Contemporary passions 2017 Burgh Island

Contemporary Passions Exhibition Preview: Burgh Island

My ‘contemporary passion’ for the 2017 Contemporary Passions exhibition is ‘places other than Salcombe’.  For the past decade or so, I’ve focused on scenes within easy walking distance of my home in Salcombe, and I’ve painted over 100 of them.

Contemporary passions 2017 Burgh Island

The Burgh Island Hotel

Burgh Island is too far away to walk but has always been a favourite topic.

 

Which Burgh Island paintings will be in the Contemporary Passions exhibition?

I’ve chosen just two for this exhibition: The Burgh Island Hotel (oil) and  Burgh Island from Hope Cove (acrylic).

The iconic Art Deco Hotel dominates Burgh Island. It was owned and managed for many years by Tony Porter and his wife Beatrice. Tony called it the Great White Palace and it has featured in many films and television dramas based on Agatha Christie novels.

Most artists prefer the view as seen from Bigbury but I have attempted to capture the subject as seen from Hope Cove. The massive cliffs of the mainland give a dramatic backdrop, while the rocks in the foreground underline its isolation. And, the late afternoon sun turns the Great White Palace into a glorious white beacon.

131 Burgh Island from Hope Cove

Burgh Island from Hope Cove

 

WHAT IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

The Contemporary Passions exhibition is an opportunity for members of SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) to stage a major summer show of new works in a wide range of mediums and styles, a snapshot of the artists’ current work, interests and creative passions.

This is the first year I have taken part in this exhibition and am one of ten SHAF members exhibiting their work.

 

WHEN IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

Tuesday 6 June until Sunday 18 June 2017
Open daily 10 am – 5 pm (closing at 4 pm on the last day)

 

WHERE IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

The Contemporary Passions exhibition will be at Harbour House, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 1JD

 

WANT TO MEET THE ARTISTS?

There will be an opportunity to meet the artists on Tuesday 6 June, 6-8 pm.

I will also be stewarding all day on Saturday 10 June and on the morning of Saturday 17 June.

 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Admission is free!

CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION PREVIEW: Sue Farrow-Jones

Sue Farrow-JonesSue Farrow-Jones and I are both showing our work at the annual Contemporary Passions exhibition, an opportunity for members of SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) to stage a major summer show of new works in a wide range of mediums and styles.

The exhibition provides a snapshot of the artists’ current work, interests and creative passions.

The featured image above is one of several artworks – all involving images of involving hares – that Sue will have on show.

 

Why hares?

The South West doesn’t have many hares, mainly owing to it being an agricultural area. Hares don’t have burrows, leaving leverets at risk of farm machinery as remaining still is their main protection.

Sue joined The Hare Preservation Trust and found out that there is no closed season for hunting hares. She found it very sad, that these beautiful, magical creatures are not protected by law in any way.

Contemporary Passions Gold Hare, Rising Moon

Gold Hare, Rising Moon

Having seen some in the lanes recently, she has been producing prints of hares.

‘Gold Hare, Rising Moon’ is a lino print with gold leaf accentuating the hare and the moon.

The featured image above is a lino print called ‘Melangell’s Hares’. Melangell is The Patron Saint of Hares. Being Welsh, Sue decided to visit the church in Powys at Pennant Melangell in May, where they celebrate Saint Melangell at her shrine there. The Daughter of an Irish Chieftan living in the 7th Century, Melangell ran away to avoid the marriage of convenience her Father had planned for her.

One day, whilst out walking in a valley in Powys, Melangell saw a hunter with his hounds, chasing a hare. The hare ran to her and hid in the gathered fabric of her cloak. She prevented the hounds from catching the hare.

The hunter was Prince Brochwel Ysgithrog and he was so impressed by her courage that he gave her the valley. Thus, Melangell became the Patron Saint of Hares, protecting all the wildlife in the valley and providing establishing a religious community, a sanctuary for women and animals for 37 years, until the end of her life.

