079 At Ditch End

SOLD! At Ditch End

At Ditch End was painted in 2013, prior to us moving into Beacon House and setting up the gallery within our home.

This stretch of beach – just below the Venus Cafe – is well used, and it’s a shame it doesn’t have a more attractive name. Ditch End indeed!

I was on rescue duty for Salcombe Yacht Club when I saw the boat, the one nearer to shore and was struck by its beauty. I took a photo!

I think it’s a Roxane, a retro lugger designed by Nigel Irens. I only say that as I recall Richard Stilgoe having a similar boat in the Salcombe Estuary, and that’s how he describes it on his website. (If I’m mistaken, do let me know!)

One-man exhibition in the Little Studio

The two-week exhibition in the Little Studio has been one of my most successful. Three sales. The prices were rock-bottom because I need the wall space and clearly that appealed to purchasers.

I was stewarding on several days (Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday) and met so many people. A joy to share time with them.

Coming up soon: charity event at Burton Farm in aid of the Triangle Centre

TOMORROW, Tuesday 10 September, I will be supporting a charity event at Burton Farm, Galmpton in aid of the Triangle Centre. On sale will be my full range of affordable art.Burton Farm map

SHAF Aarts Trail

Coming up soon: SHAF Arts Trail

Friday 11 October marks the start of the SHAF (South Hams Arts Forum) Arts Trail and I will be hosting a preview evening (6-9pm) at Beacon House Gallery. Pop in for wine and nibbles and a chance to mingle with others who enjoy my art.

Personal invitations to attend will be sent by email a couple of weeks beforehand, but put this date in your diary now.

(If you don’t receive an invitation, contact me!)

The Arts Trail lasts for two weeks, including the half-term week and we are open every day apart from Tuesdays, from 10am until 5pm.

Wonderful views, wheelchair access and plenty of parking … and tea and cake. What more could you want? Oh, art!

Coming up soon: Christmas gift sale at the Hen House

On Thursday 31 October (7.30-9.30pm) and Friday 1 November (10am-1pm), my affordable art will be on sale at the Hen House. Just in time to buy your Christmas gifts!

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.