Fountain Fine Art

I stumbled across Fountain Fine Art in one of the most evocative locations the city offers, the deliciously genteel and recently restored Edwardian Morgan Arcade, (near to the Castle and an unmissable location for Kairdiffians, let alone visitors and tourists).
The gallery offers a well chosen and eclectic range of art, of the highest quality.
The elegant large room enjoys added subtle lighting from the vast picture window which faces into the arcade, making it impossible for inveterate browsers and aficionados, like myself, to walk by without at least pausing, then entering.
Inside I found a Group Show laid on for the opening event, presenting a well laid out and captivating mix of art works in traditional oils and watercolours, non-figurative acrylics and mixed-media, even that penitence of artistic endeavour, egg tempera. There were also 3-D constructions, ceramics and other craft works.
The styles and topics were just as wide ranging, but an appropriate emphasis (given its location) on work about or from Wales - with a bias towards landscapes inspired by our miraculous and ancient geography. A few works were more radical but accessible - most could be said to be in the traditional classical modes, with some of exceptional high standard.
The gallery is itself unhurried and reserved; the layout allows room to stand back and view without the usual argy bargy and heel scraping incidents - if anything, I was left wanting to find more, hidden up or down stairs.
Fountain Fine Art certainly fills a gap (especially when compared to competitor 'destination' cities such as Bristol, Bath, and capital cities Edinburgh, Dublin and even that paragon of unofficial Wales over the border, Chester). I hope it succeeds, as I'm sure it will - without distracting from the established and new galleries finally filling Cardiff's corners - Martin Tinney, and Albany among my favourites of the old guard and of the new, don't miss Off The Wall (Llandaf, the city within the city) and in the centre again, exciting contemporary work at 'gallery Ten' at 23 Windsor Place.
Sometimes it is the small works of art which grab your attention and nestle there - I'm still amused and musing over a subtle grey and white print of feathers, drawn with great refinement.

Great service delivered by a perfectly sized gallery in the Morgan Arcade. A potential purchase when to a fixed purchase after a few discussions about transportation of the piece. Each step of the way, staff were very helpful and positivie without putting any pressure on the purchase.