This week I was delighted to attend the opening of an exhibition by an
artist who, until now, has been apparently reluctant to expose his work to
too much public scrutiny.
He needn't have worried, as this exhibition shows him to be multi-faceted as
well as multi-talented. The artist in question is Terry Aston and the
exhibition, in The Island Arts Centre, Lisburn, is entitled Drawing Out, a
title which Terry says, "describes my work both literally and
metaphorically".
Born and trained in Manchester, Terry has lived and worked here for around
40 years, so I suppose we could call him an honorary Ulsterman. Certainly it
is around here that he gets much of his inspiration and does a great deal of
his drawing, both outdoors and indoors. This constant use of sketchbooks
runs through all his work over the years. As he says himself: "I can't
remember a time when I didn't draw and it is rare for a day to pass without
me doing a drawing".
That, therefore, is where the exhibition title comes from — Drawing Out — a
process of recording, developing and interpreting images, drawing out "
the qualities in a subject as I work or developing them later through
different media and techniques".
Terry is seldom seen without his pocket sketchbook and the show contains a
continuously playing DVD of the contents of 19 of them, done over a period
of seven years and containing some 1,100 images. This exhibition contains a
number of very different styles of work from the vigorous, vivid Saxophone
to the bold Blue Chairs, the finely drawn Railway Bridge, Maryland, or the
softly coloured Urbino, Italy but the most striking images in the show must
be his wonderful black and white relief prints. This wouldn't be his usual
medium — until now he has always favoured pen and wash or simple fine line,
very detailed, pen drawing but now he has exploded into the rhythmic freedom
of print.
Although illustration was the subject he lectured in at UU, he is so
obviously a designer at heart with around 20 lovely, flowing, extremely
pattern-conscious images. We've waited far too long for this exhibition and
it runs until May 31.
Hi: 17°C / Lw: 12°C
Looking forward to the famous biking event
Contestants pose for snaps at Vietnam resort
Supporters that made Euro 2008 one to remember
Fashion of the wives throughout the tournament
Bjorn Borg jumps in a cab as the action heats up
Mandela honoured with the class of 2008
Fairytale ending at sea sculpture festival 
Thousands turn out as Spain bring trophy home
Pop princess Minogue wows fans at Odyssey gig
Pets compete to be crowned the world's ugliest
Try your luck in our GAA 'pick the score' competition
Elaborate hats come out for Ascot's Ladies Day
Revellers party in the sun at Portrush dance event
Ship's Belfast beginnings celebrated in exhibition
Applauding Ulster's most exceptional women
Special report on Northern Ireland's worst house fire
Celebrating excellence at the inaugural awards gala 
Special multimedia report on Belfast Wheel