A Glimpse of Paradise - Sri Lanka
A joint exhibition by:
Daphne Weerasinghe and Nandana de Silva
Wednesday 1st September – Saturday 9th October
Image : Daphne Weerasinghe
Daphne Weerasinghe
Daphne Weerasinghe enjoys the delicate and unique technique of botanical painting. In April 2008 she went on a painting holiday to Sri-Lanka with a group of artists tutored by Valerie Oxley. It was on that tour that Daphne was inspired to have an exhibition using Sri-Lankan flowers as her inspiration.
This exhibition includes a delightful contrast of both exotic flowers from Sri-Lanka and more familiar flora from much closer to home.
Daphne is a qualified, registered general and mental health nurse. Since her retirement she has pursued the hobby of painting flowers in watercolour, which she was attracted to as it is very relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable. She has attended a number of courses tutored by Judith Milne at Reading and Valerie Oxley at Highham Hall in Cumbria, Maddingley Hall in Cambridge and Sheffield Botanical Gardens. She still attends Valerie’s classes and has also attended painting courses by Billy Showell at Denman College Oxford and Edinburgh Botanical Gardens.
Her painting “The Kookaburra” was voted the most popular in one of the Darlington Society of Art Exhibitions and was subsequently published in the Leisure Painting magazine.
Nandana de Silva
Since coming to the UK Nandana de Silva has continued to enjoy his hobby while working as a busy Emergency medicine doctor at Darlington Memorial Hospital. He was a member of Darlington camera club, and won both club class and advanced class completions.
Nandana has been interested in photography since his childhood. He is an avid reader especially when it is related to photography. He won the 2nd place in a photographic competition held by National Photographic and arts society of Sri Lanka when he was a medical student there.
Nandana has a special interest in wildlife photography and spends most of his holiday time in Sri Lanka.
The photos in this exhibition were taken in the last 2 years in Sri Lanka and include wildlife, landscapes and cultural photos which will give a flavour of this beautiful country.