What’s On: The Crown and Primeval actor James Murray exhibiting artwork at Palais des Vaches Art Gallery, Exbury

ACTOR, artist and charity founder James Murray will be exhibiting work at Palais des Vaches Art Gallery at Exbury this season.

The colourful Autumn Exhibition, which opens this weekend, also features work by internationally renowned stainless steel sculptor Michael Turner, Dire Straits guitarist John Illsley and venue owners Caroline and Nick de Rothschild.

Well known for his leading roles The Crown, Masters of the Air, Primeval and McDonald & Dodds, James Murray, also known as Jim Murray, loved painting and school and returned to the easel a few years ago to fill time between acting jobs.

Painting in his garden shed, James never had any intention of selling his work and initially just viewed painting as a “cathartic experience to pass the time”.

However, initially friends and family started expressing interest in his work and then James began creating work to auction in support of the Murray Parish Trust – the charity he co-founded with his wife Sarah Parish in memory of their first daughter Ella-Jayne who tragically died in 2009 of a congenital heart defect.

“They all sold so I persuaded myself to be a little bit more commercially minded,” said James.

Two years ago James was approached by the Arc at Winchester asked to create a response to John Constable’s painting Rainstorm Over the Sea. The resulting image, as well as several pieces from James’s In Flow solo exhibition, are now displayed at the Exbury art gallery.

Mounted in collaboration with Lymington’s Coastal Gallery, the art show also includes work by Steve Miles, Andy Baerselman, Chris Cudlip, Karl Rudziak, Ian Parimetre and wildlife artist Kim Thompson. Admission is free.

Palais des Vaches comprises three inter-joining rooms that wrap around a courtyard garden and look out onto a sculpture meadow. The gallery is at Lower Exbury Farm, Inchmery Lane, Exbury. For more information visit www.palaisdesvaches.co.uk