LATEST NEWS

I’m proud to announce that ‘Field Study’, a Drypoint/Carborundum plus hand colouring (shown opposite), has been selected for the International Open Call Exhibition at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair.

For more information visit woolwichprintfair.com.

26th – 29th October 2023
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich , London SE18 6HD

Mike Southon is a film maker who has collected my work for some time. He has worked on BBC Arena which won five BAFTAs in a row, plus OMNIBUS photographing documentaries at the Royal Ballet and Ballet Rambert.

As a freelance he went onto music videos including U2, Prince, George Michael and Guns and Roses. Mike, in conjunction with Eames Fine Art,  has started producing films about some of their artists and over the last 6 months Mike has filmed and interviewed me at my studio and in the London gallery about where my ideas come from.

Mike delved into my background and why I paint the way I do. It’s dark at times but honest.

The film is now complete and will be shown at my show with Eames in October.

Mike forwarded an email he received from Tim King who worked with Mike on the first project slot for the BBC Hospital in 1977. It went on to win BAFTAS and a PRIX ITALIA.

“I have just watched your film about Ross Loveday, beautiful, a really lovely film. You get so close to the man and bring out his humour but also his depth, his sadness, invaluable! You seem to touch some very deep place in him and in us the viewer. Films can get somewhere words cannot go. They are too formal and constructed – I love the freedom – which mirrors Ross Loveday.”

I didn’t realise that when asked to explain about my paintings that I often say “I’m not going to tell you”.

This film may explain why!!!

British Contemporary Art 2013-2023
A Decade of Change

The first exhibition I’m involved in in 2023 is at Zillah Bell Gallery. It celebrates the highlights of the last decade and to looks at the changes and approaches to contemporary art.

For more information visit zillahbellgallery.co.uk.

I also have a number of other exhibitions scheduled for the forthcoming year. For further information please click here.

I have known Mike since I joined Eames Fine Art about 12 years ago and he has always been interested in my painting.

Mike has made many feature fims for Arena and the BBC, as well as music videos for Duran Duran, U2 and Prince. The film lasts for 45 minutes and in it I talk about my background and the events that have influenced the way I paint.

The film will be out in 2023 and is likely to be shown at Eames Fine Art Studio first.

Watch this space and further details will follow!

JOURNEYS – SOLO SHOW

A new solo show of paintings at Eames Fine Art Gallery
Wednesday 20 April – Sunday 22 May 2022

Private View: Wednesday 20th April from 7pm
Talk: Evening of Wednesday 18th May

I am very pleased to announce my new Solo Painting Show, scheduled for late April 2022 at the Eames Fine Art Gallery.

The show will be a body of new work painted over the last three years, and one that is very special to me. It’s a personal journey of the places, images and emotions of my life, from growing up in the coal mining valleys of South Wales to holidays exploring the Pembrokeshire coastal path and the emotive landscapes of Suffolk.

As many of you know, my paintings take a long time to evolve to a completed state, as part of my process is to rub down and paint over and over the work many times, until I achieve the layering, texture and final image that I am happy with.

The show will run from Wednesday 20th April until Sunday 22nd May 2022.

If you would like to attend the Private View on Wednesday 20th April and/or the talk I will be giving on Wednesday 18th May please RSVP to Eames Fine Art Gallery as numbers will be limited.

Email info@eamesfineart.com or call 0207 407 6561.

I hope to see you there.

For more information please visit eamesfineart.com

Preview the exhibition online now

EAMES FINE ART SOLO SHOWS

Following a successful solo show of new prints and collages at Eames Fine Art Gallery in November, there is now an exhibition of new paintings scheduled for April 2022, so busy times ahead!

For more information please visit eamesfineart.com

At last studios and galleries are begining to wake up and we are able to make plans for exhibitions this year.

SUDBOURNE PARK PRINTMAKERS

The Printroom Studio
My first one will be with Sudbourne Park Printmakers at The Printroom Studio at Yew Tree Farm, Sweffing, Saxmundham IP17 2BU from Friday 28th May until Sunday 6th June, open daily from 11am until 5pm.

This is a new venue for us and we are looking forward to showing lots of new work in this spacious contemporary gallery.

There will be plenty of space to enjoy the exhibition safely and we are hoping to serve drinks outside from 2 – 4pm on the bank holiday weekend 29th, 30th and 31st May, weather and Covid regulations permitting of course.

For directions to the gallery, please visit www.printroom.studio

Open Studio
Sudbourne Park Printmakers are also opening the studio to visitors over the weekend of 5th/6th June 11am to 5pm, along with other creatives from Sudbourne Park. We are situated at 4 Bothy Yard, Sudbourne Park, Woodbridge IP12 2AJ – a chance to look around our spacious studio, admire the old printing presses and see work from members on display.