 

How does Sue then use these prints?
Contemporary Passions

Lampshade: ‘Gold Hare and Rising Moon’

Some of the prints have been placed on screens and printed on linen.

She’s used this fabric to make into lampshades, such as the one shown here, using the ‘Gold Hare and Rising Moon’ fabric.

Still on the theme of hares, ‘I Dreamed I Held a Hare’ is a watercolour.

To see more of Sue’s work, visit her website.

 

WHEN IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

Tuesday 6 June until Sunday 18 June 2017

Contemporary Passions Sue Farrow-Jones

Watercolour: ‘I Dreamed I Held a Hare’

Open daily 10 am – 5 pm (closing at 4 pm on the last day)

 

WHERE IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

The Contemporary Passions exhibition will be at Harbour House, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 1JD

 

WANT TO MEET THE ARTISTS?

There will be an opportunity to meet all the artists on Tuesday 6 June, 6-8 pm.

You might also call in when Sue or I are stewarding. Sue will be stewarding on the mornings of Thursday 15 June and Friday 16 June. I will be stewarding all day on Saturday 10 June and on the morning of Saturday 17 June.

 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Admission is free!

Michele Meyer

Contemporary Passions exhibition preview: Michele Meyer, sculptor

Michele Meyer

Michele Meyer

Michele Meyer and I are both showing our work at the annual Contemporary Passions exhibition, an opportunity for members of SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) to stage a major summer show of new works in a wide range of mediums and styles. The exhibition provides a snapshot of the artists’ current work, interests and creative passions.

The featured image above is called ‘Man’ and is one of several sculptures that Michele will have on show.

 

Michele Meyer, Sculptor
Michele Meyer

Girl with Goose

Michele was born in Austria and brought up and educated in Holland, Germany and Switzerland.

She worked and studied interior decoration in Cologne. Michele married and lived in Holland for 15 years bringing up a family and she enjoyed helping her husband assemble ideas and colours for his fashion collections.

The low light and the immense Dutch skies led her to study oil painting under Guus Melai and Olav Bijker.

Michele now has a small farm near Salcombe, Devon with a herd of South Devon cows – and keeps sheep – and enjoys country living to the full.

Her bold and earthy ceramic sculptures are born from Michele’s love for all living creatures and deeply felt optimism in life.

Michele works in highly fired clay to withstand outdoor temperatures, and uses the occasional touch of glaze and stone dust. She exhibits at her home in Salcombe – and her studio is open to visitors on demand – but her work can also be seen on her website.

 

Michele Meyer

WHEN IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

Tuesday 6 June until Sunday 18 June 2017
Open daily 10 am – 5 pm (closing at 4 pm on the last day)

 

WHERE IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?

The Contemporary Passions exhibition will be at Harbour House, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 1JD

 

WANT TO MEET THE ARTISTS?
Michele Meyer

Throwing the Ball

There will be an opportunity to meet all the artists on Tuesday 6 June, 6-8 pm.

Michele will be stewarding on the afternoons of Thursday 15 June and Friday 16 June.

I will be stewarding all day on Saturday 10 June and on the morning of Saturday 17 June.

 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Admission is free!

Contemporary Passions Exhibition Preview: Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers

My ‘contemporary passion’ for the 2017 Contemporary Passions exhibition is ‘places other than Salcombe’.  For the past decade or so, I’ve focused on scenes within easy walking distance of my home in Salcombe, and I’ve painted over 100 of them.

More recently, I decided to strike out and paint some other beautiful places, all within a short drive of Salcombe. High on the list for possible locations were Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers.

 

Why Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers?

