Oxmarket Contemporary are delighted to host an Exhibition of paintings by Emma Hartley and Amanda Ward Thomas. Amanda’s paintings are a celebration of life, energy and movement, whether it’s a lithe move of a dancer, the mad energy of galloping horses, or the sweat and exhilaration of  the athlete fighting  to be first in the race.

Amanda’s painting and drawing technique mimics the energy of the subject.  The oil paint or pastel/charcoal applied vigorously using sweeping brush strokes, images blurred in part with just the key elements sharply defined, creating a work that seems constantly in flux, moving.

Emma Hartley is a painter of nature, landscape and sometimes figurative, she works essentially in oils on canvas and sometime acrylic and charcoal and is influenced by the Place, Light and Atmosphere.  Her work is influenced by the land she knows so well, specifically the trails of the Hangers that run from Steep to Hawkley, an almost timeless space and The South Downs for openness and wildlife.

Emma’s technique shows understanding in gesture, pace and relief. Emma’s paintings reveal the drama and beauty of reality, through the surreal lens of emotional perception.  Sometimes suspended and dreamlike as if viewed from a distance.