In plain sight - and invisible

The title of this post is a quote from the Whoever Heard of a Black Artist? Britain's Hidden Art History programme on BBC4 last night - which you can watch on iPlayer.

Very much recommended viewing for every artist, whatever your ethnicity, for an explanation of just how difficult it is to get your artwork seen when the art establishment ignores you - and even denies your nationality.

However it was interesting to hear that there is a lot more work by black artists in British Collections than had been expected - but that it tends to be in the collection and NOT on show.

I'm ashamed to say an awful lot of what I heard about was new to me. So I thought I'd create a set of links to the websites and more information about:

• some of the artists who are mentioned in the programme 
• notable events / exhibitions highlighted by the programme
• some of the more famous black artists who latterly are known for their art first and their ethnicity second.

Anybody who cares to suggest 

• other websites relevant to the programme or theme is welcome to do so 
• other artists who deserve to be added to the list

please leave a comment with the information or name.

Black Artists in the Programme

It became very clear that black art in this context actually means art by anybody who doesn't fit in terms of a white western European origin.

Older artists tend to be born elsewhere and come to Britain and younger artists are typically born here as the second or third generation family members of the original migrants

• Rasheed Araeen (1935 - present) - a London-based conceptual artist, sculptor, painter, writer, and curator. Arrived from Pakistan in 1964.
• works by Rasheed Araeen in the Tate Collection

Araeen has been among the first cultural practitioners to voice since the early 1970s the need of artists of African, Latin American and Asian origins to be represented in British cultural institutions.

• Frank Bowling OBE (1936 - present) Member of the RA. A a leading Colour Field painter  in the 1970s.
• In conversation with Frank Bowling RA

• Sonia Boyce MBE RA (1962 - present) currently Professor of Fine Arts at Middlesex University, London and Professor of Black Art and Design at University of the Arts London and co-ordinator of the exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery

Sonia and her team have spent the past three years scouring public art archives to find out just how many works of art by artists of African and Asian descent the nation really owns. They have found nearly 2,000, but many of these pieces have rarely, if ever, been displayed before BBC

• Lubaina Himid MBE (1954 - present) - first British black artist to win the Turner Prize (in 2017). British contemporary artist and curator; Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Central Lancashire. Named named Artist of the Year 2017 by international art journal Apollo Magazine.

Himid was appointed MBE in June 2010 for "services to black women's art", and won the Turner Prize in 2017. Tate bio

Turner Prize 2017 - Lubaina Himid | Tate

Review: Prince & Patron Exhibition at Buckingham Palace

The Queen has departed for Scotland and Buckingham Palace has opened up its State Rooms for summer visitors to London - and I'll also be taking a break after this post...

Every summer there is also an exhibition for the visitors to the State Rooms - and this year it's called Prince & Patron.

The exhibition marks HRH Prince of Wales's 70th year and his 70th birthday later this year and his abiding interest in the arts and particularly the visual arts.

The Prince of Wales has enjoyed a life-long passion for art and, as Chairman of The Royal Collection Trust and Patron of several arts charities, has promoted the creation and understanding of art worldwide. 

The exhibition opened to the public on Saturday 21 Jul 2018 and continues until Sunday, 30 Sep 2018.

I went to see it last Friday and below are some photos of what's included and some comments about the nature of the exhibition.

Prince and Patron - the exhibition

The exhibition includes a cedar wood pavilion in the centre of Afghan design.

I'm not sure that many people realise that the Prince of Wales is the Chairman of The Royal Collection Trust and Patron of several arts charities

Prince Charles has brought together what is in my view a very personal exhibition - reflecting both his life and his interests. The exhibition contains over 100 works of art - drawings, paintings, decorative items and artifacts, selected from the Royal Collection, his own collection and created by artists supported by three of His Royal Highness's charities

• The Royal Drawing School - founded by the Prince in 2000 as an independent educational charity raising the standard and profile of observational drawing through teaching and practice.
• The Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts - focuses on the practice and research of the traditional arts
• Turquoise Mountain - which has trained over 5000 traditional builders and artisans in Afghanistan

‘These charities have achieved more than I could ever have hoped, often in ways that I would never have expected. I am delighted that they now have an opportunity to show their work in Buckingham Palace and together with some of my favourites from the Royal Collection.’

I think maybe the exhibition will reveal what many people may not have realised - that the Prince personally commissions a lot of artwork and artifacts by skilled craftspeople for the Royal Collection and for his own homes.

The look of the exhibition - a rather large drawing room!

As I walked round the exhibition, I kept being reminded that the walls looked a bit like the eclectic collection of items you might find in the home of a dedicated collector with a very clear view about what he likes.

It's very much NOT a normal exhibition display where items are separated and organised.

It's not unlike some of the rooms used by the family at Clarence House.
Reinforced by the usual side tables with domestic items, books, lamps and family photos

About Old Master Copies and Auctions

Have you ever fancied making a copy of an Old Master Painting?
Lots of art students do this in order to understand better how an artist painted. Copying old masters was and continues to be considered by some to be a traditional form of training for an artist wishing to paint in the manner of the Old Masters.

Of course, every art museum and gallery is also home to a number of copies of paintings by old masters and otherwise famous and or well reputed painters. Whether they know they are copies is another matter!

But who knew though that Sotheby's holds online auctions of copies of old Master Paintings!

samples of the sort of copies of old master paintings to be sold at the upcoming auction in the autumn

Its website states about Old Masters Copies Online (opening for bidding 5th - 13th September 2018 | 10:00 AM EDT)

We are delighted to announce that we are now accepting consignments for the second edition of the online-only Old Master Copies auction, which will be open for bidding this coming Autumn from 5 -13 September 2018. The sale will feature a vast range of paintings by accomplished followers and students of some of the greatest old master painters.

