The Christmas Radiance show celebrates the variety and wonder of Sladers Yard’s artists, pointing up their work by combining and contrasting one with another. Alongside new work by living painters and printmakers, we are pleased to have rediscovered paintings by Alfred Stockham. In memory of the much-loved artist Hugh Dunford Wood, we are delighted to show a selling selection of his finest paintings and prints.

We introduce two brilliant ceramic artists new to the gallery, the intriguing carved spiral forms of Emily Myers and the delightful figures of Derek Matthews, who join a fabulous selection of ceramics. As Petter Southall’s work becomes more playful and adventurous, we have lamp bases, low tables, console tables and dining tables plus sculpture in wood alongside his remarkable range of handmade chairs. Richly coloured woven textiles, scarves, throws and cushions, books, cards and posters offer something for every budget.

Magnificent atmospheric landscape paintings by Louise Balaam and Vanessa Gardiner evoke wild remote places. Both painters have strong visual languages which they have developed over their careers. Louise Balaam’s work is gestural, expressive, thick in paint and full of energy. Vanessa Gardiner’s work is architectural, lavish in parts and pared back in others, stylised but true to the natural landscape, finely considered and deeply engaging.

Martyn Brewster’s paintings and prints are inspired by the Dorset landscape and expressed through colour, texture and form in compositions that draw the eye in and speak direct to the heart.

Alfred Stockham’s small masterpieces have long been a highlight of our Christmas shows. In addition to some glorious paintings direct from his estate we are pleased to offer four paintings, two of which date from the 1980s and have not been seen in this gallery before and two more recent which we have previously sold. These join a new selection of Howard Phipps’ exquisite wood engravings of the West Country’s best-loved places including many local to Bridport.

Emily Myers is new to Sladers Yard but she has been a potter all her life. Emily makes thrilling vessels in a variety of shapes and colours with swirling, deep, regular grooves or planes of surface. From mini to full scale, her pots are a joy to behold. Derek Matthews’s pottery often invites a sense of playfulness, sparking a dialogue between viewer and artwork. He honours the rich histories and traditions of ceramics from diverse cultures. Through his dedication to storytelling, he transforms earthenware into a medium that celebrates heritage, imagination, and the universal human experience, making his pieces not just objects but also conduits of memory and experience.

They join some remarkable ceramics including exciting new textured pieces in the colours of lichen and rock by rising star Lise Herud Braten. The talented Björk Haraldsdóttir drapes monotone patterns over deeply satisfying forms to create ever more subtle and interesting pieces. The patterns in Barbara Gittings’ porcelain pots are built up using Nerikomi techniques which involve joining, slicing and rejoining layers of coloured porcelain to make fine smoke-fired ceramics.

Yo Thom’s sgraffito markings on an indigo slip partially covered with white glaze create works of fascination and delight. Gabriele Koch makes masterful ceramics whose interesting surfaces contain a deep sense of stillness and presence. Sue Ure’s practical, brightly coloured homeware is a pleasure for the eye and the hand. Paul Wearing’s deeply textured ceramics are fired with multiple oxides and glazes to make surfaces like underwater landscapes.

As Petter Southall’s work becomes ever more playful and adventurous, we have lampstands, low tables, console tables and dining tables plus sculpture in wood alongside his remarkable range of handmade chairs. Each one is a wonder of craftsmanship and design.

Richly coloured woven textiles, scrabes, throws and cushions books, cards and posters offer something for every budget.