June | 2016 | Bronwen Bradshaw

Preview Taster

Tomorrow is the first day, and also the preview (6 – 8 pm), of the Dove Etchers and Book Artists End of Year Show, so here is a taster of the exhibition, and also a picture of the garden where we will have the bbq, weather permitting, from 8 pm. Actually it’s a photo of my gorgeous 40 year old Buff Beauty rose, which is taking to the trees and which is possibly my most treasured possession. Most treasured plant, anyway.

Buff Beauty in full bloom

And here is a reminder, in case you need it, of opening hours and dates of the exhibition. Hope to see you here, either Friday night, or during the daytime opening hours. There’s fascinating work to see, to read, and maybe to buy, from over 30 artists.

PS If you are staying for the barbecue, a food and drink contribution will be most welcome.

There’s an ‘Artwork of the Month’ on display each month at the RWA, and for June it was my turn to choose and write about a work from the Permanent Collection. Here it is: Fallen Angels, by Sonia Lawson. Go and have a look if you are in Bristol – it’s a great painting.

RWA: Behind the scenes

This month’s work from our permanent collection has been chosen by Bronwen Bradshaw RWA:

Lawson, Sonia, b.1934; Fallen Angels Sonia Lawson, Fallen Angels, oil on canvas, 152 x 121cm

I have so many questions about this painting. What is happening here? Who are these two monumental figures? The tension between them is immense, the colours urgent and full of danger. There appears to be no subtlety in the geometrical construction of the painting: it’s slap bang in your face. Could those be the twin towers in the background? No, of course not, this is 1987. But now I’m involved; this could be a part of my own history. There’s light and dark, and a redemptive quality here, and somehow I’m left with the feeling that Fallen Angels includes me too.

This is the genius of Sonia Lawson’s work: it operates on an epic scale, and though she insists that she is not a ‘storyteller’, the…

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