Category Archives: ART EXHIBITIONS

ART exhibitions in which I am showing work. London UK

Feb 11 2013

NATIONAL GALLERY EXHIBITION – FREDERICK CHURCH AND THE LANDSCAPE OIL SKETCH


THROUGH AMERICAN EYES:  FREDERICK CHURCH AND THE LANDSCAPE OIL SKETCH
Frederic Church is one of America’s Hudson Valley painters. He lived from 1826 to 1900.

OLANA HOUSE EXTERIOR

OLANA HOUSE EXTERIOR

OLANA
We went to Olana, his Husdon Valley home and estate, one day in July last year, during what was a debilitating heatwave. Temperatures up on the high 30s!  We were on a visit to stay with family, who live in Ulster County, New York State, so it was within driving distance, and the car had  air con of course.

There are a number of interesting large houses on the banks of the Hudson River, which are usually placed on high ground giving fine views of this beautiful river.  The rich used to come there for the summer, to get away from the humidity of the city.
This particular house is very well preserved and quite unusual; it is built in the Persian style and was constructed at a time when Frederick Church had made himself a wealthy man from his paintings. So everything was of the highest quality.  The house is smaller than I had imagined it would be, and dark inside, with so many ornate surfaces and dark works of art, both paintings and sculpture and ceramics.

BOOK YOUR TOUR IN ADVANCE!

BOOK YOUR TOUR IN ADVANCE!

Remember to book your admittance though. We arrived at the ticket office a little after our booked time, due to the problem we had in finding a parking space.  The car park is tiny.  For that reason we had to wait for about 45 minutes before the next slot for visitors.  The house is kept closed and locked unless opened for a group tour, so all you can do is wander around the grounds, or buy stuff in the shop.  Luckily for us, there is a small barn where a film is shown, probably on a loop, about Olana and the Church family.

Inside we were conducted around and given a good introduction to Church and his work, but the guides are all volunteers so you may, or may not, get a good one. A bit like our own dear National Trust.

I liked the Church landscapes very much, and the family nicknacks were fascinating, as was learning about the background to the painter and his fellow artists of the Hudson Valley School.

RUSTIC FENCES ADD CHARM AT OLANA

RUSTIC FENCES ADD CHARM AT OLANA

HUDSON

The heat outside was still very enervating, and there is no cafe or drinks stall, so we decided to drive across the river to the small town of Hudson, where we parked.  Then we shrivelled up in the blast of midday walking along the deserted streets, to a well-reviewed Italian restaurant for a good lunch.

It is well worth going to Olana if you are there on holiday, and also try and see the other mansions in the Hudson Valley, they are quite different from our own stately homes, because they were designed for holiday residences and not long term family homes. In those days you travelled to your holiday home by river steamer, because the railroad had yet to reach that far up river.

NATIONAL GALLERY EXHIBITION

I was very interested to read the article in The Daily Telegraph Travel section of February 2, by Susan Marling, called ‘A brush with the sublime’, about the new exhibition at the National Gallery dedicated to Frederick Church.  The photographs too were excellent.  The exhibition is called:
Through American Eyes: Frederic Church and the Landscape Oil Sketch’
The exhibition runs from February 6 until April 28.

http://www.olana.org

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/frederic-church

http://www.gotohudson.net/about.php

Nov 27 2012

COSMIMA, GROUP EXHIBITION OF JEWELLERY AND SILVER


At the Frameless Gallery, Clerkenwell Green

The group, Cosmima, had a four day show at Frameless Gallery, Clerkenwell in London last week, and I was very impressed.
The jewellers were top of the tree, super-innovative and excellent, and the silversmiths likewise had some absolutely wonderful stuff on show. I shall keep in touch with the Group and hope to see their next show.
It would be great if I could buy some of the lovely stuff, have to hope I win the Premiums Bonds!

Sep 17 2012

DENBIES WINE ESTATE, DORKING


DENBIES WINE ESTATE and CROYDON ART SOCIETY
This vineyard building exhibtion space held the annual Croydon Art Society exhibition of paintings and prints, from 3 September to 16 September 2012.
It is a beautiful setting near Box Hill and the town of Dorking, in Surrey.
I recommend you visiting the vineyard, even though the exhibiton has now finished.
It is within walking distance from Dorking and there is a large carpark.
There is a shop, for buying the wine, and for gifts. There is also a restaurant and snack area.
Plus, a shop selling local produce, vegetables and fruit and things like honey, and a small garden centre.
If you like you can take a tour of the vineyards, in a small electric train.
My two oil paintings were in the exhibition, as well as two prints and a watercolour in the browser, and some of my greetings cards.