Apparently Sotheby's held its first auction last year in October 2017 - and Old Master Copies Online: Imitation & Influence is said to have been very successful.

This is the 2017 slideshow - Respected Reproductions: Highlights from Old Master Copies Online - which features paintings included in that auction PLUS the sort of prices they were expected to fetch. I haven't been able to locate the actual results page for that auction - but the fact they're having a second auction in under a year suggests there is a market for this sort of artwork.

More about Old Master Copies

Personally speaking I have absolutely no problem with Old Master Copies - just so long as they are sold as copies and not as forgeries!

Buying copies can be an affordable option for budding collectors and a great way for seasoned collectors to expand their collections. (Invaluable)

Should you be thinking you now have the perfect project for your summer holiday(!) - here's some more information about "Old Master Copies"

Curator's introduction | Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire

If you've not yet visited the Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire exhibition at the National Gallery in London (or maybe you missed Thomas Cole's Journey - Atlantic Crossings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art earlier in the year) you may well be interested in this 'official' video on YouTube of a lecture by the curator, Tim Barringer.

The video lasts for nearly an hour during which you get a history of Cole's development as a painter and see very many of his paintings. In terms of the lecture, Barringer makes Cole come to life in terms of his life experiences and places he visited - and in particularly how his vision and practice was influenced by seeing Turner's paintings - and meeting Turner.

I think it's very helpful and will enable those who watch it to get more out of the exhibition.

Barringer is the Paul Mellon Professor in the History of Art, Chair History of Art at Yale University and specialises among other things in British Art, 1700 to present and American and British Landscape Painting, 1750-1900.

Paintings and Drawings by Thomas Cole

Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was the son of an unsuccessful textile manufacturer in Bolton, Lancashire. The family emigrated to the USA in 1818 at the height of the industrial revolution. Cole eventually became a landscape painter who in time became nationally revered

You can see his paintings and drawings online as follows:

• List of paintings by Thomas Cole | Wikipedia
• Thomas Cole on Wikimedia Commons
• Google Art Project works by Thomas Cole‎
• Paintings by Thomas Cole‎ 
• Drawings by Thomas Cole‎

 Exhibition: Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire

This exhibition is a rare chance to see Cole’s epic works – mostly travelling from America – including his masterpiece the ‘Oxbow’, and his awe-inspiring portrayals of Eden showing the force of nature.

Cole’s paintings are shown alongside the sublime masterpieces by Turner and Constable that inspired him.

Venue: Ground Floor Galleries, National Gallery, London
Dates: 11 June 2018 - 07 October 2018
Website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/thomas-cole-eden-to-empire
Tickets:

• members go free
• Standard admission: £10 Mon – Fri | £12 Sat – Sun  
• Book online and save £2 £8 Mon – Fri | £10 Sat - Sun

Reviews of the Exhibition

• Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire, National Gallery, review: We long to see more of this great American landscape painting in full flight | The Independent
• Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire review, National Gallery: civilised paintings of swashbuckling scenes | The Telegraph
• Exhibition review: Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire at the National Gallery, WC2 | The Times
• In Focus: Thomas Cole’s work on the days before man’s self-destruction, as relevant today as it was 180 years ago | Country Life

Work-Life-Artist #2: Linda Blondheim

This is the second in my series of posts about working artists - looking at what they get up to when NOT making art. 

I'm very pleased to have Linda Blondheim talk about the actual reality of being a working artist and coping with the challenges which life throws at you from time to time.

Through her paintings, Linda aims to create a visual record of the rural landscapes and trees of Florida.  See the post I wrote Linda Blondheim paints the Florida landscape and trees when she was hunkering down last September from the hurricane which hit both Florida - and her country studio.  It also contains links to some of the practical tips for artists which she also writes for her Art Notes blog which covers the reality of being a working artist.

If you an active and practising professional artist (i.e. earn most or all of your income through making and selling art and related artistic activities) and would like to participate in the series please read the note the end of this post.

Linda Blondheim - Landscape painter, Florida

Orange Lake by Linda Blondheim 
acrylic on canvas, 18×24 inches

What does the "real life" of being an artist actually involve?

• Wearing multiple hats, including good marketing skill, business knowledge, including forecasting and understanding current economic trends both local, national and international global issues. 
• Flexibility in art and business trends are key to success. 
• Nurturing collectors is key. 
• Painting

Is it like what you expected?

Art school did not prepare me for the realities of being a full time artist. I made many mistakes along the way. It is many more times difficult than I expected.

Where/who did you get your ideas of what "real life as an artist" was going to be like from? Were they right?

I have painted since childhood. In the early years, I had a romanticized notion, which was reinforced by my college professors, who did not have to sell art to pay the bills.

Making a living

How do you actually "make a living" (e.g. keep a roof over your head / pay the bills / have a studio / plan for retirement)?

I have two studios, one in the city which is my retail studio and one behind my home in rural north Florida. I sell paintings from both, as well as Daily Paint Works, Etsy, and my own web site.

What percentage of your income (roughly) do you generate from making art?

100%. I have no other income streams.

What percentage of your income (roughly) derives from being involved with art?

100%

How do you aim to be making a living in future?

I will paint as long as I can hold a brush. One of my dealers gave me some good advice years ago. He said to work at painting and build a huge body of work when you are at the height of your skill. You will have these paintings to live on when you can no longer produce good work. I will have good paintings to sell if I can no longer paint, though I pray that never happens.

Time allocation

What percentage of time do you have each week for actually making art? (Is this more or less than you expected?)

