Recent Paintings

Anthony Rossiter and Robert Hurdle: Pelter/Sands Gallery Park St Bristol

The Inspiration of friendship

James Belsey, Bristol Evening Post, 9 May 1998

Take two distinguished artist who've been friends and colleagues foe many years, give them a handsome exhibition space like the Pelter/Sands gallery and this, if you're lucky, will be the result.

By 'this' I mean a mature interesting, attractive exhibition by two painters whose work is contrasting but still complementary.

Rossiter and Hurdle taught together at the West of England college of Art in Bristol for 15 years and they have travelled and gallery visited together extensively in this country and on the continent.

As Hurdle says: 'although we paint very differently we share basic values and enjoy bouncing ideas off each other. There's a strong element of respect for each other's work"

Some well-deserved respect, too, judging by this show. Rossiter is painting with as much gusto as ever, Hurdle's calm, contemplative work has a dreamy quality that is immediately enjoyable.

Rossiter is best known for his studies of the Mendips. He lives up in those there hills, and the wild windswept limestone landscape is a major inspiration.

But he recently returned to the Lake District after a long absence and he fell under the spell of the lakes and mountains, producing a series of very fresh vivid pictures, the best of which are in this show.

Robert Hurdle's best pictures in his display are three very satisfying studies with water as a shimmering mirror of the scene.

There's a particularly striking study of dockside Bristol with a derelict warehouse reflected in blue water, his picture of the Serpentine in Hyde Park in London is a beauty and, dreamiest of all, there is a gloriously romantic study of Bathampton on a hot afternoon.

This very pleasant show continues until May 25.