Mar 20 2012
Image

Detail, painting London Marathon


Painting London Marathon detail, Coram

Coram Bear at London Marathon 2011

The South London Women Artists Group will be holding an exhibition at the Bankside Gallery, Thames Path, near the Tate Modern.

The exhibition is from 30 April to 8 May, and my London Marathon painting will be on show there.

The gallery is open from 11 am to 6 pm each day.  This is a group show with the title  “SNAP’.

Here is a link to the Bankside Gallery website.

Detail, painting London Marathon

Coram Bear at the 2011 London Marathon

Mar 8 2012

EDNA RUNS LONDON MARATHON – PAINTING


OIL PAINTING FOR BANKSIDE GALLERY EXHIBITION

This is the completed painting which I have submitted for inclusion in the South London Women Artists exhibition

LONDON MARATHON PAINTING

EDNA RUNS LONDON MARATHON

This painting is oil on canvas. It includes, in a loose and vivid way, the scene of the London Marathon in 2011, when passing near Westminster Tube Station and the Houses of Parliament, London.

You can see I have selected to paint one of the elite female runners, Edna Kiplagat from Kenya.

My working drawings were done in pencil, on the day last April when I visited the Marathon.

Marathon pencil sketch

PENCIL SKETCH LONDON MARATHON 1

PENCIL SKETCH MARATHON

PENCIL SKETCH LONDON MARATHON 2

I also used some of my photographs for extra details, since I could not capture all the activity and the various vignettes of activity going on.

 

Jan 17 2012

COLIN WIGGINS LECTURE AT RICHMOND ART SOCIETY


RESHAPING THE HUMAN FIGURE: FROM ANTIQUITY TO MAPPLETHORPE

What an excellent lecture last week at Richmond on Thames as part of a series of lectures organized by the Richmond Art Society.

NATIONAL GALLERY

Colin Wiggins started by telling us that he is now Curator of Special Projects at the National Gallery.

Until recently he was Head of Education there.

He gave a one hour lecture with the above title, showing the continuity which is evident in Western Europen art, depicting and sculpting the human figure from such sources as the sculpture of Antiquity.

During this lecture he made many witty comments about modern practices in art; he said that the Leonard da Vince exhibition was a thorn in his side at present and that they had had ‘turned David Hockey away this morning’.

He began by saying the central foundation stone of Western European art is ‘us’, in other words, the human figure. Of these works, the male figure is the most important. He commenced by showing slides of sculpture of the male from ancient Greece.

He showed immediate links to figures sculpted by Michaelangelo, and paintings by Velazquez and Lucien Freud.

This was demonstrated by a projected image of a Roman god next to a painting of the god Mars by Velazquez and a nude full-length portrait of Leigh Bowery, in an armchair, by Lucien Freud.

Colin had many slides demonstrating his points, all of them interesting and relevant, particularly the works of the Italian Renaissance artists, such Raphael, who, he said, was not able to work from the nude female figure, it being impossible for a young man to have access to a nude female model.

Also we were asked to look at the Joshua Reynolds portrait of Sir Banastre Tarleton, who fought in the American War of Independence. Reynold had a directory of poses, from his time in Rome, and used a pose of Cincinnatus from antiquity for the Tarleton portrait. Tarleton was apparently very ‘thick’ and Reynolds did not like him at all. He painted the figure in a battle scene with a cannon right behind his backside!

The interest in ancient art was widespread in the USA too, from Victorian times, and he told of a mail order facility to order art from Europe, which resulted in a copy of the Venus de Milo being sent by railroad to the mid-west, where it was found to be without arms. The purchasers sued the railroad company for the loss of her arms, and won their case!

There was a very amusing point made that maidens were painted and sculpted being very modest, and while nude, covered their ‘private parts’. This he demonstrated by showing us a sculpture of a Roman or Greek (not sure which) girl, then a nude by Renoir and then a still from the comedy Carry on Camping, when Barabara Windsor is bra-less and covering her bosom with her hands.

