SOLD! Sunlight Across the Bar

Soon after 11am on Sunday 18 August, the official opening time for the exhibition, I made a sale. Sunlight across the Bar, an oil painting was sold to a couple who have been visiting Salcombe ‘forever’.

I arrange to have all of my original paintings professionally photographed before they are varnished or framed, so I stil have the digital image and own the copyright. From this image, I can create a giclée print, and any of the affordable art range.  It’s very popular as a fine art greetings card too.

A boxed canvas – unusual for Stephen Thomas

It’s rare for me to offer a painting unframed. Sunlight across the Bar was on a box canvas and had spent much of its life on our lounge wall, above the TV.

In its place, I have hung a much larger painting. It’s a print by Terrence Cuneo, who is best known for his studies of trains and railway stations. However, this one depicts Lloyds of London, my place of work for decades. It was a gift to me from work colleagues on my retirement in 2000.

Terence Cuneo - Lloyds of London | Sold! Sunlight Across the Bar

The feather?

The feather symbolises the quill pen, and was intended as a joke by my colleagues to remind me that I started work, aged 17, before the invention of computers. It was after the invention of pens, however.

The waiters (those in red jackets) would, each morning, visit every box and refill the inkwells. This tradition has obviously fallen by the wayside and Lloyds is full of modern technology.

Nowadays, many use a mouse. In my day, the mice were real and one is visible in this painting.

Can you see this painting?

My Terence Cuneo painting will be on display, but not for sale, during the SHAF (South Hams Arts Forum) Arts Trail. Make a note of  the dates: 12-27 October.

Setting up day: Sunday 18 August

Anne and I had a very early start on setting up day. I’d already loaded the car the night before, with fifteen paintings, individually wrapped and ready to hang.

The parking fairy had reserved a place for us alongside the bakery and I moved the paintings bag by bag to the Art Club, while Anne guarded the car and the remaining paintings.

Then, I left Anne at the Gallery while I moved the car to my boat parking space in Shadycombe car park. By the time I’d returned, Anne had unpacked and hung nearly all the paintings, not in their final positions, but close.

There then followed an hour or so of moving each painting left a bit, right a bit, up a bit, down a bit, and attaching labels. Imagine, me on a ladder, and Anne directing operations!

We were just about done when the purchaser arrived. He was earlier than our usual opening time, but we welcomed him in. We then settled ourselves down to a well-earned cup of coffee.

After studying all the paintings, he departed but returned with his wife some time later, to make the purchase. I am always happy when I meet the purchaser, and know my painting is going to a good home!

When does the exhibition end?

There’s another week … 11am-5pm every day until Saturday 31 August. Do pop in. I’m stewarding on Wednesday 28 August 11am-5pm and Saturday 31 August 2-5pm.

ONE-MAN EXHIBITION: LITTLE STUDIO AT THE LOFT GALLERY

As a full member of Salcombe Art Club, I have the option for a one-man exhibition in the corner of the Loft Gallery that some of us still call the Little Studio.

This year, my exhibition spans two consecutive weeks: 18-31 August. Fifteen original paintings … and the gallery is open every day 11am until 5pm

A RETROSPECTIVE OF MY WORK 

For this one-man exhibition, I’ve chosen paintings which span the past decade or so, while I have been a member of Salcombe Art Club.

The Club rules don’t allow a painting to be exhibited in the Main Exhibition for three years after it is first exhibited. Each year, I’ve been exhibiting 5 new paintings; consequently, these older ones have been somewhat neglected.

I need to free up space on the walls in my gallery! So, I have discounted all of the paintings on show for this fortnight. Come along. There are some bargains!