It was probably in the late 1960s that I was first introduced to the two villages of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo. My children were young, and we would rent Rose Cottage, next to The Dolphin.

contemporary passions 2017

Newton Ferrers from Noss Mayo

At low tide, there are causeways to help pedestrians cross the water between the two villages of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo. So, if the tide was out, we’d cross the causeway on foot. We often ate at The Ship and enjoyed the views across to the Swan Inn. If the tide was in, we’d visit the Swan Inn by boat! I have very many happy memories of those times and still have friends living there.

The Ship Inn (and other venues) offer excellent food and are ideally sited from an artist’s point of view. Decades later, it’s a treat to venture away from Salcombe now and then and to enjoy such picturesque scenes. Last summer, Anne and I, on two separate occasions, took house guests in that direction.

Once I start taking photos, it’s not long before I’m compelled to start painting … and those two visits explain the recent crop of paintings of Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers.

 

Which paintings will be on display in the exhibition?

I expect to hang maybe 7-10 paintings in all, including this selection depicting Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers.

The featured image above is The Quay at Newton Ferrers, viewed from a footpath close to the Yealm Hotel, which might soon be redeveloped.

For Newton Ferrers from Noss Mayo, I was positioned by Point Cottage only a few paces from the Ship Inn and the sun shone for as long as I needed it.

Tides permitting, I prefer to walk from Newton Ferrers to Noss Mayo. These days, I don’t have the option to take to the water so, when the tide is in, we have to use the car, driving upstream to Bridge End – the most westerly part of this stretch of water – and trust we can find a parking spot when we arrive in Noss Mayo.

contemporary passions 2017 Bridge End Newton Creek

Bridge End, Newton Creek

Bridge End, Newton Creek shows the signboard, full of useful information, and the outstanding view of this part of the estuary. There are several character cottages at this delightful spot. The road crosses the stream but it’s worth stopping for a minute or two as this sheltered location shimmers with colour and fragrances from all the seasonal flowers. You might also see ducks, and hear them making their ‘busy’ noises. Add to this, the stream providing its gurgling babbling sound – and you have music to the ear!

contemporary passions 2017 Low Tide Newton Ferrers

Low Tide at Newton Ferrers

Low Tide at Newton Ferrers depicts a prominent luxury boathouse as viewed from Noss Mayo. Its setting is idyllic! Beyond the boathouse, we can see the tops of masts and sails of crafts finding their moorings in the river Yealm.

All of these images are also available as a fine art greetings card – what I call ‘affordable art’.

 

What is the Contemporary Passions exhibition?

The Contemporary Passions exhibition is an opportunity for members of SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) to stage a major summer show of new works in a wide range of mediums and styles, a snapshot of the artists’ current work, interests and creative passions.

This is the first year I have taken part in this exhibition and am one of ten SHAF members exhibiting their work.

 

When is the Contemporary Passions exhibition?

Tuesday 6 June until Sunday 18 June 2017
Open daily 10 am – 5 pm (closing at 4 pm on the last day)

 

Where is the Contemporary Passions exhibition?

The Contemporary Passions exhibition will be at Harbour House, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 1JD

 

Want to Meet the Artists?

There will be an opportunity to meet the artists on Tuesday 6 June, 6-8 pm.

I will also be stewarding all day on Saturday 10 June and on the morning of Saturday 17 June.

 

How much does it cost?

Admission is free!

Contemporary passions

Contemporary Passions Exhibition Preview: High Tide at Kingsbridge

The annual Contemporary Passions exhibition is an opportunity for members of SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) to stage a major summer show of new works in a wide range of mediums and styles, a snapshot of the artists’ current work, interests and creative passions.

This is the first year I have taken part in this exhibition and am one of ten SHAF members exhibiting their work.

During the next few weeks, I’ll showcase the many paintings I intend to display, and introduce the other artists too.

 

High Tide at Kingsbridge

It seems appropriate to start this series of posts with this image of Kingsbridge. It’s the first one I’ve done of this end of the Kingsbridge Estuary. A steep road – Fore Street – climbs upwards to the church of St Edmunds whose 13th century tower dominates the sky line.

