The Fountain at Gordes by Sarah Wimperis 580mm x 740mm, watercolour on paper £875 SOLD |
When in Provence in 2011, I wanted to go back to Gordes - one of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" as it was there that I had one of those "I'll remember this" moments when on my first ever painting holiday - with the BBC Holiday programme in tow! It wasn't so much being filmed painting sat more or less in the seat from which Sarah did her study for this painting. It was more to do with that moment when you stop focusing on "how to paint" and move on to "how to make a picture". More than 20 years later I still wanted to be able to make a picture of that contrajour image of the fountain against the roofline and was really pleased to be able to go back there - and introduce a great painting spot to a fellow artist.
It's also fascinating for me to see somebody else's perspective on "my view". I was sat about three feet to her right - and still haven't got round to posting that particular sketch! (memo to self - finish France!)
Anyway - this is by way of introduction to the fact that you can see this painting and others by Sarah in one of two ways:
- her solo show - Sarah Wimperis - Simple Things, Still Life - opens at the Beside the Wave Gallery in Falmouth, Cornwall on Friday 15th February with an Evening Viewing from 6.00 to 8.00. Her exhibition is then on show until 27th February. Paintings can also be previewed and bought online via the gallery. More new exhibition paintings will be online from 15th February
- the Gallery is also publishing a book of her recent work to coincide with the opening of the show. The book of studies and paintings for 2013 retails at £20.00. Click here to see a PDF of the book along with a price list. You can win a free copy of the book if you like and share the promotional image (see below) of Sarah's exhibition on the Gallery's facebook page before 6pm on 15th February when the winners will be announced. Those of you thinking about marketing your exhibitions in future might like to tuck this idea away in a "good idea" folder!
Let's not forget the the other reality of a solo show for an artist is the Organised Chaos which occurs as you do all the last minute jobs which get paintings ready for the Solo Show!
It's great to see that some paintings have already sold. A lot of Sarah's recent paintings are of interiors - a major theme which Sarah has been developing in the last couple of years or so. Others focus on different aspects of gardens. Below is my favourite - again for personal reasons.
Afternoon Sieste by Sarah Wimperis 800mm x 610mm, oil on board £1,250 SOLD |
If you have a solo exhibition coming up or a group exhibition AND you are an art blogger (this last bit is very important) do let me know when you're having your show and I'll mention it in this weekly post. See How to highlight your exhibition - for artist bloggers ONLY for information about what you need to do. Please note, as stated, this is an art blogger ONLY deal! If you don't have an art blog please do NOT send me your press release!
Artists and Art Blogs
I'm still struggling with my second bout of the flu bug which keeps trying to knock me out - so this is a short post this week
Botanical and Floral Art
Why not start a project with the title of your Solo Exhibition in mind. It keeps you focused!
- Elizabeth Floyd (Elizabeth Floyd) has posted her review of her 2012 project on Bountiful Observations on her new blog which highlights some of her favorites from the series. Also a post with photo-mosiacsof each painting created in 2012.
The series, Bountiful Observations, is inspired by my desire to record the seasons through still life, capturing scenes that incorporate flowers, plants, and objects that are available at different times throughout the year, thus each new painting in the series records the passage of time and the changes that are occurring.
- I find Jessica Rosemary Shepherd's Bare Necessities project on her blog Inky Leaves to be absolutely fascinating. Now that's original thinking!
I want to do a series of very, very large paintings illustrating all of the plants I have used or consumed in a year. This includes food and drink, fabrics, any new furniture, paper, cosmetics, dyes, pharmaceuticals, bunches of flowers and cleaning products. I also plan to illustrate them to scale, but the scale is that of 'the amount consumed'.Painting
- Check out Victoria Orr Ewing's paintings of Scottish Skies and Andalucian Landscapes. I'm impressed.
- I love the automated slideshow in Victoria Evans post about Day 1 - 28 Days of Being a Painter on her blog Victoria Evans
- I came across an interesting website about British Photographic History
...the British photographic history blog ...was launched at the start of 2009. There are over 1600 members, in addition to many other regular readers. They range from museum and gallery curators, photographic academics, students, collectors, dealers and representatives from the photographic press from around the world.Who painted this?
- Who painted this? #15 is providing a bit more of a challenge this week. At last!
- Congrats to Jane Gardiner (Glasgow Painter) who was the first person to recognise the Mughal painting which was the solution to Who Painted This? #14
- Jane Gardiner has her art books on display in An artist's bookcase
- The Road to Reform of Copyright Law - Concerns of Creators - a post by Own-It - sets out the proposed changes to copyright law in the UK and what the concerns are for creative individuals
The proposed reforms raise concerns for the content creators mainly regarding the potential loss of profits due to unauthorised use of their work.
- Are you taking initiative or expecting blog post comments to build your business? is an interesting perspective on what artists need to do to build a business - and what some of them do instead.
- Art Biz Blog has 16 Ideas for Repurposing Your Artist Statement which I've added into my website How to write an Artist's Statement - Resources for Artists
Art Collectors and Art Economy
The New York Times had articles relating to auction sales for big ticket picures.
Art Competitions- by Souren Melikian suggesting A Feeling the End Is Coming for Big Sales of Old Masters
- by Tom Mashberg reviewing the Lawyers Fight to Keep Auction Sellers Anonymous. New York’s highest court has decided to review a recent ruling that could force the state’s auction industry to end its longstanding practice of keeping sellers’ names anonymous.