From 2011: Slapton Ley 

Slapton Ley | one-man exhibition

Slapton Ley: watercolour: £100

Deliah 

Deliah | one-man exhibition

Deliah: acrylic: £150

High and Dry in the Creek 

High and Dry in the Creek: acrylic £150

From 2012: Fishing Boats in the Barbican 

Fishing Boats in the Barbican: watercolour: £150

From 2013: At Ditch End 

079 At Ditch End

At Ditch End: acrylic: £100

Evening Row 

Evening Row: acrylic: £100

Storm at Start Bay 

Storm at Start Bay: acrylic: £100

and Calypso 

Calypso watercolour: £150

From 2014: Hope Cove Fishing Gear 

Hope Cove Fishing Gear

Hope Cove Fishing Gear: watercolour: £125

From 2015: Sunlight Across the Ba

Sunlight across the Bar: oil; £175

 Salcombe Dawn II  

Salcombe Dawn II: watercolour: £375

From 2018: Sunset at Start Point II  

Sunset at Start Point

Sunset at Start Point: oil: £325

In the main exhibition, I have FIVE paintings. Can you find them all? 

WHERE IS THE LOFT GALLERY?

The Loft Gallery is situated behind the Fortescue Inn, and above a popular shoe shop, on a delightful footpath called Victoria Quay, which overlooks one of the best views in the UK including the mooring berth of the RNLI lifeboat Baltic Exchange III.

AFFORDABLE ART: Fine art greetings cards

Out of 140+ completed paintings to date, 70 of these are also available as fine art greetings cards.

You cannot buy my cards at the Salcombe Art Club, but they 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, Ashby’s, The Gallery Project at Avon Mill and at Noss Mayo.

This Week at Salcombe Art Club: Elen Claire Williams

As a full member of Salcombe Art Club, I have the option to exhibit in the This Week corner of the Loft Gallery that some of us still call the Little Studio. This year, I had two consecutive weeks: 28 July until 11 August.

 

The turn of Elen Claire Williams

It’s now the turn of Elen Claire Williams to exhibit her work in the Little Studio.

Fine Artist, Elen Claire Williams MA works in the genre of the British Walking Artists: recording and interpreting her local South Devon landscape, principally between the moor and the sea. She commonly selects popular places at those solitary times where distance from modern life encourages deeper thought, imagination, self-discovery and inner peace.

Through varying visual languages, Elen Claire creates atmospheric, evocative impressions and visual documentations arising from ‘The Art of Slow Walking’.  Often the narrative behind the artwork becomes a series of works exploring the deeper aspects of art makingThis reaches beyond the decorative aspect of making art, to the key issues of our times e.g. spiritual poverty and environmental issues, becoming essential deeper elements in the artist’s work.  Elen Claire seeks to raise the audiences’ awareness of the fragility of all life.  An interest in local history, rural traditions and personal faith are reflected in the narrative of specific series of artwork.

Here are just three of Elen Claire’s paintings. Visit the Little Studio in the Salcombe Art Club to see more. Elen Claire’s show ends on Saturday!

Williams

Salcombe – Home for Tea: Oil on canvas: 610mmx1220mm

Williams

House on the Avon: Mixed media: 455mmx610mm

Williams

Safe to Shore: 505mmx760mm

WHERE IS THE LOFT GALLERY?

WilliamsThe Loft Gallery is situated behind the Fortescue Inn, and above a popular shoe shop, on a delightful footpath called Victoria Quay, which overlooks one of the best views in the UK including the mooring berth of the RNLI lifeboat Baltic Exchange III.

 

See Elen Claire also on the SHAF Arts Trail: at venue 33

Elen Claire is one of over 60 artists opening their studios for the SHAF Arts Trail.

This year, the SHAF Arts Trail runs from October 13th to October 28th. Two whole weeks, including half-term week.

Elen Claire’s studio, ART SPACE: Fine Art Studio is venue 33 and all the details are on page 18 of the SHAF Arts Trail Brochure.

 

Small group workshops

Elen Claire also runs group workshops led by professional artist tutors at her ART SPACE studio.

For more details, contact Elen Claire at ec.williams@hotmail.co.uk

Also see her website and her Facebook page.

 

If you have an exhibition coming up, let me know. I’ll tell my readers about it.

One-man exhibition 13-26 August in the Little Studio at the Loft Gallery, Salcombe

My one-man exhibition  in the Little Studio at the Loft Gallery, Salcombe continues until Saturday 26 August.

