Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees ( HBTSR) and Llangorse Play Park are delighted to have been chosen as the charities to benefit from an exhibition and sale of paintings by Llangorse artist Sylvia Dunn.
Sylvia Dunn, nee Matheson, was born in Coventry in October 1928 where she lived until going to London University to study medicine. Upon graduating as a doctor, she married Andrew Dunn, moved to Bridgnorth Shropshire where she raised their four children and worked as a general medical practitioner in Kidderminster specialising in family planning and psychosexual medicine. Upon retirement and a move to Llangorse in 1990, she embraced her long term interest in art , travelling widely to learn from many established artists.
She was inspired by the beauty of the countryside and its people. Her paintings reflect the colours and textures of the landscapes and seasons that are so immediately felt in this part of the world. Her portraits glow with colour and insight into character. She drew and painted in many media with frequent local exhibitions of her works until 2009 when the failing health and subsequent death of her beloved Andrew brought a complete cessation to her output.
Her own death in June 2021 provides her family with an opportunity to display some of her work and raise money for two charities close to her heart. Sylvia was always concerned about people who were less well off than herself having known poverty in her wartime childhood and was housed for a time in a local hall when her family home was destroyed by bombs. This early experience of displacement meant she was a natural supporter of Hay, Brecon and Talgarth sanctuary for Refugees of which her daughter Ailsa is secretary. She also felt strongly about the need for safe unstructured play in the development of children and was keen that a play park was available for local families.
The exhibition in Llangorse Community Centre is a chance for people to see and buy her paintings. The exhibition will open Thursday 22nd July morning and from then on Monday and Thursday mornings throughout the summer and some weekend dates to be decided.
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