A FORMER make-up artist to the stars has opened her Gainford lounge as a pop-up gallery.
Dennie Pasion has renamed her livingroom at Snow Hall as The Drawing Room to host an exhibition
of Hexham-based surrealist artist Peter Robson.
Ms Pasion worked for years as a stylist for magazines such as Elle before retiring and moving to Gainford two years ago. She said she noticed the potential of the room when she first saw it while house hunting.
Ms Pasion said: “I thought it would be really great to use as a gallery or to do workshops or as a studio because it has got the light and the space and I just fell in love with it.
“I started doing pop-ups with antiques, jewellery, skin-care, all kinds of things, and then I met this artist, Peter Robson. I thought his work is extraordinary because he is a surrealist and it is unusual.
“Most of the people in this area are doing landscapes and it is really interesting to know what was behind his work.”
The exhibition, which is by appointment only, was launched on Saturday, April 29, with a Curious Tea Party, which attracted about 20 people and was based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
The display will continue until the end of the month.
Ms Pasion hadn’t seen the artist’s work when she agreed to host the exhibition but was moved to do it because of her fascination with surrealism.
She said: “I like the idea of surrealism because there are so many questions to ask and so many things to see. Everyone has their own experience with it.
“When I saw the painting the first thing I saw was the colour, this orange vibrant colour – I thought of everything looking so whimsical and beautiful, but when you look again it is very dark.”
One example is a colourful image which initially appears to be hot air balloons in the sky but on closer inspection are parachutes in camouflage carrying military kit.
Ms Pasion said: “All of the different stories are inside the paintings so you really have to look to find it. There is the shadow and then there is the light of optimism in the colour.”
People can also see some of her own merchandise when visiting The Drawing Room.
People who would like to view the exhibition can ring Ms Pasion on 07494 277645 or email Denniepasion@gmail.
com.
