A CHANCE encounter at a dental practice has led to a pop up art show in Shrewsbury\u2019s Darwin Shopping Centre for aspiring artist Charlotte Richards.<\/p>\n
And shoppers can commission a painting of themselves, their family or even their pets, when they visit the temporary gallery, which opened in the mall on Saturday, April 6.<\/p>\n
The show, with its focus on how we view the world, will also form part of the Shrewsbury Arts Festival, which gets into full swing in the summer.<\/p>\n
Fine art graduate Charlotte is working as a receptionist at St John\u2019s Dental Practice, while building up her art portfolio \u2013 and mentioned it to Maggie Love, Artistic Director of Shropshire Youth Theatre, when she dropped in.<\/p>\n
Charlotte was stunned when Maggie, who is also the Darwin Shopping Centre\u2019s community coordinator, offered her the chance to open the pop-up gallery.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old said: \u201cThis is given me a wonderful opportunity to exhibit my pieces for six weeks. It is a real chance to get my work to a lot of people who may not consider visiting a gallery.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know there are a large number of shoppers who visit the centre every week and I will be hoping to get plenty of commissions for my work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Up to 20 art works, some more than 1.5m wide, will be on display in the pop-up gallery. Charlotte aims to be there as often as she can, between her day job at the dental practice, but she is free at weekends.<\/p>\n
Maggie said: \u201cI am delighted to find such a talented young portrait artist as I’m sure many people wish they had a portrait of themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer work is vibrant and appealing so I hope she gets a few commissions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to give big thanks to the Shopping Centre’s management who have given the opportunity to promote artists and their work in the empty units.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin Lockwood, Manager of the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centrse, said: \u201cWe\u2019re keen here at Shrewsbury to make a visit to the shopping centres more than just a shopping trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very much part of the local community and the town has a thriving and vibrant artistic community and we want to reflect and encourage that at the shopping centres.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduating from Cardiff University last summer with BA Honours in Fine Art, Charlotte moved back home to Crew Green in Shropshire to continue her art work.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cI work in oil paint on wooden panels, canvas or paper. My current practice focuses on the subject of perception and sight. I have chosen to break free from traditional still life.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy aim is to depict how the eye sees the world, as opposed to a camera\u2019s reproduction of equal focus and perfection.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen focusing on specific objects the peripheral vision tends to distort other images around this, for example to produce double vision.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have exhibited in different galleries since graduating from University; these include the Bear Steps in Shrewsbury, the Willow Street Gallery in Oswestry and in the National Trust\u2019s Weston Park.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlotte also recently headed back to her former school, Llanfyllin High School, to share her work with the pupils and give presentations on what university and art can offer.<\/p>\n
She comes from an artistic family: her mum Lesley, who works as a dental nurse at the St John\u2019s Practice, is also a trained upholsterer, and restores old furniture in her spare time, while Charlotte\u2019s brother Dominic has completed a craft furniture degree at Carlisle, and her sister Sophia is studying fashion and textiles at Manchester. Dad Brian works for an insurance company.<\/p>\n