From 10 August `Six in Conversation` (SIC) a group of six women artists living and working in Pembrokeshire are coming together at the Waterfront Gallery in Milford Haven to show their “SMALL WORKS”. They are well known as individual artists Ro Croxford, Janie Harrison, Sian Jones, Ruth Sargeant, Pippa Sibert and Cathryn Gwynn.

Why “Small Works”? Ruth Sargeant explains, “I feel there’s something more intimate about a work that encourages you to get up close, peering or cradling in the hand, offering a more human scale rather than the impersonal grand narrative. Setting an upper limit of eight inches square all six accepted the challenge, interested to see how a collection of small works in a large space would play out.”

She continued, “For artists that find gesture and space more comfortable, working on a small surface presents a new challenge. At the heart of this exhibition, it is their continuing commitment to an alternative, unique and personal interpretation of the locality – what is seen, unseen and experienced. “

Ro’s love of the coastline is central to her work. Traces, imprints, the remnants of a weathered surface, discarded fragments, or a tiny detail found on the shoreline are translated in the studio to intuitive connections and memories to share.

A passion for colour and mark making but without preconceptions, Janie’s images develop directly to canvas by layering paint and reworking the surface. Removing and replacing pigments, scratching out, putting back marks and shapes she arrives at a complex image.

Sian explores the feeling in the landscape which leads to a sense of attachment and belonging. Stark contrasts between Winter trees and skies, dark shadows of the sun, forms and colours of her garden, ebb and flow of the estuary all motivate her to paint.

Although her work is evocative of the landscape Ruth’s intention is to create an object or image that is something uniquely of itself. Hoping to trigger personal recollections and a calm, contemplative space she usually works in multiples so that the collective conjures up strength in numbers.

Pippa aspires to evoke what John Berger once described as “the gasp of home” in the mundane and beautiful. Exploring moments of encounter through painting, collage, found objects, artists’ books, and cloth her current emphasis is on textiles referencing memories and the natural world.
Cathryn spent years writing, editing, translating and teaching the craft of language and literature. Graduating in 2020 with a BA in textiles, belonging, words, places, threads, ink and letter forms are not surprisingly her inspiration.

David Randell, the Gallery Director said, “Expect a diverse show featuring paint, ceramics and textiles. Alongside the collection of “Small Works” will be additional new work by each artist. Surely something to interest and captivate everyone.”

The gallery, a registered charity, manned by volunteers is open Wednesday to Saturday, 10.30am till 4.00pm, closed for lunch 12.30 till 1.30pm.