Bingley artist Jane Fielder’s creative juices flow (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bingley artist Jane Fielder’s creative juices flow

9:02am Friday 20th April 2012 in Art By Jim Greenhalf, T&A Reporter

Artist Jane Fielder has opened a new exhibition of her recent paintings at her Park Road gallery in Bingley.

New Paintings Inspired By Staithes is a workmanlike title for a series of exhilarating water colours, on show until June 10.

Bingley artist Jane is associated with lively landscapes in and around the town, occasionally with the Damart chimney prominent.

What prompted this inland painter to go out to the east coast and take in the sea?

Jane says: “My husband Rob and I wanted a holiday somewhere not too far away.

“When our children were small we had briefly visited Staithes and I had only vague memories of it. I searched online for holiday cottages in Staithes and looked for something that boasted about the views. We found this beautiful house on the edge of the village that sounded perfect.

“When we arrived in the dark in freezing November we were not disappointed. It was heaven. For two weeks we walked by day and painted by night. Everywhere was a feast.

“I could happily have spent the whole two weeks in the little village but the coastline was so inspiring, in places black sand, bright orange bracken, gulls and always the pounding sea.

“I had so many paintings started I wanted to return to finish them. We revisited Staithes in February.

“This time the cottage was right in the town and the red roofs and deep Prussian/turquoise blue sea just took over. Painting after painting poured out.”

Jane adds: “There are more than 20 paintings in all. My favourite is Skinningrove.

“We risked life and limb for this one. We walked along the cliffs towards Skinningrove, there was a gale blowing and at times it was hard to balance with sketchpads and boards acting like sails.

“I was not expecting the sight as we descended the final hill towards the town.

“Rows and rows of terraces, orange rooftops, chimneys, a long house on the sand with bright orange roof and green windows and door, two lovers prancing on the rocks below and on the hill the austere buildings of the steel works.”

This painting is reminiscent of the more panoramic of her ‘Janescapes’.

“We could not stop – it was too icy, but the following day we drove back, battled our way up the cliff and I just managed to get enough before I had to accept defeat,” she added.

The Staithes paintings are on show now at the Bingley Gallery. Opening hours are Thursday and Friday from noon to 6pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

From June 2 to 5, from 2pm to 7pm, a range of Jane’s paintings will be on view and on sale in her home, Wyngates, Bromley Road (just off Park Road), Bingley.