Salcombe Archives - Salcombe Art

29 April 2019 In Art

SOLD! Tranquility

Tranquility was painted in 2012 and has been on display at Beacon House since the gallery was set up five years ago. It had become part of the furniture!

When I painted Tranquility, though, we were living at Great Gates and this was our view across the estuary.

Idyllic? Yes … with Mill Bay empty of visitors and the water calm and the sun shining …

For the purchasers, friends of ours, this view reminds them of visits to the other side of the estuary in their boat. They saw the painting for the first time at the preview evening on Friday 5 April and were struck how it captured many happy memories for them. Now, Tranquility hangs in their home in Salcombe and can be enjoyed by them every day and all who visit.

My paintings are mostly bought as souvenirs of holidays in Salcombe. To have one bought by ‘locals’ who enjoy these views daily – they are on our doorstep – is a real honour.

And, while we will miss this particular painting, we know we will see it again and again, gracing the walls of our friends’ home, whenever we visit them.

When can you visit Beacon House?

Beacon House Gallery is also our home and is not open to the public on a daily basis.

However, we do open our doors to the public during the SHAF (South Hams Art Forum) Arts Trail in October, daily apart from Tuesdays, from 10am until 5pm.

This year, the Arts Trail is 12-20 October and our Preview evening will be on Friday 11 October. The preview evening is by invitation, but, if you’d like an invitation, let me know.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to come to view my collection, contact me to arrange a time convenient for you and for us. You will be made very welcome.

20 August 2018 In Art

Exhibition time: Class of Michael Hill

Michael Hill is an experienced and highly accomplished painter in both acrylic and watercolour.

In his Tuesday classes at Salcombe Art Club, he demonstrates both mediums in all his classes, taking in a drawing, painting techniques, and composition. It’s a friendly and informal class which welcomes beginners and more experienced painters.

Michael’s classes are very popular, so much so that there is a waiting list for places for each term. Each year, there’s also an exhibition for two weeks in the Little Studio, showing the work of Michael’s students, myself included.

When is the Class of Michael Hill exhibition?

On now until Saturday 25 August

Where is the Class of Michael Hill exhibition?

Little Studio in the Loft Gallery, Salcombe Art Club, Victoria Quay, Salcombe, Devon TQ8 8DA

Open daily, 11am-5pm

What’s on display at the Class of Michael Hill exhibition?

Jim Smart and Stephen Thomas in the Little Studio

There are works by several of Michal Hill’s class of 2018.

Debbie Horton
Valerie Lambert
Ann Merritt
Yvonne Paul
Deborah Rickard
James Smart
Robert Smith
Stephen Thomas

My three paintings are at the top (left to right)

Michael also has several of his paintings in the main exhibition, on show until the end of September.

To attend Michael’s classes, you need to be a member of Salcombe Art Club. Click here for details of how to join.

13 August 2018 In Art

SOLD! Harvest Reaper II – the South Sands Ferry

It’s a delight to support local good causes and charities.

Each year, as a member of the Salcombe Art Club, I’m on a rota to exhibit in the Redfern Health Centre, Salcombe.

I’m told by many who have cause to visit the health centre that, while they wait their turn to see the doctor or nurse, they enjoy admiring the work of local artists.

I’ve exhibited eight times to date and this year, once more, I had a sale.

SOLD! Harvest Reader II

Harvest Reaper Beyond Fort Charles

Harvest Reaper (featured image above) is the name of the South Sands Ferry.

To travel in a boat is a must for every visitor to Salcombe, especially the very young. What better way to travel but on the Harvest Reaper?

The Fisher Price colours of yellow and blue make the South Sands Ferry look as if it’s popped out of a child’s toy box.

The journey from Salcombe to South Sands on the Harvest Reaper takes only 15 minutes, and then it’s the turn of the tractor to ferry the passengers ashore.

On the return journey, the prospect of driving back into the sea to await the incoming ferry can worry some youngsters. However, any apprehension is easily forgotten with the promise of an ice cream at the end of the journey. Salcombe Dairy ice cream is the finest. (They also make chocolate too now.)

The views each way are spectacular, along the beaches of the ria and out to sea. On a Saturday afternoon, the passengers can also take a close look at the dinghy sailors racing past.

More paintings of Harvest Reaper

Ferry to South Sands

I have painted the Harvest Reaper many times. The original of Harvest Reaper Beyond Fort Charles was also sold when on exhibition at the Redfern Centre.

Then I created

the watercolour Harvest Reaper II which has just sold
an acrylic, Ferry to South Sands
an oil painting of the rear view in Harvest Reaper III.

All of these are now sold, and I really ought to paint this wonderful craft again. But, these images are still available, as fine art greetings cards and/or as prints.

Affordable art!

Harvest Reaper III

Over 60 of my images are available as fine art greetings cards.

Blank inside, you write your own message.

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.

Prints also available

If you would like a high quality giclée print of any of my originals (sold or not), contact me. Prices depend on size and quantity but are a fraction of the cost of an original. Supplied as a canvas, you can choose your own mounting and frame too.

14 May 2018 In Art

Postcard from Funchal, Madeira: Orchids and chocolates

orchids Orchids and chocolates?

Most of my paintings include the sea, the sky, and boats and are based on photographs taken close to my home town of Salcombe.

