Art Archives - Page 8 of 22

9 July 2018 In Art

Merlin Rocket Week: Artist in residence at SYC

Merlin Rocket Week: 8-13 July

Of all the craft I paint, my favourite, second to the lifeboat, is the Merlin. To date, I have three finished paintings:

Merlins

Merlins (original sold but available as a fine art greetings card)

Merlins Crossing the Bar

Watching the Merlins Race

The Merlins race in Salcombe every year. It’s a spectacular event. I’m usually there, with my camera, hoping to catch the action. Then, back home, I choose a few photos from which I’ll compose my next Merlin painting.

This year it’s different!

Artist in residence!

I have set up camp in the Chart Room, with my easels, my paints and brushes, and some half-finished paintings.

It has the most amazing view. View from the Chart Room

Do pop in and say hello.

I’ll have a range of (finished!) paintings on sale, limited edition prints at reduced prices, plus my fine art greetings cards: £2 each or 3 for a fiver.

Where is Salcombe Yacht Club?

Map

Cliff House
Cliff Rd
Salcombe
Devon
TQ8 8JQ
UK

01548 842593

2 July 2018 In Art

Exhibition time: RNLI Salcombe fundraiser at Holy Trinity Church

Once again, the RNLI Salcombe Fundraisers have brought together a display of work by local artists, with a variety of styles to both view and purchase. It’s an honour for me to be invited to take part in this year’s exhibition at Holy Trinity Church, Salcombe.

RNLI Sale poster Why are the RNLI Salcombe Fundraisers having an exhibition?

The Salcombe RNLI depends on fundraising!

A donation from the artists will be made to RNLI Salcombe from the proceeds of works sold throughout the exhibition.

How can you support this worthwhile charity?

I’ll have five original paintings on sale – all at a discounted price, to encourage you to support this worthwhile charity.

There are also limited editions prints (at discounted prices) and one special (unlimited) print of Salcombe Yacht Club.

Plus a range of my fine art greetings cards: £2 each, 3 for a fiver.

Where is the RNLI exhibition?

Holy Trinity Church, Salcombe.

When is the exhibition open?

10am until 4pm daily, 2-6 July 2018

Anne and I will be stewarding on the Tuesday morning from 11am. Pop in and say hello?

25 June 2018 In Art

Redfern Exhibition: Ends on Thursday 28 June

That month flew past!

And one painting has sold … and, in its place, I’ve offered Deliah – for £150 instead of the usual £250.

REMEMBER: To encourage you to purchase a painting, this year, I have reduced the price of each painting by £100 for the duration of this exhibition. And the Friends of Redfern Centre retain a percentage of each sale for their funds.

This offer ends on Thursday.

Redfern poster

18 June 2018 In Art

The Tidal Gallery: Grand Opening Friday 22 June

I’m delighted to publicise the opening of a new gallery in Kingsbridge – The Tidal Gallery – and I wish Anna Ventura, and her fellow artists, every success in this new and exciting development.

Come to the Grand Opening!

Visit the Tidal Gallery on 22 June between 6pm and 8pm to meet the gallery owner, Anna Ventura, and to see works by over a dozen artists.

What’s on display?

Graham fish: Study II for water

Selected to combine and create an impressive display, this uniquely curated collection of Art works has been carefully tailored in conjunction with the artists involved to become a modern outlet with special focus in original and unique Art pieces for the contemporary home.

Beneath the Victorian coving in the gallery, 2D works in a variety of styles that have become each artist’s trademark are on display.

Graham Fish, with his contemporary sea depictions
Steve Kenna’s marine scenes with an architectural view
Sue Steele with her intimate portraits
Sue Steel
Shirley Kirkcaldy with her expressive views of the local landscapes
Shirley Kirkcaldy: Warm Winter Tide (Oil)
Plus the works of intricate ink work artist Anna Ventura.
Anna Ventura: Bumblebee

The collection continues with 3D works of art.

- Works by renown glassworker Steve Robinson
- Bronze pieces of local sculptor Penny Hardy

- Smooth
- Ceramics by both Vera Stride and Leanne Ball

Leanne Ball: Tea light holders
Wood vases by Mark Weston Lewis
A sea and moor inspired jewellery collection by Louella Moore.

Louella Moore: Cast shell and cubic zirconia

Where is the Tidal Gallery?

