Uppingham artist Rosemary Tolkien showcases Stamford fantasy collection at exhibition in Stamford Arts Centre
Could you picture a monster in the River Welland, a waterpark at The George of Stamford or Red Lion Square in Stamford being overrun by King Kong?
Rosemary Tolkien’s exhibition at Stamford Arts Centre, which is running until Saturday (February 8) illustrates just that.
She is showcasing the paintings from her Stamford Fantasy collection in her fourth solo exhibition.
Rosemary, who lives in Uppingham, said: “I thought it would be a laugh and cheer everyone up.
“I think people take art far too seriously.”
The collection includes a monster swimming in the River Welland, a steam train in St Paul’s Street, a vision of Browne’s Hospital in 2050 with palm trees, a waterpark in High Street St Martin’s, King Kong hanging off All Saints’ Church and a dragon taking over the old brewery in All Saints’ Street.
Rosemary came up with the ideas after feeling like she’d exhausted paintings of architecture and buildings in Stamford.
“People have told me they’ve visited the exhibition and left with a smile which is all I wanted to achieve,” said the 75-year-old artist.
Rosemary, a former secondary school teacher, graduated from Stamford College with a fine art degree in 2009 - a journey which was prompted after she suffered from cancer.
She said: “I wanted to do something that would keep me occupied during my retirement years.
“It was important to do something I could completely lose myself in and forget about everything else.
“I have always loved painting.”
Rosemary’s work is largely 2D and consists of architectural paintings and botanical studies in various media.
Her aim is to simplify the world around her as she does not want the viewer of my work to have to struggle with hidden concepts but enjoy the image as an immediately aesthetically pleasing.
Other pieces of artwork are on show alongside the Stamford Fantasy collection which are available to buy.