| Art & Craft Workshops at the Gallery
At our artist-led workshops, learn new skills or hone an existing one, try out different art materials and take time out with like-minded people. Classes consist of small groups, ensuring that everyone receives plenty of individual attention and guidance.
Schedule of workshops to July 2025
See our website for dates, full details and updates DAVID BANNISTER
(1) Creative Spacing in Painting
(2) Expressive Portraits
With David, you will explore the nuts and bolts of creating a sense of space and distance on the two-dimensional surface of a painting. In David's other class, students will be looking at how to construct a portrait that communicates something about the subject or sheds some light into their personality.
RACHEL DAVIES
(1) Summer Roses Embroidery
(2) Visible Mending 
Embroidery artist Rachel will be showing students how to get started with hand embroidery and further develop their skills. In a second fun and useful class, Rachel will take students step-by-step through a range of mending techniques - such as eyelets, patches and darning - to repair your favourite garments in a decorative and intentionally visible way.
 EMMA-JANE HOLMES
Sketching Indoors and Outdoors
The workshop covers some basic skills; students then work on gaining experience and building confidence to put sketching into practice, both indoors and out. JANE HUNTER
(1) Gel-Plate Printing
(2) Eco-Printing
(3) Logwood Dye & Eco-Printing Techniques
With printer and textile artist Jane, students will explore the wonderful opportunities of gel-plate printing. Jane will run two additional workshops, looking at how different eco-printing techniques are used to transfer colour from plant materials directly onto textiles.
 LINDSEY KENNEDY
Mosaic Workshop
Glass artist Lindsey will have a studio packed full of amazing materials for students to use to design and assemble, using glass-cutting and shaping tools, their own beautiful mosaic.  SUSAN LIGGETTEgg Tempera Painting
Delve into the rich history of this beautiful, delicate medium, and receive full guidance to produce an egg tempera painting on a pre-prepared gesso board.
 PETER MONAGHAN
Loosening the Line - Architectural ExteriorsExplore different loose painting techniques (with emphasis on spontaneity over precise detail and expression), from intuitive brushwork to experimental mixed media applications, each of which will generate new ideas. SUSAN MULCOCK
Waterfall Weekend - Felt-Making Workshop
Textile artist Susan will be teaching students how to use natural wool fibres to create a picture capturing the movement, colours and textures of a cascading waterfall. Students will learn new skills as they develop their creativity.  SARA PIPER HEAP
Quirky Birds – Clay Sculpture Workshop
Learn various methods of hand-forming clay - such as pinch, slab and coil - to create your own quirky bird sculpture. Your sculpture is then fired in Sara's kiln. The jaunty hat is your choice! TERESKA SHEPHERD
(1) Exploring Printing - Linocut and Monoprint
(2) Watercolour Painting
With Tereska as your guide, you will explore creative printing using monoprinting and linocutting techniques. In her second workshop, you will experiment with watercolour painting and try out the mixing of different mediums.  MARK WARNER
Acrylic Painting - 'Fields, Clouds and Skyline' Learn acrylic techniques to explore the play of light, colour layering and the perspective of clouds to create an atmospheric landscape and sky painting on board or canvas. | | A WAY OF SEEING WITH REG TURRELL
FISHING
 I was attracted to the challenge of depicting sea mist and the way it diffuses colours and shapes. I noticed that the fisherman's silhouette remained defined against the defused background - and I tried using charcoal, thinking that smudging would create the desired effect.
My skill in using charcoal was not up to it! I decided to try oil pastels instead, a medium I don't use very often. Using a blender created the halo effect around the sun. The blender didn't smudge the pastels enough, so I used a thinner for oils on a soft cloth, using downward strokes.
