Set against the backdrop of Milford Haven Marina, a new art gallery, packed full of Welsh art, is gearing up for its big opening gallery show.
Pure Art in Vanguard House, Nelson Quay, is run by Leslie Crascall, who is a self-confessed art fanatic.
Having worked for the agent of Kyffin Williams, who he describes as “arguably the greatest Welsh artist of the 20th Century,” it is no surprise Mr Crascall has a good understanding of Welsh art, as well as a strong affinity with it.
“I wanted to open a gallery for the discerning collector, full of quality Welsh art. Perhaps it’s not 100% Welsh but I’d say a good 95% of them are,” he said.
After holidaying in Pembrokeshire for many years, Mr Crascall and his wife finally decided to take the plunge and move to the area last year, having lived in Cardiff for 25 years.
“We used to come to Pembrokeshire on holiday and loved it here. We initially thought of retiring here, but we thought that would be too late.
“We didn’t want to regret not doing it when we had the chance. We’ve just bought a house in Tenby. My wife and I think its fab here,” he said.
Pure Art officially opens on February 27th, and its first show brings together a dazzling list of top Welsh artists, many of whom have not previously exhibited in west Wales.
The exhibition includes work by late greats Sir Kyffin Williams and Donald McIntyre, alongside paintings by some of Wales’ finest living artists, among them Mike Jones, Gareth Thomas, Gwyn Roberts and Ceri Auckland Davies.
Also featured in the show is Eloise Govier, one of Wales’ hottest young artists, who, at the age of 27, is already enjoying international recognition.
Eloise grew up in west Wales and still has her studio at her parent’s home in Cenarth. Much of her work depicts the west Wales landscape in gloriously bright colours.
Starting with a fluorescent canvas, Eloise uses thick strokes of the brightest oil paints to create her richly textured paintings.
Her aim is not to depict Wales as the eyes see it, but as she experiences it emotionally.
“I hope I manage to communicate the way I feel about the landscape. I don’t want people to be depressed when they look at the work,” she said. “I hope it gets their imagination going and that they see things in ways they haven’t seen them before.”
Pure Art is at 6 Vanguard House, Nelson Quay, Milford Marina, and the official opening begins at 10am. The show runs until March 12th.
For more information on the gallery, visit www.
artpure.co.uk.
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