THE ArtSpace is showcasing “the slow majesty of nature” in its Painting & Ceramics exhibition by Kate Young, Matthew Herring, Judy Burnett, Fiona Edmondson and Jane Schaffer.

“We’re looking at all things elemental with this show, and that includes the salt-soaked winds from the North Sea, the bursting blue skies above the rough-hewn Yorkshire Moors and even the warmer edge to each morning as spring brings with it breezes from lands frothing with blossom,” says a lyrical Greg McGee, co-owner of the gallery in Tower Street, York.

He considers Painting & Ceramics to be a show of optimism for a new, bold, blue year. “With the ennui of the election coverage and the tedium of the never-ending financial crisis, you can’t beat watching how nature deals with the day to day,” says Greg.

“Clouds still scud across skies; leaves still flash like emeralds on tree branches; the sea comes and goes with the tide: this is anything but twee. Indeed there are a lot of challenging pieces in this exhibition, but after a run of esoteric shows, we thought we'd go back to nature as balm for the brain.

“There’s a lesson for us all in the beauty of the shift of the seasons nature does not hurry, yet all things are accomplished. Something to remember when you’re trying to negotiate the delights of York’s traffic jams.”

Jane Schaffer and Fiona Edmondson contribute the ceramics.

“They’re two very exciting artists who have high standards and are a pleasure to work with,” says gallery co-owner Ails McGee. “They’re going to be our permanent ceramicists from now on.”

Paintings & Ceramics will run until April 15.