When I’m on holiday, I have different subjects at my disposal.

Anne and I are staying near Funchal in Madeira and were persuaded to join an excursion which boasted Chocolates and Orchids. How could we resist?

First stop: Orchids at Quinta da Boa Vista

Q orchids uinta da Boa Vista boasts the best orchid collection on show all year round and we were given a guided tour by our host, owner, Patrick through a greenhouse packed with hundreds of colourful varieties.

While he explained how to care for them (do not overwater!), we took photos. The featured image above is just one of many.

Here are some more.

The variety of colours and sizes was a feast for our eyes.

There were huge blooms, with no fragrance …

orchids And tiny blooms with an intense scent …

Both, tactics to attract insects for pollination purposes.

Some has a single magnificent flower – others were grouped on a single stem.

All of them were beautiful.

And then we enjoyed tea and cake in the delightful garden overlooking the town of Funchal.

Next stop: handcrafted colourful flavourful chocolates

T chocolates he next stop on our excursion was into the centre of Funchal, to Rua da Queimada de Baixo, nº 11 where the chocolatier UauCacau have a coffee shop and display their colourful chocolate selection.

We sat outside in the sunshine and were presented with a tasting tray of six exquisite chocolates, together with a glass of Madeira wine.

Our tour guide explained the methods used in the factory below the shop, and the origins of the delicious fillings: mango, banana, passion fruit, madeira rum, …

We were then invited into the chocolate coloured (dark!) interior to choose what we wanted to purchase.

chocolates A work of art! We were hard pressed to choose 20 to take back to our apartment.

Back at the apartment: painting!

Of all the orchids I’d captured on my camera, I chose this one to paint first.

orchids

Why?

colour wheel I chose a pink orchid because so much of the background was green and green is the complementary colour to pink.

This would, in theory, make the petals stand out better than for any other colour of orchid.

Here is another sketch.

The orchid is orange and note that I have used a blue wash in the background, blue being the complementary colour of orange on the colour wheel. orchids

It’s unlikely I’ll take the subject of orchids any further, although we are tempted to fill the house with these wonderful blooms once we are back home.

My ‘market’ back in Salcombe is the usual diet of sea and sailing – but it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon … playing with my watercolour kit.

This post is one of my POSTCARD series, sharing all things ART with you when I go travelling.

21 August 2017 In Art, Exhibition

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 Moorings, Harvest Reaper II, Hope Cove, Dappled Light III, At 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

14 August 2017 In Art, 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?

AFFORDABLE ART

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

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.

24 July 2017 In Art, Exhibition

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.

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: 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.

WHERE IS THE LOFT GALLERY?

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.

17 July 2017 In Art, Exhibition

Exhibition time: Week 2 of Ian Carr’s Oil Class exhibition: now until Saturday 22 July

Ian Carr’s Oil Class Exhibition continues until Saturday 22 July, in the Little Studio at the Loft Gallery, Salcombe.

Which paintings do I have in the Ian Carr Class Exhibition?

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

The featured image above is Hope Cove.

Then there’s Scoble Point Moorings.

And, last but not least, one of my favourites, Splosh of Frogmore.

Where is the Loft Gallery?

AFFORDABLE ART

All three 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.

10 July 2017 In Art, Exhibition

Exhibition time: Ian Carr’s Oil Class exhibition: now until Saturday 22 July

Ian Carr’s Oil Class Exhibition is on now, until Saturday 22 July, in the Little Studio at the Loft Gallery, Salcombe.

Ian Carr Oil Class Exhibition

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

On the right hand panel, at the top, are Hope Cove and Scoble Point Moorings. Bottom right is Splosh of Frogmore – and this is the featured image above too.

Where is the Loft Gallery?

When will I be there to greet you?

I will be stewarding at the Loft Gallery from 11am until 5pm on Wedneday 12 July. I hope you see you there!

29 May 2017 In Art

CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION PREVIEW: The Great Mew Stone, Wembury Bay

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.

The Great Mewstone is a triangular island that stands about half a mile out from Wembury Point. As a bird sanctuary, it is currently uninhabited and access is no longer permitted to visitors.

In the past, however, there was a privately owned Manor House, and a prison. It is also thought to have served as a refuge for local smugglers.

Sam Wakeman

The Mewstone prison’s most famous resident was Sam Wakeman. In 1744, instead of being transported to Australia, he was sent to The Mewstone for seven years. Once free, Sam stayed on the island, earning his living by catching rabbits destined for the Manor House table.

Sam is also credited with carving the rough stone steps to the summit of the Mewstone.

Turner’s paintings 0f The Mewstone

While sailing from Plymouth in 1813, Joseph Mallord William Turner sketched the island and then painted it many times. One of these paintings had been identified as the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth, but was re-catalogued as The Mewstone when it was auctioned by Christie’s in 2008.

Turner’s image is available to purchase through the TATE.

The Great Mew Stone, Wembury Bay as featured above, is the version used for a fine art greetings card. The original is not square and includes more of the headland on the western side.

The Great Mewstone rising out of the sea while tide, wind and currents scar the sea surface with competing patterns. It is hard to take in the distant shores of Cornwall.

The Great Mew Stone Contemporary Passions