I work seven days a week. Most of my painting is done for about 3 hours a day. I am a very fast painter and produce paintings every week.

How do you typically spend your time each day or week or month?

I am very much a person of routine.

•  I work from 8 to 11 AM each day on marketing, social media marketing, updating my web site, post on my blog, and answering emails each day. 
• At 11AM I go out to my studio to paint until 2 PM. 
• I take a rest from 2 to 3:30. 
• I walk on my nature trails at 3:30 and then paint until 6 PM. 

Upland Florida Palms by Linda Blondheim 
oil on canvas, 20×24 inches, wide gold frame

Challenges and surprises

How difficult is the real life of "being an artist"?

Mostly it is difficult to sell in Florida from June-August. It is brutally hot and I live in a college town, which empties out for the summer.

I have to save for 9 months and live off the savings for three months.

In terms of the reality of working as a professional artist.....

What do you find your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is competing with retired painters and beginners. There are droves of retirees going into the art field now and they do not have to make a living from art. They like the idea of making extra money and charge low ball prices.
Many people have no idea that professional artists have to charge for the art education they paid for and the many years of training and name brand they have earned.

What has been your biggest surprise?

I think my biggest surprise has been that I can make a living, doing the job I love and what I was trained for. There were many long years of desperation to achieve this.

What are you much better at doing that you expected to be?

Marketing. I taught myself all of the skill I have.

Improving and succeeding

Do you work on yourself to improve or do you work at your job to improve?

Constantly. I research technique and I force myself to study subjects I am not skilled at.

Beyond the art, what do you think makes an artist successful today?

• A serious work ethic,
• consistency in skill development both in front of the easel and in business.
• Good social skills,
• real care for collectors and friends.
• Honorable behavior toward other artists.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of becoming a professional artist that nobody told you about?

I would have studied business and marketing as well as art.

What was the best bit of advice that anybody ever gave you about "real life" as a working artist?

Never think about defeat or giving up. I am successful because I know I will survive as a painter, and I'm willing to do the hard work to make it.

and finally......

What do you think of the idea of trying to create a free resource online? 

A marvellous idea. Helpful to all. 

REFERENCE:

• Web Site www.lindablondheim.com 
• You can read her Art Notes Blog, for collectors and artists. 
• Blog www.lindablondheim.com/blog 
• Facebook Page www.facebook.com/BlondheimStudio 
• Pinterest Page www.pinterest.com/blondheimart/
• Etsy Shop (miniature paintings)  https://www.etsy.com/shop/LindaBlondheimArt

Her 'town' studio is located at 1510 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL, inside Padddiwhack.

More about the Work Life Balance for Artists

About the reality of working lives of professional artists

If you'd like to participate in a series of interviews with professional artists - to be published on this blog and linked to in a resource page on Art Business Info. for Artists looking at what they're doing when NOT making art, this is what you need to do

1. check out my blog post About the reality of working lives of professional artists.
2. contact me and let me know if you're interested
3. I'll let you know what the waiting list is like and answer any of your queries.

Posts and Pages

• Work-Life-Artist #1: Catherine Ingleby | Making A Mark 
•  COMING SOON: two new pages on Art Business Info. for artists
• Being a Professional Artist: TIPS
• Artists Talking About Being Artists

Call for Entries: ING Discerning Eye 2018

This is about the Call for Entries for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition 2018 at the Mall Galleries in November.  

Below you can find:

• information about the exhibition
• a summary of information about prizes
• a note about the judges - with links to their websites (or other information about them)
• Call for Entries - How to Enter:
• a summary of the information for artists e.g. who can enter what etc.
• information about the deadlines and dates and where to find information about regional collection points
• links to websites and my blog posts showing images of the art selected and hung in past exhibitions for those unfamiliar with this art competition.

The exhibition is open to the public from Thursday 15 November until Sunday 25 November, between 10am and 5pm daily, at the Mall Galleries. Admission is free - and it's certainly an exhibition that I recommend people going to see.

This art competition and open exhibition is promoted by the Discerning Eye which is a charity promoting visual art and sponsored by ING.

(Images are from last year's exhibition).

About this exhibition

The ING Discerning Eye Exhibition is a show of small works independently selected by six prominent figures from different areas of the art world: two artists, two collectors and two critics

What makes this open exhibition different?

The exhibition is unusual for a number of reasons

• The exhibition is large (c.600 artworks) but the artworks are all SMALL 
• There is no selection committee; in order to get selected you only have to please one selector
• Each of the six invited curators - two artists, two art collectors and two art critics - operates independently of the other curators and compete with them for artwork submitted via the open entry
• The exhibition comprises six small and diverse exhibitions - one for each selector/curator 
• Each small exhibition (of c.100+ works) represents the individual interests, taste and style of that individual curator
• Some of the artwork exhibited will be by artists the curator likes and has invited to be part of their exhibition - hence the open entry is smaller than 600 pieces. If a selector leans very heavily towards artists they know/favour and have invited to exhibit (as has happened on occasion in the past eg one educator selected all her students!) then this disadvantages the open entry.

What's the same

• Drawings, paintings, fine art prints and sculpture are exhibited
• It's an opportunity for works by lesser-known artists to be hung alongside contributions from better known artists.
• All works are for sale.

Prizes

The 2018 exhibition prizes total over £10,000 and are:

• ING Purchase Prize - £5,000 
• DE Founder's Purchase Prize - £2,500 in honour of Michael Reynolds 
• DE Chairman's Purchase Prize - £1,000 
• Meynell Fenton Prize - £1,000 
• Humphreys Purchase Prize - £750 
• Wright Purchase Prize - £500 
• DE Sculpture and 3D Work Prize - £250 
• St Cuthberts Mill Award – £200 worth of paper 
• Regional Prizes of £250 each awarded to outstanding entries from the regions

The 2018 selectors/curators

Some are excellent choices - while others are "interesting" choices.... See if you agree!