I’ve tried to capture the summer evening light as it softens the jumble of buildings. I scheduled this study for a high tide in the late afternoon, because the water surface dances with the strengthening shadows and fading reflections, and the warm glow of sunset will soon give way to electric lights.

At other states of the tides and at other times of the day, the view is completely different and provides a challenge – and the inspiration – to conjure more compositions of this scene.

High Tide at Kingsbridge is also available as a fine art greetings card.

 

When is the Contemporary Passions exhibition?

Tuesday 6 June until Sunday 18 June 2017
Open daily 10 am – 5 pm (closing at 4 pm on the last day)

 

Where is the Contemporary Passions exhibition?

The Contemporary Passions exhibition will be at Harbour House, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 1JD

 

Want to Meet the Artists?

There will be an opportunity to meet the artists on Tuesday 6 June, 6-8 pm.

I will also be stewarding all day on Saturday 10 June and on the morning of Saturday 17 June.

 

How much does it cost?

Admission is free!

2017 Exhibition schedule update

The Salcombe Art Club Exhibition opened last Thursday so it’s time for an update of my exhibition schedule for 2017.

The Salcombe Art Club Exhibition remains open until 30 September, 7 days a week from 11am until 5pm. Admission is free.

I now also have my stewarding dates for Salcombe Art Club and the Contemporary Arts Exhibition at Harbour House. So, if you’d like to ‘meet the artist’, pop in at these times:

  • Salcombe Art Club: 11am-5pm on Wednesdays – 28 June, 12 July, 9 August
  • Harbour House, Kingsbridge: 10am-5pm on Saturday June 10, 10am-1.30pm on Saturday 17 June
Contemporary Passions Exhibition
Tuesday 6 June – Sunday 18 June 2017

This exhibition is organised by SHAF (South Hams Arts Forum) of which I am a member, and is at Harbour House, Kingsbridge – a wonderful gallery space.

Doors will be open from 10am – 5pm and admission is free.

There is a ‘Meet the Artists’ event on Tuesday 6 June, 6-8pm. Do come along!

 

One-man exhibition in the Redfern Health Centre
Thursday 29 June – Thursday 27 July 2017

Full members of Salcombe Art Club display their work for one month – so that those visiting the Redfern have something to admire while waiting to see the doctor.

The Redfern benefits from all sales; a percentage of the purchase price is donated to their funds.

 

Oils and Acrylics in the Little Studio in the Loft Gallery
9 – 23 July

Students of Ian Carr’s class, including myself, will be exhibiting examples of work done in class.

 

Watercolours in the Loft Studio Little Studio in the Loft Gallery
23 July – 5 August

Students of Michael Hill’s class, including myself, will be exhibiting examples of work done in class.

 

One-man exhibition in the Little Studio in the Loft Gallery
Sunday 13 August – Saturday 26 August 2017

Salcombe Art Club invite members, including associate members, to take one or two weeks in the Little Studio, to display as many of their paintings as they can hang in the space.

More recent paintings that didn’t sell last year can be hung so they usually get another airing.

I’ll be stewarding all day both Sundays, so that’s a good time to pop in and chat, if you want to ‘meet the artist’.

 

SHAF Arts Trail
Saturday 14 October – Sunday 29 October

The South Hams Art Forum (SHAF) offers a two-week Arts Trail, including the school half-term holiday.

Viewings at Beacon House Gallery are usually by appointment but, for the period of the SHAF Arts Trail, we will welcome visitors 11am-3pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 10am-5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Closed on a Tuesday)

 

Beacon House Gallery
Private viewings 2017

I usually hold a private preview evening ahead of the start of the season, but the gallery is being refurbished and works are still ongoing.

Instead, there will be an event to celebrate the re-opening of Beacon House Gallery – whenever that happens!

If you would like to be advised about the date of this event and to receive an invitation, please contact me.

