Expose yourself to art

1:45pm Monday 1st September 2008

Obsidian Art SADDLE up for a special exhibition of equine art, currently on show at a gallery in Stoke Mandeville.

Now in its seventh year, the annual exhibition at Obsidian Art features more than 40 artists, including several from the Chilterns area, such as Jackie Henderson and David Wells.

There are also a number of well-known artists taking part, including Sally Martin, Roy Miller and Lydia Kiernan.

This year, Horse In Art includes more than 200 stunning paintings, prints and sculptures in a variety of styles and media, from traditional oils on canvas, to charcoals and inks.

Among the huge variety of exhibits on offer is Barbara Franc's life-size sculpture made from wire and recycled biscuit tin of a zebra foal.

There are also many paintings which depict just horses, as well as a wide range of equestrian sports from side-saddle dressage to jousting knights, horse racing and traditional hunting.

Proceeds from the exhibition will go towards supporting The Horse Trust.

The Horse In Art exhibition runs at Obsidian Art, The Bucks Goat Centre, Old Risborough Road, Stoke Mandeville, until Sunday, September 14. Details: 01296 612150, www.obsidianart.co.uk

Norden Farm

FORMER gymnast Rebekah Narewski has translated her sports experience into ceramic art for a new exhibition which opens this weekend at Norden Farm.

Inside Out features a series of works showing surreal elongations of the human figure. Bodies have been extended, contorted and abstracted to show how the artist herself felt when she performed certain movements.

Rebekah also explains that the colours used in the figures represent the emotional state of the body in that moment. Vibrant colours and stripes represent the figure's emotion, thereby literally showing the feelings of the gymnast.

Rebekah was a competitive gymnast from the ages of seven to 15. Art has always been an additional interest and she graduated five years ago from the University of Westminster.

Inside Out is on show from Saturday, August 30 to Sunday, September 14 at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead. Gallery open Tuesdays to Fridays, 2pm to 10pm; Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 10pm. Details: www.nordenfarm.org

Figura Gallery

ALL shapes and sizes are explored in Figura Gallery's latest exhibition, Bodies, which is on now until October.

Among the artists featured is Elaine Shaw, who uses gold and silver leaf to create strong, contemporary figures, as well as Anthony Barrowman, winner of the 2007 Daler Rowney Best British Painting award.

There are also a number of figurative works portraying dancers by Amy Goodman, who featured in Figura Gallery's annual Cavalcade exhibition.

The Windsor-based gallery also exclusively shows the work of prolific figurative sculptor Michael Rizzello.

Working mostly in bronze, Michael has in recent years created many sculptures of monarchs and heads of state. His sculpture of ballerina Darcey Bussell is just one of his pieces on display at the exhibition.

Bodies runs at Figura Gallery, Windsor, until Sunday, October 12. Details: 01753 498534 or e-mail info@bellafigura.co.uk