Ripon auction dates for historic car and bronze horse sculpture

A historic luxury car and bronze horse sculpture are set to be auctioned later this month.

Ripon based auction house Elstob & Elstob is set to auction off a classic Ferrari and a 105cm bronze horse sculpture.

The Ferrari F355 GTS, one of the most sought-after cars of all time, will be sold at auction on November 25. The bronze horse sculpture by Sally Arnup will follow on November 30.

The exotic car is a 1995 model of the Ferrari F355 GTS in a red livery.

The model is well preserved with a black leather interior. It has racked up only 40,390 miles from three previous owners since its release in 1994.

The car is expected to sell for between £40,000 and £60,000.

The auctioneer, David Elstob, said:

“However revolutionary it was at the time, the F355 is now considered the last of the ‘old school’ Ferraris before the introduction of the 360 and, as such, is greatly revered by collectors and motoring enthusiasts alike.

“Its popularity has been further sealed by the classic Ferrari wedge-shaped styling and iconic pop-up headlights. It is a truly beautiful machine and a nostalgic icon of its time.”

Also in the auction taking place on November 25 is a 2011 BMW 6-Series and a 2012 Ford Transit Campervan.

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Sally Arnup’s bronze horse sculpture

The sculpture named Arab Horse Aslan was created in 1985 by Yorkshire-based artist Sally Arnup (1930-2015).

She is considered to be one of the finest bronze sculptors of her time with her life-like recreations of animals.

Her work resides in major collections worldwide and she had received commissions from Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, among others.

The bronze horse is expected to sell for between £10,000 – £15,000.

Elstob & Elstob’s paintings and sculpture specialist, Rohan McCulloch, said:

“This fantastic sculpture of a trotting horse really captures the fluidity and elegance of this beautiful animal. Arnup is famed for the life-like qualities of her pieces and used to work with the live animal in front of her rather than using sketches or photographs.

“In fact, it is said that the subjects often came to live with her family for weeks at a time while she studied them in detail.”

The late Duke of Edinburgh commissioned Ms Arnup to sculpt a statue of his fell pony Storm for his 80th birthday. He said:

“It is no mean achievement to be able to convey the character, and characteristics, of individual animals in bronze.

“Sally Arnup has a wealth of experience in the sculpture of animals, and she also has the talent to capture their personality.”

The sculpture is set to headline the paintings and sculpture sale which takes place on November 30. Two miniature oil paintings depicting two Derby winners owned by the acclaimed John Bowes will also feature int he auction.

Photo of the Week: Autumnal colours at Harlow Carr Gardens

The Stray Ferret has launched our new Photo of the Week feature to highlight the beauty of the Harrogate district captured by talented local photographers.

Send your photos to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to feature here. We are interested in amateur and professional pictures.

This week we have a photograph taken by Rachel Green who has perfectly captured the autumnal colours at Harlow Carr Gardens.

Photo of the Week: Fiery sunset over Harrogate

The Stray Ferret has launched our new Photo of the Week feature to highlight the beauty of the Harrogate district captured by talented local photographers.

Send your photos to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to feature here. We are interested in amateur and professional pictures.

This week we feature a beautiful image taken by Bill Shaw who has perfectly captured a fiery sunset over Harrogate.
Sneak peek: Artist Lucy Pittaway’s new Harrogate gallery

North Yorkshire-based artist Lucy Pittaway is ready to open the doors at her debut Harrogate gallery this weekend.

The gallery, which sells original works of art as well as prints, homeware and stationery, had a preview night last night.

The shop replaces the former menswear shop Austin Reed on Prospect Place, which had been empty since 2016.

It’s been a long wait for Ms Pittaway, who has had her eyes on a site in Harrogate for five years.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret ahead of tomorrow’s official opening, she said:

“We have been wanting to be in Harrogate for some time now but we are finally here, and in an absolutely fabulous location.

