Joy Roussell Stone exhibition of paintings

It was a delight - during half-term week at the end of October - to see St Nicholas' church building made use of as an exhibition space.

Joy Roussell Stone is the now-retired former Head of Art at The Plume School in Maldon and it was a great privilege to see her paintings of subjects from the Holy Land, Essex and elsewhere, along with some striking studies of found driftwood and a powerful impression of the Grand Canyon.

I am grateful to her friend, former colleague, fellow artist and one-time resident of Rawreth, Mary Keeble, for these few photographs. I am also excited to be able to report that it was Mary who sculpted the small statue of our Patron, St Nicholas, which sits in a niche above our church entrance doorway. Latterly, dear St Nicholas has been missing his hands and the three bags of gold they held - Mary has graciously offered to re-sculpt these and re-attach them! She is thus holding the commission of the Rector and PCC to do just that!

We now hope to have further art exhibitions and events in our church building, after this little beginning. Our next plan may well be for some installation art - please watch this space!...