The new Tidal Gallery is situated at 1 Victoria Place, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, Devon.

Its central location, the bottom floor of a Victorian building, near the Kingsbridge town square and in the Estuary Promenade, makes the visit most inviting, with great views over the water.

When is the Tidal Gallery open?

Starting 26 June 2018
Tuesday to Saturday: 10am to 5pm

(Closed Sundays and Mondays)

More information – and an online catalogue – can be found online at the Tidal Gallery website: www.tidalgallery.co.uk.

11 June 2018 In Art

Exhibition time: SHAF Contemporary Passions 2018

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.

I took part last year, my first experience of such a collaborative event, but decided to have a rest this year.

So I am not one of ten SHAF members exhibiting their work.

However, you really should go and see their work!

One of the artists, I have featured before: Elaine Sibley

4 June 2018 In Art, Exhibition

SALE! Save £100

As a member of Salcombe Art Club, I exhibit for four weeks each year at the Redfern Centre – this is my eighth year!

The Friends of Redfern Centre retain a percentage of each sale for their funds.

To encourage you to purchase a painting, this year, I am also reducing the price of each painting by £100 for the duration of this exhibition.

28 May 2018 In Art

Exhibition time at the Redfern Centre: 31 May – 28 June

Members of Salcombe Art Club support the Friends of the Redfern by providing a display of artwork for sale in the waiting area.

If you purchase one, a proportion of the sale is donated to this worthwhile local charity.

Exhibition time at the Redfern Centre: 31 May – 28 June

This is my eighth exhibition at the Redfern Centre and I have chosen these five paintings to exhibit.

Provident

Provident is a retired Brixham trawler and has been a much-loved training ship for many generations of novice sailor.

Provident £175

Church of St Peter, Buckland-tout-saint

This pretty church stands high on the hill and commands excellent views across surrounding countryside. Church of St Peter is a rare painting in that there are no sailing craft and no sea to be seen. And, there’s a bit of multimedia going on too.

The Church of St Peter Buckland-tout-saints £225

North Hallsands

North Hallsands has some contemporary houses with spectacular views facing east towards Dartmouth. Its beach changes dramatically every winter.

North Hallsands £225

Dawn at New Bridge

The bridge at Bowcombe offers an enchanting mooring for boats of all kinds. In Dawn at New Bridge, an early morning pink mist signals a fine day.

Dawn at New Bridge £250

Harvest Reaper II

I have painted the Harvest Reaper AKA the South Sands ferry so many times. Here, it’s backdrop is Fishermans beach.

Harvest Reaper II £350

For more details of each painting, click on the image.

Other opportunities to see my work

I have five more paintings on display in the Salcombe Art Club Exhibition. Click here for more details.

And, by arrangement you are welcome to a private viewing of paintings in my home, at the Beacon House Gallery. To arrange a convenient time, contact me.

21 May 2018 In Art

Postcard from Madeira: The Botanical Garden

Anne and I first visited the Botanical Garden in Funchal on our honeymoon, nine years ago. It was March and very wet. I have photos, somewhere, of us: drenched, but still smiling.

Each time we return to Madeira, we make a point of taking the cable car and visiting either the Tropical Garden or, via a second cable car, the Botanical Garden.

This trip, in May, sunny and dry, it was the turn of the Botanical Garden again.

Travelling by cable car

You can take a taxi, or go by bus, but the best way to travel to the Botanical Garden is via the cable car.

The views from the cable car are spectacular, and I start taking photos straight away.

These are jacaranda mimosifolia trees – with the most beautiful purple flowers. They are to be seen a lot along the roadside in Funchal and elsewhere on the island.

In the Botanical Garden

Opened in 1960, the 20-acre site now known as Jardim Botânico da Madeira was previously part of an estate belonging to the family of William Reid, founder of the famous Reid’s hotel, where you can have afternoon tea in return for an arm and a leg!

Set on a steep hillside, the paths zigzag through various collections: Madeiran indigenous and endemic species, and arboretum, succulents, topiary, medicinal and aromatic plants, and palm trees of all shapes and sizes.

Frog Arriving by cable car, we made our first port of call about half way down, at the cafe. Set alongside ornamental ponds boasting hundreds of lily pads, we enjoyed a romantic snack, looking out across Funchal beneath us to the sea beyond, accompanied by the mating calls of frogs.

