Our Summer Exhibition is currently on display in Glasfryn Hall, featuring the work of 6 Welsh printmakers: Beth Knight, Charlotte Baxter, Elin Crowley, Ian Phillips, Julian Brasington and Tom Frost. We also have a magnificent collection of ceramic sculptures by Pierre Williams.

All of the works are original prints of limited edition. Printmaking relies on the purposeful imprint of a human hand, it can be a very labour intensive process, taking years to master. There isn’t a computer or modern printer in sight!

Printmaking has a rich history. The work carries meaning through it’s materials and the context in which it has been made much like any other art medium.

Here is a very useful link which explains many of the processes that have been used by the artists in this exhibition: click here to learn about printmaking processes.

This exhibition is being held in the main gallery and celebrates the whimsical flora and fauna of the North Wales landscape.

Meic Watts’ impressive stone carvings (the largest pieces he has exhibited for a while) stand proud as you enter the space. The pieces carved from local Welsh slates are evocative and deeply moving. ‘Creyr Glas (Heron)’ and ‘Lleu Llaw Gyffes’ are not to be missed!

Rachel Porter paints en plein air from her garden on the Llyn Peninsula and the watercolours she is displaying here capture the intricacy and delicacy of the wild flowers, plants and insects of spring and summer in North Wales. It takes a while to get your eye in, but once you do, a whole world emerges.

By contrast, the ‘simplified’ landscapes of rolling hills and woodland paths are picked out in vibrant colours in the linocut prints of prolific printmaker, Jenny Ford aRCA. Memories of special places and walking in the landscape absorbing colours, marks and patterns in the fields all make their way into the finished images.

Our artist of the month for August is 2025 Wrexham University graduate, Connor Townley.

Connor’s ceramic sculptures explore how insects create delicate, intricate cocoons nestled in rough and unforgiving environments. Expect soft, simplistic vessel forms nestled in harsh, complex Cradles that emulate this idea.

After a summer of successful exhibitions at Ceramics Wales and New Designers in London this new work has been created specifically for Oriel Glasfryn Gallery and has never been on display before.

Connor is an emerging maker that should definitely be on your radar!