Newcastle’s local art gallery ‘The Biscuit Factory’ has recently unveiled a new exhibition by artist Sally Anne Fitter. This new collection, titled ‘Chasing the Light’, depicts the beautiful nature of Norfolk as well as several abstract still life paintings of flowers.
These beautiful artworks not only cement the history of the natural landscapes, but also Fitter’s history herself, with her stating on her website that “pattern, colour and texture all play a large part in my paintings- a throwback from my past as a textile designer and ceramicist.”
In my interview with Fitter, she stated that she was influenced by the beauty of Norfolk, particularly because “they’ve got really amazing trees, really beautiful sort of ancient birch trees.” This has been perfectly translated onto canvas, particularly within her new collection.
For example, this painting titled ‘Dark Wood’ combines the texture of the gold leaf with the autumn oranges and dark greens and blues. This, alongside the brick background, invokes positive emotions of nostalgia.
Image details
Photo: ‘Dark Woods’ painted by Fitter.
Photo taken by me.
The collection also has several pieces that focus on flowers, for example the paintings titled ‘Woodbridge Flowers’ and ‘Sundays Fading Flowers’ each express an incredible combination of colour, texture, and composition. Fitter impressively utilises colour in both paintings to take the audience on a journey; from the colourful flowers, to the detailed patterns on the vases, to the dark background where the scratches highlight the bright layers of paint underneath.
Experiencing the awe of these paintings is open to anyone who visits ‘The Biscuit Factory’, which is only a stones-throw from Newcastle city centre. This location serves as the most aesthetically pleasing and calm place to browse local art and see new artist exhibitions. As stated on their website, this “former Victorian warehouse” displays “a range of contemporary fine art, sculpture, original prints and jewellery”, and is always open to the public.
In my interview with artist Sally Anne Fitter, she praised the location and stated, “it’s amazing at the Biscuit Factory […] it’s such a beautiful building and the staff are really sweet.” She also noted how calm and relaxed the exhibitions are at The Biscuit factory, mentioning “they don’t put too much pressure on me. I like doing exhibitions but I like to sort of be relaxed about it.”
When questioned about the possibility of her having a dream project in the future, Fitter stated “I’m just quite happy with what I’m doing really […] I think just having little solo exhibitions all over the country in nice places is a nice thing to do.” She also mentioned how she “likes to move on to the next one, keep creating […] I used to want to hang on to them, but I don’t now, I’ve been doing it too long.”
Fitter’s paintings are available in print version on her website for anyone who would like a version of her work in their homes. The visible personality in the paintings made apparent by the texture and gold leaf make all the owners of the prints feel more connected to Sally Anne Fitter herself, as well as her painting process.
Image details
All paintings in photo were painted by Fitter. Photo taken by me.
More information about Sally Anne Fitter, including her biography and paintings for sale, can be found on her website: www.sallyannefitter.co.uk
More information on ‘The Biscuit Factory’, including more exciting upcoming events, can be found on their website: www.thebiscuitfactory.com