Colin admires the ‘passive and beautiful’ male nude early paintings of David Hockney and is looking forward to the exhibition later this year at the Royal Academy.

However he did not like the Gerhard Richter work at the London exhibition (now ended), and said he finds German contemporary art takes itself too seriously.

My understanding is Colin suggested he likes humour in art and showed us a Johann Zoffany painting of the Tribuna in the Uffizi, Florence, where a collection of Milords are admiring the bottom of the Venus de Milo.

I found a link to the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge which shows Frank Auerbach standing beside a portrait etching of Colin Wiggins.

COLIN WIGGINS – HE IS A ‘NATIONAL (GALLERY) TREASURE’

Jan 2 2012

THE FIRST ACTRESSES – AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY


THE FIRST ACTRESSES, AT NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

 It was good news, I found I had won two tickets for the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, plus a copy of the exhibition catalogue.  If something costs nothing, it is even nicer, I find!

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

National Portrait Gallery poster for Late Shift

I love this gallery, and often go in.  To see most of the displays does not require an entrance fee, but donations are welcomed, of course.

 This particular exhibition is small, well of course it is limited by virtue of its title.  There are some brilliant portraits.

 Most of the paintings, prints, ceramics and engravings are of women.  There are themes in each room, for example:

 DIVAS AND DANCERS, which includes a lucious portrait by Gainsborough, entitled Elizabeth Linley (Elizabeth Ann Sheridan)

 I noted in my little book that it is a full-length portrait in a landscape, with loose flicky brush strokes.

 The Gainsborough portraits are the highlights for me, since they display the consumate technique that Gainsborough developed – the actresses’ faces, white and pink, shining, luminous, brilliant against the muted background.  The hands and neck are next in importance, then look at the fluid, sketchy dress and feet, then the greeny brown background.

Gainsborough portrait of Elizabeth Sheridan

 Also in this room are two pastel portraits by John Russell – pastel is not an easy medium – but this artist has demonstrated his mastery.

 WILLIAM HOGARTH

 Also here is a Hogarth oil painting of The Beggar’s Opera, from Birmingham Museum, one of several versions Hogarth produced, in a dramatic and narrative style.

William Hogarth, The Beggar’s Opera,

Throughout the exhibition there is mention that the women actresses were fighting prejudice and were careful to represent themselves as respectable, not being prostitutes (which was originally a profession that went hand in hand with acting).  Several of these well-known actresses married well, into the artistocracy or monied upper class.

 PLAYS AND NOVELS

 Quite a few were successful literary figures, writing plays and novels – not something that I have hear of, in respect of modern actresses.

Some actresses did their memoirs and benefitted from the interest in salacious gossip of their times; there was then, as there is now, the desire to read shocking tales of sex and success which we still find in our media.

 These women were the first in England in particular (not sure about Scotland, Ireland and Wales) who established themselves earning an income from their talents, setting out in a very competitive field, some of course with the support of men but later standing alone and managing to show independence.

 The first acresses emerged with the establishment of the court of Charles II, and at that time women could take female roles which had previously been played by boys and men.

 Later the actresses turned the tables by appearing in male dress, much like our own modern-day principal boys in panto.

 The main artists, Reynolds, Romney, Gainsborough are well represented and there are also excellent works by Zoffany, Hoppner and Lawrence, John Russell (pastels), Lely and Gilray.

MODERN ACTRESSES

 However, in another two galleries there is a display of images of modern actresses, from film, TV and theatre.  Only three of them are paintings.  There are two pencil drawings.  All the other images are photographs.  This is bad news for us painters!

Nell Gwyn by Simon Vereist

Come on,  actresses, support the arts and commission an artist to paint your portrait!  Like your predecessors did.

Dec 21 2011

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY: THE FIRST ACTRESSES


THE FIRST ACTRESSES, AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON

Friends have been, say its excellent. I went in for competition to win tickets for this, and heard today I have won two!

Great news, I will be going along soon, it closes on 8 January I think. Painters include Gainsborough, Reynolds and of course later artist

Extra interesting as I have just read Samuel Pepys, by Claire Tomalin, and am now reading the All The KIng’s Women by Derek Wilson.

