About Liam O'Farrell and his amazing paintings

One of the very nice things that happens from time to time is that artists that I feature on my blog sometimes write to me to tell me what has happened to them and their artwork.

 One such is Liam O'Farrell who wrote to me today.

I've seen his paintings in a number of recent exhibitions and very much like his combination of really excellent painting of architecture and people. His paintings manage to be both accurate and yet somewhat stylised. It's a very neat combination - recording contemporary life.

Last summer I featured his painting of the Tate and Lyle Sugar Refinery which was selected for the NEAC Annual Exhibition 2019. I had it in my section about The Best of the Open Entry and other art I liked

Artwork I liked included paintings which did not look like the paintings of members or provided a new spin on old topics. I periodically lament that not enough people record buildings, events and the contemporary environment - as very many painters did in the past.

The Tate & Lyle Sugar Refinery, London by Liam O'Farrell

One artist who is very much about recording the present or the recent past is Liam O'Farrell - who paints in oil and watercolour but is fundamentally all about the drawing. I love his tiny people and the fact he can recreate past urban landscapes.

Liam wrote to correct me and to say that this is in fact a contemporary view. I've never seen this view of the Refinery and was convinced it was from the past. However after much comparison between Google Maps and the painting I now understand how he managed to achieve this particular view and paint it! See if you can work it out - it's clever!

Thames Refinery is the largest sugar refinery in the EU and one of the largest in the world, with a capacity of 1.2million tonnes per annum. Tate & Lyle website

I gather from Liam that the painting did not sell at the exhibition. However it was subsequently bought by Tate & Lyle and now hangs in their Boardroom!

Another of his paintings Denmark Street (Tin pan Alley) London (2017) was selected for the (last) Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize 2019.

Denmark Street (Tin pan Alley) London (2017) by Liam O'Farrell

I rather liked this - especially given I could not work out how he achieved his perspective.

He explained in his email to me today that he'd written a blog post about the painting An oil painting of Denmark Street London - in which he explained about he came to sketch the scene and also the people he saw during a warm afternoon in June as he drew the buildings

• Click the link in the title of the painting if you'd like to see a larger version on his website
• READ more of his painting stories on his blog

Liam's approach to his oil paintings is as follows

My oil paintings are generally built up from on-site sketches, colour notes and even photographs if a particular reference is needed, such as a plant shape or shadows. These are then composed together on board and finally painted in the studio, often over a period of weeks.

On his website you can also see his:

• Oil Paintings
• Watercolour Paintings - some of which have stories
• Drawings and Sketches - which is what his paintings start from
• Online Shop - where he has originals (oils, watercolours and drawings) and prints of his work

He's a big fan of Markets and Allotments! 

His paintings have also featured in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

This to my mind is one of the best "about me" artist statements I've ever read - as an explanation of what he likes and draws and paints.

Most of us are not really that trendy, confident, super rich or deliciously attractive. Most of the world is also like that. Even in spectacular locations such as Venice, if you scratch the surface the same ordinary people are there too. They just happen to be on holiday. I like to look again at all the things we can so easily miss, and celebrate them.
Of course I am not unique in this movement. Stanley Spencer, LS Lowry and Alfred Wallis were masters of it and this is just my small contribution.

How to find an art gallery for your art

This is a checklist of questions for how to find an Art Gallery which provides a good fit for both your artwork and your achievements to date - and offers you good prospects.

I saw a query today on Facebook from somebody who was looking for suggestions of suitable art galleries for his art.

I provided a short cut answer. This is the longer version.

Interior of an art gallery in Chelsea

How to find an art gallery 

It's worth doing your homework and looking at the options and opportunities - and the competition.

A suggested approach and checklist

Here's my suggested approach and checklist of questions - which is based on my preference for finding out as much as you can BEFORE you have a conversation or email them.

How to find an art gallery in your area

Make a list of art galleries near you 

• Go to Google Maps
• Put your address in to get a starting point
• now add add "art gallery" to the "nearby" search button
• this will generate flags with a palette icon of all the art galleries near your home
• you can also add "art galleries" and this will generate a different list - of those with 'Galleries' in their name
• the number of galleries will vary depending on what you call your location (eg your local village / town / county / region etc)

How Banksy retains control

There is an absolutely fascinating article in the New York Times - Banksy Is a Control Freak. But He Can’t Control His Legacy - which unpicks the business model Banksy uses to remain in control of his brand.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND artists read it as it's a very useful way of demonstrating ways in which artists can retain control over the copyright of their own artwork if marketing and selling direct to the public.

