Ilkley artist Lucia Smith is getting ready to retire this year. After 30 years of living in Ilkley and painting the moors around us, she says it is time to give her shoulders a rest and simply enjoy walking in the Dales without the need to express her love for them through painting.
Lucia has always painted the Yorkshire Dales in a colourful way, letting colour add excitement and echo the emotional experience of being up on the moors.
She hopes that her recent project of painting all the named Dales of the Yorkshire Dales National Park will continue to encourage people to explore new locations. There are 49 named Dales, all of which she has visited and explored and then painted, so there’s a great deal of breathtaking scenery to take in!
During April Lucia has several events in Ilkley which celebrate her project, her paintings, and her forthcoming retirement.
She will be featured artist at Weaverbird Workshop (Wells Rd, Ilkley) throughout the month; with a special evening opening on Thursday 3rd April 6pm – 8pm; and a Sunday Gallery opening on 13th April 10am – 4pm; both events hosted by her personally.
She is also guest speaker at Ilkley Manor House coffee morning on Friday 25th April, when she will present her illustrated talk about her work and her love of the Yorkshire Dales for the first time. Tickets available at www.ilkleymanorhouse.org.
With spring offers and lots of her remaining work to view, she’s looking forward to an exciting month. You can find out more at www.luciasmith.co.uk