“The response we have had from local businesses and shoppers has been amazing. We are absolutely thrilled with the interest we have seen already.

“It wasn’t easy but we have managed to get this space turned around in just three weeks which is a testament to our amazing team. I feel very proud looking around.”

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Ms Pittaway’s best known works are her signature sheep art and her work on the Tour de Yorkshire and UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate.

The Harrogate store will be open Monday to Saturday from 9.30pm to 5.30pm and from 10am to 5pm on Sundays.

A number of promotions are in the pipeline for Christmas and various other initiatives are also on the horizon, including a meet-the-artist event and debut showings of original pieces of art.

More pictures from the preview evening:

Lucy Pittaway with husband Neil and the rest of her team.

The new store looks ready for Christmas.

The gallery also sells homeware, stationery and more.

You can also find some of Ms Pittaway’s original work.

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: 

“I met William in London on a blind date, and we’ve been together ever since. We married a couple of years after and he was always clear that Yorkshire was home. 

“I call him a homing pigeon, there was no doubt he would come back to Yorkshire.”

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 pictured painting in the gardens.

Sophie said: 

“I was excited to move to Yorkshire, as my grandparents had lived in Burn Bridge near Harrogate, so it was a big part of my childhood. As a child, when I wound the window down when we arrived in Yorkshire, I could just smell it, the fresh air – it felt like you’d arrived. So, to now live in this stunning area is amazing. Just going for a walk is an inspiration.

“I was completely drawn into trying to capture nature and my surroundings.”

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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:

“My paintings became much free-er.

“I started posting my paintings on Instagram and got traction with people asking to buy them, so it grew from there.”

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.

Open art exhibition expands beyond Harrogate district

The biannual Mercer Open art exhibition is extending its remit after 20 years of being held in Harrogate.

Hosted by the Mercer Gallery on Swan Road, the event is now open to anyone with a Yorkshire connection this year, rather than the previous limit of the Harrogate district.

People who were born in Yorkshire, or who have lived, worked or studied in the region qualify to submit their work.

Karen Southworth, curator at the Mercer Gallery, said:

“The Mercer Open is not only a wonderful celebration of the fantastic artistic talent associated with Yorkshire, but also offers an amazing opportunity for visitors to the Harrogate district and art-lovers to discover the Mercer Art Gallery and to buy something really special.

“We’re delighted to extend entry invitations more widely this year and we look forward to an incredible showcase of artwork in the Mercer Open, bringing new audiences to the Mercer and enabling more people to enjoy the feel good experience of art appreciation.”

Mercer Gallery

The Mercer Gallery

The exhibition has also been extended in other ways this year. Buyers no longer have to wait until the end of the event to collect their purchases but can take them home immediately.

New work will be put on display throughout the four-month exhibition, enabling more artists to be included and seeing the event evolve over time.

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Meanwhile, the cost of submission this year is £15 for up to three pieces of work, and for the first time it can be done online via the CuratorSpace website.

Anyone who would find the submission fee a barrier can contact curator Courtney Spencer via the CuratorSpace website.

Courtney said:

“I’m really excited to build on the incredible work of the gallery team who have been delivering a biannual open exhibition for the past 20 years.

“It’s been brilliant to broaden the callout to include artists connected to Yorkshire, to move the submissions process online and to reduce the submission fee to enable more artists to submit works.”

Artists have just over a week to submit entries before the deadline of midnight on Sunday, July 31.

The exhibition will run from September 17 until January 8, 2023. The Mercer Gallery is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Village near Knaresborough creates collage to mark jubilee

A group of women in Staveley have created a collage of the village to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Glennis Copnall and Lizzie Morrell came up with the idea of doing something as a keepsake for the village, which is four miles north of Knaresborough, as a lasting memento.

Staveley Collage

The Staveley Collage

Villager Julie Smith said:

“Lizzie being very artistic came up with this plan to create the Staveley Collage and several ladies volunteered to make their houses and even the trees.