ARTISTS

• Bridget McCrum RWA FRBS - Began to sculpt in her 40s inspired by travels and then later by the birds circling above her homes in Devon and Gozo. Primarily a stone carver but also works in stone and bronze, is in collections worldwide and features in some National Trust gardens (and a very long time ago I sat in her garden - which is beautiful - and sketched!)
• Sadie Clayton - BA Honors Fashion Design (Kingston University 2013). Her work with copper metal led to her work being shown at both Tate Britain and Tate Modern and featured in Vogue (UK), Harpers Bazaar (US) and other major publications. 

COLLECTORS

• Nick Ross - Was one of Britain’s best-known broadcasters for 30+ years. He was involved in launching the BBC’s Breakfast TV, Watchdog and Crimewatch programmes. Currently an international conference chair/moderator; member of a number of Panels, Committees and Working Groups, patron of a number of national charities, a non-executive director of Imperial NHS Healthcare Trust, and a high profile campaigner to cut UK road deaths, promote community safety, and encourage bioethics.
• John Benjamin Hickey - a US actor (stage/television/film). In the UK he is widely known for his role as Neil Gross in the TV series The Good Wife and The Good Fight (2011-17).

CRITICS

• Cherie Federico - From New York. Studied in UK then founded Aesthetica - an art and culture magazine. Also the Director of the BAFTA recognised Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
• Frances Hedges - Editor of the journal of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts (RSA) before moving on to work for Elle Decoration (UK) then a number of other publications. Currently a contributing arts writer for Town & Country and Harper’s Bazaar magazines.

Call for Entries

The really important information is highlighted in red below.
https://thediscerningeye.artopps.co.uk/

The open submission for artists is now under way. UK-based artists working in any medium can submit up to six works for our annual exhibition this November. Your work must be for sale and it must be less than 20 inches (50cm) in its greatest dimension. You have 64 days to finish your work and get it to us by the last entry date !Full details can be found on our Information For Artists page.

The 2018 Discerning Eye Exhibition will be open to the public from Thursday 15 November to Sunday 25 November 2018. It will be open every day from 10am to 5pm, admission will be FREE and all works will be for sale.

Who can enter?

• ONLY artists who are currently RESIDENT in the UK.

What kind of artwork is eligible?

Mackintosh: Glasgow’s neglected genius - revisited and updated

A month ago today, when the interior of the Glasgow School of Art burned down to the ground on 16 June 2018 (see ANOTHER Major Fire at Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art and VIDEO: An Appreciation of Glasgow School of Art), it came in the midst of all sorts of celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Mackintosh's birth.

For example:

• The Willow Tea Room Trust invited a group of guests to preview the restored Willow Tea Rooms Building at 217 Sauchiehall Street following a £10 million restoration - on the 150th anniversary of his birth 7th June 2018
• while two days earlier, the BBC in Scotland had just televised Mackintosh, Glasgow’s Neglected Genius - with Lachlan Goudie - on BBC Two Scotland on Tuesday, 5 June 2018.

The first half of the Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art
(image from the programme)
....but the third act has still to come....

I watched the programme on iPlayer as I wrote blog posts about the fire - and the first version was an excellent programme.

Following the fire, a decision was made by the BBC to revisit the programme and update it within the context of the fire

‘Mackintosh: Glasgow’s neglected genius has been revisited - including a visit to the burned out shell of the Mackintosh building at the Glasgow School of Art - and filmed the ruins - and then re-edited the programme to take account of the fire.

The film examines Mackintosh's iconic buildings, notably the Glasgow School of Art. Interwoven with his architecture, design and watercolours is the personal story of Mackintosh.

...and so tonight, on BBC4, the revised version is being broadcast this evening at 10pm - and I recommend all Mackintosh fans make a point of watching/recording it. I'll certainly be watching it again.

Take Two - ‘Mackintosh: Glasgow’s neglected genius'

Following last month’s devastating fire we returned to the Glasgow School of Art and filmed the ruins for a re-edited version of ‘Mackintosh: Glasgow’s neglected genius’. Tonight @BBCFOUR 10pm https://t.co/MMxiywHAFj pic.twitter.com/01VOQUz4hP

— Lachlan Goudie (@lachlangoudie) July 16, 2018

Below you can also find out more about:

• Mackintosh 150
• the rebuilding of the Mackintosh Building

Martin Gayford on Canaletto's paintings of London

I'm a fan of the painter Canaletto, the famous "painter of views".

I'm also a fan of the literate and articulate writer, author and art critic Martin Gayford.

So what better than a video of Martin Gayford talking about Canaletto and his Grand Designs - which was a lecture given and videoed at Gresham College. (Well maybe a better quality video! It was made in 2010!)

Canaletto - The City Seen Through an Arch of Westminster Bridge

It's also remarkable for some scenes of London that have completely disappeared since Canaletto painted them.

In 1746 the great Venetian artist, Canaletto, moved to London following the market and wealth for his work. Nine years later, he left the city attacked by the critics as repetitive and a fake. What was 18th Century London like to be the centre of such hope and disappointment? How did Canaletto feel about the city, and how are we to assess these views today?

Canaletto: Grand Designs - Martin Gayford - Gresham College Lecture from Gresham College on Vimeo.

You can see all future lectures at Gresham College here.

