This summer, Velarde is delighted to present Botanical Reverie: Celebrating Flora and Form, an exhibition celebrating the beauty and diversity of the natural world through painting and sculpture.

The exhibition brings together a solo show of expressive floral works by Philip Maltman, alongside a curated group exhibition featuring a diverse range of artists and sculptors whose work responds to nature, light, and the environments that inspire them. Maltman's paintings bring his distinctive, fluid depictions of flowers with bursts of colour and movement that bridge the line between abstraction and observation. He explores the dynamic, ever-changing nature of landscapes through abstract, fluid mark-making offering his viewers a fresh, imaginative take on the natural world.

The group exhibition showcases an exciting new series by Anthony Garratt, inspired by the rich and varied Dartmoor landscape, with a special focus on the smaller natural systems that make up the whole.  New paintings by Cornwall based artist Jack Tierney inject fresh energy into still life painting through colour, expression and raw authenticity. Rowan Paton’s unique abstract landscapes and still life’s, presented in a variety of sizes embody her view of paint as “instant, decisive, luxurious, bold, yet nuanced.” Alongside the botanical themed works sits the distinctive sculptural forms of artist Patricia Volk RWA FRSS whose “purely visual and non intellectual” sculptural pieces bring a sense of strength and spontaneity to the collection. New to the gallery are ceramicists Maria Wojdat and Dawn Hajittofi who also each contribute their distinctive approaches of form, colour, and texture, complimenting the organic themes throughout the exhibition.

The Sculpture Garden, now in full bloom, serves as an outdoor extension of the gallery space. Set against stone walls and native plants, it showcases an evolving collection of sculptures that reflect the exhibition's themes. The exhibition features works by new artists including James Oughtibridge, whose bold and adventurous sculptures are inspired by the dramatic Yorkshire Pennine landscape; Dominic Welch, who begins his process by drawing directly onto stone, refining each piece through meticulous texturing and shaping; and Louise Plant, who explores light, form, and movement through sculptural forms inspired by the underwater world. Their work is shown alongside a new piece by much-loved artist Richard Perry.

"I am constantly dealing with the ephemera of life and death in nature, coupled with meditations on arT, music, and literature, in order to create a unique painting rather than a representation of the world."

Philip Maltman creates paintings through a direct and deliberate engagement with the medium, manually working the paint rather than relying on technical effects or chemical experimentation. While accidents are welcomed, they are always thoughtfully considered and modified. His paintings are often accompanied by drawing and handwritten text, adding layers of meaning and personal resonance.  Since his school years, Maltman has drawn deep inspiration from James Joyce. He has met and spent time with influential artists such as Alan Davie, Bert Irvin, and Don van Vliet (Captain Beefheart), and corresponded with Robert Motherwell in the 1980s, who generously sent him rare material. 

Maltman sees painting as a struggle with the self—one that, when honest, leads to work that is emotionally complex and never neatly resolved. His practice is prolific, driven by a need to encounter something new each day. “My work deals with nature in an atomic sense in that everything is related and subjects, whether abstract or representational can co-exist with references to literature or music often being included in the work. I like the look of words.”

Anthony Garratt’s experimental paintings of wild landscapes such as Dartmoor and the South West coastline are designed to inspire an emotional connection with the imagery he creates. His works explore ideas of aloneness, encounters with the sublime, and the innate power of the world’s remote natural landscapes. By way of a strong colour palette and the dramatic use of light and dark, he skillfully communicates the thrill of isolation in lonely, bleak and unforgiving places. Anthony Garratt studied at Chelsea College of Art and graduated with a BA Honours from Falmouth College of Art. In 2014 he became a tutor at Newlyn School of Art In Cornwall, and in 2019 he established ‘Cawston Garratt’, a collaborative project which combines the processes of painting and photography. He is also a member of the Wilderness Art Collective and runs workshops that encourage a creative relationship with environmental issues. Alongside his painting he regularly conceives and produces large scale, self-initiated public art installations inspired by his passion for collaboration and for offering audiences the opportunity to encounter site specific artworks outdoors. He has exhibited extensively, including 18 solo shows to date, and his paintings are held in private and corporate collections internationally. 

Dawn Hajittofi’s work tells the story of life’s journey—how we carry our struggles, fears, and disappointments alongside our hopes and dreams, while acknowledging suffering and the search for healing and acceptance.The vessels are thrown and altered, marked with various indentations and additions to the surface. They are decorated using slips and underglazes, finished with a randomly applied glaze. The abstract marks symbolize the significant events we encounter, acknowledging their lasting impact.

A key feature in her work is the addition of gilt, referencing the Japanese art of Kintsugi—the practice of restoring a broken vessel with gold, thus restoring its purpose, value, and worth. As Edmund de Waal notes, “Kintsugi is not the art of erasure – the invisible mend, the erasing of a mistake – but rather the marking of a loss.” Through this philosophy, Dawn’s work celebrates the beauty in imperfection and the transformative power of repair.

James Oughtibridge’s sculptures are inspired by the dramatic Yorkshire Pennine landscape, where his studio is based. The misty hills, valleys, and rugged edges influence his use of texture, monochrome tones, and form.

He discovered clay during a foundation course at Dewsbury Art College, sparked by a brief but formative experience with Raku ceramist David Roberts. He later studied at Loughborough and the Royal College of Art, graduating in 2001. After time in London, he returned to Yorkshire in 2005, influenced by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Barbara Hepworth’s work.

Oughtibridge’s sculptures are bold and ambiguous, made from curved clay sections joined when leather-hard. Each piece undergoes careful construction, refining, and long firing processes. His distinctive style has gained international recognition, and he continues to evolve, now exploring bronze and larger-scale works.