“We called ourselves the crafty ladies.

“It’s taken a few weeks to do but it looks amazing now it is up on the wall. Each house was done individually and then glued to the backcloth.”

The collage is on display at the village hall in Staveley until 4pm today and tomorrow. There is also footage of the coronation being shown and historical facts about Staveley.

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Harrogate College art students to showcase their work

Artists, sculptors and ceramicists at Harrogate College are preparing to stage their first North Yorkshire Open Studios event.

The artists, who are studying for master’s degrees in creative practice, will showcase their work on June 4. Visitors will be able to view and buy items.

North Yorkshire Open Studios gives artists the chance to open their studios, network, and show and sell their work directly to the public over the first two weekends in June.

The artist-led event is run by a voluntary steering group of North Yorkshire based artists.

Dr Annabel Smith, programme manager, MA creative practice at Harrogate College said the event would give many college students the opportunity to showcase their work, adding:

“The NYOS event has grown to become one of the major events in North Yorkshire’s cultural calendar, as well as one of the north’s most prestigious open studios events.

“The college is honoured to be included this year and is highlighting and showcasing work produced by our year 1 and year 2 MA creative practice students.”

The exhibited work will include ceramics, paintings, printmaking and textiles and will be on view to the public in the college’s canteen.

The show takes place at the college, at Hornbeam Park, from 9am to 5pm.

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Garden seeks artist for year-long residency in Harrogate

Artists across the Harrogate district are being sought by RHS Harlow Carr as the garden aims to appoint its next artist in residence.

The year-long appointment would see the chosen artist encouraged to take inspiration from the landscape, as well as the charity’s scientific and biological work.

Education and learning manager Kirstie Blything said:

“We are looking for an artist to present a personal interpretation and perspective of Harlow Carr, creating new work that is innovative, pushes boundaries and inspires well-being.

“We hope this new work will inspire the public to examine their own vision of the gardens and encourage them to engage in new, creative conversations, continuing the development of Harlow Carr as a site that inspires creative practice.”

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The artist would spend at least three weeks on site, carrying out research and demonstrating their practice at the garden.

They would be able to work closely with the garden’s team as well as discussing their work with the public. The role includes creating a programme of workshops, talks, open studios and more to encourage visitors to take inspiration from the gardens for their own creativity.

The year would end with an exhibition at the RHS Harlow Carr Flower Show in 2023.

Previous artists in residents include Nel Whatmore and Anita Bowerman.

For further information about the role, click here. Applications close on Friday, May 20 at noon.

Display of 1,300 clay poppies takes over Himalayan Gardens

A cascading installation of ceramic Himalayan blue poppies has been installed at the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park near Ripon.

More than 1,300 of the clay poppies have been installed on a banking at the park to create an 80 square metre sculpture called ‘bursting from the slumber’.

Harrogate-based artist Anna Whitehouse was commissioned in 2019 but due to the pandemic has only been able to install the poppies in the past two weeks.

The poppies have been handmade with the help of local schools, colleges and public workshops. Each poppy has been personalised with messages about the pandemic or the names of family and friends they lost.

Ms Waterhouse said:

“This project was designed in 2019, when the idea of a global pandemic shutting down the world was still only found in the pages of a sci fi novel. As such, the sculpture has taken on a greater meaning than I could have ever imagined, a symbol of re-emergence and the power of community, with tactile clay workshops providing space for people to relax and socialise again.”

The blue poppy, known as Meconopsis, is very rare but due to the microclimate of the park it manages to grow there. The park also houses the North’s largest collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias.

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Will Roberts, owner of the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park said:

“We are more than excited to be seeing this project come to fruition after a two-year delay due to covid. Anna has done the most amazing job designing, creating and coordinating this large installation and we want to say a huge thank you to all those who contributed to deliver such an incredible piece of art.”

The park reopens next Tuesday, April 12, until October 30.