Join me for a number of classes at Peterborough Museum throughout the year. Figure and observational drawing classes and charcoal workshops can be booked through the Arttickets and Eventbrite pages linked to the Peterborough Museum website:
I am pleased to present my latest exhibition this one is at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, 51 Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1LF, from the 8th November to 29th November 2025:
33 Suns and Comet Variations, James Tovey 2025
Colour palette and aesthetic investigations towards embroidery designs
There is so much I would like to write about the making of this exhibition, I have had some difficulty making it into a summary info board or leaflet for the show.
Beyond digital space
It has been immensely enjoyable putting this work together, partly as it brings together a few favourites in terms of art influences, but also has enabled free composition and unhindered direct use of the materials to hand. The concentration on the physical properties of the paint and inclusions has been deliberate. Partly it brings the manifestation of the images forward of a screen and surface, which has a vast appeal to me at the moment. It also adds a sculptural element when the paint is wet, and it also allows for glazing and effects – without the requirement of enslaving them to a space behind the surface that more (using the lay terms) ‘Photographic’ or ‘Figurative’ approaches might.
Themed projects & objects
They are though still pictures of objects: suns (stars), moons, comets. Symbolised, abstracted, derived from paper and wooden models; some painted after researching on the internet, others made from my own photographs using long telephoto lenses on a modern digital camera. A number of the designs are inspired directly form group workshops I have been involved in providing at Westraven Community Garden and the Learning Tree Kindergarten, in both cases the young people’s work has been up on display for visitors to see.
Mysteries of space
2025 has brought a number of exciting physical phenomena together that are to some extent
observable by many of us, and yet distant enough to still be abstract and mysterious:
• We have a number of comets arriving at similar times in the near proximity of the earth andinner planetary solar system,
• We have our own sun emitting large solar storms that are still building in magnitude and may soon or during this exhibition be interacting with the earth.
• An interstellar object, 3i Atlas – possibly a large comet five or more km across – is travelling on past, on a very similar plane to the Earth and the other solar system planets orbiting our sun.
• Betelgeuse, one of the closest supergiant stars to earth and 700 times larger than our sun has been found to have a companion star close by. It is also dimming and brightening in the sky, with this being attributed to sun spots. Although its explosion has been suggested, it is not thought to be occurring imminently.
In his later works the French artist George Braque painted birds, suggesting they were the true free inhabitants of the planet, able to cross national boundaries and roam where they wished. We know of course through studies of bird migrations and their abilities at finding their way, a bird’s roaming ability is more nuanced than total freedom. It could be thought that comets are the universe’s free travellers, transecting vast distances over time periods beyond our human understanding, but they too are subject to explosive, gravitational, thermal and electromagnetic forces from their starting point to their termination in collisions or inclusions into a planetary body, atmosphere or starry inferno.
Creative needlework embroidery kits
During 2024 my wife and I started working on a joint project of putting together embroidery kits in a format that would enable new and more experienced embroiders alike to overcome the three main obstacles to creative needlework; namely the thread colour selection, the guide drawing and the choice of an essential number of stitches any given design could utilise. The subject for first kits would be cosmic inspired as the variety of exciting ideas to draw from is vast and universal to us all. It also followed from my own interests and previous artwork subjects. For example, the ‘33 Suns’ series here was an idea for an exhibition I started discussing with people in 2016 but other projects have got in the way.
The product
So to cut a story short, on display are some of my explorations and ideas on the journey as to how the embroidery compositions, colours and thread combinations came about and could go together – their colour relations and interaction. I wanted to aim towards making alternative aesthetic products so they could be seen side by side, partly so my wife and I could see which felt more appropriate for a particular kit composition and colour scheme and as well to envisage how a kit would feel to live with in a domestic setting.
FAQs
Why paint them? Well making an acrylic painting is measured in hours, day and possibly weeks, whilst making embroideries is measured in magnitudes of days, weeks and months or longer.
Why not make them digitally? The compositions are translated into digital line drawings for the embroidery kits, but a screen cannot give the same physical feeling as the object. The pigments used are perceived differently, as reflected light from granulations, surfaces and translucent compounds behave completely differently from light transmitted from a pixel. The touch, feel and aesthetic magical qualities of previewing an embroidery design are not adequately conveyed from a tablet or screen alone. Some of these designs have already been made into kits; other designs may go no further but have been manifested and given the opportunity to interact on a human scale. A selection of the embroidery kits is available to buy at the exhibition and a wider range at the Peterborough Museum Christmas Fair at the end of November, you can also browse online at www.yellingtreepress.co.uk, for more information and the online shop.
