Time is running out to see the latest exhibition at the Hodgson Loom Gallery, in Laxey.
It features stunning Manx landscapes and beautiful portrait studies by award-winning professional artist Barry Westcott and evocative stone artistry by sculptor Neil Milsom.
Barry, originally from Manchester, has made Laxey his home. He has held numerous exhibitions in the UK, including London’s The Bond Street Gallery, showing alongside renowned wildlife artist David Shepherd.
Barry said: ‘In a painting, no matter how long you have been looking at it, you should always find some new and surprising feature.
‘A painting is not just a piece of wall furniture, but something you want to look at and see, a talking point, a memory or the way it makes you feel.’
Barry sources deep inspiration from the sea’s moody temperament through the seasons, the beaches, the clear waters presenting a myriad of different colours, the rocks with their timeless forms sculpted over centuries.
Meanwhile, sculptor Neil Milsom is showing a collection of compelling and tactile slate sculptures in what is his first exhibition.
Before moving from Dublin to the island in 1998, Neil spent many years visiting Ireland’s ancient monuments.
‘The intricate geometric and spiralling patterns carved into the stones intrigued me from a very early age and I was fortunate to experience these sites prior to their development as major tourist attractions,’ he said.
‘Whilst much is known about these sites from an astronomical and geophysical viewpoint, the associated culture and meaning remains open to interpretation, which overlaps with another passion; that of mythology, folklore and legend.’
Since moving to the island he has enjoyed finding out about our folklore and ancient monuments. He said: ‘I felt the same sense of serenity and purpose here too; none more so than Cashtal yn Ard, only a short walk from the cottage where we live.’
The exhibition continues until Saturday, July 18.