More about Canaletto

• Canaletto paintings | Art UK
• Canaletto's Colour: the inspiration and implications of changing grounds, pigments and paint application in the artist's English period Article by Roxane Sperber, Jens Stenger | British Art Studies - a very interesting analysis of the grounds and paints used in Canaletto's London paintings which have sometimes been alleged to be inferior to those of Venice
• Canaletto | London paintings, 1746-1755 | Tutt'Art@
• Canaletto and the Art of Venice - recommended - review of the exhibition at the Queens Gallery which can now be seen at The Queen's Gallery at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh until 31 October 2018

More about Martin Gayford

Martin Gayford has been talking with artists for 30 years. He doesn’t just nip into the studio with a notepad: he has a gift for sustaining conversations that unfold across decades. Modernists and Mavericks by Martin Gayford review – Bacon, Freud, Hockney and the London painters

• Martin Gayford - website
• Euan Uglow - a slideshow and radio essay with Martin Gayford

John Moores Painting prize 2018 - winner announced

There's not a lot of press coverage for the winner of the John Moores Painting Prize 2018 - and I have to say I'm not surprised.

Jacqui Hallum's painting King and Queens of Wands triumphed over 2,700 entries to win the John Moores Painting Prize 2018 in its 60th annoversary - which means she wins:

• a £25,000 first prize, 
• a three-month fellowship at Liverpool John Moores University, 
• plus an ‘in-focus’ solo display at the Walker Art Gallery in 2019.

And the winner is... Jacqui Hallum, John Moores 2018 first prizewinner talks about what influenced her work in our new blog. Read it here and see 'King and Queen of Wands' @walkergallery now until 18 November https://t.co/54GbMKRXVz #JM2018 pic.twitter.com/GzCCzTXNkN

— JM Painting Prize (@JMPaintingPrize) July 13, 2018

What do you say about a three cotton sheets stained and dyed with inks?
Not a lot if you are the Art Press it would seem...

This is what Jacqui Hallum had to say about her painting.



Bottom line - I've never understood the decisions of the John Moores Painting Prize and I'm none the wiser after this year's choice.

It always strikes me that what the artist thinks they've made and how the judges interpret the painting seem to be at odds quite often.

Listen to what the artist has to say in the video - and then read this....

The curator Jenni Lomax said Hallum’s painting emerged as the clear overall winner from the shortlist of five, which each receive £2,500. “There is something about the provisional and nomadic nature of the work that makes it feel very current,” she said. “At the same time an initial sense of lightness belies historical and personal references that collapse within its folds.” Jacqui Hallum wins John Moores painting prize | The Guardian

One is so very tempted to continue by constructing a sentence which uses the word "arty farty"  - but I won't.... I've got better things to do with my time.

Glasgow School of Art will be rebuilt

The good news is that that Mackintosh Building at Glasgow School of Art will be rebuilt.

Model of Glasgow School of Art - Mackintosh Building

Below is essentially a summary of what's being reported elsewhere following the announcement by Tom Inns, the School's Director on Tuesday.

1. “We’re going to rebuild the Mackintosh building." - but part of it is unstable and will be dismantled
2. Building was insured and rebuild costs will be covered by insurers
3. c.50% fixtures and fittings were in storage at time of fire
4. A detailed digital model was developed as part of the work done after the last fire. This now provides an immense amount of data about every aspect of the building and how things were
5. The process of dismantling the building and removing dangerously unstable sections began on Tuesday afternoon
6. Kier Construction has now "concluded its relationship with the art school". Their statement that adequate fire safety strategy was in place has been 'professionally checked" by school
7. An ongoing investigation by the Scottish fire and rescue service will determine what really happened to start the second fire - and why it burned out the entire school.

Articles containing variations on the theme that it will be rebuilt are listed below

The Guardian

• Mackintosh building will be rebuilt, says Glasgow School of Art director
• Glasgow School of Art must be rebuilt – with no corners cut

Dezeen: 

• David Chipperfield joins calls for Glasgow School of Art to be rebuilt
• Glasgow School of Art "will be rebuilt" says school's director

BBC: Glasgow School of Art dismantling to take eight weeks

A Botanical Art Bonanza!

Botanical art fans are converging on London this week for the RHS Botanical Art Show. 

In terms of handing out Gold Medals for Botanical Art this is the most prestigious botanical art show in the world.  It effect it's the visual equivalent for botanical artists of the Olympics or the World Cup! Absolutely nothing else presents the same sort of challenge!

That's why in recent days botanical artists have jetted into London from all around the globe - to try and capture that elusive RHS Gold Medal. That said, we've got quite a few Gold Medallists who are returning to see if they can enhance their credibility by winning another one!.

Medals are being awarded as I write - and I'll be there at this evening's reception.

View of part of last year's exhibition in the RHS Lindley Hall
Each of the run of panels is an exhibit of a minimum of six works by one artist
Work is graded against various criteria
- but medal colour is often determined by the weakest not the best - so everything has to be excellent!

However, while in London to see this show there is also the most fantastic opportunity to see other top class botanical art exhibitions - and this is a list of the details of everything on offer in London - in terms of botanical art!

Those pursuing other genres might pause for a moment and reflect when there were this many top class of exhibitions in prestigious venues for other subject matter!