AI could make it? No it can’t. This is for humans.
More paintings will be available online at the end of this exhibition, search for James Tovey artist or Toveyarts on Google.
A photograph of James Tovey artist studio, with two paintings of comets on the easel, 2025
Images on the PAOS.org.uk website are the copyright property of the artists or groups named. Please contact the artists using the details they have listed here for more information or to obtain permissions for use.
Contact name
James Tovey
Exhibition address
Howe Room, Peterborough Museum & City Gallery, 51 Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1LF
Artist address
7 Moreley's Lane, Corby Glen, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG33 4NL
Open days
28 June 2025 (1000 - 1600)
29 June 2025 (1000 - 1600)
Demonstrations available
Yes
Tuition offered
Yes
Garden open for visitors
No
Refreshments served
Yes
Commissions accepted
Yes
Published artwork, related exhibitions and events:
Ongoing: Observational drawing classes (both life drawing and still life) at Peterborough Museum. (Book through Museum website
8th – 29th November 2025: 33 Suns and Comet Variations at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, A display of paintings exploring embroidery kit composition and colour palette ideas and encompassing some of the comet designs invisaged during the Westraven and Learning Tree Kindergarten cosmic workshops during 2025.
15th & 22nd October 2025: Creative Nature workshops at Westraven Community Garden, Peterborough. Comets in paper and Plywood – installing a Comet model made by the participants in the garden.
August 2025: Summer School at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery. Workshops in Embroidery designs, Life drawing, Portraits, Illustration Techniques.
July 2025, Nature Drawing workshop at Westraven Community Garden.
Saturday 28th June 2025: A large format drawing workshop, where there is an opportunity for people to have a go working from a model. 10am – 4pm at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, PE1 1LF
Sunday 29th June 2025: Learn about the cosmic embroidery designs and other artwork I am making at this arts and crafts venue. Main Street, Ailsworth, PE5 7AF.
PAOS at Peterborough Museum 5th October to 2nd November 2024
24th August 2024 Charcoal Workshop at Peterborough Museum
July-Sept 2024 Penschynant Open
26th June PAOS Charcoal Workshop at Peterborough Museum
Feb 2024 onwards, Life and Observational Drawing classes at Peterborough Museum (Thursdays, term time 6-8pm – book through Museum website)
Jan 2024 onwards, Creative art and wood workshops at the Learning Tree Kindergarten, Thorpe Road, Peterborough
Dec 2023 – January 2024 wooden illustrations and street Christmas decorations, Castor and Ailsworth.
Nov 2023 Whilloughy Open Exhibition, Corby Glen.
29th Sept 2023. BattleLines contestant along with Carol Clark another PAOS artist, each making a drawing 4ftx3ft in posca pens on painted board in the course of 90mins, the art battle was part of Growing Together events curated by Lauren Kendrick of Flourish Peterborough . Battlelines is organised by artist Cur_5 more details can be found on https://www.battlelines.uk/ and https://www.instagram.com/battlelinespboro/
Artwork poster ‘One Summers Day’ exhibited in Squires Coffee Shop Peterborough Museum as part of Growing Together events curated by Lauren Kendrick of Flourish Peterborough. 10th August – 30th September 2023.
Photo-synthesize – workshop day at Peterborough Museum helping children colour mix and paint three canvases from direct observation about pre and probiotic foods supplied by fermantsandcultures.co.uk , 12th August 2023. The paintings subsequently included in the Growing Together exhibition till 30th September 2023.
Window artwork for Flourish Peterborough’s Growing Together art, food, workshops and events 2023, sponsored by Arts Council England, 10th August to 30th September 2023, at the Food Hall, Bridge street, Peterborough
The Flea Cycle (or The Earth’s Dilemma)! Book Launch PAOS ,Weekend 1 June 2023, Ailsworth.
Made in 2022, Peterborough Cathedral, 8th Feb – 2nd March 2023
Willoughby Gallery Open, Corby Glen, Nov 2022
Starflower II Observatory & window designs behind the scenes, PAOS, Ailsworth, Peterborough 25, 26 June, 2, 3 July 2022
Oak Trunks, Temple Wood, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Piccadilly, London, 21st June – 21st August 2022
Cats Eye Nebula workshop and build, Westraven Community Garden, April 2022
Peaceflower workshop and build, Olivebranch Community Garden, Peterborough, April 2022
I Saw Three Ships – constructions set up in Main Street, Ailsworth, 5th December 2021 to 6th January 2022
Willoughby Gallery Open, Oct – Nov 2021
Angel Musicians Installation Christmas 2020, Main Street, Ailsworth.
