Abbott Hall was built in 1759 and is the only grade 1 building in Kendal. By the 1950's it was almost derelict and threatened with demolition. A group of local people formed a charitable trust to save the building and eventually turned it into an art gallery. I love going to this art gallery, it's like stepping back in time.
This is a view of the dining room. The hall is very beautiful with period furniture and fine portraits
through out. All the downstairs rooms are all very traditional and stunningly decorated with elaborate plaster work on the ceilings and walls. The exhibition studio's are upstairs and are very surprisingly modern, light and airy.
Hughie O'Donoghue. Born 1953 in Manchester. England.
I came to see the artist Hughie O'Donoghue " Vivid Fields". Some of the canvas were huge and took up a whole wall. Most of the images were of male and females nudes using the colours of autumn, smudgy oranges, yellows and black/greys. Most of his work has been painted in the last two years some of course were painted a few years ago like his "Liquid Earth" 1984. A skeleton in partly covered the earth, quite a disturbing image ..... for me, that is.
Kurt Schwitters was also had some paintings on display and the one above is of the cottage where he once lived. Also Keith Vaughan had a small exhibition "Figures" unfortunately I do not have a image of his work.
