Exhibitions
The Parsonage is open 7 days a week: Monday to Sunday 9.30 - 16.00 |
On Sundays, all galleries will be free for you to see the exhibitions, but on other days the rooms may not be accessible. If you want to check ahead of your visit, please ring us on 0161 445 7661.
Gallery one - Zipora Whyman
Zipora Whyman created a collection of pressed flower art, expressing her artistic interpretation of nature.
She studied Floristry in Stockport and participated in floral art competitions around the country.
Born in Jerusalem, Zipora spent most of her life in England, and also lived for several years in France.
STEVE PARLE ROOM - LORRAINE PENCHION
I have always had a great interest in art. From an early age I created scrapbooks wanting to do anything creative. When I left school I went on to complete a two year foundation course followed by a degree in printed textiles at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester School of Art). It was a wonderful course that really taught us how to look and see objects and colour with great consideration. The degree was very drawing related which was suited to my style of painting.
I left art school in 1981 and decided to pursue working as a freelance artist. I was able to be successful finding commissions for design work and greetings cards. At this time I was sharing a design studio in the Manchester Craft Village until I decided to relocate to London. I have exhibited in New York and Germany as well as galleries in the UK. I have also worked as a part-time lecturer returning to Manchester School of Art and other colleges. I returned to Altrincham in 1989 and have lived and worked from here ever since. In 2017 everything came to a halt as I was diagnosed with breast cancer. This had a significant impact on my life and my ability to work was interrupted. It was over a year before I was able to continue and found my painting to be therapeutic. During the pandemic I was able to focus more on my painting again. Unfortunately in 2024 I developed secondary stage 4 breast cancer which is incurable but can be treated. I am grateful to The Christie for the care and treatment I receive and will be donating a percentage of the proceeds from this exhibition of my work. I hope that you enjoy looking at my paintings and get as much pleasure as I have attained creating them.
As a watercolour artist I take inspiration from nature creating botanical and still life images as well as landscapes of places visited over recent years. I have also included studies of our family dog Nellie a golden retriever as she has grown. Some of these studies are monoprint which is method where inked glass is used to take an imprint of a drawing on paper.
CORRIDOR - PETER BRIGHOUSE
Peter Brighouse, unlike the ageing juvenile Binky Huckaback (ref: BBC Radio ‘Beyond Our Ken’), is simply … ageing! Born into a family on Parsonage Road, Withington, Manchester, at a time when traffic calming schemes were but an ephemeral fleeting thought in the local authority’s eye. Formative years on Old Lansdowne Road, attending Cavendish Road primary followed by Chorlton Grammar School. No.35 or Buxton Mount as it is still called, a fine 5 bed Victorian Semi, was bought by Dad for £900 c1954. For a short time, we kept hens on the north side of Lapwing Lane. On to an interesting course on Zoology at the university of Nottingham, graduating in 1968. Followed by 41 years in business admin computing, since Sir David Attenborough had already commandeered the top spot in natural history presentation.
Cats have figured continually in Peter’s life, the first four with my sister during schooldays. A few Guinea Pigs figured too but any dogs only belonged to friends or neighbours. After marriage, cats 5 to 12 have figured along with occasional Gerbils, a Guinea Pig and a Rabbit. As youngsters, my wife and I had always enjoyed the authors Beatrix Potter, Alison Uttley and suchlike and with children of our own could add Judith Kerr and Graham Oakley to the top choices. When our daughter Louisa was about 2, I thought I should write a cat story of my own for her. This went down well with our 8 year old son, so I wrote another and decided bravely to attempt illustrating them.
My special interests in jazz from the Great American Songbook, gardening, natural history and BBC comedy programmes from the 1950’s and 1960’s interwoven with the laid-back personalities of cats have formed the basis and themes of my cat tales. Louisa’s Ginger Nuts began as a passion project driven by our love for our children. We aim to share the warmth of cat tales and story illustrations, particularly those featuring ginger cats, along with unique art pieces that pay homage to Beatrix Potter, with everyone who treasures a furry friend.
GALERY THREE - SUE THOMPSON
A keen walker, I discovered the Lleyn Peninsula - especially Aberdaran - many years ago like many others (and the lake district) becoming passionate about landscape.
Starting with the bold lines of print, and now experimenting with mixed media - including collage, watercolour and acrylic, combined with pastels.
