New Year and Onward..

Well into the winter now and the second half of last year provided some distractions, such as taking a painting tutor post at Barnsley College.  There’s something about a new year though that focuses the mind, and I feel motivated to achieve more in 2015.  But that’s all to come – for now I have enclosed a couple of recent images of work that have either left the studio or are currently awaiting framing for display later in the year.  

The finished “lemon field’ with relieved artist!

Private Commission

Great North Art Show, Ripon

Been busy in the studio preparing for the Great North Art Show – a group of selected artists are invited to exhibit up to 6 works each in the grand space of Ripon Cathedral.  I have included new works specially created for this show, including the image shown below – this photo was taken a few weeks ago, when the painting was only half finished, so I’m being a bit of a tease.  It is now completed, and I can’t wait to see it hanging in the show.  The preview is Friday (29th) night (please see Great North Art Show website as the preview does cost to attend), but I will also be hanging around on Saturday (30th) morning hopefully seeing the show in full and chatting to whoever says hi…

 

New show in Holt

The Holt show is now up and running -early sales helped the first week, with the Holt festival due to start tomorrow and no doubt increasing the visitor numbers.  Here are a few more images…

July exhibition in Holt

Hi – just three paintings to finish and I have completed my upcoming exhibition at fairfax galleries in Norfolk.  15 completed in total, 12 images already on their way to printers for catalogue.  very happy with how the work has gone, and plenty of new ideas on the back burner ready for being selected for the Great North Art Show at Ripon later in the year.  Busy time, but happy waking up at 5am to make that early start.  Have enclosed a couple of images to give you an idea…..  

When I began this blog, it was meant to be updated frequently, although this clearly hasn’t been the case.  However, I am delighted to finally get around to sharing a few images that hopefully give a sense of the new work, mostly created from the new studio that I moved into last October, situated in Westgate Studios in the centre of Wakefield, West Yorkshire.  A relatively compact space, three floors above one of Wakefield’s main streets and seemingly in the heart of the nightclub/bar area, it is proving a prefect location to start a new body of work.  Since the last update, I have won last year’s Contemporary Open at Stockport, been shown in the Singapore and Hong Kong artfairs, and managed to escape the (sometimes) isolation of the studio to do some painting tuition at Leeds City College.  Currently I’m working on three commissions and around 12-15 works for a solo show in July.  All works shown below are oil on canvas.  Any comments are welcome as always.  Thank you..

     

Spring has sprung.

Finally some decent light has arrived to create longer painting days and the motivation to paint once again returns after a long winter.

Included in this post are a couple of new still lifes, along with a some new smaller versions of older paintings.  These were made partly because I wasn’t coming up with many fresh ideas at the beginning of the year (and I knew I had to do ‘something’!), but also because, as with many painters I’m sure, your own personal style and ability develops, and I wanted to try out some technical comparisons, AND a new style of framing that seems to be working well.  I sold at the recent Harrogate Art Fair, which was personally encouraging, and have recently started to expand the selection of galleries exhibiting my work.  Which reminds me, there are still a handful of galleries that advertise myself as one of their artists, when I no longer show with them.  I have no problem with that, except it looks like I am spread more thinly than I actually am.  Please feel free to ask me direct if you are visiting a gallery  that includes me on their website and want to know if I have work there.

Small Lemon Juice painting – 18 x 24cm

‘Top of the Table’ – small painting given as surprise gift to winner of memorial snooker competition generously held in memory of my father.

Only 10cms high, this is part of a new series of small paintings, partly to try out new framing.

Floral Show at Gallerytop, Derbyshire

Hello – four works being delivered this week to Gallerytop’s new group show, three new paintings and a re-showing for ‘Brassica and Lillies’, the large canvas work that currently hangs in my house. The reality of painting a large canvas is its all seems like a good idea, but every time I want to move or show it, a van has to be hired.  On this occasion the lovely Gill and Keith from Gallerytop have agreed to collect for me. After the blizzards last weekend, the roads are clear, but the air remains cold and the painting room still needs a small oil heater most of the day. The allure of spending the winter months in warmer climates is ever-increasing..

From top to bottom:   “Brassica and Lillies” – 140 x 100cm.      “Bouquet” – image size 55 x 55cm.   “White Rose Study” – approx 20 x 30cm.   “Waiting For You” – 18 x 36cm.