Latest News and Progress

10 April 2017

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.

3 April 2017

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?

The ‘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 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.

27 March 2017

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.