Inspired by great outdoors

A garden isn't just about plants. Yes, it wouldn't be much without flowers and shrubs and trees, but they aren't the be-all and end-all of what makes a garden.

Look around – a greenhouse, a seat, a pond, a birdtable, a piece of sculpture (even if it is just a concrete hedgehog. Gardens are different things to different people. Which is why the summer show at the Lund Gallery, in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, is a rare chance to see the work of two British craftspeople whose work celebrates the great outdoors – Celia Smith and Chris Lewis. Part of the Lund gallery's "grand plan" has always been to be able to throw the doors of the gallery open during the summer months, and a good selection of artworks for the garden will displayed in a variety of outdoor spaces, including the south-facing enclosed courtyard and the gallery's sculpture garden.

Since her last sell-out show at the Lund Gallery, Celia Smith has been busy developing a range of work from her rural studio in Gloucestershire where she has drawn inspiration from a multitude of birds ranging from guinea fowl, geese and chickens to the wild birds of the adjoining countryside, the moorhens, ducks, rooks and pheasants.

While fans of Celia's can still revel in the delicate skill of her "wire drawing sculpture" they can also now enjoy the results

of new experiments with new materials, including forging sheet steel and using gilding with precious metals.

The celebration of the great outdoors continues with an accompanying exhibition of large-scale garden pots and seats by potter Chris Lewis, who hails from East Sussex.

He fires his work in a single-chambered wood-fired kiln known as an anagama kiln, a technique with its origins in the Far East. In this process work built up often over many months is fired over several days, the firewood and resulting ash and embers often coming into direct contact with the pots. The results, although unpredictable, are of beautiful rich glazes which give the pots a time-worn appearance. Gallery owner Debbie Loane said: "This show is sure to appeal to those who are interested

in the traditional skills combined with innovation involved in the making of a truly original and beautiful piece of craft work."

The summer show runs at The Lund Gallery, Alne Road, Easingwold, North Yorkshire until September 5.

The gallery is open from Thursday to Saturday, 11am-5pm, Sundays and Bank Holidays, noon-4pm. For more info, tel 01347 824400 email [email protected] or visit www.lundgallery. co.uk

YP MAG 17/7/10