Salcombe Art Club Exhibition preview: Shifting Sands at Burgh Island I and II

Two of my paintings of Burgh Island depicts the shifting sands between the mainland and the island.

I’ve included both for consideration of the Hanging Committee of Salcombe Art Club, hoping they will be accepted for the 2017 Salcombe Art Club Exhibition which opens on Thursday 13 April.

On this blog, over the past few weeks, I’ve also posted a preview of the other three paintings that I have submitted: Provident, Hope Cove Fishing Gear, and Blackstone.

 

What’s special about these two paintings of Burgh Island?

Shifting Sands at Burgh Island I, the featured image above, is an acrylic painting. In the sky, I included a vapour trail to remind me of a flight from Gatwick to Malta a while back. For some reason, the pilot chose to go west before turning south. Seeing this spectacular coastline from the air was a magical experience.

Shifting Sands at Burgh Island II draws particular attention to the dramatic cliffs. Also clear in this image is that the Island is set apart from the mainland by a strip of sand, only visible at low tide. When the sea is in full tide, the sea tractor ferries the visitors to and fro and there is a continuous clamour of sound from waves and gulls.

What’s special about Burgh Island?

Burgh Island, with its Art Deco hotel perched like a crown on its island site, has always captured the visitors’ imagination – not just Agatha Christie’s but many many artists too.

The setting is like a jewel, but with constantly changing tides and weather and light.

Acrylic paint was my choice because the summer light is strong and the tones of blues and greens etc compete. The fast drying time of this medium means there can be no delay in capturing the moment.

 

AFFORDABLE ART

Both images are available as a fine art greetings card.

My cards are stocked at Bonningtons (the newsagents) and Salcombe Information Centre (both a short walk from the Loft Studio). Further afield, my cards are stocked by Malborough Post Office, The Gallery Project at Avon Mill and at Noss Mayo, and in Bloomers, the florist in Kingsbridge.

Just think: for less than 1% of the sales price of an original painting, you can invest in a fine art greetings card. Send it to a friend or frame it for yourself. Whistlefish sell frames that fit … about £10 each.

Fish Out Of Water Top

Jane Mahood: Fish out of water

Jane Mahood is one of 87 artists exhibiting their work in the ‘From Natural to Abstraction’ exhibition. It’s Jane’s fifth time at the Harbour House Open Art Exhibition and her mosaic pieces sell well.

At the current exhibition, Jane’s occasional table ‘Fish out of water’ caught our eye and, although it’s still on show in the exhibition, it’s sold – to us.

As a result of the refurbishment of Beacon House Gallery, we now have a large porch area and this table may well prove useful by the new front door.

Jane tells us: I like to produce pieces that are hopefully pleasing to the eye but are also functional in some way. Whilst I do make some mosaic ‘pictures’, I tend to focus on occasional tables, mirrors, fruit bowls, clocks and lazy susans. My strapline is “Love it, and use it!”

That’s the plan, Jane!

 

Where is the ‘From Natural to Abstraction’ exhibition?

From Natural to AbstractionThe ‘From Natural to Abstraction’ exhibition is being held at Harbour House in Kingsbridge, Devon. It runs until 17 April. It’s open to the public, free of charge, from 10am until 5pm every day, Monday to Saturday. Closed on Sundays.

 

More about Jane Mahood

Jane MahoodJane is a member of SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) and she is featured on the SHAF website.

Largely self-taught, Jane has been producing pieces of mosaic work for three years now.

She sources much of her material from old recycled tiles and broken ceramics, some of which come from the mud of the Kingsbridge Estuary. This stock is supplemented with glass tesserae, mass-produced for mosaic work.

Because her designs are driven by the material that she has to hand, and she finds it impossible to guess what people are going to like, Jane has not undertaken any commissions.

However, Jane has ‘revitalised’ some much-loved pieces of China that have been accidentally broken, reconstructing them into a new and usable form.

