RESPECTED Lakeland art collective Green Door has burst into 2015 with a major new exhibition in the Sugar Store Gallery at Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre on the theme of Awakening.

The much awaited show includes work from more than 40 Green Door members and includes paintings, prints, drawing, sculptures, ceramics, wood and glass.

“We chose a purposefully broad theme, which could be interpreted in many ways by our artists and I think the variety of work exhibited is testament to that,” explained Green Door administrator, Janice Benson. “We’re very proud of this exhibition which really reflects the breadth and depth of talent that lies in Green Door.”

Distinguished GD artist Jill Pemberton’s painting Issues Arising is concerned with 'awareness' of change. “We live in a frantic time with technological changes, new ways to communicate and create and the layers of colour and texture reflect the issues which we are constantly addressing (or trying to)," said Jill. "It seems we need to reinvent our lives on a daily basis.”

Meanwhile, highly regarded printmaker Sue David said that her inspiration was Kate Chopin's wonderful novel The Awakening. She added: "The novel depicts the struggles of a woman aspiring to fly above the restrictions of 19th Century society.

“I incorporated key quotations and images from the novel, of water and birds with broken wings, into my work.”

For skilled sculptor Gordon Baddeley, the theme of awakening corresponds with his feeling for the reincarnation of old wood from tree to rotting wood to a new manifestation as a sculpture. The shaping and treating of each piece tries to respect and reinforce the lines and textures that time has incised into the wood.

Also included in the illustrious line-up of exhibiting artists are Sally Bamber, Jamie Barnes, Colin Binns, Barbra Cropper, Thuline de Cock, Ann Marie Foster, Jan Huntley Peace, Marion Kuit, Richard Light, Angie Mitchell, Janette Phillips, David Pooley, Colin Reynolds and Frances Winder.

Meanwhile, Green Door is heading into a busy couple of months with a new exhibition at Kendal Museum opening in a couple of weeks, an Art Auction at the end of February plus its tenth Art Trail in late March.