TURNSTONE Gallery, in Sandsend, near Whitby, is going down an unfamiliar route with its spring exhibition, Watermarks, says gallery owner Harry Caason.

“Andy Broderick and James Morgan Williams are realistic observers of the natural world and East Coast environment in all its detail and differences, but their images stand out as expressions of energy, life and movement,” he says.

Both artists live and work in Saltburn-by-the-Sea and it is their connections with this part of the North Yorkshire coast that brings them together for this exhibition.

“Andy’s art concentrates heavily on the discipline of drawing, and the use of natural materials and pigments to develop a spiritual bond and physical affinity with the natural environment and the creatures that inhabit it,” says Harry.

The quality of individual lines and marks are important in Andy’s work.

“Rather than existing purely for the purpose of formal representation, he tries to use lines which express life or a particular texture or form, or even just for its own sake, a thing of beauty.

“He draws from living objects – plants, animals and human figures – and is interested in the feeling of animation and the sense of being alive that lines can convey when portraying these subjects.”

James concerns himself with the drama of the spiritual journey, as played out through physical existence. “He captures the tension between the known and unknown,” says Harry. “By contrast with Andy, his work comprises images drawn from the wider local environment. His focus is on the forces of nature and specifically on one of his great loves, the sea, which is a central theme for the show.”

The exhibition runs from Saturday (April 20) to June 2 and is open daily, except Wednesdays, from 11am to 5pm. Admission is free; further information is available at turnstonegallery.net or on 01947 893289.