John and Fiona Owen exhibition.

If you are in the Gloucestershire area might I suggest a visit to this most extraordinary exhibition of paintings by John and Fiona Owen. I have written before on this blog about my admiration for these artists in particular the work of Fiona Owen who paints in miniature on gilded wooden panels. She paints in oils with teeny tiny watercolour brushes and produces the most wonderful work. You can see their work in more detail here- on their website and learn about their inspirations, however nothing compares with seeing the paintings up close. I know many of you live oversees so I have put together a little selection of images to give you an idea of the exhibition.
Details of the dates and opening times are to be found on their website.

The artists live in a converted chapel high up a green and wooded hillside overlooking the village of Chalford. You climb the steep stone steps and enter through the chapel gate, past pots of plants, through the ancient doorway and up the stairs to the studio.



Prepare to be dazzled, the walls are painted and gilded with images of friends and family worthy of Benozzo Gozzoli.

There are works of art on globes,



On walls,



You might see the artists at work, here is Fiona working on a gilded panel. Firstly she prepares the wood with gesso. She then transfers the design and prepares the areas to be gilded. The gilding has to be done before the painting begins, as the gold would stick to the paint. Finally she is ready to paint in the details using oil paint applied with very fine watercolour brushes.



And after the studio visit you are free to wander through the garden and to admire the spectacular views. The garden has many “rooms” each has its own character which are a delight to discover as you climb up the hillside.





But don’t take my word for it, go and see it for yourself!

The Old Chapel exhibition

John and Fiona Owen are hosting their annual exhibition at the moment in Chalford, England. It is a visual journey of their year recording their walks and travels and is being housed in their Old Chapel home and studio. If you are an art lover and gardener you may like to visit their studio and beautiful garden complete with gothic tower, pond house and box hedged potager. (I am trying not to be jealous as I write this!) Sadly Chalford is quite a distance from here so I shall have to admire the work from their new website. The work featured here is by Fiona.

“Fiona paints in oil on panel and gilds her work with 24ct. English gold leaf in the tradition of the Mediaeval manuscripts. Inspiration for her extraordinarily intricate, lyrical paintings is drawn from her native landscape - the flora and fauna and the changing seasons, and her Celtic inheritance.”

Fiona’s husband John is also a painter whos work is infused with light and atmosphere. ”The great challenge is to create a sense of light, space and volume from paint, transforming an ordinary, everyday image into an extraordinary moment of vision. John paints in both oils and watercolours, making detailed sketches from life, wherever his travels take him, then working up his paintings in the studio.”

The exhibition is on until the 21st June 10-5pm daily.

Fiona Owen Showcase

In these days of uncertainty and gloom, isn’t it nice to know that there are artists in the world who are creating work of such beauty and expertise that could rival any of the past masters who created the illuminated manuscripts of bygone years? One such artist is Fiona Owen who paints the most exquisite works of art using oil paint on panel and then gilding her work with 24 carat gold in the tradition of the mediaeval manuscripts.

I first became aware of this artist when I received the most beautiful Christmas card, published by The Medici Society, many years ago. It was one of those cards “too lovely to throw away”; I still have it, together with other cards produced over subsequent years and also a baby record book, which Fiona illustrated.

It was my good fortune, in the late eighties, to be invited to provide illustrations for “Little Grey Rabbit’s Country Book”, I learnt later that the publisher wanted Fiona to do the work but she was unable to undertake the task due to family commitments. In those days The Medici Society had an art gallery next door to Collins the publisher and the art director I worked with had first come across Fiona’s work through the gallery. I was very flattered to be given the commission and felt that I had a great deal to live up to knowing the quality of work required.

I have never forgotten Fiona’s work and was delighted to find that she has a website which shows many examples of the new work she is now producing. She has very kindly allowed me to show her artwork here, I know that you will enjoy visiting her site and learning more about her work and her most amazing home and garden.