Artist’s growing passion for garden produce

Jan 10 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

Environment Editor Tony Henderson talks to an artist who is rooting for vegetables.

IF the red onions which artist Jane Murray began growing didn’t bring tears to her eyes then they certainly opened them. Jane, who had painted flowers for 30 years, says: “As these onions grew in my garden I thought they looked really beautiful.

“As I harvested the red onions I thought how beautiful the shimmery reds and purples were and noticed as they dried, how the leaves faded to subtle shades of ochre, violet and soft greeny grey.

“These rare combinations of colour awakened my senses and something in my brain clicked. These vegetables were not just to be eaten and admired – I could paint them.

“My eyes were opened to the beauty of vegetables.”

Fine art graduate Jane, who lives in Ulgham in Northumberland, duly painted the onions.

Then, while walking through an allotment site in Morpeth, she spotted rows of red cabbages.

“I decided to stay there until someone came. A break in the clouds brought a man who declared himself to be the secretary of the site – better still a good friend of his grew the cabbages.

“He was confident his friend would be delighted for me to have the pick of the crop.

“I had never seen vegetables as being beautiful before, but when you unfurl red cabbages they look like roses,” says Jane.

“The following year I grew, not for the table, but for the easel, beetroot, carrots, radishes, leeks, runner beans and then, next spring, I noticed the rhubarb. Slender shocking pink stems, vibrant new crinkly lime green leaves became my new obsession.”

Radishes, curly kale, purple sprouting broccoli, golden onions, and chard followed. Staying at a hotel in Scotland, where an extension was being built on the site of a former walled garden, Jane was commissioned by the owner to paint nine vegetable studies for the new Garden Suite.

“I have painted flowers for a long time, but the vegetable paintings have proved to be extremely popular, especially among gardeners,” says Jane, who had a good grounding in the subject at her father’s allotment.

“When you see vegetables in a supermarket they look so shorn with their leaves cut off,” she says.

Jane’s work is among around 35 items by six Northumberland artists on show at The Mason’s Arms pub north of Rennington, near Alnwick.

Janet Bannister, from Netherwhitton, has created a set of three textile pieces inspired by the waters of Fontburn Reservoir.

Felton-based Tony Claydon’s photographs are of the forested slopes of Redesdale, the frozen banks of the River North Tyne and the leaf-strewn paths of the Hareshaw Burn.

Helen Grierson captures nature and the images of Northumberland in fused and leaded glass.

Felton villager Harry Hall’s images include The Cheviot under a sprinkling of snow, Bamburgh beach in the light of early morning and dawn mist in the valley near Whittingham.

Nick Holmes, from Togston, presents collages of an adult’s perception of nursery toys and prints reflecting memories of life as a teacher. Tony Claydon says: “We felt it would be interesting to see different types of art from what is a beautiful county on show in one place.”

Bob Culverwell, who runs the Mason’s Arms, said the exhibition offered an extra attraction for visitors and it was hoped to set up workshops with artists.