Summer in Burtersett

The excitement of the Tour de France now but a memory, normality has returned to Burtersett.

Local farmers are saying that the hay is the best for many a year!

Visitors to the gallery last week included Euan from Guisborough with his two Border terriers, called Kipper and Haggis! Border terriers are no strangers to the Burtersett Gallery. There's even been one (called Bruce) on the walls, see here!

Photos © Brian Alderman

Tour de France Countdown

The Burtersett Gallery is ready for visitors with just two days until the Grand Depart of the Tour de France, see here.

Inside the gallery, cycling is the theme this month.

Cycling fans will find something of interest!

Burtersett village has embraced the event ...

 ... as has the whole of the Dales!

The town of Hawes has been transformed into a hub for the Tour and it's a sea of red and white for the Cote de Buttertubs stage on Saturday.

The roads are as smooth as they've ever been and every drain cover and man-hole has been lifted and repositioned for the race.

All that is needed now is for the weather to be good too!

Recent visitors to the gallery included Alan and Denise Jarvis on their tandem which was manufactured locally in Gargrave by Orbitandems.

Images © Brian Alderman

Exhibiting in Leyburn

An old primary school building in Leyburn is now an arts centre, theatre and cinema complex and has a friendly little café. The TOSH website is here.

It is the venue for an exhibition called Plain Air, with a definite Dales theme, all five artists having connections with Wensleydale. The five exhibitors are Bill Oakey, Moira Metcalf, David Tarn, Ann Kerr, and Brian Alderman. 
 

Another view inside the exhibition.

Some of Brian's new work is on show.

And more.

Dales' characters. 

The exhibition is on every day, and closes on Saturday, June 7, at 4pm.

Images © Brian Alderman

Cycling Fans Welcome

A warm welcome awaits cycling fans if they are in the Dales for the Tour de France Grand Depart in early July. The Burtersett Gallery will be open afternoons from the beginning of June.

Cycling technology has moved forward since this model was introduced. Solid rubber tyres and front brake only!

Photos © Brian Alderman

The Big Four

These four paintings are the largest Brian has worked on this spring. The one above is called 'The Breakaway'.

They will be on show at the Wensleydale Creamery, in the Kit Calvert Restaurant, during the lead up to the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Yorkshire on Saturday, July 5th.

Three of the four canvases feature cyclists racing through the Dales with a Wensleydale Creamery milk tanker or cheese delivery lorry somewhere in the scene. The tanker is responsible for collecting the fresh milk from Dales' farms that goes into the cheese making, and delivering it to the creamery on a daily basis.

This is entitled 'Passing Aysgarth'.

'Up Wharfedale'

This is 'Reeth to Grinton'.

High quality giclee copies will be available in the Creamery and in the Burtersett Gallery, either mounted or framed behind glass.

The original paintings on canvas, which are 36 inches by 24 inches, are also for sale at the Wensleydale Creamery.

Images © Brian Alderman 

More Tour de France

With the Tour of France 2014 getting closer, here are three more paintings that can be seen in the gallery in Burtersett, and which will be available  as limited edition prints at selected outlets around Hawes.

More about the Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2014 can be found here.

All images © Brian Alderman.

Tour de France

The Tour de France is coming to the Yorkshire Dales later this year, and Brian's recent work seeks to capture the excitement of the event.

The Grand Depart is on July 5th, starting out from Leeds with the riders making their way to Harrogate via the spectacular scenery of the Yorkshire Dales.

They will leave Leeds heading north to Harewood before turning west through Otley, Ilkley and Skipton then north into Wharfedale, the first of the day's main valleys. Passing by the tourist hot-spots of Grassington, Kettlewell and Buckden the cyclists will encounter a long steep climb up to Thoralby and then enter Wensleydale.

From Aysgarth they will make their way west to Hawes at the top of the dale and get their first sight of the Buttertubs Pass over which they must summit before dropping down into the northernmost and narrowest valley of Swaledale with twisting roads and sharp bends. But it's an incredibly picturesque route and sure to be lined with crowds the whole way down to the market town of Reeth.

From there it's south through Leyburn, Middleham and Masham to Ripon where they will skirt the town then onto the final straight to the big crowds and the finishing line in Harrogate. Quite a testing first day!

More about the Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2014 can be found here.

All images © Brian Alderman.

New Year 2014

Happy New Year from Burtersett!

With the Tour de France set to pass close to Burtersett on July 5, 2014, see here, Brian has been painting cycling scenes!

 

 January 1 saw friends and neighbours converge on Hillcrest.

Tommy makes a new friend!

Mine host, behind the scenes.

Time to face the camera.

 

If you plan to visit the Yorkshire Dales this year, make sure to visit the Burtersett Gallery!