Dec 18 2011

EDWARD BURRA EXHIBITION AT PALANT HOUSE


EDWARD BURRA- A MAJOR SHOW UNTIL 21 FEBRUARY 2012 AT CHICHESTER

 Palant House Gallery at Chichester, Sussex is where you can see a fantastic exhibition of the watercolour works of Edward Burra.

First, though, remember it is a very sloooooow train journey to Chichester from London, Victoria.  Maybe go by car?  But then you probably cannot park.

Anyway, we got there by lunchtime and had a job to find Pallant House Gallery, it is in North Pallant, down a little street called West Pallant, off South Street.  Apparently there is a very good restaurant there, called Field and Fork, but we did not try it out. No time.

 CAFE ROUGE

Instead we went to Cafe Rouge and I did this pencil sketch, where the figure in the foreground reminded me of drawings of Mr Pickwick.

Chichester, Cafe Rouge diners

 THE GALLERY

The Gallery is in a new building, and next to an 18th century house where the gallery was based originally. The Edward Burra show is upstairs and in galleries with low light because the paintings are watercolour.

You are probably aware of the kinds of paintings you will see.  There are some very large works, on papers stuck together.

 The first gallery has smaller work, and includes some of my favourites, of the bars and streets of Harlem and London.  Burra visited cities from his family home near Rye, Sussex and it seems he loved to travel.  The earlier works dated from the 1920s so presumably he went by train and sea.  Probably he liked to draw the dockhands and sailors en route.

EDWARD BURRA, ZOOT SUITS

SIMON MARTIN – CURATOR

 I was pleased to overhear the start of a talk, when arriving in the first gallery, from Simon Martin, Head of Curatorial Services.  Mr Martin addressed a small group of ladies, who kept giving us daggers looks because we dared to overhear the remarks.  Maybe they expected us to put our hands over our ears so we could not hear what he said!

 HAMMER HORROR

 There were some good information labels in the galleries. I did not realize that Burra liked films so much, apparently he tried to go to the cinema two or three times a week.  One painting was of Mae West.  He also liked Hammer Horror films.  The later paintings are very strange and rather frightening, and sometimes show skeletons, skulls and figures with birds heads.

FLOWER PAINTING

I saw one flower painting, which was itself very eerie and disturbing, with garish yellows.  Not your usual pretty, pretty flower stuff at all.

LORRIES

The later works often included views of rolling hills and motorways crossing moorlands and downs.  The lorries and cars were painted in almost a naive way.  Once again, these dark, brooding images were something you might find rather disturbing.  They were a far cry from the earlier works showing people enjoying life, in theatres, cafes, dance halls and streets.

PAUL NASH

Apparently Burra kept very close, lifelong friendships with the people he knew when a student at Chelsea Polytechnic and the Royal College.  He also knew Paul Nash, mainly because he lived quite near, and discussed art with him but I think I read that he did not liked Nash’s work.  Other painters who he admired include Gustave Moreau, Otto Dix, George Grosz, Max Beckman, Goya, Leger and Hogarth.

He was briefly associated with Surrealism.  But moved away from this.

TOURIST POSTCARDS 

According to the information in the gallery, Burra sometimes used postcards when painting, he also probably used his own photographs, some of which were on show in the gallery.  Hastings Harbour in the exhibition an example of his use of postcards.

He had an amazing visual memory, though and towards the end of his working life, liked to go out with his sister in her car, after which he could start a landscape painting from memory. That was his preferred method of working.

EYES

You might notice that the eyes of a lot of the figures, have a sideways look;  the pupils are right at the corner of the eye, as if his people cannot look anybody straight in the face.

WORKS ON DISPLAY IN THE EXHIBITION

There is a small selection of Burra’s main works here on display.  Obviously there is a lot more to be seen dotted around the world, and it is unfortunate that watercolour is such a transient medium, easily faded by light; maybe that is why major galleries cannot put more on display.

One thing I did miss seeing was more sketches.  There were a few pencil and pen sketches on show.

BOOK:  EDWARD BURRA,  Simon Martin

I bought this book, even though at £25 it is more than I like to pay!  But have started reading it and find it excellent, and very funny in places, where it quotes his letters which are really bitchy and witty.