she studied art before gaining a First Class (Hons) Degree from the Norwich School of Art. Luckily for us Denise now lives in the neighbouring dale of Wensleydale, taking inspiration from the stunning landscape around her.

Whether in colour, or simple black and white, Denise’s hand-printed linocuts are wonderful, timeless examples of this form of printmaking, to me reminiscent of the advertising posters of the 1920’s and 1930’s, the golden age of railway and airline travel.

As a local artist we plan to showcase Denise’s landscapes in our gallery. More on this soon …

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea, John Harrison

Published on March 27, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

Our final (final) post profiling artists in the Yorkshire Coast & Sea exhibition focusses on Drawn in Yorkshire’s John Harrison, whose style will be familiar to all those who visit our small (but perfectly formed) gallery in upper Swaledale and to the tens of thousands of readers of the Dalesman Magazine that John features in each month.

: Down the Hill into the Village | John Harrison

John’s line and wash style perfectly complements the houses and cottages that huddle together for protection in the villages dotting our stunning coastline, and a superbly judged balance of colour and simple line drawing (as exemplified by the featured image, Shadow on Church Street) allows the viewers imagination to fill in the gaps and complete the picture.

The Red Rooftops of Robin Hoods Bay | John Harrison

At the Old School Muker we’re very pleased to showcase John’s paintings in our main gallery and in the Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea exhibition, and extremely proud to be hosting a solo exhibition of John’s work in July 2018.

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea, Kate Lycett

Published on March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

The Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea exhibition starts on Saturday and today we profile our final two artists beginning with Hebdon Bridge’s Kate Lycett.

Kate’s limited edition prints, hand embellished with gold leaf and thread, literately shine out from our walls, sparkling in the changing light, and kate’s passion for textile design is embedded into each scene, bringing warmth, pattern and colour, to the Yorkshire coasts most iconic towns and villages. Fabulous!

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea – John Wood

Published on March 17, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

John Woods oil paintings have been a fixture at the Old School for many years, with another of his original works, Swaledale Valley, just having found its way across the Atlantic to a home in USA.

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea has provided a chance to showcase John’s coastal work with Whitby (featured image) and Runswick Bay (below) just two examples of his superbly executed oils, that provide yet another unique take on our wonderful coastline.

JW - Runswick Bay — Runswick Bay | John Wood

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea, Richard Walls

Published on March 16, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

For the Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea exhibition I’ve had three of my favourite Yorkshire Coast photographs printed on HD aluminium and framed: Saltwick Bay, Saltburn Pier and Broken Ladder, Spurn Point, each in a limited edition series of 20.

Saltwick Bay (featured image above) was taken ten minutes after a mini cliff collapse from which we narrowly escaped (with a mild pebble-dashing) after misjudging the tide. A couple watching from further up the beach told us they’d thought we’d had it, and as they chatted with Polly I wandered off and took the shot.

Saltburn Pier has a special place in the gallery. After a wonderful jumble of coincidences and connections it was the first picture we sold (to Kathy) on our first day of opening, perhaps a sign that fate might smile down upon us in our new venture.

Broken Ladder, Spurn Point | Richard Walls

Spurn Point is a place lodged in my earliest memories, my mother being a keen birdwatcher. At its tip is the pier for the Spurn lifeboat station and next to the pier a derelict wooden structure. In Broken Ladder, taken some years ago, a section of ladder hangs precariously, caught in a delicate balancing act, struggling to cross the void. How long it managed to defy the elements I don’t know, but it’s long since disappeared, lost to the wind and waves.

Yorkshire Coast & Sea, Paul Berriff

Published on March 9, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

Paul Berriff’s photographs of the Yorkshire Coast (featured image above Force 10) remind us of the power and unforgiving, biting, nature of the North Sea when its mood take a turn for the worse, and of the courage of those who choose to make their living from it.

Shot on film, in black & white, the natural grain adds to the atmosphere and drama of the images, capturing the scene in a way only film can, and though most photographers have long since switched to the convenience of digital, Paul continues to use the medium of film to great effect.

