13/08/2026
A sunny evening in Cardiff for the Albany Gallery Summer Show private view. Blue skies, warm air, and a gallery full of people who clearly love art, I couldn't have asked for a better setting.
I made the trip up with Debbie, who manages my marketing, and Alex, my photographer, and I think the team at Albany were a little surprised the three of us had made the effort to be there in person. But after thirty years of exhibiting, some occasions are worth showing up for.
The gallery spans two floors and on the night it was full to the rafters, paintings in every medium alongside ceramics, more than twenty artists represented in total. Running alongside the Summer Show is a retrospective for Alastair Elkes-Jones (1942–2024), which gave the evening an added sense of occasion. I even caught up with fellow artist Vernon, who I've exhibited alongside for about 15 years.
The atmosphere was relaxed, fun and unpretentious. The staff were welcoming from the moment we arrived, and it was obvious this is a gallery with a loyal following, many of the guests have been supporting Albany since Mary Yapp founded it. You just know that kind of long-standing relationship between a gallery and its collectors doesn't happen by accident, it's all thanks to the amazing team of staff and volunteers.
Six of my paintings are included in the show, which continues until 12 September. If you're near Cardiff, go and see it in person, art always reads differently in the room than on a screen.
The Albany is exactly the kind of gallery that keeps collectors coming back year after year. We all need original art in our lives!
