John Craxton at Pallant House Gallery

 Until 21 April there's a John Craxton retrospective at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester which is well worth visiting. Craxton who was born in 1922 met many of his artist contemporaries, including Lucian Freud. Leaving school without any formal qualifications, Craxton was drawn to the Mediterranean, particularly Greece and his paintings evoke the joy he experienced living a life in the sun.

Although we can't take photographs in the exhibition, this painting, my favourite, is on the website. It's called 'Still Life Sailors'

The Print Room never disappoints, it always has a really good exhibition in there. When I visited sat the beginning of January, there was this exhibition: Sanctuary Selects: Voices from Our Community I photographed those pieces I liked best:

Above Lithograph on paper by David Suff :'Walled Garden at Nymans' the whole exhibition was part of the Golder-Thompson Gift  

Above Screenprint with woodblock on paper titled 'Back and Forth' by Mick Moon. It was chosen by Donya who gave her reasons for choosing this and help the viewer see the picture in a fresh light.

This Intaglio, carborundum & pigment print by Michael Canning entitled 'Digitalis II' was chosen by Vika, it's stunning.

This Aquatint on paper by Patrick Proctor called 'Marcus and the Pink'. There was a particularly moving comment made by someone who chose this: 'When I saw this it made me think of my grandchildren. I have lots of family in Afganistan and I miss them.'

That exhibition which gave a different perspective on the works has now been replaced by: 

Habib Hajallie: Penned into History (pallant.org.uk)

From the Pallant we were advised to have a look at the tapestry designed by John Craxton in Chichester Cathedral. 'Landscape with Elements' is a monumental tapestry made by the Dovecot Weavers in Edinburgh. It was commissioned in 1975 in honour of the University of Stirling's  first Vice chancellor. Six weavers spent a year making it

It's a beautiful piece, all about the seasonal and diurnal life in Greece, Mediterranean sun and moon dominate the changing scene. Above is a photo of the whole tapestry and below close ups of the piece around the moon 

and this is taken from the bottom right of the tapestry

It's well worth going to see the tapestry in the Cathedral.

And what a fabulous day out the Pallant House Gallery provides.