An Artist’s Imagination Set Free

The charity, which works with veterans and the local community to offer support, mainly through arts-based projects, has been a home from home for Maxine since she first discovered it six years ago.

Maxine, 40, says of the VC: “It’s a wonderful, creative and nurturing environment with a massive community feeling where you can truly be yourself, faults and all.”

“I have urges to self-harm which are countered by being creative,” she says. “I cannot thank the amazing staff enough for the amount they have done for me. It is my safe place where I’m understood and not judged.”

Finding the VC reignited a childhood passion for art, and once she started again, she just didn’t stop.

She says her exhibition is an opportunity to share her ideas and the pleasure she gets from the work: “For me art is escapism and so anything away from the normality of life is what inspires me. All things fantasy and fairy, where I can let my imagination free, give me great pleasure.”

      Maxine describes this year’s exhibition as a “mixed bag” exploring mainly digital art, which is something she has been experimenting with since lockdown.

“The rest are fine black pen and white pieces, very dainty, and a few small canvases that have been airbrushed.”

The exhibition is entitled Dreamscapes.

Barry says: “Our function here is to reduce social exclusion and increase confidence among a wide range of people in the local community. Our studio and gallery space offers the opportunity for people from all walks of life to express themselves through art. We are delighted to work with Maxine and urge the public to come along and see her work and have the chance to own a unique piece of art from an accomplished artist.”

The VC Gallery offers a number of art workshops in its galleries in Haverfordwest and in Milford Haven.