Shrewsbury garden gallery proves a hit for passers-by
He was supposed to be exhibiting in London but instead an artist has found success by setting up his own 'garden wall gallery'.
Steffan MacMillan, from Belvidere Road in Shrewsbury, should have been showing off his collection of oil paintings at a gallery in Soho, but the coronavirus crisis saw the opportunity snatched away.
Determined not to be put off the 45-year-old graphic designer, illustrator, copywriter and advertising creative, came up with his own unique idea to show off the collection, called Altgofion –A painting Collection of Wales – by putting the paintings up on the outside wall of his garden for passers-by to enjoy.
Originally from South Wales, Steffan's collection is made up of a series of oil on canvas landscapes of his home country.
The collection features around 40 pictures, centring on themes of "birth, death resurrection, isolation – quite heavy themes really," said Steffan.
His ingenuity has sparked widespread interest in his work and the idea, with Steffan now encouraging other artists to create their own garden galleries through the social media hashtag #gardenwallgallery.
Steffan said he had initially been downhearted at his capital opportunity being dashed, but has been thrilled at the response to his determination to make the best out of a bad situation.
He said: "I was down about it. To put together a body of work for a show, it is a year's worth of work."
He said he had taken the decision to put it on the garden wall and that "everyone has been loving it."
"I am really pleased," said Steffan, "overwhelmed with joy. It has gone above and beyond what I thought it would. I have had lots of inquiries from people, people buying prints off my website.
"It has given me more exposure than if it had gone ahead in London!"
He added: "I have been living here nine years in this house and I am meeting loads of people every day that I never knew existed."
Steffan said he hoped other artists would see the success and consider showing their own work in the same way.
He said: "The main purpose of the exhibition is to get other people to do it as well. There is a hashtag #gardenwallgallery and I am trying to get other people to put their art work up on their garden walls. Hopefully it will take off."
Anyone who wants to view Steffan's work can do so on his website at www.steffangmacmillan.com
