Rebecca Morledge Illustration part of The Big Draw Festival at Hopton Hall Gallery

A focused showcase of Rebecca Morledge’s work, In this body of work, the artist presents town and city streets from an elevated viewpoint, offering perspectives that are rarely accessible in everyday life. Observed from above, familiar urban environments are transformed into quietly theatrical stages. Rooftops, hidden architectural forms, and the uppermost windows spaces often passed over or unseen become central to the composition, inviting closer attention to the overlooked everyday rhythms of the built environment.
The artist holds degrees in illustration, a foundation that strongly informs the narrative quality of the work. Influenced by children’s book illustrators, and in particular Shirley Hughes, the paintings balance visual sensitivity with a strong sense of storytelling. Like Hughes’ work, these scenes suggest lives unfolding beyond the frame, where place and character are inseparable.

Through this elevated vantage point, the artist encourages viewers to reconsider their surroundings and to find beauty in the everyday. The paintings celebrate not only architecture and landscape, but also the subtle human presence that animates them reminding us that even the most familiar places hold stories waiting to be seen.
Wed - Sun 10 -4pm.

This exhibition is on the ground floor with a small step up into the gallery. The further exhibition space upstairs is accessible via a staircase.

Hopton Hall Gallery
12 St John Street
Ashbourne
Derbyshire
DE6 1GH
GB