Attempting this made me appreciate the skill of paintings such as Whistler's Nocturne - Old Battersea Bridge that capture misty atmospheres. Although I enjoyed working in a medium unfamiliar to me, I realise that I need a lot more experience in using this medium - but it has already taught me something new. | | | New Year Open Exhibition Until 1 March 2025 Showcasing around 150 artworks to enjoy and purchase
Paintings, drawings and prints include a wide range of subject matters from landscapes, coastal views and urban scenes to portraits, animals and abstract. Also see ceramics, textiles, woodcraft and metal artworks.
 | | | BOB KNOWLES
Sculptor and environmental artist
Scrap metal birds Last year at the gallery we enjoyed Bob's exhibition of bird sculptures made from salvaged metal scraps and other discarded materials. Bob wanted to highlight the serious decline of many birds in the UK (in the light of both climate change and loss of habitat), as well as to explore the themes of environmental recycling and sustainability. Three repaired bowls - a metaphor for our time Bob is currently focusing on wood-turning, and these stitched bowls were fashioned in his studio in Oswestry using local natural materials sourced within five miles of the Willow Gallery. All the materials were collected and transported by bike.
For the stitching, Bob has used cordage made from bramble, day lily and nettle fibres. The cracking in the bowl to the left has been repaired with bramble, the bowl to the right with daylily, and the small oak with nettle. It will be seen that in each bowl the cord actually enhances the splits and cracks. | | Shopping at the Gallery In our shop, see plenty of art-inspired gifts, prints and cards. We also offer gift vouchers from £5 upwards, available in the gallery or to purchase online.  | | Upcoming at the Gallery Spring Open Exhibition 2025
Opening Saturday 8 March
Spring Craft Fair
Saturday 12 April | | | | Other Local Events & Information | |  Love & Rot A talk by Paul Evans
Wednesday, 19 February, 7.30-8.30pm
Oswestry Methodist Church Hall Paul Evans - nature writer for The Guardian Country Diary, poet, broadcaster, journalist, senior lecturer in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University - and, lucky for us, an Oswestry resident - talks about the life-giving value of decaying wood and storm-blown trees. He will speak about the dynamic forces at play, creativity springing from destruction. | | | | TOP ACCOLADE FOR COMMUNITY-CENTRED
OSWESTRY PUB
A Shropshire pub that was closed, boarded up and earmarked for residential use has been named as the best in the country.
The Bailey Head in Oswestry has won the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)'s top honour - Pub of the Year for 2025. The Grade II 18th-century building, full of beams, cosy corners and atmosphere, was named after the nearby remnants of Oswestry Castle.
Struggling under the ownership of major pub company Marston's, the pub was listed by CAMRA as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) to protect it from redevelopment. Then in 2016 it was bought by Duncan Borrowman and Grace Goodlad who poured their knowledge and passion into transforming the pub. Community and inclusion are now at the heart of this great real-ale hostelry, and it acts as a hub for locals to come together for good causes through events like their charity pub quizzes and live music.  Photo: GRAHAM MITCHELL Set in Oswestry's marketplace, The Bailey Head, at the risk a decade ago of being shut for good, has been named CAMRA's Pub of the Year | | | Art World Turner: In Light and Shade
Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
Until 2 November Marking the 250th anniversary of Turner's birth, this exhibition explores the work and techniques of this great landscape artist who was a master at depicting light.
 JMW Turner, Storm in the Pass of St Gotthard, Switzerland, 1845
© The Whitworth, The University of Manchester. | |  A vibrant, not-for-profit art space packed full of contemporary artworks from local and national artists. We host exhibitions, art classes, craft fairs and other community-focused events - bringing together creative individuals and art lovers from our local communities and beyond. CONTACT US Tel: 01691 657575
email: willowgalleryoswestry@gmail.com
Website: willowgalleryoswestry.org
Facebook: Willow
Address: 56 Willow Street, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 1AD Gallery/Café open Tues-Sat 10am-4pm (3.30pm café last orders)
Closed: Sundays/Mondays/Bank Holidays Editor: Hilary Moorcroft
January/February 2025 | | |
