Artist loved by Theo Walcott sees work on display at Stoke Mandeville
Org is best known as the artist who created the beer label designs for the Wychwood Brewery in Witney, including Hobgoblin, Black Wych and Fiddler’s Elbow.Another of his more noteworthy and unusual artistic endeavours is designing the artwork for two of the tattoos sported by England and Arsenal footballer Theo Walcott, who is a fan of Org’s work!The exhibition at the gallery in Stoke Mandeville runs until Sunday, March 26 (Mother’s Day), entrance is free and all the work is for sale.So there may be a chance to pick up a particularly unique and special gift for Mother’s Day.Org has worked as a professional artist for 25 years and has established a strong following of admirers and collectors from all over the country and beyond.This is the ninth year his work has been exhibited at the Obsidian gallery and this year there are over 50 original drawings and paintings by him, as well as new prints, and some rare limited editions with hand drawings added to the mounts, making them true collector’s items.The exhibition also includes work from four invited guest artists whose work is all inspired by fairy tale, myth, folklore and fantasy.Two of them are showing at Obsidian for the first time, including hand engraved and hand blown glass by world renowned glass artist Jonathan Harris and unusual glass enamel with silver leaf on wooden panels and copper bowls by Gill Harkness.The other guest artists are Sue Burne, who has created some intricate hand engraved glass pieces, plus unusual and affordable Art Nouveau and Art Deco inspired jewellery by Jess Lelong.Org’s biggest influence is Edward Burne-Jones from the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and also the great Victorian age book illustrators such as Arthur Rackham, Willy Pogany and Charles Robinson. With subjects including classic mythology, folklore, Arthurian legend, Shakespeare, myth and magic, as well as woodlands and rivers, the over-riding feeling of the exhibition is one of beauty and exquisite detail.This is a wonderful opportunity for those who like to appreciate the art of beautiful drawing and, in the age of computer aided design and abstract or shock Brit-art, prefer to see that there are artists who still practice the art of drawing.The gallery, on the site of the Bucks Goat Centre, is open daily from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and from noon to 4pm on Sundays.