Royal Horticultural Society

The RHS Plant and Art Fair (10-12 July 2018) includes three international exhibitions of botanical art and photography. These are:

• The RHS Botanical Art Show
• The RHS Botanical Photography Show 
• The RHS Photographer of the Year 2018

The RHS Botanical Art Show

Venue: RHS Lindley Hall, Elverton Street,
Dates: 10-12 July 2018

For more information:

• official website - and vis news posts on Botanical Art and Artists (below)
• Exhibiting artists at RHS Botanical Art Show 2018 - and this list includes a significant number of former Gold Medal winners back for another try!
• Exhibits at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2018 - the themes for the portfolio of a minimum of six paintings to be shown by each exhibitor
• Trade Stand Exhibitors at the RHS Plant and Art Fair (July 2018)

Plus this is information about how the RHS Botanical Art Show works for those aspiring to show in 2020 (you're already too late for 2019!). It's the only show I know where you have to be approved BEFORE you can submit your artwork

• RHS Botanical Art Show #1 Approval to Submit
• RHS Botanical Art Show #2: The Judges and Judging Process
• RHS Botanical Art Show #3: Medals Awards and Feedback

This is also a show where it pays to sort your visa out in good time..... It loosk like we might have lost one exhibitor to visa problems at the UK end.... - which will be very disappointing

This is a video I made of last year's Botanical Art Show



The number of botanical artists this year - per country is as follows:

• 19 x UK + 1 group
• 7 x Japan
• 4 x Korea
• 2 x Italy
• 2 x New Zealand
• 2 x Turkey
• and one each from Australia, Austria, Brazil, Hong Kong, Thailand and the USA​

The RHS Botanical Photography Show

Venue: RHS Lawrence Hall, Greycoat Street, Westminster
Dates: 10-12 July 2018

Polina Plotnikova - at a previous show

More information:

• RHS Photography 2018 and 2019  | Botanical Art and Artists - includes list of exhibitors in 2018
• The RHS Photographer of the Year 2018 is an international competition for garden photographers run by the RHS.

Worth a Thousand Words

Venue: RHS Lindley Library 80 Vincent Square LONDON SW1P 2PE
Dates: 5 July - 17 August 2018

This is the "must see" for every visitor to the Botanical Art Show - if for no other reason than it is adjacent to the show in RHS HQ in Vincent Square.

View of part of the exhibition

More information:

• Official RHS webpage
• Worth a Thousand Words - exhibition at the RHS | Botanical Art and Artists - about  the previous Gold Medal winners whose gold-medal winning work acquired by the RHS is in this small exhibition.

Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew

There are two exhibitions on display at the moment - in the same place and for the same dates.

Venue: Shirley Sherwood Gallery, Kew Gardens - which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year
​Dates: 31 March - 16 September 2018

​The Florilegium: The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney

This is an exhibition by the Florilegium Society of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. It was originally mounted at the RBGS Gardens in Sydney in 2016 as part of the 200th anniversary of the Botanic Gardens. ​

Part of the Florilegium exhibition at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at Kew

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - This is a world class exhibition and sets a very high standard for exhibitions by Florilegia

Links:

• Kew - The Florilegium: The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
• My review - "The Florilegium: The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney" exhibition at Kew Gardens

Down Under II: Works from the Shirley Sherwood Collection

The second exhibition - Down Under II: Works from the Shirley Sherwood Collection - is a follow on from the first exhibition of artwork in the Shirley Sherwood Collection of native Australian and New Zealand plants created by local and international botanical artists.

Natural History Museum

There's always an exhibition of nature botanical or natural history in the Images of Nature Gallery at the Natural History Museum
Venue: Images of Nature Gallery, Natural History Museum

The Art of British Natural History : Images of Nature

When I last visited besides the examples of botanical artwork by many of the great artists from the past there were some paintings of natural habitat by Barbara Nicolson and a reproduction of a watercolour painting of orchids by the late Pandora Sellars

Orchids (1985) by Pandora Sellars (1936-2016)

Rumanian Cultural Institute

The exhibition of botanical paintings included in the Transylvania Florilegium has returned for July and August

• Venue: Romanian Cultural Institute (UK), 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PH (nearest tube is Hyde Park Corner)
• Dates: 2 July to 31 August 2018
• Publishers: Published for The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation by Addison Publications Ltd London
• Artists - see the list in my blog post - Transylvania Florilegium at the Romanian Cultural Institute
• More details: the Highgrove website

Jonathan Cooper Gallery

Finally for the true and dedicated fans there are some excellent artworks by botanical artiosts from England, Scotland, Australia and the USA on display at Jonathan Cooper's 30th anniversary exhibition in Chelsea

• Venue:  Jonathan Cooper Gallery, 20 Park Walk, Chelsea, London, SW10 0AQ
• Dates: 12 - 21 July 2018
• Gallery Opening Times: Mon – Fri (10 – 6.30pm); Sat (11 – 4pm) Closed Bank Holidays
• Admission: Free
• Information: Botanical art at Jonathan Cooper: 30 years exhibition - opens 12 July 2018

Four ways to hold a pencil to draw

How you hold a pencil to draw is different from how you hold a pencil to write.

This post is for those who'd like to explore different ways of holding a pencil and what each offers you. It shows you:

• why different grips offer you more scope to draw in different ways
• affect the range of movement that is possible from both your hand - and arm
• enable you to move your pencil in different ways
• offer you the scope to draw more effectively - in different ways

Below I look at four different kinds of grips for drawing

• the basic tripod grip
• a basic drawing grip
• the overhand/gesture grip
• an extended underhand grip

How to hold a pencil to draw - four different ways

I'll be systematically showing you

• what the grip looks like - in diagrams hand drawn by me!
• which fingers it uses
• what it's useful for
• what it limits
• who it's recommended for

If you find it useful you might like to share it with your friends who also draw - or want to learn how to draw.

Context - How we learn to grip a pencil

It's often the case that those who have taught themselves to draw continue to use their familiar grip for holding a pen or pencil - the one they've probably learned at school when they learned how to write.

However this can cause problems and it also limits HOW you can use a pencil to draw.