For directions please visit our contact page on the website at www.sudbourneprintmakers.com

Parking is easy in Bothy Yard and there is also access for wheelchairs but please park close to the workshop and not in the spaces reserved for local residents.

SOLO SHOW

I also have a Solo Show at Eames Fine Art, Bermondsey Street, London from October 20th – November 14th 2021 for which I’m busy producing new prints and a series of paintings on the coastal erosion along the Norfolk / Suffolk coast.

For more information please visit eamesfineart.com

New Coastal Landscape Series
Throughout 2020 during the Covid lockdown, I concentrated on creating a new series of paintings that were inspired by watching a fascinating programme on the effects of erosion on the Norfolk and Suffolk coastal landscape. Now complete, I am really pleased with the results and as is usual with my work the paintings changed and evolved during the process – rather like the landscape itself. All being well I hope to show them in an exhibition sometime in 2021, so watch this space.

Voyage of Discovery
With regard to my printmaking, several new editions have recently been completed and in addition I have also produced 12 collages using printed paper – interesting results!!

Benvenuti a Venezia
Quite out of the blue I was recently invited to produce some prints at a studio located in Venice. As with many other aspects of our lives at the moment, the Covid restrictions put paid to that but hopefully, fingers crossed, we can continue the talks and I might make it this year. I will keep you updated.

Thanks for Asking!
On numerous occasions I have been asked when am I going to give the popular Sky Arts ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ a try. Well, I have been asked, but as I take a such a long time to produce a finished piece of work it would not be practical or particularly suited to me, and I don’t think I could stand someone looking over my shoulder every 5 minutes asking me how I am getting on! So no to that, but many thanks for asking.

Show Details
There is talk of another show at Eames Fine Art this year – details to follow.

The London Original Print Fair at The Royal Academy is an exhibition I always look forward to. This year however, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will take place digitally throughout May 2020. I am exhibiting with Eames Fine Art and my print Frozen which was purchased by The British Museum is one of the prints that will be on sale.

I’ve recently shown both prints and paintings at the lovely Twenty Twenty Gallery in Ludlow and there is talk that I may be showing new prints in their Christmas Print show.

One of the nicest aspects of this business is visiting the galleries that represent my work. Recently I delivered new work to the excellent Zillah Bell Gallery in Thirsk where it was fantastic to talk to John Bell about his recent trip to Ireland with Norman Ackroyd and Barbara Rae – what a time they had!

More recently, I delivered prints to a new gallery for me – Twenty Twenty Gallery in Ludlow. I was in luck there too because they had a fabulous exhibition of St. Ives’ artists which I was able to enjoy. My prints will be exhibited there from 21st September until 26th October 2019 in an exhibition entitled ‘A Sense of Place’. For further details please click here.

In February Chris and I were invited to Marlborough College where my work was on display at Art @the Lodge. The following day we travelled to Bristol to see the wonderful Albert Irvin Exhibition at the RWA.

The British Museum
I was delighted when at the London Print Fair my print ‘Frozen’ was purchased by The British Museum. (Shown here)

VIDEOS

Palmer and Me
You may remember back in 2017 I was lucky enough to be involved in the film ‘Palmer and Me’, a documentary depicting the responses of contemporary artists to the etchings of Samuel Palmer, produced and directed by Mike Southon. To view the video, please click here.

Inspiration for a new direction… I am working on a set of 12 small paintings inspired by my visits to the North Norfolk coast over the last 25 years. These paintings are a new direction for me as they combine printmaking and painting to form a unique image.

Inspiration from British Columbia

I have recently returned from a three week trip to Canada, where I was fortunate enough to visit three print studios based on Granville Island, Vancouver.

Of particular interest was the New Leaf Editions workshop. Established by Peter Braune in 1985, the studio collaborates with artists to allow them to fully express themselves in print, and continue to work with many locally and internationally acclaimed artists across a number of printmaking techniques.

I found the work hugely rewarding, and could certainly work alongside these guys… although the weekly commute might be a bit of an issue!

New Horizons

I am thrilled to say that, after attending an interview and selection process, I have been accepted as a Fellow at the Digswell Art Trust, Hertfordshire.

The Trust was founded in 1957 as a platform for emerging artists, offering a collaborative and supporting environment on which to build an artistic career.

I am already really enjoying working on new prints, with new colour schemes, some of which I will be exhibiting with Eames Fine Art later in the year.