Audiences will get a glimpse of the passions of artist Leonard McComb this summer as a special programme of events celebrating nature and humanity will run alongside the major exhibition of the artist’s work at Birkenhead’s Williamson Art Gallery & Museum.
Leonard McComb was more than inspired by nature: he saw it as a beacon of hope and limitless possibility.
From his sketchbooks, sculptures, drawings and paintings, there is an all-encompassing joy which he took from the great and the small of nature.
From the tiniest of bugs to the great force of the sea, all his responses speak to an artist enveloped by nature not as scenery but as a living, breathing companion.
As part of the wider exhibition programme, his passions, musings and inspiration will give audiences a chance to experience his perspective and motivation.
Leonard McComb: Nature and Humanity will include works from the artist’s estate, as well as choice loans from major public and private collections.
Over 60 of the artist’s pieces, including paintings, watercolour, drawings, and sculpture, will be brought together.
These will include ‘Rock and Sea Anglesey’, from Oriel Môn, which, measuring over 10 metres long, is the largest drawing on paper held by any UK public collection.
There will also be a selection of choice loans from Manchester Art Gallery and the Royal Academy.
Leonard McComb RA (1930-2018) received acclaim and accolades throughout his career for his work in different media, including painting, drawing and sculpture.
This exhibition at the Williamson will have a particular focus on McComb’s ecological outlook, which can be found throughout his work.
Whether portrait, still life, landscape, or sculpture, McComb’s work demonstrates his beliefs on the beauty, energy, and interconnectedness of all life.
The exhibition will open on Friday, 14 August 2026 and run until Saturday, 31 October.
Events will be on sale and can be pre-booked here.
Bespoke Workshops and Immersive Public Activities
Liverpool Life Drawing will be running life drawing sessions with the Leonard McComb exhibition.
McComb was a dogged defender of the life room during his teaching career, and these sessions, under his own nudes in pencil and watercolour, will pay homage to this passion.
One session will also feature a special talk from those who knew McComb best before the commencement of drawing.
These drawing events will take place on Friday 14 August, Friday 11 September, and Friday 9 October at a cost of £10.
Peter Rainsford will return for a special, bespoke concert, tailored to the music that McComb worked on and loved best.
This will include Celtic songs and compositions by Beethoven and Schubert, taking place for free on Friday 23 October, with an additional open class on Saturday 24 October.
Landlines Studios has produced three bespoke artworks based on the artworks of McComb.
Their own practice is based around the earth and foraged materials and pigments from our local landscape.
Dovetailing with the ecological philosophy of McComb, participants will be able to create their own works of art from inks and pigments collected from the Wirral and North Wales during free sessions from 10.30-12.30 pm on Saturday 19 September, Saturday 3 October, and Saturday 17 October.
Based on McComb’s own personal philosophy of the inner energy of all life, the Williamson will run yoga and sound bath sessions in the exhibition spaces, run by the artists/practitioners at MILAP.
These will feature two one-hour sessions running from 12-2 pm on Thursday, 3 September, for £10.
Curator Led Insights and Ecological Tours
Curator of the gallery, Josh Mackarell, will give free tours of the exhibition, explaining the artwork and life of McComb and the continuing importance of ecological outlook to this day.
These guided sessions will run from 12-1 pm on Wednesday, 2 September, and from 6-7 pm on Friday, 2 October.
