Inspiration Portrait Exhibition

5 August to 29 October 2015




































This exhibition is open 6am til late every day. Atrium Gallery, Bexley Wing 

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, St James’s Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF

Art Therapy Exhibition at HEART

A second exhibition by Yorkshire and Humber Art Therapists at HEART Leeds

Solo Portrait Exhibition 16th-30th October 2014

Thanks to all the brave people who allowed me to do portraits of them that will be exhibited in this exhibition. The preview evening in Thursday 23rd October 6-8pm at Arts@Trinity, Trinity Holy Church, Boar Lane, Leeds LS1 6HW

Portraits hanging inside at Arts@Trinity Oct2014

An expressive celebration of our multicultural society through large vibrant cultural portraits. I purposefully use a spectrum of colours to create abstract areas of texture away from the familiarity of skin tone to reinforce the beauty of skin. I wanted to explore what skin colour means given the multicultural society in which we live; and celebrate the vibrancy and energy that food, clothes, creativity and music bring from different cultures, through colour and movement. Many cities within Britain have a diversity of people from various cultural backgrounds, and there are new generations of Britons with dual and mixed heritage. However, there can often be an assumption of ethnicity and cultural background based on skin colour without the context of a person’s country of origin, heritage and upbringing. I aim to unify the beauty of skin colour through vibrant colours that are used throughout all my images regardless of race, colour or culture.

Are you interested in posing for my next portrait exhibition in August 2015? If so, please get in touch supplying a short statement on what you feel contributes to race, colour and culture and what this means to you.

35 Chapel Walk Gallery, Sheffield

4th - 20th July 2014
11 Art therapists exhibiting a variety of fantastic pieces in different media

Chapeltown Arts Festival

First Chapeltown Arts Festival happening 4-6th July 2014. Lots going on https://www.facebook.com/chapeltownartsfestival

I'm one of the local artists exhibiting at Union 105 salon

Art Therapist's exhibit at NHS Academy

May 2014 - this is an ongoing 'closed' exhibition to raise awareness of Art Therapy to the NHS and training students.

2 sewn images on exhibition May 2014

Thought Bubble Social Feb2014

...some of the collective Steam Punk drawings from this month's workshop

New Portrait

Jan 2014 Had such fun creating this portrait and really pleased with the results

Thought Bubble Comic book festival

Bub's Lounge - Thought Bubble Comic Book Convention Nov 2013

Fantastic crowd at the Royal Armouries, loads of participation.

Some of the images drawn by members of the public at Bub's Lounge Royal Armouries as part of Thought Bubble Comic Book convention 2013

Alison Herbert Art Therapist at Bub's Lounge
https://twitter.com/tulalotay/status/404237449922351104/photo/1

Check out their website: http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/

Drawing on Experience

Exhibition at HEART (Headingley Enterprise 

An exhibition by a group of Art Therapists

http://www.leedsinspired.co.uk/events/drawing-experience

...The Culture Vulture Article...

One of my images from Chapel Allerton's Art Trail is featured in The Culture Vulture online blog on what's happening. Nothing about the images, but great photo..read the article - link below

On the campaign trail

Submitted by AnarchicAli on August 29, 2013 – 8:00 am 

Copyright Alison Herbert captured at Prime Cuts salon

http://theculturevulture.co.uk/blog/reviews/on-the-campaign-trail/

Chapel Allerton's Art Trail

Fantastic evening for the launch night. Thanks to all who visited and Chris at Prime Cuts Hairdressers for allowing me to use the space. Still time to visit. Prime Cuts Hairdressers 65 Harrogate Road Chapel Allerton Leeds LS7 3PQ.

Chapel Allerton's Art Trail 26 Aug - 1 Sept 2013

Looking forward to hanging my paintings for the Art Trail and and the Launch Night on Tuesday 27th Aug 7-9pm. These 3 large portrait drawings are a prelude to my solo exhibition next year. 

Art Trail leaflet and link  http://www.chapelallerton.org.uk/whats-on/art-trail

 My artworks are No.9 at Prime Cuts Hairdresser.  65 Harrogate Rd Chapel Allerton Leeds LS7 3PQ.

One of the images in the exhibition - Alan 120x150cm

Sheffield Book Prize

Have entered one of my self published handmade books into this competition. Copy of the catalogue page page. http://www.artistsbookprize.co.uk/2013/9 

16th International Artists Book Fair - University of Leeds

My half of the table at the Book Fair

New work - smaller version of '12 Exaltations of Elizabeth'

Sold lots of books over the weekend - really good exhibition (even though it was rained out)! Made a smaller version of 12 Exaltations of Elizabeth - Diary of a pregnant Pensioner which went down really well.

12 Exaltations of Elizabeth

‘12 Exaltations of Elizabeth (Diary of a pregnant pensioner)’ is a sculptural handmade book. It is a humourous account reading between the lines of the Gospels of Luke and John concerning Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist. It plays on Elizabeth’s inner thoughts giving the story a modern narrative whilst considering the dilemma of being pregnant in later life and a miraculous birth. It attempts to open up the viewers thoughts and reflections concerning  the story.

Artwork in situ on the altar at LeftBank

This piece of artwork is part of the ADVENTurous Exhibition at LeftBank, (next to the Cardigan Centre), Cardigan Road, Leeds, throughout the month of December. Check out the exhibition blog http://leftbankadventurous2012.blogspot.co.uk/

Portraits

Currently painting a selection of portraits of family and friends around the theme of nostalgia. These are very large portraits. By painting them so much larger than life the canvas acts as a huge landscape of time and space where I am in contemplative thought about and with my subject, considering my own memories and connections with the person, both past and present; my joy, passion and regrets. I aim to paint 20 and exhibit them hopefully next year. Keep watching!

Sept 2012

103cm x 114cm Oil on paper

Oct 2012

Oil Pastels on Paper 150 x 105cm

Trees Trees Trees

Mixed media paintings June & July 2012
Being painting trees for weeks working with a variety of media, here are some of my favourites. They aim to explore the liveliness of the subject through vibrant colours whilst trying to express movement with multiple fluid abstract strokes in contrast to stark backgrounds. 

  


 













Multicoloured Forest

This painting is approximately 170cm x 90cm. Using mixed media it was a culmination of several slightly smaller pieces. Working out the process of creating a colourful, lively forest.

Biro Drawings

 

This drawing emerged by itself starting from the small recess in the bottom of the tree and just adding whatever came into my mind or reacting to the marks on the paper. I could probably draw a lot of interesting analogy from the image myself and my own life. It would be interesting to find out other people's thoughts of what is going on in the drawing.  

This second image emerged from the marks in the tree above. I used the same repetitive mark throughout just adding shading to see how it developed. Below is a close up detail of the trunk.

'Peace'

I've been absorbed in this intricate doodle for nearly a week. I found the repetitive marks extremely relaxing, allowing me space to think and process my thoughts, especially after a busy day.

The dove, symbolic of peace was also representative of the art work I was making and the space I was allowing myself. I wanted the bird to be hidden amidst the chaos of the other marks, taking the viewer a little time to find its outline and consider the other shapes in the composition. The image is a metaphor of our busy lives and trying to find some peace and sense in the middle of the chaos. I believe that you can have a real sense of 'inner' peace even when everything around you is going wrong.