Robert Dutton Artist

'All Creations Great and Small' exhibition
17 April - 4 May '15 at Danby, North Yorkshire,
from an artists perspective

With our major creative art exhibition 'All Creations great and Small' at 'Inspired by...Gallery' at the prestigious North York Moors Visitors centre, Danby from 17 April until 4 May '15 just around the corner, Helen Patterson shares with you a personal viewpoint about the exhibition and what inspires her to paint in the North York Moors

Helen Patterson

Earlier this year I was invited to join a group of artists, Robert Dutton, Jo Garlick and Steff Ottevanger, for an art exhibition 'All Creations Great and Small' at 'Inspired by… Gallery' at The Moors National Park Centre, Danby and a date was set for 17th April to 4th May 2015.

This is an exciting opportunity for us all. The gallery is a beautiful big space with a light and airy shop and craft area for all to enjoy.

Whitby and the North Yorkshire Moors have been a favourite destination since I was a child. Now we take our daughter and she loves it too. I am reminded of something she said when she small Driving over the moors towards Sleights one late summer evening in a dense fog, a little voice piped up from the back of the car asking ‘Where have all the colours gone?’ The mist was low, the sky was dark and I think she was thinking ‘this ain’t no summer holiday!’ I was disappointed too: the purple heather and rolling hills were not visible at all, let alone the sunshine.

We had to meander to avoid a wandering sheep and I told her that we’d hopefully see the sea soon. Dropping down off the moors in to Sleights, summer began to emerge again and as we drove on towards the coast we had our first glimpse of blue sea!

The following day a stunning contrast was revealed when bright sunshine returned to the moors. We visited the nature reserve at Fen Bog where the only interruption in an azure-blue sky was the plume of white smoke rising from a passing steam train.

A Whinchat perched on top of a fence post and took flight as the train rumbled past and rolled down in to the valley. All around, a multitude of greens was punctuated by the yellow of gorse or the orange of a Small Skipper.

I think it’s these family memories and the exciting, ever-changing landscape that continues to inspire me to paint this area. My background in Printed Textiles at Leeds College of Art has given me a fascination with vibrant colour, abstract shapes and texture.

During my course I was forever trying to capture different landscapes, seascapes and rocks with a myriad of marks and lines. I am captivated by the beauty of a native bird or butterfly and enjoy including these in my work.

Whatever it is about the pull to this beautiful area, we all feel it in different ways. I love the fact that we all concentrate on different aspects of it, we all work in different ways and yet it is the same subject that attracts us over and over again.

Like my fellow artists in the show, we are delighted to present to you our passion for nature and The North York Moors in this major exhibition of our work.

Here are just a few of the pieces I'm delighted to exhibit and share with you for all to enjoy.

See you soon!

Helen