Suitably refreshed, we then set off to explore the gardens beneath us, starting with the indigenous and endemic species: a mass of brightly coloured flowers.

Slowly, we made our way down to the very bottom, taking photos of everything and anything we saw.

Madeiran indigenous and endemic species

Below the ornamental garden (the featured image above), there are these stunning ornamental grasses, swaying gently in the breeze. Grasses

Behind them you can see the greenhouses.

The cacti

Clearly the Madeira climate suits cacti. They grow to an enormous height.

The topiary

Who has the time for this artistry? Answer: the team of gardeners at the Botanical Garden!

The palms

In Madeira, we are staying at Pestana Palms, one of the group of Pestana hotels. The gardens are naturally full of palms … but, in the Botanical Garden, they are huge.

This photo includes me, seated on a hot stone bench, simply to demonstrate the size of the palm beside me.

Palms

We then trekked all the way up to the top of the gardens again. Caught the first cable car for our journey back home, walked uphill to the next cable car station … Hard work, but worth it …

PS The gardens also include a bird park (the Louro Bird Park) and a three-room Natural History Museum – neither of which we managed to visit this time.

Back at our apartment: painting

I’ve never painted a frog before, and probably never will again. but, it was fun to try!

Now, if you compare my sketch with the photo above, you’ll see that I’ve used artistic licence in my choice of greens. Indeed, one of the lily pads is more yellow than green.

Also, where there was shade, I’ve used violet. Why? Violet is the appropriate colour to use opposite yellow, according to the colour wheel.

And, I’ve used both yellow and violet on the frog’s back.

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

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.

7 May 2018 In Art

Postcard from Funchal, Madeira

We are on holiday in Madeira!

Anne and I arrived last week at one of our favourite destinations: Pestana Palms hotel on the island of Madeira. We first came here together for our honeymoon in 2009 and have returned several times since then. One of the main attractions is the ‘Cheers’ bar with its longstanding team of bar staff who always greet us with a smile as in the featured image above.

What do we do, while holidaying in Madeira?

We usually arrive tired and in need of a rest, so sleep is an essential ingredient of any holiday for us. But then, away from our usual routine, we make time for exercise.

Madeira Gaulo In Madeira, there are many lavada walks. These are paths that run alongside the network of waterways – narrow channels – that carry water from the mountains down to the coast.

On our honeymoon, we embraced these walks with a vengeance. Older and wiser, we now opt for the more gentle excursions.

Last Friday, for example, we visited the pretty village of Gaulo and, with the aid of excellent guide, enjoyed views of the countryside during a 60-minute stroll along the Lavada dos Tornos. I took lots of photos, and Anne took this shot of me.

Our guide explained the history of the region, their dependence on water (hence the lavadas) and how they created the many terraces to make the most of the steep terrain.

It reminded us of the work we’ve had done at home, with 23 piles needed to stabilise our sloping rear garden, and a huge retaining wall of concrete to hold back a neighbour’s garden. For us, a small team of builders, with diggers, completed the work in a matter of months.

In Madeira, the construction of the terracing was painstaking work, done by hand, stone by stone, as the slopes were too steep for horses or donkeys, and the ground not accessible for machinery. All the men worked on the terracing and it took them years …

And then we had tea and cake – all traditional recipes – at the home of the guide. A wonderful half day excursion …

My holiday studio in Madeira

It’s not all relaxation. We have ‘work’ to do as well.

I’ve set up a ‘studio’ on the balcony already, and the sun is so bright, I’m in relief. I promise you, I am smiling.

Madeira balcony

Here is a close up of the table, set out with my essentials.

Madeira studio kit

Holidaying in Madeira: a time to sketch

The image above is of a particularly elegant craft that made its way out of Funchal, the capital of Madeira, past our balcony. I took many photos of its passage across a magnificent sky. Plus I have the sketch. When I return home, I may create a larger image of this scene.

I have two sketch books with me but, so far, I’ve only used the smaller of the two. The image below is of the hotel itself with the pool in the foreground.

Madeira sketch books

It’s wonderful to paint in the open air … for the temperatures to be high enough to be comfortable without having to apply sun screen every five minutes.

And to have, in the background, the sound of waves breaking on the seashore. Bliss!

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