Paul’s powerful images provide a very different perspective and counterpoint to much of the other work in the exhibition; without its gritty realism the collection would have felt incomplete.

WEB flamboro lifeboat_1 — Flamborough Lifeboat 1971 | Paul Berriff

noreaster_seaham_harbour — Noreaster Seaham Harbour | Paul Berriff

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea, John Sibson

Published on March 8, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

Every so often, in our gallery, I find someone staring intently at a John Sibson watercolour; an eyes fixed full concentration do not disturb sort of stare. When I eventually break their focus they invariably explain that they’re working on a watercolour of their own, but are not sure how to do trees, or drystone walls, or some other technical aspect, and it’s John’s work they’ve turned to … And you can understand why; the delicacy of touch, translucency of colour, finely observed detail and technical mastery are palpable in his work.

For the Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea Exhibition, we’re delighted that John’s fixed his gaze on our wonderful East Coast and produced several original works, bringing yet another unique perspective and style to the exhibition, and with it perhaps more people staring intently, just checking how John as done the boat, or the sea, or …

evening light staithes muker — Even Light, Staithes | John Sibson

on filey beach muker — On Filey Beach | John Sibson

mooring post staithes muker — Mooring Post, Staithes | John Sibson

bempton cliffs muker — Bemton Cliffs | John Sibson

Up Hill & Down Dale, John Harrison

Published on March 5, 2018 by Richard1 Comment

Between 30th June & 29th July, The Old School is proud to present Up Hill & Down Dale (with a short detour to the coast), a solo exhibition by Drawn in Yorkshire’s John Harrison, as regularly featured in the Dalesman, Yorkshire’s favourite Magazine.

Rupert the Bear, the Eagle, Dandy & Beano, Superman, Batman … For Yorkshire born John Harrison, these, and many more, were early influences. In fact, the very first time John read a Rupert Bear story he just knew he wanted to draw (and be in) those wonderful scenes of an idyllic world. The pen and ink style of all this childhood reading influenced John to a greater extent than he first realised – after trying out most other media John came full circle and for the last few years has worked almost exclusively in a line and wash style. For John it feels the most natural thing in the world and that feeling shines through in his work.

On Saturday 7th July John will be at the Old School to talk about his work, influences and inspiration.

The exhibition will be upstairs in our new Hartlake Gallery exhibition space.

Yorkshire Coast & Sea, Giles Davies

Published on March 4, 2018March 7, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

We came across Giles’s collage work just a couple of weeks ago. What a find! … And included in his portfolio of mountains, hills and coastlines was this superb image of Whitby with its wonderful colours and reflections.

: Whitby, September Sun | Giles Davies

Though we’d already printed all the signs, posters and leaflets for Yorkshire Coast & Sea, we simply had to include it as it provides another unique and original perspective on our beautiful coastline.

… And we’re pleased say that a wider range of Giles’s work will feature in the gallery as we move into our second season (more to follow).

Richard & Polly

Yorkshire Coast & Sea, Jill Ray

Published on March 3, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

Jill’s stand was the first we encountered as we walked through the entrance to our very first Harrogate trade show as new gallery owners, almost 1 year ago today. What an introduction; I was gobsmacked! Jill’s work was just what was needed as we strived to bring different styles and a modern look to our gallery in Muker.

WIL120coast-winter — Walk on the Coast; Winter | Jill Ray

We weren’t the only ones to be gobsmacked! Over the past year Jill’s work has been wowing our customers, whose hardest choice is often which one to pick!

G155 Clearing Skies low res - Jill Ray — Clearing Skies, Robin Hood’s Bay | Jill Ray

Though Jill’s moorland scenes are the obvious choice for our land locked gallery in upper Swaledale, we’re really pleased that Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea allows us to extend our reach and showcase Jill’s stunning coastal work, including superb new work created for the exhibition.

Richard & Polly

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea – Piers Browne

Published on February 18, 2018February 18, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

For 2018 the Old School Galley now showcases the work of Piers Browne and we’re delighted that Piers’s work will also feature in our Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea Exhibition.

