A Series of paintings by ROBERTA YOUNG

7th June - 3rd September 2024

Private View: Friday 7th June, 6pm - 8pm

It is with great pleasure that we present "MESSAGES," Roberta Young's solo show with the Pallet Bar.

Roberta Young studied Fine Art at Camberwell School of Art and then at Goldsmiths 1990-93. She has exhibited regularly in Brighton, Devizes and at the Affordable Art Fairs in London. This is her first solo show with Fox Yard Studios this June.

Roberta’s paintings explore life experiences, whether it is being immersed in nature or in commonplace daily family matters. She searches for beauty and meaningfulness in the mundane, the little things that remind us to listen in, to the moments that hold a deeper truth, the messages that remind us of our spiritual selves. She explores our connection with nature, whether it is a pet dog, hamster or the discovery of a ladybird, and what it reflects about ourselves and our existence.

Her series “We All Need a Hug” came about during the lockdowns when we were cut off from our usual social connections. She was drawn to looking at family photos and memories that all expressed the importance of connecting with others for our well-being.

“ A few years ago, I dreamt of a blue bird dying in my hand, and there was nothing I could do to save it. A week later to the dream, my son and I were having lunch in the garden and a young blue tit landed on my sons’ head. It must have been hand reared as it demanded food from my son. After enjoying the birds’ visit to us, we went indoors to find our elderly dog dying. I’ve always felt despite my grief, this was a precious experience. It felt like it was our dogs’ way of saying goodbye. Birds have been seen through the ages as messengers of the gods, and maybe this was one.”

Working from sketches, memory and iPhone photos, Roberta’s fluid line conveys a vitality of the moment witnessed. She combines luminous washes and solid blocks of colour with representational drawing. Light is a strong feature in her paintings, whereby the shadows resonate with a life of their own, and backlit figures lose their individualisation for the impression they leave against intense brightness.

@robertayoungart

@catscreep_aoh

Location:

Pallet Bar

4 Old Fox Yard

Stowmarket IP14 1AB