Forthcoming exhibition in Apley’s Creamery Café

‘Autumn Glory’ by Maureen Westerby

Jean Macdonald, ‘In the Spotlight’

From Sunday 28 June The Creamery Café will change its exhibition to host the work of local artists, including photographer Jean Macdonald who last exhibited with us in Feb 2013.  She’s joined by artist Maureen Westerby and poet Marilyn Gaunt.  They continue to work together to raise money and awareness of local cancer charity, the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, currently campaigning for a new Linear Accelerator (LINAC) for the Cancer & Haematology Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.  All 3 ladies have very impressive biographies detailed below. The exhibition will last until 3 October. The work is taken from their recent publication Secret Shropshire, available on Amazon.  As with the original book, the artists will donate all their profits from sales during their time at Apley Farm to the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund.

Jean Macdonald – Photographer

Jean’s passion for photography took root following careers as a physical training instructor in the Army & later as a physiotherapist.  Inspired by the Shropshire landscape on her doorstep, Jean has a natural eye for beauty & an intuitive ability to recognise excellent composition.  Her work, published widely, has appeared in Shropshire Life, Amateur Photographer & Farmers Weekly, for whom she has been Photographer of the Year.  In 2010 Jean was highly commended in the International Garden Photographer of the Year & Travel Photographer of the Year.  In 2012 Jean came first & third in the prestigious International Equine Photographic Competition & has since been highly commended in the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2013.  Like Alfred Eisenstaedt, Jean believes, “When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.”

Maureen Westerby – Artist

Maureen spent the last part of a rewarding teaching career in Shropshire & only on retirement got the opportunity to follow her dream to become an artist, spending a happy five years studying fine art.  With an acute sense of the visual coupled with a home in the heart of the South Shropshire countryside, it was no surprise that recording the landscape would become the central theme of her work.  In London Maureen has exhibited work highly commended by The Royal Academy.  Exhibitions in Shropshire & Herefordshire have brought her images closer to home.  Maureen connects with Picasso’s view that, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Marilyn Gaunt – Principal Poet

Marilyn studied at Leeds College of Art & The Royal College of Art, Film & T.V. School.  She then became a documentary film maker winning a number of awards, including a BAFTA.  On retirement Marilyn decided to revisit an earlier passion for poetry.  Maureen & Jean’s images of their secret Shropshire provided the inspiration & focus she needed to begin writing again.

Lingen Davies Cancer Fund website describes their current appeal:

“Lingen Davies Cancer Fund launched the ACTION appeal on Saturday 10th January 2015. The charity has pledged to raise £750,000 by the end of 2016 to help fund an additional world class Linear Accelerator (LINAC) for the Cancer & Haematology Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. A LINAC is a machine that delivers radiotherapy treatment to cancer patients. The department already has two machines, but a third is desperately needed so that waiting times for treatment do not increase. Our aim is to ensure that as many patients as possible in Shropshire & Mid-Wales can receive radiotherapy treatment quickly & with minimum disruption to their daily lives. Without our fundraising, people would have to travel to other hospitals much further afield.”