03 Jul 2025
A Harpenden gallery has welcomed new works by three exciting local artists.
Their projects are now on show at Molasses House in Station Road, which sells contemporary pieces by a variety of critically acclaimed talent, but to introduce a trio of homegrown artists at one time is unusual.
St Albans resident Yan Yun Gao is a self-taught artist, who learned through books, online, video, art workshops and classes in a bid to develop her technique.
During the last 10 years, her artworks have been displayed and exhibited around the country, including The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in 2023.
She says it is important to paint subjects that challenge herself: “Every canvas is a new adventure, every time I start a new artwork, it is a new experience.”
Yan paints in oils, watercolour and Chinese ink, with subjects including still life, landscapes, waterscapes, flowers and pet portraits.
A matchbox model of a Porsche 930 Turbo ignited Harpenden artist Jon Stevenson’s passion for cars. The Bond cars, KITT in Knight Rider, the white Testarossa in Miami Vice – they kept it bubbling along.
Jon said: “Then the obsession with classics was kicked off with a rusty Lancia Fulvia bought off Ebay… but the least said about that the better!
“A succession of classics have followed, and a deepening love of their history and design led me to pursue becoming a full time automotive artist after a 25-year professional career.
“Focussing on Porsche, but with a love of many classics, including Alfa Romeo and Lancia, I work on a large scale in acrylic on canvas, always seeking those evocative and interesting angles and moments, to emphasise particular design features and create art that is visually impactful and true to the subject.”
Also exhibiting her work at Molasses House is Pip Mole, a BBC, ITV and GMTV television presenter and broadcaster on shows including North West Tonight and Lie Detector. Sunday Telegraph writer Pip, who lives in Harpenden, studied Human Movement and Art at St John’s College York, specialising in dance and fabric design, before completing an MSc. in Sport Science at the University of Loughborough.
She has continued painting, drawing, and working with clay throughout her life and arrived as an abstract expressionist in 2023.
She said: “My paintings represent a felt sense of motion both from personal experience and the imagined experience of concepts, objects, plants, or animals.
“I am fascinated by how movement fills a space, and depict the kinaesthetic sense of different environments in mixed media abstract pieces.”
Owner of Molasses House, Barrie Woolston said: “We are delighted to support and exhibit artworks from Pip, Yan and Jon.
“It’s important their talent is both recognised and presented to the local community given all three live in the St Albans locality. It’s great to have such creative talent on our doorstep.”