It's also the case that many people who are teaching people 'how to draw' haven't necessarily been taught to draw themselves and are still using the grip they learned when little.

For me, the essential thing is that people have the information to make a choice. After that, how we choose to use a pencil is entirely up to the individual. 

• There is no right or wrong way. 
• Your way is your way. 
• However experimentation can lead to expanding and improving your skills in different ways of drawing - and ultimately change

Different ways to grip

Study the ways the grips vary. Look at people you know who draw and watch to see how their grip works. Ask them why they use the grip and why they like it. Ask them what they can do with it.

In particular note:

• which parts of the hand and arm are involved in the grip 
• what the role of the thumb is
• where and how the pencil rests if not gripped tightly by the fingers
• whether the hand and/or the fingers move the pencil
• what provides the pressure
• what provides balance 
• whether control is exerted via pressure or balance.

The basic traditional / tripod grip

Civilisation

Civilisation by Kenneth Clark 1903-1983 (or Lord Clark of Civilisation as he latterly became known) is one of those landmark series that gives you access to the cultures, art, architecture and artefacts - which none of us could ever dream of encountering in entirety, in person, in our lifetimes.

That said it's a very Western Europe perspective on civilisation - from 50 years ago. It was first televised in 1969!

It's also a great trot through very many of the celebrated artists in art history (again - the Western European version) and an opportunity to see their artwork in situ.

To my mind it's important that it remains accessible in terms of what it can teach us - even if it now seems dated in style and perspective.

The BBC have done the decent thing and Civilisation is now permanently(?) accessible via the archive of BBC television programmes within BBC iPlayer

There are also very many copies of the BBC series Civilisation on YouTube - and the fact they exist means that the entire series is accessible to everybody who does not have access to BBC iPlayer

So this post is by way of signposting how the series is accessible to all

• on iPlayer
• on YouTube

Explanation of what each episode covers can be found in the Wikipedia article about the Civilisation Series. (click first link above)

Civilisation on iPlayer

Civilisation by Kenneth Clark - on BBC iPlayer

These are the links to the episodes:

1. The Skin of Our Teeth - about the Dark Ages, the Norsemen and Charlemagne, after the collapse of the Roman Empire
2. The Great Thaw - covers the reawakening of Europe in the Early Middle Ages (12th and early 13th centuries) and great architecture
3. Romance and Reality - about the later Middle Ages in 14th century France (Loire) and Italy (Tuscany and Umbria)
4. Man: the Measure of all Things - looks at the notion of the Renaissance Man and centres of Renaissance civilisation (Florence, Urbino and Mantua)
5. The Hero as Artist - takes a look at a look at individuals of genius, notably Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci and focuses on great art in the Vatican
6. Protest and Communication - about the upheavals of the Protestant Reformation in northern Europe. He looks at Holbein, Thomas Moore, Erasmus, the printing press and Durer.
7. Grandeur and Obedience - the Counter-Reformation—against the Protestant north and the development of St Peter's in Rome.
8. The Light of Experience - new realism and observation of human character in Dutch paintings
9. The Pursuit of Happiness - how the works of Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart in the architecture of the Rococo churches and palaces of Bavaria.
10. The Smile of Reason - the Age of Enlightenment, 
11. The Worship of Nature - the decline of religion in the middle of the 18th century and the emergence of Rousseau, the romantic movement and the picturesque - being 'at one with nature' and the landscape paintings of Turner and Constable
12. The Fallacies of Hope - traces the progressive disillusionment of the artists associated with the Romantic movement
13. Heroic Materialism - a discussion of the materialism and humanitarianism of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Civilisation on YouTube

The most viewed and best quality version of Civilisation on iPlayer can be found in this Civilisation Playlist (in HD) by Rich9881 - which contains links to all 13 episodes (in HD).

Like I said the fact it has not been taken down I guess means that the BBC recognises this is a programme which deserves to be accessible to all for educational purposes only.

'Adoration of the Magi' by Rubens in King's College Chapel, Cambridge

Yesterday I posted a short video on my Facebook Page of the fan vaulting on the ceiling and stained glass windows of King's College Chapel in Cambridge. It's the largest example of fan vaulting in stone in Europe (see below). The chapel also has some very fine stained glass windows which amazingly survived the Civil War.

The fan vaulting of King's College Chapel with the large wooden rood screen

King's College Chapel is considered to be one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic in English architecture. It was started in 1446, completed in 1536 and is in active use.

Celia Hart saw my video and told me this story

I hope you took time to admire the Rubens 'Adoration of the Magi'. My father made the wooden triptych picture frame, which was then carefully painted with gesso and one side carefully sanded to an eggshell finish. It was transported to London for an artist (I don't know her name) to create the grisaille harlequin design on the doors. When Dad went to collect the finished frame he found the design had been painted on the rough side! the artist said she preferred the texture to the super smooth finish.

Previous to the Rubens being installed the choir area had ornate dark oak carved panelling. My father (working at Rattee & Kett at the time) was instructed to remove it, and the panels were stored above his workshop. I used to go up in the store loft to see them while I waited for Dad to finish work. Years later and after the old workshops were sold I asked King's College if the panelling still existed, apparently it's now in another store somewhere in Cambridge.

I did indeed - and below you can see my photographs of "Adoration of the Magi" by Peter Paul Rubens.

I also found a link online to a page on the Kings College website about Installing 'Adoration of the Magi' by Rubens in 1967, which presumably related to the episode Celia relates above.

The view of the altar - with Adoration of the Magi in its frame - at the eastern end of the chapel

In 1961 'The Adoration of the Magi', painted by Sir Peter Paul Rubens in 1634 for the convent of the White Nuns at Louvain in Belgium was presented to the College by Maj. A.E. Allnatt with the idea that it should once again be an altar-piece in a great church. During the next seven years, work was undertaken to remove the panelling and lower the floor level so that the work of art was positioned below the beautiful stained glass of the East window. The altar before Rubens

Next is the entire painting above the altar.