I’ve space to show a wide range of my art in this one-man exhibition: watercolours, acrylics and oils. Fifteen paintings in all.

In the image below, you can see 12 of them.

2017 Little Studio one-man exhibition

Top row: (left to right) Gullet Plantation, Deliah, Salcombe Yacht Club’s Christmas Camellias, Torcross Wave

Middle row: (left to right) Scoble Point Moorings, Harvest Reaper II, Hope Cove, Dappled Light III

Bottom row: (left to right) Burgh Island from Hope Cove, At Ditch End, South Pool Sunrise, Tranquility

For those keen on a particular medium, these are the oils: Gullet Plantation,  Scoble Point MooringsHarvest Reaper IIHope CoveDappled Light IIIAt Ditch End, and South Pool Sunrise.

The rest shown here are acrylics.

 

WHERE IS THE LOFT GALLERY?

The Loft Gallery is situated behind the Fortescue Inn, and above a popular shoe shop, on a delightful footpath called Victoria Quay, which overlooks one of the best views in the UK including the mooring berth of the RNLI lifeboat Baltic Exchange III.

 

AFFORDABLE ART

Out of 135 completed paintings to date, 59 of these are available as fine art greetings cards.

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 – they offer the entire range – 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.

108 Salcombe Dawn III one-man exhibition

One-man exhibition 13-26 August – Loft Gallery, Salcombe

My one-man exhibition 13-26 August in the Little Studio at the Loft Gallery, Salcombe opened yesterday and continues until Saturday week.

I’ve space to show a wide range of my art in this one-man exhibition: watercolours, acrylics and oils. Fifteen paintings in all.

During the next two weeks, I’ll share news of the 15 images on show, and hope you will find time to visit the gallery to see them in person. You might even be tempted to buy one!

 

Salcombe Dawn III

The featured image, Salcombe Dawn III,  and the top one in the photo to the right, as the name suggests, is the third painting of the view across to Salcombe from Snapes. The other two were both oil paintings and one has sold already.

This image of Salcombe was captured very early one morning.  I’d invested in a photography course with Bang Wallop, and a small group of us drove up to Snapes in the early hours so we’d be in position as the dawn broke. I’d never before sat in the dark, with a group of strangers, cameras ready, waiting for the sun to appear on the horizon. It was a magical experience, and provided a series of wonderful photographs.

WHERE IS THE LOFT GALLERY?

The Loft Gallery is situated behind the Fortescue Inn, and above a popular shoe shop, on a delightful footpath called Victoria Quay, which overlooks one of the best views in the UK including the mooring berth of the RNLI lifeboat Baltic Exchange III.

 

AFFORDABLE ART

Out of 135 completed paintings to date, 59 of these are available as fine art greetings cards.

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 – they offer the entire range – 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.

EXHIBITION TIME: Michael Hill’s Watercolour Class Exhibition: Now until Saturday 5 August

Michael Hill’S Watercolour Class Exhibition is on now, until Saturday 5 August, in the Little Studio at the Loft Gallery, Salcombe.

I have three watercolour paintings on display, as well as those already hanging in the main exhibition.

 

Watercolour: Slapton Ley

Slapton Ley was one of two watercolour paintings completed when I was living temporarily in Torcross. As you can see, from the upstairs lounge window, we had the most beautiful view across the Ley to the sea, towards Blackpool Sands and beyond that, Dartmouth.

Slapton Ley watercolour

Watercolour:  Ebb Tide at Batson Creek

Ebb Tide at Batson Creek shows a dilapidated boat house in a secluded part of Batson Creek. I admire this picturesque scene every time we take a stroll from Salcombe down to Batson. It is quite beautiful, whatever the state of the tide.

watercolour

Watercolour: Salcombe Dawn III

Salcombe Dawn III,  as the name suggests, is the third painting of the view across to Salcombe from Snapes. The other two were both oil paintings and one has sold already.

