Exhibition showcasing the work of three generations of artists from one family
A new exhibition at The Folly in Settle is showcasing the artwork of three generations of women from the same family who have all lived and worked in the same cottage in North Yorkshire.
It is the first time in 15 years that the paintings and drawings of artists Constance Pearson (1886-1970), Philippa Holmes (1921-1999) and Katharine Holmes (b. 1962) have been on display together and the exhibition is a celebration of both their talent and their dedication to their creativity. “So often women have been overshadowed by artist fathers, brothers or husbands,” says Katharine whose work has been exhibited widely both in the UK and internationally. “What I think is interesting in this story is that the women featured have found ways to pursue artistic careers. And I think it’s a story worth retelling.”
It is certainly an inspiring one. Constance Pearson won a scholarship to study at Leeds School of Art in the early part of the last century. “She wasn’t from a wealthy family – they owned a grocer’s shop in Leeds – but they believed in education and encouraged her,” says Katharine. Constance went on to become a prolific artist, exhibiting often, working on commissions and selling her work. She and her husband Sidney moved to High Barn Cottage in Malham during the war. “This was when she made the watercolours of the Dales that she became known for,” says Katharine. “After leaving college she did some teaching and then started a family, this was a cheap and easy way for her to pick up her art again. By that time, my grandparents had four children, and Sidney, who was a teacher, was very supportive of Constance; he knew that she had to paint.”
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Katharine has treasured memories of her grandmother at work in the cottage, where she now lives, and her own studio is in what was Constance’s painting room. “I used to go in there as a child when she was working and she would let me paint things – she was always very encouraging,” she says. “One of my childhood paintings, on board, is included in the exhibition.” Also on display are the sketchbooks of all three women, giving an insight into their processes and creative practice.
Katharine’s mother Philippa studied at Bradford College of Art during the Second World War. “I think it was a slightly shortened course as a lot of the male tutors were away fighting in the war but she enjoyed it very much and she did a lot of drawing which she particularly liked. After the war she became an occupational therapist using her arts and crafts skills working with men who these days we would recognize as having PTSD and wartime injuries. There is a photograph of her in the exhibition working with the men in the workshop.” In the 1950s Philippa trained as a teacher at Bretton Hall specializing in English and Art in primary schools and later worked with children with special educational needs in a residential school. “Then I came along and not long afterwards we moved to the cottage in Malham because my grandma needed some care. When I was very small my mother was looking after me and her mother. She did keep her art going as much as she could - some of her work was inspired by her domestic life and the garden, which she loved, and she also loved drawing and painting in the landscape.”
That affinity with the natural world and the inspiration it provides is evident in, and unites, the work of all three women. “We all love being outside and working in the open air,” says Katharine. “For this exhibition there is some of my new and recent work. Quite a lot of it is local to Malhamdale and also some near Hetton, which is nice and quiet and has a lovely, slightly different landscape; there are also paintings of Rylstone Fell which is a favourite spot of mine. There are large-scale paintings of the limestone in Malham in all weathers as well as drawings and small works I made out in the landscape. I often go back to the same place at different times of the year and the painting may change and evolve. Living and working at High Barn Cottage I have felt very privileged to be surrounded by such a beautiful, inspiring landscape. Even on bad weather days there is always interest to be found in the natural beauty.”
The exhibition Katharine Holmes and Three Generations of Painting and Living in a Malham Cottage runs at The Folly, Settle until January 3. Entry to the exhibition is free and Katharine’s work will be for sale. thefolly.org.uk