An exhibition of paintings and drawings by Angela Spencer “There is a grace and presence in Nature which longs to soothe the human heart and return it to its original innocence and naturalness - to imbue the often troubled mind with the vastness of the open skies, to remind the heavy heart of the calm of a still lake, and to allow the tired body to soften like a warm field under the sun. It is my belief that the spirits of Nature long to interact with humanity and, as Wordsworth said in The Prelude, to bring to ‘The fretful dwellings of mankind....the calm that Nature breathes among the hills and groves’ As a thank you to Nature itself, I donate 10% of all my sales of originals to charities that help to support the environment “ Angela Spencer, July 2020. This new collection includes oil studies and larger canvasses of the River Frome in Stroud completed during lockdown, and a series of 15 paintings based on 30 sea studies from my 2018 residency at Cill Rialaig Arts Centre, Co. Kerry. I begin all of my paintings with contemplative plein air sketches, either in oils or drawing materials. In this way I am able to feel the full presence of the place I am studying and then remember it when I return to my studio to work on the finished canvas. I will often also have recourse to a specific piece of music during the final work to act as an ‘aide memoir’ of the atmosphere. The paintings in this exhibition have been ‘assisted’ by Sibelius, Delius, Ina Boyle , Beethoven, Arvo Part and Mozart as well as local composers Jonathan Trim and Andrew Heath. Born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1959, I graduated with a BA in Fine Art in 2004 and have exhibited at Hadfield Fine Art, the Little Buckland Gallery and at Syde Manor Tithe Barn. I am a classical violinist and am currently the leader of the Stroud Symphony Orchestra. I also play with the Capriol Chamber Orchestra. I have a studio in Stroud. For more information see www.angiespencer.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/AngieSpencerPaintings https://www.instagram.com/angiespencerpaintings/ Opening times Wednesday 23 September 1pm - 5pm Every day Thursday 24 - Monday 28 September 10am - 5pm Social distancing in place with a one-way viewing system Private and family viewing by appointment: email:aspencerpaintings@gmail.com