This image of Salcombe was captured very early one morning.  I’d invested in a photography course with Bang Wallop, and a small group of us drove up to Snapes in the early hours so we’d be in position as the dawn broke. I’d never before sat in the dark, with a group of strangers, cameras ready, waiting for the sun to appear on the horizon. It was a magical experience, and provided a series of wonderful photographs.

Salcombe Dawn III watercolour

WHERE IS THE LOFT GALLERY?

The Loft Gallery is situated behind the Fortescue Inn, and above a popular shoe shop, on a delightful footpath called Victoria Quay, which overlooks one of the best views in the UK including the mooring berth of the RNLI lifeboat Baltic Exchange III.

 

AFFORDABLE ART

All three images are available as a fine art greetings card, although the Salcombe Dawn card uses one of the oil versions of this composition.

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.

And the show goes on!

My one-man show in the Little Studio, at the Loft Gallery Salcombe, started Sunday 29 May and was supposed to end on Saturday 4 June. But the next artist was unable to show, so I am still there – until Saturday 18 June.

I have space to display a dozen paintings: watercolours, acrylics and oil paintings. For the original line up of paintings, click here to see the blog posting of 23 May. One, Low Tide at East Portlemouth, has sold already.

089 Low tide at East Portlemouth 72dpiSQUARE

This has been replaced by Dawn at New Bridge.

075 Dawn at New Bridge150072dpi

 

Where is the Loft Gallery?

The Loft Gallery is situated behind the Fortescue Inn, and above a popular shoe shop, on a delightful footpath called Victoria Quay, which overlooks one of the best views in the UK including the mooring berth of the RNLI lifeboat Baltic Exchange III.

 

When will I be there to greet you?

I will be stewarding at the Loft Gallery on Tuesday 14 June from 2pm until 5pm and then again Saturday 18 June from 2pm until 5pm. I hope to see you there!

 

Can’t afford to buy my paintings!

Nearly all of the images on sale in my one-man exhibition are also available as fine art greetings cards. Only a short distance from the Loft Gallery, you have the choice of buying these ‘man cards’ at Bonningtons, the newsagents, or at Salcombe Information Centre.

Sketchbook Notes: Dawn at New Bridge

To replace the painting sold yesterday in my one-man exhibition in the Little Studio at the Loft Gallery, I’ve chosen Dawn at New Bridge.

 

What made me paint ‘Dawn at New Bridge’?

For a year, Anne and I rented a stunning house at Bickerton. It belonged to an artist and her husband and, for those twelve months, I worked in the best studio conditions I’ll ever have, for sure.

Work was being done on our Salcombe flat, ahead of putting it on the market, and we spent three years renting various houses in the South Hams. We learnt a lot about the type of house we might eventually want to buy!

During that particular tenancy, I would often drive from Bickerton back to Salcombe and, crossing New Bridge,  Bowcombe, I would enjoy the view across the estuary.

077 Safe mooring150072dpiOne particular morning, there was a mist, slowly clearing. I felt compelled to stop the car and, reaching for my camera, I captured this magical moment. I especially admired the reflections in the pink water.

Dawn at New Bridge was one of a number of studies that resulted from that pitstop.

Safe Mooring (shown left) was sold to friends who live back in Surrey, when they visited us for our eventual house warming party at Beacon House in 2013.

At that same party, the owner of the boat featured was also identified …

Do you like pink?095 New day at Newbridge72dpiRESIZEDSquare

If you like the ‘pink’ of these paintings, you might also like New Day at New Bridge, the original of which was sold at Avon Mill. However, the image is still available as a fine art greetings card.

 

THE SKETCHBOOK NOTES SERIES

This is one of the Sketchbook Notes, a series of posts explaining what inspired me to produce a particular painting.

If you own one of my paintings, or are just curious about an image, let me know; I’ll then write a blog post especially for you!

One-man show in the Little Studio

My one-man show in the Little Studio, at the Loft Gallery Salcombe, starts next Sunday 29 May and runs until Saturday 4 June.

I am displaying a dozen paintings: four each of my watercolours, my acrylics and my oil paintings.

My oil paintings on display will be Dappled Light III, Harvest Reaper II, Harvest Reaper III, and Sunlight Across the Bar.

