We Love Lucy
We had a lovely afternoon recently driving through Pembrokeshire’s gorgeous leafy lanes to Roch, and in particular to the beautiful little church of St Mary’s with its stunning stained glass windows.
As if that wasn’t enough, what had drawn us on our little adventure was the promise of an afternoon with professional photographer Lucy Hinksman who was exhibiting some of her photographs there.
We have written about Lucy before and this, her third exhibition was another opportunity to catch up with her and her delightful dog, Ruby, who was a little under the weather. We sincerely hope she is recovered by the time you read this. You certainly cant get cuter than Ruby.
And you can’t get much more interesting than Lucy herself. Supported by the VC Gallery, which made all visitors to the event very welcome with snacks and drinks and obvious enthusiasm for Lucy and her work, we enjoyed the range of images displayed and had a good catch-up with Lucy herself.
Lucy told us that the images on show range from the very earliest she first showed Barry John, the creator and driving force behind the VC Gallery, through the dark days of the pandemic lockdown and back into the light. Here are abstract images that were extremely popular with some of the visitors , showing Lucy is more than a traditional photographer and isn’t afraid to experiment with apps and techniques.
Not that her more conventional images are lacking in any way. My personal favourites range from a brooding black and white picture taken in Haverfordwest in the uncertain days of covid lockdown, to some sunrises and sunsets, swans and woodland that all reveal the power of majestic Pembrokeshire.
Another image that I particularly loved was of the area around the bottom of Haverfordwest High Street before the morning feet had made a mark upon it.
Sadly, the exhibition is now over, but the VC Gallery is preparing a video where you can see Lucy being interviewed and talking about her work in the church. You can also purchase prints at very reasonable prices and I am told that there are also T-shirts and a range of other merchandise.
It doesn’t stop there. When we managed to get Lucy alone, we asked what she had been up to with regard to her other work with Pembrokeshire People First. Lucy has a learning disability and is a force to be reckoned with. As an advocate and supporter and proud to be raising awareness of human rights, she has recently returned from a busy trip to London where she had been asked to attend a celebration of the the Rights Committee with the British Institute of Human Rights.
“It was a great experience,” she said, “and a chance to share insights and experiences.”
She won’t let us leave before singing the praises of the VC Galleryand giving grateful thanks to its volunteers and those of St Mary’s for all their hard work in making her exhibition a success.
It’s mutual. Barry John says: “It’s impossible not to enjoy Lucy’s enthusiasm and talent. We are so happy that she is part of the work we do. The photography club that we run at the Gallery are delighted to have been able to come along and celebrate with Lucy. We extend our massive congratulations and can’t wait to see what’s next.”
https://www.facebook.com/PhotographybyLucyHinksman
A photography group, part of the VC Gallery, meets every Wednesday at 11am. Becoming a member is free of charge, just bring a camera and enthusiasm to improve your knowledge.
The VC Gallery
30 High Street, Haverfordwest, SA61 2DA ·
01437 765873
