A NEW exhibition at North Light Gallery celebrates the personal journey of the Rev Rupert Martin and his wife Sally through Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Romania.

From the Baltic to the Black Sea is the title of this fascinating exhibition at the gallery in Armitage Bridge which features pictures taken on a trip last year by the Rev Martin and his wife Sally, who are pastors of the parish of Sandal Magna in the Wakefield Diocese.

As a former curator of the Photographers Gallery in London, Rupert might have been expected to produce some interesting pictures and he charts the life and buildings of Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Romania with a keen and sensitive eye.

There are pictures of farming and prison life, nuns, goatherds and shepherds, old men with beards and characterful faces.

We see a tiny wooden church, a monastery 1800 metres above sea level, and elegant sculptures by Brancusi.

The work documents the impact of vibrant cultures, traditions and people who have survived years of oppression, and countries which continue to flourish now as part of the European Union.

The photographs also show us the splendour of Baltic Gothic buildings and street life scenes, like the chess-playing in Krakow. Rupert points out the clash of cultures in Poland – a contemporary stained glass window by Wyspianski and the brutal, Soviet-style Palace of Culture in Warsaw.

During the tour, Rupert had the satisfaction of tracing his Polish origins, with a visit to his father’s house in Kacice, near Krakow, where his father lived from 1930 to 1945.

Poetry accompanies the pictures, capturing an emotional response to encounters with the warm and hospitable people, alongside the layers of human and cultural history etched into the soul of the countries visited.

The exhibition runs until June 6 and the gallery and its excellent cafe open Fridays and Saturday, 10am to 4pm.

r HOLMFIRTH-based landscape artist Andy Fullalove is holding an exhibition, Within the Land, at Helen J Bray’s photographic studio over the weekend from May 15 to 17.

Andy exhibits his expressive, semi-abstract paintings in different parts of the country, but says “it is nice to be on home ground this time”.

“A lot of the inspiration is from the local area” he says. “My work is not about views – it is about the make-up of the land, a visual response to what I’m seeing and the contrasts within the land.

“All the paintings are oil on canvas. The scale of what I am looking at is reflected in the size of some of the canvases. They are not literal representations. Rather than copying what I’m seeing, it is more of an expressive, emotional response”.

On the opening night, Friday May 15 there will be entertainment by Neil Diffley (classical guitar), wine, refreshments and canapes.

Andy’s work can be seen at www.andyfullalove.com

r On the evenings of May 14, 15, folk singer Roger Davies will be appearing at the AC Gallery, Byram Street. Roger has written a song about the paintings to Peter Brook, of Brighouse, who will also be present.

The pair will be signing pictures for customers and a CD is being launched. Free tickets can be obtained from the gallery.

r ARTIST Jillian Bland will be touring Golcar with sketch books and pencils tomorrow encouraging people to either sit or stand with her and take part in doing 30 minute and three minute sketches.

Jillian describes this style of drawing and sketching as a full on activity so that every 30 minutes, those taking part will be allowed a 10 minute break!

Every time the sketchers begin a new subject, they will kick off with a three minute drawing.

Jillian says that’s to remind people that sketching is not about perfection and art exhibitions it’s about fun or recording briefly what is there.

There will be plenty of activity in the village tomorrow as it is Golcar Lily Day and Jillian should be easy to spot as she will be wearing the West Yorkshire costume according to artist George Walker who was commissioned in 1912 to tour the whole of Yorkshire and record the regional costumes and lifestyles.