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Oxford Art Society: Oxfordshire Museum
9:42am Thursday 10th April 2008
How apt that an exhibition of the works of J.A.Shuffrey, the Oxford artist who specialised in painting ancient buildings, cottages and townscapes, should be taking place at the Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock, at the same time as the Oxford Art Society's Members' Exhibition. Shuffrey (1859-1939) was an original member of the society and, like so many artists who joined this prestigious organisation, went on to became an artist of high repute.
The spring exhibition offers a great collection of works once again. Keith Hill's blue acrylic on wood entitled One Dog and His Man, with the jolly hound's wide open mouth and eyes showing bemused surprise on discovering himself photographed for the members' catalogue, sets the scene well, since several works include pictures of our canine friends.
Walking the Man, a delightful small mixed-media sculpture, by Eleanor Clutton-Brock, displayed in a glass case in the second room of the Garden Gallery, is as amusing as Keith Hill's creation. The dog in this piece really is leading the man dressed in hunting pink - it's guaranteed to make you laugh. Boris, which is another of Joan Dutton's charming papier mache/mixed media doggies - with his patchwork scarf around his neck and bottle top eyes - will make you laugh too.
Alan Mynall's dog in his oil painting One Man and His Dog is more contemplative. He sits expectantly beside his master who appears to be taking in the view. Jago Pryce's watercolour Harry Covets the Cupcake will appeal to all dog lovers who have come to recognise a certain canine look that dominates when food is just out of reach.
My choice this time, were I asked to pick just one work from this collection, does not fit into the dog theme. I would like to think, though, that the sitter, the Rev John Reynolds (pictured), painted in oils by Graeme Salmon, did in fact have a dog sitting beside him as he posed for this excellent portrait.
This stimulating exhibition continues until until May 6.
Editor's choice
The Mole and Chicken, Easington, near Thame
One of the pictures on this page gives a good impression of the delights to be enjoyed at the Mole and Chicken on one of those sunny days that now seem as far as can be from our present situation.
Early taste of Christmas wine
Next week is The Oxford Times Wine Club Christmas Tasting and, with just four weeks to go until Christmas Day, it is an excellent opportunity to sample a specially-selected range of wines for the festive season.
Dylan Moran: New Theatre, Oxford
‘I was the first person to discover that if you infected a person with Marmite, he would stand up and bark at the moon.” “Everybody under the age of 35 has the intelligence of raspberry jam.” “Children can hear vegetables hiding.”
Sleeping Beauty, Chipping Norton Theatre
There’s nothing King Couer-de-Loup likes more than a good battle: “We’ll march on King Florizel’s wet and wicked army,” he proclaims. His Queen is not so sure, however. She would rather her husband stayed around: there’s the christening of their daughter Princess Aurora to arrange for a start. And he certainly can’t go out and fight looking like that: “Your chain mail’s got a ladder in it,” she wails.
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