November Sunset at Sandsend, With Redshanks (featured image) is a wonderful example of Pier’s seascape oil paintings of the Yorkshire Coast, the ripples of the sand and receding tide, reflecting both the colours of the sky and a pair of redshanks hugging the shoreline, create a feeling of space and capture a snapshot in time. Wonderful! … and we can’t wait to hang it in our new Hartlake Gallery.

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea – Richard & Janet Burdon

Published on February 16, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

Richard & Janet Burdon are already well known to customers of the Old School for their monochrome images of the iconic Swaledale tups and ewes found on the fells surrounding our gallery, often caught in the midst of a snowstorm. What our visitors don’t know is that they’re equally at home discovering and capturing, serene, minimalist, compositions of Yorkshire’s coastline, not far from their home in Pickering, such as The Promenade (featured image).

Whitby Piers - Richard Burdon — Whitby Harbour | RJB Photography

Spurn Lighthouse - Richard Burdon — Spurn Point Lighthouse | RJB Photography

It is these images that will feature in out Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea Exhibition, offering a reflective, almost zen-like perspective on our wonderful coastline.

I feel more calm and relaxed just looking and writing about them!

In October Richard & Janet will return to the Old School for our last exhibition of 2018, to showcase both their colour and monochrome work from the Northern latitudes. More on this to follow.

Yorkshire Coast & Sea – Sue Nichol

Published on February 12, 2018February 11, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

The first time I met Sue, collecting paintings for the Old School Gallery from her studio, I fell hook, line and sinker for a painting hung high on her wall; The Great Wave (feature image above), inspired by Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, but absolutely a Sue Nichol, full of energy, power and life.

Painted in the moment, in my minds eye I could visualise the paint splashing around from Sue’s brush, mimicking the sea spray as the wave breaks. As I left, I knew I had to devise a cunning plan to somehow bring the Great Wave to landlocked upper Swaledale, and hence on that day the idea for an exhibition was born. Imagine my great delight when Sue emailed this week to say The Great Wave would be part of our Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea Exhibition.

Sue’s great inspiration is “the edges of land”, especially our North East Coast where she was born and visits whenever she can. Her passion and feeling for the coast, and sheer joy of painting, shines through in her art, and it’s an ongoing pleasure to showcase Sue’s work at the Old School.

Richard & Polly

Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea – Clare Caulfield

Published on February 8, 2018February 7, 2018 by RichardLeave a comment

Artist and printmaker Clare Caulfield has travelled to, and been inspired by, many of the world’s greatest cities: Paris, Venice, New York, Rome, Prague, Istanbul & Sydney, to name just a few, but for the first time, as part of the Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea Exhibition, Clare’s work will be showcased in perhaps the prettiest of them all, Muker in Upper Swaledale.

Clare’s line drawings and drypoint prints, combining elements of chine-collie to add subtle colour, perfectly capture the hustle and bustle of Yorkshire’s coastal towns and villages: house stacked upon house; bright red tiled roofs; fishing boats drawn up on shore , folk milling about on the narrow streets whilst seagulls wheel above their heads; a snapshot in time captured in Clare’s unique, spontaneous, style.

When we saw Clare’s work we instantly fell in love. We’ve no doubt you will too.

Richard & Polly

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Yorkshire’s Coast & Sea

Published on February 6, 2018March 31, 2018 by Richard10 Comments

From Saturday 31st March to Sunday 13th May, the Old School Muker brings Yorkshire’s stunning East Coast to landlocked Upper Swaledale, featuring a wonderful array of Yorkshire artists and photographers.

The exhibition will be the first to be held in our new Hartlake Gallery and to celebrate its opening, our first exhibition, and our newly landscaped walled garden, there will be an open evening on Saturday 7th April from 5:30pm – 8pm, with wine, music and a chance to meet some of the artists.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be profiling each of the artists involved and providing a sea drenched taste of their work. Stay tuned!

Richard & Polly