Backwell art show opens at parish hall - one more day
By Carol_Deacon | Friday, August 13, 2010, 17:02
Paintings by former professional cricketer Roy Swetman went on sale at a show at Backwell today, Friday, August 13.
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Roy Swetman who used his many travels as a professional cricketer as inspiration for his paintings including one of Table Mountain in South Africa which sold early in the show
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Penny Plas took her paints on holiday to Devon and captured on canvas the holiday home she stayed in on the edge of Dartmoor early this summer
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Anita Ferguson sold her flne art picture of flowers in full bloom within minutes of the exhibition opening
The 76-year-old former Surrey and England wicketkeeper sold one of his pictures of an Arab on a desert camel - humorously called Services At Last – soon after the annual St Andrew’s Art Group show opened.
There are nearly 200 full size and miniature framed watercolours and oils on display at Backwell parish hall this weekend.
The work features lots of rural landscapes and well-known beauty spots, an armada of ships and seascapes and a beautiful bunch of floral art with sunflowers, fuchsias, poppies and pansies.
Animal portraits include an alert white terrier in John Brown’s Waiting and Jill Hobday’s staring Meerkat masterpiece I Can See You.
Gail Clarke catches the eye with her comical in-your-face pink cow and visitors should look closely at the six shivering seagulls Freezing At Backwell Lake as one is wearing a bright red scarf!
Prices ranged from as little as £10 to £250 for a magnificent sepia view of a watery Venice by Patrick Collins.
Group secretary Penny Plas has a record 30 on sale including a Van Gogh-style picture called Sunflowers and another of her holiday home this summer.
She said: “It will be a miracle if they all sell.”
Artist Anita Ferguson sold her In Full Bloom painting for £35 within minutes of the doors opening.
She said: “I didn’t charge very much, my friends said I should have charged more.”
Admission costs £1 with 50p for a catalogue.
The exhibition and sale which this year will benefit the Child Brain Injury Trust at Frenchay hospital is open until 8pm tonight and from 10am-4.30pm on Saturday.
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St Andrew’s Art Group sale and exhibition ended in success on Sunday afternoon knowing it has reached its fundraising goal.
Secretary Penny Plas said: “This year's exhibition has raised more than £800 for Frenchay Hospital with an added £322 from our open evening in June.
“This means the school for brain-injured children can buy the item that tops their teaching aids ‘wishlist’, a one-touch screen computer, with money to spare.
“Many of their pupils have limited speech and this computer will enable them to communicate again, giving them confidence and speeding their recovery.
Head teacher Will Gosling said he was thrilled at the news.
Almost £19,000 has been raised in the past 17 years for to a multitude of charities from the village and beyond, added Penny.
In 2009 Backwell Environment Trust and the Parkinson’s Disease Society shared £830 and the previous year Bristol Oncology Centre (£660) and BRACE which finances research into dementia (£500) were the beneficiaries.
Hundreds of pounds have been given for medical research and restoration projects, counselling services and charities which help the developing world.
The Children’s Hospice South West and Hope & Homes for Children were previously given donations as well as Backwell Recreation Association and Backwell Playing Fields for youth work.
By Carol_Deacon at 15:44 on 16/08/10
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