Using collage, printmaking, text, and pattern, Rowan Paton constructs layered visual worlds that feel both imagined and deeply connected to the natural environment. Her process is intuitive and organic, allowing her to explore complex themes such as mental health, environmental change, and the different ways we experience existence. The landscape, most notably mountains, appear frequently in her work, offering a framework through which these ideas unfold.

“Paint provides an immediacy of mark that no other material imparts. It is instant, decisive, luxurious, bold, yet nuanced. The satisfying repetitive drag on linen, applied, reduced, re-applied, washed away, applied again, holds a unique appeal for me.  If the interplay between materiality and narrative is found lacking or absent, it can be frustrating, depressing even. When they interlock, however, it is the reason I continue to make images. Providing purpose and stability, it is still the most surprising, challenging and soothing process - painted contexts to be absorbed by and disappear into.”

British artist Richard Perry lives and works in Nottinghamshire and has been making work for public spaces and gallery exhibitions for over forty years. As a sculptor he works with various materials, primarily stone, and also works in the mediums of drawing and painting. His work is held in public and corporate collections including GlaxoSmithKline, The Boots Company, the EDA Garden Museum (Tokyo), the British Museum’s National Collection of Prints and Drawings, and his public sculptures can be found in cities across the UK and Europe. 

Richard’s recent and ongoing work explores the juxtaposition between organic freeform and geometric sculpture. A tension between careful planning and intuitive adjustment arises in the process of creating these sculptures, resulting in illusory forms that strive to break free from an underlying rationale. His exploration of these ideas moves between painting, drawing and sculpture, each medium informing the others and acting as a springboard for creative development. Materiality is a key concern and makes for a varied working process: his direct, spontaneous ink drawings act as a tempo change from the labour-intensive process of manipulating stone.

Fellow of the Royal Society of Sculptors, Louise Plant is a British sculptor whose work has been widely exhibited across the UK and internationally, with major public and corporate commissions including the Waldorf Astoria in Bangkok, the Ministry of Defence in Northwood, and Durham County Council. 

Fascinated by movement, Louise Plant creates sculpture which explores light, form and space. In her most recent work, The Nudibranx series, Louise takes inspiration from natural forms created underwater, capturing the undulating movement of organic matter. Additionally, in developing the Parkour series, Louise has begun to make this strong urban inspired work in marble, highlighting the material’s capacity to infuse light drawn from a dense city skyline.

Jack Tierney's work is influenced by the bold colours and expressive brushstrokes of Fauvist and Post-Impressionist painters, as well as the playful mark-making of folk art. His paintings are stylised recordings of the world around him.

His creative process balances control and spontaneity, often letting ideas evolve directly on the canvas. This approach leads to unexpected directions, with layers of paint being added and erased, transforming compositions and revealing the essence of each piece in the exposed layers.

 Jack’s work often feels slightly at odds with itself, with a composition that reflects his fascination with naïve and folk art. He seeks to capture the raw energy of childhood drawing—just before refinement takes over. This imperfection gives his work a vitality and authenticity that is more compelling than polished perfection.

For Jack, the soul of the painting lies in its flaws, connecting to something deeply human and nostalgic. The challenge is to embody this rawness without it feeling forced— or, as he describes it, ‘to paint badly, but to do it well.’

Belfast born sculptor Patricia Volk RWA FRSS studied Three-Dimensional Design at Middlesex Polytechnic and graduated with a BA in Ceramics from Bath Spa University. Her practice is based on an intuitive exploration of the immediacy of clay, using techniques from coiling to slab building to make pieces that capture a simplicity of form or line, and are then fired and finished with bright and transformative applications of acrylic paint. Placing one powerful colour against another, and one powerful form beside another, she aims to achieve a satisfying aesthetic that suggests the contradictions of strength and fragility, stability and precariousness, resulting in works that she describes as “purely visual and non-intellectual”. Since 2008, Patricia Volk has exhibited her colourful sculptures in galleries and museums across the United Kingdom. Her artworks feature in private collections, such as that of the writer Anthony Horowitz and that of the politician Lord Carrington, as well as public collections such as the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. Her work has been featured in numerous publications and in 2020 it was included in the book “50 Women Sculptors”, alongside famous artists like Camille Claudel, Barbara Hepworth, Niki de Saint Phalle and Louise Bourgeois. Patricia is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Sculptors (FRSS), and an Academician of the Royal West of England Academy (RWA).

Beautiful, uplifting forms emerge as Dominic Welch carves—removing, smoothing, or adding texture—refining each piece until it feels just right. His serene, elegant sculptures have earned him a place among the leading sculptors of his generation. Though stone carving is slow, Welch sees it as a fulfilling journey of discovery. The dreamlike forms shaped through this meditative process now appear in public and private spaces worldwide.

Inspired by mid-century design and the minimal aesthetics of artists such as Carl Andre, Donald Judd and Richard Serra, Maria Wojdat makes both 2D and 3D pieces.  Three dimensionally the work is based on the vessel - using line, colour and form to explore themes which are based on observations of the human condition - connections and relationships, boundaries and divisions, sameness and difference.  

Her work as a graphic designer is a major influence - the qualities of material, techniques and even some tools have come with her into working in clay. The precision she learned when creating artwork on a drawing board combined with the organic nature of clay is the basis of the way she works in clay today. An important part of her process involves painstakingly scraping and sanding the work at various stages, aiming to create the clean lines and balanced forms of her pieces. Line has always been a fascination, from a small child watching her father, a structural engineer, draw perfect black lines on his technical drawings, to her own as a graphic designer producing artwork for print.  Now she attempts to create equally perfect lines in 3 dimensions around a form. They are seen as the boundaries, containing and coming between, defining the form and the spaces both inside and out.