102 Dappled light III72dpiResizedSquare

109 Harvest Reaper II72dpiRESIZEDSquare 112 Harvest Reaper III72dpiRESIZEDSquare110 Sunlight Across the Bar72dpiRESIZEDSquare

 

 

 

 

The watercolours are: Ebb Tide at Batson Creek,  Hope Cove Fishing Gear, Low Tide at East Portlemouth, and Reflections at Batson.

094 Ebb tide at Batson72dpiResizedSquare

087 Hope Cove Fishing Gear72dpiResizedSquare

089 Low tide at East Portlemouth 72dpiSQUARE

096 Reflections at Batson72dpiRESIZEDSquare

 

 

 

 

 

And the acrylic paintings are Dawn at South Pool CreekPaddling at Burgh IslandShifting Sands at Burgh Island I, and  The Church at St Peter, Buckland Tout Saints.

113 Dawn at South Pool Creek72dpiRESIZEDSquare 114 Paddling at Burgh Island72dpiRESIZEDSquare

120 Shifting Sands at Burgh Island I72dpiRESIZEDSQUARE

059 Church of St Peter72dpiRsizedSquare

 

 

 

 

 

Where is the Loft Gallery?

The Loft Gallery is situated behind the Fortescue Inn, and above a popular shoe shop, on a delightful footpath called Victoria Quay, which overlooks one of the best views in the UK including the mooring berth of the RNLI lifeboat Baltic Exchange III.

 

When will I be there to greet you?

I will be stewarding at the Loft Gallery all day on Sunday 29 May and from 2pm on Saturday 4 June. I hope you see you there!

 

Can’t afford to buy my paintings!

Nearly all of the images on sale in my one-man exhibition are also available as fine art greetings cards. Only a short distance from the Loft Gallery, you have the choice of buying these ‘man cards’ at Bonningtons, the newsagents, or at Salcombe Information Centre.

Batson views

In my one-man show in the Little Studio of the Loft Gallery, three images of Batson will be on display.

094 Ebb tide at Batson72dpiResizedAs you walk the short distance from Salcombe to Batson, you’ll see the view that inspired me to try to capture this idyllic setting.  Ebb Tide at Batson Creek leaves moored craft on the mud bathed in warm sunlight near an old boat house sheltered by trees. Isn’t it beautiful?

096 Reflections at Batson72dpiRESIZEDSquareAt the top of Batson Creek, a collection of thatched cottages delight the eye. They sit around a triangle of grass complete with its old-fashioned telephone box. (At least, the phone box was there, the last time I visited!) The reflections of these cottages in the water only serve to enhance the tranquility of the scene, and this inspired me to paint Reflections at Batson.

If you continue to walk, up and around to the right, towards Snapes Manor, you’ll discover a small beach. Dappled Light III (the featured image far above) shows a stranded boat under the shadow of trees waiting for another tide while the sunlight leaks through the canopy above, creating dappled patterns on both the beach and the boat.

I produced three versions of Dappled Light: a watercolour, an acrylic and this one in oil. Each presented different challenges. The other two are sold already, although Dappled Light I is available as a fine art greetings card, as are Reflections at Batson, and Ebb Tide at Batson Creek.

If you visit the show, and like these paintings but can’t afford the originals, the cards are on sale nearby: at Bonningtons, the newsagents, and at the Salcombe Information Centre, and elsewhere too.

 

When is the show?

My week at the Little Studio in the Loft Gallery is from Sunday 29 May until Saturday 4 June. The Loft Gallery, the home of Salcombe Art Club, is open from 11am until 5pm each day.

 

Where is the Loft Gallery?

The Loft Gallery is situated behind the Fortescue Inn, and above a popular shoe shop, on a delightful footpath called Victoria Quay, which overlooks one of the best views in the UK including the mooring berth of the RNLI lifeboat Baltic Exchange III.

 

When will I be there to greet you?

I will be stewarding at the Loft Gallery all day on Sunday 29 May and from 2pm on Saturday 4 June. I hope you see you there!