In these festive, joyful days before Christmas, we send our warmest greetings to you all. Daniel Van der Putten’s ‘The Church or the Pub, Levisham, Yorkshire’ has filled our hearts with a bounty of Christmas cheer, its brisk chill and soft radiance gracefully entwined in divine harmony. From the undisturbed mounds of snow to the tiny, delicate lights of the pub's entrance, each carefully orchestrated detail brings a burst of pleasure with every passing glance.

As an early Christmas present, the gallery is delighted to announce that contemporary artist Michael John Ashcroft has recently been elected an Associate member of the Royal Society of Oil Painters (ROI). One of the country’s most prestigious arts societies, the ROI upholds the tradition of oil painting to the highest standards of excellence. As the ROI is confined to roughly 65 elected members, Michael’s appointment as an Associate member is a great honour and the first step towards achieving full membership status. You can read more about Michael’s exciting news here.

For those who may have left their Christmas shopping until the last-minute, there is also good news; a selection of dazzling new paintings have arrived from some of the gallery’s favourite artists, including Alex Hill, Wayne Westwood, Terry Evans, Suzie Emery, Jay Nottingham and Terry Grundy. A guaranteed way to brighten up even the darkest of days, each of these new arrivals would make a perfect gift for collectors. Do visit our Recently Acquired page to view the new collection—perhaps with a seasonal hot chocolate in hand.

Finally, while our Harrogate gallery will be closed from Sunday the 22nd of December until Saturday the 28th, our York gallery will be open until noon on Christmas Eve, giving plenty of time to collect any outstanding purchases. Though closed Christmas Day, the York gallery will re-open on Boxing Day from 10:00am-5:00pm and resume normal business hours until New Year’s Day, when it will be open from 10:00am-5:00pm.

We wish you the best for a very happy Christmas and a prosperous new year ahead. We look forward to welcoming you to our galleries in 2020!