Jane also produces a lot of birthday and Christmas presents for friends and family, and – she says – her house looks like a mosaics shop!

 

If you are involved in an exhibition, let me know.

I’ll try to come along.

I might buy a piece of your art.

You might find yourself featured in a future blog post.

Salcombe Art Club Exhibition preview: Provident

Provident – the featured painting above – is one of five that I plan to submit for consideration of the Hanging Committee of Salcombe Art Club, hoping they will be accepted for the 2017 Salcombe Art Club Exhibition which opens on Thursday 13 April.

On this blog, I’ll post a preview of each of the five paintings, over the next few weeks. If you decide you want to purchase one of them, be quick. The prices go up in April!

 

What inspired me to paint Provident?

For decades, ‘Provie’ was part of the Island Cruising Club’s fleet aimed at teaching children and adults how to sail in the traditional manner. That is: under a ‘tall rig’.

Provie was part of the scenery!

 

Where is Provident now?

Provident is now with Trinity Sailing Foundation, who operate a small fleet of historically important sailing vessels such as: Leader, Provident, Golden Vanity and Heritage.

 

What is the history of Provident?

I am grateful to the Trinity Sailing Foundation for providing full information on all their vessels. This is my potted version regarding Provie.

Provident is a medium-sized ‘Mule’ class of sailing trawler. Built in 1924, Provident was a replacement for an earlier vessel of the same name, which had been sunk during WW1 by a German U-boat. She fished out of Brixham for ten years, was then sold and converted to a private yacht. Provident was laid up in Cornwall during WW2.

Provident arrived in Salcombe, in 1951, as the founding vessel of the Island Cruising Club. She was given a major refit in the late 1980s, and re-launched in 1991. Eight years later, having sailed our waters to everyone’s delight, in 1999, she started working from Brixham as part of the newly-formed Trinity Sailing Foundation.

DartLife invite

Chris Pring – ceramic artist at DartLife exhibition

Chris Pring, potter

I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Pring on Monday 13 March – a week ago today.

Anne and I attended a private preview of the DartLife exhibition at the Ariel Centre in Totnes. The work of Chris Pring was on show together with that of many other artists.

  • Rosemary Bonney (landscape painter, mixed media)
  • Amanda Cardrick (painter, acrylic, mixed media)
  • Ann Chester King (landscape painter, mixed media)
  • Sue Farrow-Jones (printmaker, screen printer, watercolourist)
  • Breda Holden (landscape painter, watercolour and mixed media)
  • Val Uglow (mixed media artist)
  • Ann Yeoman (landscape and botanical water-colourist)
Chris Pring – ceramic artist

Chris  makes functional domestic stoneware and delicate porcelain pieces for the home as well as Goldsworthy-inspired garden sculptures in stoneware and terracotta, and you can see examples of his work on his website http://www.kellatonpottery.co.uk/

Pring potAt the exhibition, one piece caught our eye and was purchased as a gift from me to my wife on the occasion of our recent wedding anniversary.

The ticket reads:

Skeletal gnarled oak
Roots carressed by clear waters
Giving and Taking

I won’t reveal the price!

When we move back into our refurbished home shortly, this vase will take pride of place on the window sill in Anne’s office. According to Anne – she hadn’t seen the ticket and was simply drawn by the image – to her, it spoke of the individual being the tree, drawing strength from the ground and giving / sharing the gifts or talents that we each have. To the outside observer, the beauty of this giving and taking is not always recognised – they only see a gnarled tree. Their loss …

DartLife invite

You still have time to visit the exhibition

This exhibition is on now until 30 March 2017. Entitled ‘DartLife’, it explores the River Dart, which runs as a thread through the work of all the artists, uniting them in a common theme. Don’t miss this one.

If you are a local artist and would like to feature on my blog, let me know when/where you will be exhibiting. Invite me to the private preview! And I’ll spread the word about you and your art. Click here for my contact page.