Local artist love...

I had to share with you the exciting talent of local artist Terry Brookes. As a huge fan of The Beatles, I fell in love with his piece 'When The Beatles came to Barnsley' His take on pop art with a local twist has become an instant hit. The playful nature of his work and bright colours, bring a beaming smile to my face every time. 

Terry explains his motivations to paint...

'I have always painted, self taught, and driven on by my dad who was, amongst other things, a semi-professional wrestler, painter, and signwriter.  Some of the stuff I'm doing now, I was doing when I was in my teens - pop art, music, comics related stuff; Andy Warhol, Lichtenstein, Peanuts, DC Comics, Tin Tin, ...

To say that I am a music fan is an understatement.  I have always loved and collected music; vinyl especially – The Beatles, Motown, Stax, Bowie, punk, Weller, Morrissey & The Smiths, etc, etc,

About 3 or 4 years ago I started painting prolifically mainly for my own interest – just for fun.  I decided to setup my own website that I could easily maintain and load up images of my artwork – nothing fancy, just for my own fun.

I decided to paint some quirky scenes of Barnsley and the area, starting off with a painting of the now defunct Casa Disco record shop.  The first one I did was Casa Disco 1977, with a punk (Sid Vicious?) looking in the window at the records that were issued that year; Bowie's Heroes, Blondie, The Police, Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop.  I am going to follow this series with, amongst others; Heavy Metal, Mods, Soul, etc – there's plenty of scope.'

It was his 'When The Beatles came to Barnsley' that first captured my imagination and here's a little bit more about the painting, by the man himself.

'I was looking through some old photos one day when one caught my eye of Barnsley's Market Hill, which, at one time, had a zebra crossing at the bottom of the hill, and the wonderful Town Hall building at the top.  This reminded me of the cover of the Beatles Abbey Road album – and hey presto the painting "when the Beatles came to Barnsley" was born.'  

Terry's work has already hung in a few local cafe's and restaurants. I am thrilled to announce he will be exhibiting his work in Experience Barnsley in January 2014, and hope you will all join me down there to support him. He is currently busy working on paintings for his new exhibition and promises for some quirky surprises, including a chance to "get inside a BROOKES painting".

For more of his artwork and further information, please visit his website here. 

Rebecca - My Pretty Yorkshire Life

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

When the sun is shining across the sweeping lake at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, it is definitely one of those days where I feel extremely blessed to live with this gem on my doorstep. My husband does not always agree that living in Yorkshire is a pleasant experience, but he has definitely been won over by Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The park is so vast, spanning 500 acres, that every time we visit, we spot something new. I often wonder how I have managed to miss things the first time. 

It is the perfect place to visit in the Spring when the Daffodils are blooming and lambs are roaming. Admission to the park is free, but you have to pay for parking. With pieces from artists such as Anthony Gormley, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore , there are works in both indoor galleries and outdoor spaces. Modern art is not to everyone's taste, but I find it thought provoking and we usually get into quite a debate about each piece's merits. 

The park has a variety of different spaces with lakeside paths, vast grassy areas, woodland walks and plenty of picnic areas.William has already enjoyed several walks in the park. Our pram has come out of some of the off-road  treks around the park relatively unscathed. His Mummy is already quite used to cleaning sheep poo off the wheels. (Ah the joys of the countryside!) We've recently enjoyed picnics, bathed in mottled sunlight, under the shade of the huge trees. I'm hoping for more nice weather as I've asked for a pretty picnic basket for my birthday, and I'm already planning recipes!

Visit Yorkshire Sculpture Park website for further details.

Rebecca - My Pretty Yorkshire Life.