Meltham artist Maggie Valerio is known for her vibrantly-colourful, imaginative paintings and drawings.
She is also a poet.
A new exhibition of her work at the North Light Gallery, Armitage Bridge, opening this weekend, reveals her to be a woman of many talents.
Alongside her artwork, the exhibition, Pattern of Ideas, presents a new edition of The RD Quartet, a series of four booklets which were produced in collaboration with her brother Robert Valerio, who died in 1998.
“They are artists’ booklets with poems, text and interpretative images,” explained Maggie, who works under the title of M.Valerio.
Maggie is also launching a complete set of 10 new booklets of illustrated rhymes for children entitled The Macaldi Moraldi Collection.
“They are rhymes that touch on issues of the day but in quite a playful way for children. They are for thoughtful imaginative young people, from five upwards,” she explained.
Her booklets have a humanitarian slant and have been described as ‘philosophical rap.’ Editions of many of the booklets have been sold in aid of a number of organisations, including Amnesty International, The Big Issue, Oxfam and Mïedicins sans Frontieres.
Maggie is also exhibiting prints and cards of her works, which are in acrylic, oil, pastel and water colour.
The exhibition, which Maggie is sharing with London-based ceramicist and sculptor Mel Lloyd, is open until December 7, and can be viewed Fridays and Saturdays from 10am until 4pm.
