Peterborough City Art Gallery. Two Exhibitions. "Lines in the Landscape" and "Decorative Shadows".

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the private views of two separate exhibitions at Peterborough City Art Gallery .

Like a lot of us artists I enjoy a good preview. Catching up with old friends and partaking of some free wine and nibbles is only part of it.

Viewing other artists work is essential if you want to keep on developing, and giving support to fellow artists is what makes the world go round.

These two exhibitions were very different, Nisha Keshav photography exhibition "Lines in a Landscape", and Jeni Cairns metal work , but so much more, "Decorative Shadows."

First Jeni Cairns: "Decorative Shadows"

 Jeni Cairns, a bit of a polymath with a wide range of skills, just one being garden design where she won a gold medal at RHS Hampton Court last year.

 

Jeni Cairns "Temple Arch"
Steel Powder Coated

This exhibition concentrated on her metal work, metal cut out in industrial style but like lace, strong yet delicate at the same time. 
Huge oil drum lids adorned the gallery walls casting intricate shadows but my favourite was this beautiful arch, which incidentally would look at home in my garden .

A smiling Jeni Cairns under
"Temple Arch"

I also liked very much a swathe  of rusting metal, proud and strong on the white gallery wall. ( Would it fit into my suburban home?)

Jeni Cairns "Earth and Sky"
Galvanised metal and rust.

Then Nisha Keshav: "Lines in the Landscape"

Nisha was winner of Peterborough's Open Arts competition last year. (We painters were a bit put out that a photographer won, not a painter, but that's by the by) 

A camera shy Nisha Keshav
with her digital photograph
"Green Leaves and Silver Lines"

Her photographs of the Fens are stunning and evocative, reproduced on a large scale they smack you between the eyes.

My favourite was "Green and Black Gold" the Fens as I know them.

If I have a criticism to make, and it's not about the well presented exhibition , it's that Nisha was difficult to find on-line, but if you click on her name above you'll get to her current website.

Two very different exhibitions , but both very enjoyable. Do visit. Jeni's is in til June 7th 2015, Nisha's 8th July 2015.