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31
Oct 2022
Himalayan Garden inspired artist to host first exhibition
An artist is set to hold an inaugural exhibition this month inspired by Ripon’s Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Sophie Roberts, 38, will display 40 pieces of her floral artwork for her debut exhibition, called Painting a Garden.
Sophie grew up in London and spent her life in the city, working in property.
Her career as an artist flourished after she married William Roberts, whose parents, Peter and Caroline, set up the Himalayan Gardens, which William now manages.
She said:
She moved to Yorkshire in 2018 while pregnant with twin girls and continued her calligraphy and illustration commissions.
However, when the covid lockdowns hit, the commercial commissions stopped and she turned to painting to fulfil her own creativity.
Sophie pictured painting in the gardens.
Sophie said:
Read more:
- Harrogate and Ripon gardens win gold at Yorkshire in Bloom awards
- Display of 1,300 clay poppies takes over Himalayan Gardens
An open-air gallery with over 80 contemporary sculptures in a tranquil valley, the Himalayan Gardens cover 45 acres of woodlands, gardens and an arboretum, with three lakes.
Sophie kept her hand in botanical drawings, setting up workshops in the gardens for the public with artist Bridget Gillespie, a botanical illustrator for over 20 years. Before the era of photography, artists were depended on to share botanical drawings to scientists.
Sophie added:
Many of the paintings in the exhibit at at Tennants in Leyburn from November 16 to December 18, feature flowers, such as magnolias and foxgloves from the Himalayan gardens.
Visitors will have a chance to meet the artist on November 17, when Sophie will be painting live in the gallery.
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