When Buttercrumble Visited Salts Mill

We took advantage of the beautiful weather last weekend to visit Salts Mill which is set in the idyllic landscape of Saltaire, Yorkshire. The former mill now hosts a selection of galleries, shops and eateries all with a distinctive colourful and arty feel.

We entered the Mill into the gallery, 1853, which is the UK's only permanent David Hockney exhibition. It really was a feast for the senses, whilst your nose is being caressed by the sweet aroma of fresh lilies, the vibrant colour palette of David Hockney's work is working up a visual feast for the eyes.

We loved the range of paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and mill paraphernalia on display. Not only does gallery 1853 hold all these exciting objects but also stocks a fantastic amount of art and design books, and materials. Once you've been inspired by Salts Mill (and you will be) you can get stuck in yourself with a new book, pen or printing kit.

As well as visiting their wonderful bookshop, and diner for a spot of brunch (their hot chocolates are spot-on!) we visited David Hockney's current exhibition 'The Arrival of Spring'. What made the show particularly special for us was the fact that these paintings were all digitally created using a tablet and we even received a little demonstration of this from one of the gallery assistants.

The digital paintings are beautiful and despite being produced digitally, they still hold so much warmth and depth. Our favourite critique of the day had to be "Wow! The colours really smack you in the eyes". David Hockney uses amazing colour schemes that really pop and we love the layering he has achieved using the tablet.

We really enjoyed our visit to Salts Mill and would recommend a trip! If you would like to find out more about what Salts Mill have to offer and their visitors information please visit their website.

We'd love to hear what exhibitions you are visiting this summer season!