Adoration of the Magi by Rubens
- in the frame made by Celia's father

and here's a close up of the main business of the painting

Close up of Adoration of the Magi by Rubens

The Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens painted Adoration of the Magi c.1616-17 during a period when he lived in Antwerp as the leading Flemish painter of that period.

Apparently the painting achieved a world-record price in 1959 when it was sold to the property millionaire Alfred Ernest Allnatt. Two years later he gifted it to Kings College Chapel with a view to it being used as an altarpiece.

More about King's College Cambridge

The College website has more information about:

• the History of the Chapel - the foundation stone was laid in 1446 and the fan vaulting was completed in 1515. 
• the History of the College - founded in 1441 by King Henry VI, college buildings developed over the centuries

I had never realised before that the entire construction was played out within the context of the Wars of the Roses

Review: BP Portrait Award Exhibition 2018

This post about the BP Portrait Award 2018 exhibition includes:

• my overall impression of the exhibition
• my commentary on my analysis of what I've noticed has changed in this year's exhibition - in terms of number of portraits, size and type, composition and colour and who are the subjects - with some number crunching for comparison with last year

The exhibition is at the National Portrait Gallery until 24 September 2017 - admission is free. It tours to Wolverhampton and Edinburgh later in the year (details below)

Posting about the BP Portrait Award Exhibition this year was interrupted by the fire at the Glasgow School of Art - which was a huge distraction - so apologies for the delay.

For the record, I think this might be my favourite portrait - because it's extremely well designed and painted, shows a complete person - with hands - tells a story and has context of which more later....

The Oolographer (in his study) © JJ (Jeremy) Delvine

Overall Impression

The main difference this year is that the exhibition is in a completely different gallery - The Porter Gallery - having been "bounced" by the exhibition about Michael Jackson which is located in its usual gallery.

In the video (below) I'm walking around a completely different space than in previous years. I'm not a fan of this gallery as I always find it claustrophobic. In effect it's a collection of small rooms and it's impossible to get any real distance from the portrait.

The overall effect for me was that it somehow doesn't feel like the BP Portrait Award exhibition.  I'm guessing quite a few other people, particularly the portrait artists who visit, have had the same sensation.

This exhibition has lots of walls which prevent a view of the whole exhibition

Certainly other BP Portrait Award fans who have been to see this exhibition have also been unimpressed with the different gallery.

My first thought about the exhibition though is that it's a shame it been moved to the (wrong name) Galleries (ground floor on the right) - it all feels a bit more disjointed than it normally does.

...in terms of curation and display, this is the worst BP Exhibition I’ve seen in years. Such a diverse selection of paintings should not be crammed and hung so close to each other.

Hence it felt very weird while walking around taking videos of this year's exhibition.

To me it felt a much less imposing exhibition compared to normal.  It certainly lacked a "WOW" factor and colour for the most part - with the notable exception of Felicia Forte's painting!

Maybe unsurprisingly, this was also reflected in the reviews of the exhibition. I checked to see which newspapers and magazines had reviewed the exhibition and found much less than normal.

• The last reference to the BP Portrait Award  by the Daily Telegraph was in 2017
• The Evening Standard - London's evening paper - has been a regular reviewer but this year hasn't done one. This year it just highlighted the winner of the award and had a very short piece about how a BP Portrait Award artist gifts painting to her ballet dancer subject
• Apollo Magazine stopped reviewing in 2015

Other focused on the prizewinners only (i.e. read the press release and reviewed these portraits)

• BBC: BP Portrait Award: Mum drinking tea picture wins top prize 
• The Guardian | Surreal portrait of artist's mother wins 2018 BP portrait award
• Culture Whisper | BP Portrait Award 2018, National Portrait Gallery, London focuses on the winners and extracts from the press release

Those who did provide reviews  of the exhibition included some I'd not heard of before.

• The Upcoming - BP Portrait Award 2018 at the National Portrait Gallery - features images more than words and awarded the exhibition 3 stars "Overall, this show is worth a look for a few gems and some talented artistry, but it’s unlikely to set any sparks flying."

I found just one good review of the exhibition by somebody who had obviously not relied on the press release for the majority of their content, had obviously seen it and then thought about it for more than a minute or two. Worth a read.

• Medium | BP Portrait Award from an artist’s point of view

It left me wondering who all the people at the Press Review represented (other than foreign press) given the dire coverage of the exhibition online.

I guess my conclusion about the press reviews is that if you downgrade an exhibition in terms of the space used for its display, you shouldn't be too surprised if the press react accordingly.

However is the change in gallery the whole story?

Overall, while I liked some of the paintings a lot, I generally found it a less than inspiring exhibition. It lacks something. I can't work out whether this is because scanning the exhibition as a whole is much more difficult or whether the calibre of the work is somehow less.

Rather than blaming the actual portraiture, I keep coming back to how the discontinuity and "chunked" up nature of the exhibition just fails to create an exhibition which impresses. An impressive exhibition needs an exhibition space which measures up to it.

There again it might be because the NUMBER and TYPE of portraits this year are very different. Or the composition or colour

What's Different? An analysis of the Portraits

Every year I do an analysis of the portraits selected for the exhibition in terms of size and type - and you can see the results below. This year's exhibition prompted me to think about a wider-ranging analysis and to think about doing more analysis of the exhibits over time....

The factors I consider below are:

• number
• size and media
• type
• composition
• colour
• subject