Just like the start of every month, there's a new exhibition at Gallery on Track.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Jo Howard's 'The Grotto Makers 2024' exhibition is on show from July 7-28 and at the official opening on Sunday, the artist explained what the artworks were about.
"I love to work with symbols and the angel figure that's in a lot of my work is like a motif for our inner self," Howard said.
"It's about being introspective and thinking about being in a dream space.
"A lot of angels are in portals or grottos or an enclosed space.
"Sometimes the angel is myself and sometimes they're dreamings of myself."
Her artworks have always been intuitively connected to symbols, history, mythology and imaginings and the works in this particular show specifically relate to a place for dreaming and the need to be surrounded or enclosed in a sanctuary.
First conceived by obsessively drawing the winged figure reposed in a grotto (progression from former body of work, angel architecture), the oil paintings and hand-built ceramics combine to create an otherworldly atmosphere, a liminal space for dreaming.
Howard said the technique she used in her works was an ancient one called grisailles.
"You start with monochrome, so painting it black and white, and you build up the whole image just in two colours," she said.
"Then you paint layers of coloured glaze over the top which takes six or seven months for the layers to dry."
Gallery on Track is open from 10am to 4pm on Wednesdays to Sundays.