During November & December we are holding the 'Bulldog Clip Studio Sale' this quirky hang
sees us clearing some of the walls of framed paintings and hanging new artwork ‘paper only’ by using bulldog clips. No mount, no frame, simply the pure art.
I envision the gallery festooned with a couple of hundred different pieces by many and various artists, all very keenly priced at around the £50 - £200 mark. It’s an opportunity for the artists to tidy up their studios and make room for new creativity and a chance for A&K Wilson's loyal customers to hoover up some Christmas present shaped bargains!
The listings below here go backwards from recent events into the mists of time.....
Frank’s new paintings are culinary still lifes and landscapes whose subjects are mainly maritime.
The new still lifes are drawn and painted directly from fruits, vegetables, crockery and saucepans found in his kitchen, but with a nod towards William Scott and Mary Fedden.
The desolate shingle headland of Dungeness Is to Frank’s mind a tremendous subject for painting, with its scattered dwellings, fishermen’s huts, boats and other fishing paraphernalia just a short walk from the power station, the lighthouses and of course Prospect Cottage and the remarkable garden created by the late Derek Jarman.
A recent trip to Denmark and Sweden and in particular to the fishing villages on the coast north of Gothenburg has provided the subject of other paintings with a maritime theme.
Prints and printmaking have been an interest of Frank’s since school and college days. In recent years limited and open edition prints as well as cards of his work have been published with great success by leading Fine Art publishers - CCA, the Art Group and others. If Frank’s style of painting looks familiar it is because posters of his work have been distributed around the world by the Art Group and IKEA, finding their way into hotels and offices and onto television as well as into private homes. However, he also continues to produce his own small edition giclée prints and for this exhibition he has chosen his favourite images from these and the silkscreen prints made for CCA.
Frank cut short a career in art education (he was Head of Fine Art and Graphics at Salisbury College of Art & Design) in the 1990s to devote his time entirely to painting. Since then he has had numerous solo shows in galleries in London and the South of England and has been regularly represented at Art Fairs in this country and the USA. He has exhibited with the NEAC, ROI, RBA, RI, RSMA and RWS, and been a finalist in the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, the Hunting Prizes and the Laing Landscape Painting Competition. His paintings are in several public collections including those of the National Museum of Wales, Surrey University, Art for Hospitals, the Houses of Parliament, and a number of local authority collections.
At the Preview Evening of the Plein Air Brotherhood we were delighted to receive a visit from Prof Ken Howard OBE RA. Well known as the 'Grand Old Man' of the Royal Academy his interest in the Brotherhood wass much appreciated by all the Brothers, not least John Dobbs as Ken bought one of his paintings!
Our shot at the history books! This will be the inaugural exhibition by a group of dedicated full time painters bought together by their love of painting ‘en plein air’.
This outdoors method of working was first championed by the Impressionists and ensures that paintings are quickly worked, spontaneous, lively and generally not too large!
Fate has decreed that at present there is a crop of ‘young’ plein air painters all in their mid 30’s to mid 40’s who have formed a bond of camaraderie and mutual support.
Membership of this ‘band of brothers’ is by mutual organic friendship, not committee or selection panel and consists of,
Adebanji Alade,
Antony Bridge,
Roy Connelly,
John Dobbs,
David Pilgrim and
Karl Terry.
The American 'PleinAir' magazine covered the inaugural exhibition, a nice article from our Stateside cousins.
www.outdoorpainter.com/news/brotherhood-in-the-uk.html
Plus another article on brother Antony Bridge:
Long time friend of the gallery Guy Portelli VPRBA FRBS unveils a new sculpture of Nelson Mandela at Canterbury Cathedral this month, in celebration of the African leader’s 93rd birthday on 18 July (‘Mandela Day’) and in recognition of his links with the city.
At an international conference held in Canterbury in 1964, Amnesty International decided not to recognise Mandela as a ‘prisoner of conscience’ but rather as a ‘forgotten prisoner.’
Visitors will now be able to see his portrait sculpture on show in the Cathedral crypt from 14-29 July.
Guy’s sculptures are recognised by an exuberance and vitality that has been directly inspired by the terrain, arts and people of Southern Africa, where he spent the first 12 years of his life and returns to on a regular basis.
All of these influences are inherent in the powerful new piece which Guy has entitled ‘Out of the Dark and into the Light.’
The Summer just wouldn't be complete without our annual 'Rory-Fest'!
The exhibition runs from 7th - 30th July inclusive.
The Macmillan 'Secret Art Sale' is raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support whilst at the same time offering keen eyed visitors the chance to buy a mini-masterpiece for only £45.
In an exhibition with a difference; the pictures are all displayed anonymously and are only signed on the back. The artist remains a secret until after the paintings have been bought and the signatures are revealed.
Liberally sprinkled amongst the 100+ pieces on offer will be paintings by some big names from the world of art and also work by sportsmen and celebrities not usually known for their artistic abilities.
All artworks are just 12cm x 12cm (the size of a CD case) and cover a huge variety of subject matter. With watercolours, pencil drawings, photographs, acrylics and more there is sure to be something for everyone.
The event kicks off with a Drinks Reception here at Station Approach on Thursday 23rd June 6-8pm when early birds will get the first opportunity to bag a bargain, then the show moves on to the beautiful grounds of Bride Hall in Ayot St.Lawrence where they will available to the public to purchase during the Open Gardens on Sunday 26th June. Then back to Station Approach for a week ending on Saturday 2nd July.
Go to our 'Gallery' page for a selection of the goodies we have in store for you!
Can I please say a huge 'Thank You !' on behalf of the Macmillan team and myself to all the people who took part in our Secret Art Sale. Thanks go to all the artists and celebrities without whom none of this would have been possible. Thanks also to all the purchasers who scrabbled to buy the artwork, especially on the Preview Night when it was all a bit of a mad dash !!
We sold 153 out of 180 paintings donated and raised a magnificent £9500 for Macmillan Cancer Support!
Watch this space in 18 months time when we start up again for another sale,this looks set to be a bi-annual event.
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