Yew Tree Gallery

FIONA OWEN’s paintings show a remarkable insight into the interwoven threads that make up the fabric of life.  Her relationship with plants in particular is heightened through recent studies in Intuitive Herbalism, under the guidance of herbalist Nathan Hughes.  She has always been a passionate gardener, knowing her plants intimately and painting them, with the finest of brushes, in her gilded illuminations.  Her herbal and Druidic Ovate studies led her, through growing, journeying and dreaming with plants in quiet meditation, to create a series of MATERIA METAPHYSICA Plant-Spirit-Medicine cabinets. The central globe on display in the centre of the gallery represents the full expression of Tela Mundi – Threads of the World – showing the interconnection of everything through time and space across the whole planet.

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TAMSIN ABBOTT has been creating painted stained glass panels from her Herefordshire home for almost 25 years. Her work is particularly inspired by the British countryside, folklore and fairytale as well as the interconnectedness of all things.

The alchemical nature of glass is the perfect medium for her illustrations that weave together the earthly with the spiritual, the everyday with the otherworldly. Hung in windows, these panels reflect the light and the mystery within her subjects. The whole process is labour-intensive and exacting. Tamsin uses pre-coloured mouth-blown sheet glass and cuts it to the desired shape before etching her design. Her work is held in several museums and collected worldwide.  She recently published her first book ‘Wild Folk’ in conjunction with the artist and writer Jackie Morris.

Another artist whose love and knowledge of animals and birds fuels her work is the ceramic sculptor ANNA NOEL.  From an early age she learnt respect and an intuitive connection with animals through their actual beings but also through stories and folklore.  Much of her inspiration comes from the formal simplicity of ancient sculpture as well as folk art within a variety of cultures.  Through her sensitive modelling of the clay. Anna conveys the special relationship mankind has always had with animals – despite their innate ‘otherness’.  Her subtle painting of the sculptures enhances their individuality and strong presence.  

Born in Denmark, KIRSTEN GLASBROOK trained as a tapestry weaver in Copenhagen.  She moved to London in 1964 where she worked on the restoration of ancient tapestries. In the1970s Kirsten taught part-time at Bath Academy of Art and for the past 30 years she has been fully employed in her own workshop weaving wall hangings and rugs to her own inimitable designs.  Working mainly with Nepalese hand-spun nettle yarn, she makes her own cold water dyes. All the colours seen in her tapestries come from her particular mixes of just yellow, blue and red.  Kirsten’s imagery relates strongly to our journey through life, (often symbolised by labyrinths) and to our place within nature and the cosmos, as frequently related in stories and myths.

She has won awards for her tapestries exhibited in the prestigious international travelling exhibitions ARTAPESTRY between 2008 – 2013.

DUIBHNE GOUGH creates her necklaces by ‘painting with beads’.  Whether semi-precious stones, sea-glass or freshwater pearls, the combinations and sequences of the beads she uses create a harmonious necklace. The silver beads she hand-forges with traditional silversmithing tools and hammers out patterns on the surface of some of her earrings whilst adding an embossed 18 ct gold decoration to others.  Duibhne learnt the art of jewellery making from her father Breon O’Casey and has proved herself a worthy successor to his skills!

And finally, in the gardens we have inlaid slate sculpture by HELEN NOCK – so do wander around and enjoy all the various aspects!