Margaret Harrison (aka Maggie) and Margaret Smith became friends after Maggie joined an art group that Margaret used to run in Seamer. They continue to meet up and are now part of a group called Mixed Media Arts Group, who meet at The Heritage Gallery to share their ideas and get creative.

Maggie Harrison graduated from Sunderland University with BA (Hons) MA and was awarded the Ray Ramsay Memorial Prize for Best Painter of the Year. Her stained glass can be seen in various schools and public buildings in Sunderland, Newcastle and North Yorkshire.

Maggie is a retired art tutor who now concentrates on her own art practice, producing dreamlike images that are purely imaginative using a range of media to include glass, paint and textiles.

Maggie’s work can be described as ‘Fantasy Abstract’ and ‘Magic Realism’ and takes inspiration from artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Leonora Carrington.

Margaret Smith took up painting when she retired from her post as Head of Textiles at Middlesbrough College. Her contributions to this exhibition uses a wide range of techniques to show aspects of womanhood from childhood to old age.

Her embroideries can be seen in many local churches including Middlesbrough Cathedral and York Minster.

On moving to Stokesley six years ago, she joined a creative writing group and has included some of her illustrated poems in the exhibition.

Maggie’s and Margaret’s styles and techniques are very different, but come together in this diverse and intriguing exhibition.