- Last October I highlighted the first annual photography competition being run by the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe - to commemorate the 125th anniversary of her birth. Review - Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Photography Competition is my post about those photos which won places and honourable mentions. It highlights the fact that I'd previously seen the 1st Place Winner Joanna Stoga's xray photos in the International Garden Photographer of the Year 2011 at Kew Gardens
- The open competition for Jerwood Painting Fellowships is calling for submissions . Three artists will become Jerwood Painting Fellows. Each will receive a bursary of £10,000, will be assigned a mentor for a year long period and will be expected to work towards an exhibition within the Jerwood Visual Arts programme at Jerwood Space, London and on tour.
Major Museums - Europe
Art Galleries and Spaces - London- I was thinking idly about a visit to Amsterdam and discovered that the Van Gogh Museum is currently camped out at the the Hermitage Amsterdam at Amstel 51 for seven months so that the museum can undergo a renovation. It's "sleepover" is due to come to an end on 25 April 2013. Meanwhile here are two of its exhibitions in 2013
- Vincent. The Van Gogh Museum in the Hermitage Amsterdam
- Gauguin, Bonnard, Denis: Prophets of the Avant-Garde 14 September 2013 – 28 February 2014
Eugène Delacroix, Basket of Flowers Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille © RMN/René-Gabriel Ojéda. |
- I never knew Eugene Delacroix painted flowers - or what a good painter of flowers he is! Following a renovation the main exhibition at the Musée Eugène-Delacroix this winter is Eugène Delacroix: Flowers in Winter Othoniel, Creten which brings together for the first time the artist’s main floral paintings and most beautiful watercolors, on loan from a variety of museums in France and abroad. These are displayed alongside works by two contemporary artists
- Man Ray Portraits opened last week at the National Portrait Gallery in London - here's my Review: Man Ray Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery
- I went to see Through American Eyes: Frederic Church and the Landscape Oil Sketch is a small exhibition in Room 1 of the National Gallery and this is my Review: Frederic Church and the Landscape Oil Sketch. Definitely recommended for plein air painters!
- 70 black and white enamel works are to hang in London's Underground stations as the Tube celebrates 150th birthday with labyrinth art project
- The Artists & Illustrators First Annual Exhibition runs from 6 - 19 February 2013 at the Osborne Studio Gallery, 2 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JU. (Scroll down the page to see those works which were shortlisted for the title). The overall Artist of the Year 2012 winner Linda Alexander with her painting "Physalis" (which is also available as a print). I've previously featured this painting when I saw it at a Royal Institute of Oil Painters exhibition (when Linda was called Linda Meaney). Linda has the ability to create and paint the most amazing lighting effects. Her paintings are large and absolutely amazing or as I said when I saw it
the simple fact of the matter is that I couldn't take my eyes off her very large painting of physalis. I loved the colour of the reflected light in the shadow areas.
Physalis II 36" x 36", oil on canvas copyright Linda Meaney |
Art Education
- I've added Robert Genn's suggestions in Creative Darwinism to my website about How to Critique Art
- My friend Louise Sackett (Plein Speaking) recommended this video which is titled Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius - which is a Ted talk about genius, how everybody has 'a genius' and how to ruin it by the author of "Eat, Pray, Love"
- Museums Grapple With the Strings Attached to Gifts is The New York Times's account of bequests to galleries can sometimes become more onerous as the decades pass
- Works of art owned by Lucien Freud are to be donated to British Museums by Freud’s heirs in order to avoid hefty inheritance tax. They include The Italian Woman, or Woman with a Yellow Sleeve by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot which will go the National Gallery. It can be seen in this Telegraph article in an undecorated room in his house
- The National Portrait Gallery in Washington has announced Kim Sajet is to be its new Director
Opinion Poll
- I'm getting quite a few comments from people about the topic of this month's Making A Mark
POLL: What's your best time of day for painting?
- This month the big new thing is Vine (Vine). It creates 6 second looping videos. It's not the most communicative of websites. Basically it works if you have an iPhone, an iPod or an iPad (with the video camera). Note that the latest on app page on iTunes notes that the P*rn merchants have realised its potential.
- If you want to run an email list Feedblitz has a new completely free, no registration required, downloadable e-book (pdf) about how to make the most of Feedblitz
and finally......
So now we know. George Dubya Bush likes to paint. Himself. In the bath or taking a shower. Shades of Bonnard... A hacker has outed The Secret Art of George W. Bush and demonstrates he's a serious amateur painter who now joins the illustrious ranks already populated by both Churchill and Hitler. I actually think his paintings show a lot of promise as well as a different perspective!
So now we know. George Dubya Bush likes to paint. Himself. In the bath or taking a shower. Shades of Bonnard... A hacker has outed The Secret Art of George W. Bush and demonstrates he's a serious amateur painter who now joins the illustrious ranks already populated by both Churchill and Hitler. I actually think his paintings show a lot of promise as well as a different perspective!
Images of only three paintings made it to the Internet — where they promptly went viral — before the Secret Service started to investigate.
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Katherine! Thank you so much for sharing information about my series, Bountiful Observations. I am so honored...
ReplyDeleteAlso thanks for sharing the links to the shows by Sarah Wimperis, and of the series by Jessica Rosemary Shepherd.
Hope you feel better soon, Liz
Thanks Liz
DeleteI'd just settle for a decent night's sleep at the moment. My cough appears to be getting worse rather than better and does not like me lying own!