13   THE ART OBSERVER July 2006 Gift and Card Specialists Pandora is more than the name of a legendary figure. It is also the name of a new jewellery range from Denmark. The Pandora range allows you to easily create a stylish and individual charm bracelet to suit changing fashions, moods and age groups ... from christenings through to golden wedding anniversaries. Open Monday - Saturday 9.30am - 5.30pm DIDSBURY Warburton Street, M20 6WA Telephone: 0161 438 2500 CHESTER 11 Watergate Row, CH1 2LE   Telephone: 01244 322080 Harriet & Dee Harriet and Dee is situated on the unspoilt cobbles of Warburton Street in the heart of Didsbury village. Set back from the bustle of the main street and stocking a vast range of jewellery and giftware, this is a true hidden gem that caters for all tastes and budgets, from delicate precious-metal charm bracelets handcrafted by local makers to contemporary designer wearable art by up-and-coming European artists, so that everyone, from the child buying their mother a small birthday token to the husband looking for an individual and elegant anniversary gift, is bound to find the perfect item. The warm and familiar atmosphere of Harriet and Dee offers a shopping experience that is both unique and quintessentially English, a fact that becomes evident the moment you step over the threshold of the bijoux cottage- turned-shop. And as every customer will surely agree, once you have experienced its irresistible charm, you will never want to buy gifts anywhere else. Forthcoming Exhibition EVERY PICTURE tells a story, and in Philip Harding’s paintings they are a chapter in the diary of his intensely personal journey of self- discovery. He regards each one as an atmospheric self-portrait of feelings, mood and emotion recorded simply and energetically from life in an honest attempt to project his inner self through his view of the outside world. As a self-taught artist and self- confessed workaholic, he is work- ing hard towards his first solo show at the Wendy Levy gallery in September. The exhibition will comprise a collection of his most recent work reflecting the artists intention to render and record his intuitively chosen subjects as quickly and simply as possible through his choice of colour, use of texture, unusual composition and mark-making, applied with brush and fingers. Working mainly in oils on canvas and board each study is a sensory snapshot, and the smell of the turpentine is as important to the process as the choice of brush. A traditionalist and romantic dreamer at heart, Philip draws his influence and inspiration from the old masters in general, but in particular to the work of J.W. Waterhouse from the Pre Raphaelite period, although not obviously reflected in his style, the symbolic nature and visual impact reflect a parallel journey of mans need to wrestle with and understand the psyche. A firm advocate of less is more, Philip has consciously steered himself away from what he sees as being the trap of technique after spending 15 years studying portrait and figures from life. He would like his paintings to be viewed in the way in which he sees himself, unfinished and with a lot more beneath the surface than meets the eye. He also feels that the people who buy his work probably identify with their own personal journey and see something of themselves resonating within. Philip Harding’s exhibition will be shown at the Wendy Levy Gallery from 8th-30th September. The preview will be on Thursday 7th September by invitation only. If you would like to attend the preview please contact the gallery on 0161 446 4880, or by email wendy@wendyjlevy- art.com Work based on Classics IN FEBRUARY of this year John Hamilton had a very successful solo exhibition at the Wendy Levy Gallery in Didsbury. According to Wendy, “John’s work has a unique quality about it that is very special. I find it sensitive, charming, moving and humorous all at the same time”. John has been drawing and paint- ing since he was a child and was always encouraged to do so by his family. It was from the age of fourteen years old that he knew he wanted to be an artist. He produces lots of drawings and studies, later to become paintings, and he tends to work on several paintings at the same time. John enjoys using a variety of media which he says “keeps the work alive”. He is equally adept at using oils on canvas, acrylic on paper, printmaking and, probably his favourite medium, charcoal on paper. When doing his degree, John based a lot of his work on the classical greats such as Virgil’s Aeneid, the Odyssey and other myths. He continued working in this vein for a few years then began illustrating other stories in a theatrical way. There is a lot of role–play and dressing up involved in the work, creating various scenarios, which means that the viewer has to make up their own mind about what is happening in the picture. Phil Harding on a personal journey of self-discovery through painting The fantasy world of John Hamilton