Art Restart at Peterborough Museum and City Gallery Dec 2020
Solarpunk Drawings of Peterborough, Vivacity Unit, Queensgate 1st – 9th Feb 2020.
‘Mermaid with her Mahi-mahi’, Oil on Linen 72 x 76 inch in a red oak frame. Exhibited in the Peterborough Cathedral, August to October 2019 to coincide with Luke Jerram’s Gaia installation.
‘Drift’, The Peterborough Open: 29th March 2019 – 26th May, Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery #peterboroughmuseum
Fifth Musician of the Plastocalypse, Peterborough Makefest, Peterborough Museum and City Gallery, December 2018.
Four Musicians of the Plastocalypse, Peterborough Heritage Festival, June 2018
Contemporary Peterborough Artists July – September 2018 Peterborough City Museum and Art Gallery
‘Plastic, Native Temple’, Vivacity Unit Queensgate Peterborough 7th-20th May 2018, mermaid painting from installation exhibited Peterborough Heritage festival 2018 and published in Peterborough Telegraph May 2019
‘After the Fall’, ink drawings on paper and acrylic paintings on canvas, 29th & 30th December 2017 Castor Village Hall, Peterborough, UK
The Debris Navigator and other OutsideART: WestRaven Community Garden, August 2017
Yarrow Gallery, Oundle 31st July – 6th August 2017
Artist Day Nene Park July 2017
PAOS 2017 (June 2017)
‘Star Flower’ at the Peterborough Heritage Festival June 2017
Sun Henge at the Green Backyard Peterborough 2016-2017
Peterborough Green Festival 2016 #pectgreenfest
Peterborough Heritage Feastival 2016 2nd/3rd July 2016
PAOS City Gallery Exhibition 2016 24th June – 6th July 2016
Peterborough Open 2016 Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery 18th March – 15th June 2016
Undercroft Theatre Serpentine Green, Hampton, Peterborough 11th to 21st Nov 2015
Peterborough Arts Festival 4th – 6th September 2015 Torii 1 series which also featured a sculpture from the Plastic Ocean Column series
Peterborough Heritage Festival 19th-21st June 2015 Mountain 2008 series and Future floodplain Xoanon
Design concept drawing for a new stone sculpture of St Kyneburgha 2013, sculpture made by Mark Sharpin, master stonemason. Installed above priests door 2015, outside south side of St Kyneburgha’s, Castor. Project commissioned by St Kyneburgha Trust. Design based on a statue of St Kyneburgha on the west front of Peterborough Cathedral. Trust specified that the new statue be holding the possible shape of the Saxon Church as discussed in five parishes books.
Eco fishing boat design prizewinners – joint 3rd place 2010 published in Classic Boat Magazine, Martin Hill and James Tovey designed a concept boat for a small sail powered fishing vessel to comply with EU regulations for sustainable fisheries. Drawings by James Tovey.
2008 ‘Mountain’ paintings – web exhibition (new websites were bigger deal in 2008 than 2019) Series of 12 oil paintings from digital sketches, exploring air pollution, apocalyptic climate change and alternate reality in combination with written poetry.
Hardraw force series exhibited Castor 2004, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition entries 2 paintings 2005
Kilnsea series, exhibited, Bourne, Lincolnshire 2003 and RWA Open 2004
Sketchbook drawings 2003 – prints taken from sketchbooks 1996-2000 exhibited Peterborough and Bourne
Watching post project 2003 – concept installation and paintings exhibited Peterborough
East Hill 2002 – large narrative series of oils on board exploring the psycological implications and environmental problems of the coming war in Iraq. Exhibited Peterborough.
Requiem 2001 Oil painting series on canvas exhibited Castor 2001 and Peterborough 2002, one panel from the 30 ft panorama can still be seen above the door in St Kyneburgha’s Lady Chapel.
1998-2000 Ink and digital graphic illustrations for the publications and archives of the English Heritage Humber Wetlands Project. Iron Age Fort reconstruction
Ken at the Byam Shaw 1995, oil painting bought by Ken! and charcoal drawings.
Artwork associated with participation on the Mount Kenya 1990, high altitude alpine zone conservation expedition.
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