New paintings and regular art updates.
A post by @thewaitingroomgallery of my tryptich of Jupiter. I was there featured artist this week. The gallery is situated in Longport, Stoke-on-Trent and is linked with the British Rail Longport Train station which they are gradually restoring. They have won awards for their community work there.
I have a few paintings and glass jewellery on display there at the moment. There is lots of work by other artists there too.
We visited the Fine Art and Cartoon degree shows at Staffordshire University today, and I have to say that I was very impressed. I think they were probably the best I’ve seen in years. I haven’t included any images because of copyright. In the Fine Art section there was a lot more figurative work and portraiture than I’ve seen in years. There was also a lot of diversity which was great. In the Cartoon section there were a lot of fun ideas and comic strips. I chatted to some of the students there and they were very helpful explaining what they do.
I realised as I went round that the work is relevant to my illustration course. I really enjoyed the day.
This years fine art degree shows at Staffordshire University are on this week. Thirty nine years after I got my degree. I’ve visited almost every year except 2020. This year it’s on but you have to book a time slot and have a lateral flow test before you can go…. So I had to frantically find somewhere to have one done with enough time to spare to get to the shows afterwards. Anyway I’m looking forward to it. Great to be able to go and see real art in a real gallery space.
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Mona Lisa I painted for a raffle prize for Penkhull Mystery plays May Madness event. I did a lot of it live over an hour and forty minutes. But it needed finishing. This took about another three hours, trying to get the smooth blending done. I’m sure there are mistakes but I’m calling it done.
I’ve been invited by my friend and fellow artist Eve Travis to join a group of local artists at The Rigger Venue in Newcastle-under-Lyme on the 19th and 20th of June 2021. The idea is to get the art out of galleries and move it into the community. My vision will be images based on the idea of green men and women. Better get some works done.
Poppy, acrylic on canvas, painted in 2013. One of my favourite paintings. I wish I could grow poppies as colourful as this.
Looking in through the door to the left side of the studio. I’ve got a lot of work that has been exhibited, I just need to sell some of it! I woukd like to find a good art site to sell my work for a reasonable amount (not an on line auction, or on the other hand, an expensive and exclusive site). I just want these to go to good homes.
Have been offered a space in an exhibition for local artists in June. That will be fun! It’s been a whole year since I’ve dealt with the public face to face. I feel quite nervous about it.
We visited again today to see how things are going at the Waiting room gallery. Things are happening, there are new people helping to organise the gallery spaces and it looks like they are going to have a sales /shop area and seperate exhibition space both downstairs and upstairs. The Gallery is still linked with the work going on at Longport Station to restore it. I hope that it all happens soon and without delays to their plans. I will write more as I find out what is happening.
Longport Station isn’t open to the public at the moment but it is a small station between Stoke and Manchester. It was once part of the LMS line (London Manchester and Scottish line).
I was just discussing abstract art with a fellow blogger. I liked the person’s art because it was a self portrait but done in a very loose style.
I said I thought it will give them freedom of thought. I think of Picasso. He went from realism to abstraction, he had all the knowledge of both in his fingertips…
I don’t know if this makes sense but I’ve selected a few Picasso images to try and show what I mean. I’m not sure I understand Picasso but I do think it’s something to consider. When I was younger I was dismissive of his art , then I learned about Guernica, a village in Spain that was bombed and that Picasso memorialised in his painting of the same name.
I have an Arthur Berry picture of a woman’s head, a pastel drawing. I got it a couple of years ago and I remember him as one of my tutors when I was at college a few decades ago. He was an interesting man, author, artist, playwrite, poet. The potteries Lowry. His technique was unique. Dark pastels and charcoal, depicting the potteries, it’s surroundings, its characters. Laughter and humour is part of it. I love his work.
Mallaband-Brown