Dear Blogger
Message from Willow Gallery, Oswestry
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STITCH BY STITCH
Contemporary Fine Art Textiles
curated by Alison Holt and Suzette Smart
Until Saturday 30 August
We've been welcoming art lovers from over the country and beyond to this extraordinary spectrum of woven, stitched, dyed, appliquéd, collaged and  felted artworks. Visitors also have the opportunity to meet and engage directly with some of the artists behind the 120 works on display (see dates below). And it is pleasing to report a steady stream of sales - with buyers from as far away as America.
SUZETTE SMART
The Fox Took The Low Road
Machine- and hand-stitched collage
Exhibition catalogues available to order online
and at the gallery
Meet the Artist sessions continue through August | | 
Sat 2 August
11am-3pm
Eileen Harrison
Heather Hancock
Sheila Haldane
Susan Mulcock | | 
Sat 9 August
11am-3pm
John Peacock
Jan Beaney
Jean Littlejohn | |
Sat 16 August
11am-3pm
Sue Spencer
Jenny O'Leary
Kirsty Farrar
12-3pm
Ali Pickard | | 
Sat 23 August
Anne Kelly
Annie Brown
Diana Browne | | 
Sat 30 August
10am-Noon
Caroline Dixon
Eleanor Burkett
Esther Montero
Jo Hill | |  Sat 30 August
12.30-2.30pm
Morgaine Cron
Vinny Stapley
Grace Gatley
Ali-Lou Field
Darren Ball
Sylvie Millen
| |  Sat 30 August
Mindful Stitching from 2pm
An informal group activity with Ellie Burkett, Catherine Fox, Grace Gatley, Judith Harrison, Hilary Marshall, Caroline Nixon and Jane Smith
You're welcome to join the artists with your own stitch projects
| | | A WAY OF SEEING WITH REG TURRELL
SUN SHADOW Because of the intense sunlight this year, I have been aware of shadows cast by vegetation. In this painting I used watercolour, gesso and pastels - but was disappointed because they didn't capture the image I wanted. Usually, I would abandon a painting at this stage. Instead, I placed layers of tissue paper on top to heighten the contrast between the sunflower and its shadow.
The shadows interested me because they didn't directly correspond with the leaves and flower. The shadow shapes were distorted because of the high angle of the sun. | | | | THANK YOU ? DIOLCH YN FAWR Many thanks to all those who supported our Summer Craft Fair in June - a real celebration of community spirit and craftsmanship. Lots of locally-produced crafts included leather goods, jewellery, glasswork, textiles and wood turning. Also on sale were books by local authors. We hope our exhibitors were pleased with their sales - and that we will see you again soon. | | | | Upcoming Exhibitions Autumn Exhibition
Saturday 6 September–Saturday 25 October
Collections by Georgina Shepherd & Julie Price (Painting)
Sylvia Stead (Textile art)
Mark Warner (Painting)
Marches Independent Photography Group
Borderland Visual Arts and Cheshire Artists' Network
Saturday 1 November–Wednesday 24 December
Showcasing a diverse array of contemporary works | | Workshops Our artist-led workshops allow you to develop your creative practice or just enjoy a creative day out. Classes consist of small groups, ensuring that everyone receives plenty of individual attention and guidance.
We'll shortly have a full schedule of new classes for the autumn. For updates, please keep an eye on our website. | | | Other local events & information | |  The (free-entry) exhibition is a contribution to the National Railway 200 commemorations
https://railway200.co.uk/search-for-activities-and-events/
Supported by 'Love Oswestry' and hosted by Cambrian Heritage Railways, this is an opportunity to see some evocative railway-themed drawings and paintings by local artist Pat Courtney.
At the end of the month, the railway again be hosting the Ellesmere Model Railway Club exhibition in the Station Building . https://cambrianrailways.com/events/ Click here for Cambrian Heritage Railways' Summer Services timetable and here for tickets | | | Repair Café Oswestry & Borders Bin it? No way! There will be no event in August. The next one will be 13 September at Oswestry Memorial Hall (12-3pm).
TO BOOK YOUR FREE REPAIR email: osbordersrepaircafe@gmail.com
The Midweek Mend drop-in sessions at the Climate Action Hub, 36 Bailey Street, Oswestry will also be taking a break during August. They will restart in September (Wednesdays 11am-2pm).
| | | Art World
Bayeux Tapestry to return to UK for first time in almost 1000 years The agreement between France and Britain for the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry was finalised and signed at the British Museum in a special ceremony on 9 July attended by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron of France.
The tapestry will go on show in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery of the British Museum between September 2026 and July 2027. In return, artefacts from the Anglo-Saxon burial mound at Sutton Hoo and the Lewis chessmen, some of the British Museum's most important objects, will be loaned to institutions in Rouen and Caen.
 The Bayeux Tapestry is a magnificently embroidered cloth (not a tapestry) nearly 70m long and 50cm tall, depicting events surrounding the conquest of England by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hasting in 1066. It is thought to date from the 11th century, within a few years of the battle. Now widely accepted to have been made in England, the tapestry tells the story from the point of view of the conquering Normans, and for centuries has been preserved in Normandy. Through 58 scenes, 626 characters and 202 horses, the tapestry provides information about civil and military architecture, armour and seafaring in the Viking tradition, as well as details of everyday life. The dazzling hoard of gold, bronze and jewelled items unearthed in 1939 within an enormous burial ship at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk has shed some valuable insights into the lives, customs and achievements of the Anglo-Saxon people . The 7th-century wooden ship contained all the wealth and panoply of an Anglo-Saxon leader, with objects in precious metals, textiles and wood garnered from all over the known world, from Scandinavia to Byzantium. Among the ship's most famous items is the intricately-decorated iron helmet. The ship burial ritual of high-status Anglo-Saxons and Vikings was believed to carry the deceased on their final journey to the afterlife.
The 12th-century chess pieces, handcrafted from walrus tusks and whale teeth, were found in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides. They are, nonetheless, of Scandinavian ancestry (most likely Norwegian or Icelandic) and reflect the strong Norse cultural presence in medieval Scotland and widespread popularity of chess across Northern Europe. The characterful expressions of the pieces are instantly appealing, from the queens' worried manner to the wild-eyed rooks with teeth sunk into their shields! Eighty-two components are housed at the British Museum, while eleven are kept at the National Museum of Scotland.
The loans will form part of a bilateral season of culture in 2027. Macron praised the partnership, saying: 'There is no trade war or tariff against this type of culture-based approach… there are no borders by definition.' The UK leader added: 'These treasures contain stories of war and peace, of power and politics, alliances and enemies that we still know all too well in our modern world.' | |  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
August 2025 | | | | | |
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