Banksy’s rise and rise is the result of years of meticulous control of his message, his market and, most importantly, his mystique.

Below I've attempted to summarise what actions Banksy has taken to control the market for his artwork - including:

• Pest Control
• Gross Domestic Product
• Bbay

It looks simpler than it is - and a lot of it is entirely to do with how the law works.

BANKSY COPYRIGHT CONTROL: In summary.....

In summary, he has created a wonderful system for keeping scams and fraud under control
(i.e. avoiding the awful Andy Warhol problem)

Gross Domestic Product - the website and shop created to regulate rip-offs of Banksy's Trademark.

Sale of originals

Banksy has no gallery representing him. Instead, he sells NEW original works for million dollar multiples to selected private collectors.

These sales help fund his big projects - which keep his "name in the frame".

Trade Mark without Text

This is the formal documentation of his trademark.

Subsequently he was challenged in court - which led to various developments described below.

121st Annual Exhibition of The Pastel Society

I visited the The Pastel Society's 121st Annual Exhibition earlier this week for the Private View. It is currently on display in all the galleries at the Mall Galleries,  The Mall, London SW1

• It's open every day 10am to 5pm (closes 3pm on final day) until 16 February
• Admission is £5
• HOWEVER you can have FREE ENTRY for Two to the exhibition  (normal price £10) if, as regular readers, you quote "Making A Mark" to the people at the Gallery Desk at the entrance.

I'm probably going back tomorrow afternoon to see which paintings and drawings won prizes which were announced just before I left on Tuesday. More of these anon.

It's a good exhibition whether or not you are a fan, as I am of dry media.

A Table at Seven by Kitty Glavin
Winner of the Pastel Society Young Artist Award
Her work was created in oil pastels on several pieces of paper which were stick together
and hung without a frame!

Below you can find out:

• how to view all the artworks online - both members, open entry and my photos
• how you can meet individual artists in the gallery, and what talks and demos are happening during the remainder of the exhibition
• my commentary about this exhibition and, if you like, review my past reviews of this exhibition!

View all the works online

You can view a folder of my photos of the exhibition on my Making A Mark Facebook Page (it's public - no need to be a member) - and you can see general views and images of the works I liked in this post.

Some of my photos from the Private View

You can also see artworks as follows

• Members Gallery
• Open Entry Gallery

Review: Episode 3 of Portrait Artist of the Year 2020

I watched the third episode of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year this morning having been occupied with Life Drawing Live on Tuesday night when it was broadcast. (Why do they always do the good art programmes at the same time?)

What was unusual was that I realised right from the off that I was going to be watching the whole thing knowing who was the winner - having met the artist at the semi-final. It was interesting because having heard comments made by Judges about the heat winner's painting in the semi - and their reference back to the heat painting - I've been really interested since last April to see how the portrait was developed!!

discussing the shortlist

Episode 3: The Artists, Self-portraits and Sitters

The artists lining up to hear who got shortlisted

As always links to

• the artist's website are embedded in their names.
• their social media sites are also provided.

The professional artists

The professional artists are:

• Cara Dunne (Facebook | Instagram) Completed her degree in Fine Art Painting and History of Art in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin in 2016. Her chosen medium is oil paint on canvas or board. She also works in graphic design, illustration, film-making and social media management. Last year she did a project 27 Portraits in 27 days. In January she was exhibiting at The Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition 2020
• Inge Du Plessis (Facebook | Instagram) This is a link to her self-portrait The Woman who Stood Still for Too Long (90 x 55cm) - about her turning 50. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa she moved to the UK in 2009 and now lives in Maidenhead in Berkshire. Completed a Fine Art Honours Degree and have been painting professionally since 1999 - after many years working as a cabinet maker and running her own design and manufacturing business. Previously participated in PAOTY 2016.
• Owain Hunt (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram) Born in 1994, he is self taught, paints in his bedroom and developed his artistic practice whilst studying for degrees in Economics and History from the University of Bristol, reading, observing and experimenting between lectures. Since graduating in 2016 he has pursued a career as a painter, working to commission. Is currently showing a drawing in the Pastel Society Annual Exhibition which opened today at the Mall Galleries and will also be showing in the Royal Society of British Artists 2020 Show later. He's also very accomplished at marketing his profile to the press.
• Mark H Lawrence (Facebook | Instagram) Born in Edinburgh in 1968. Studied BA Fine Art (Hons) Grays School of Art, Aberdeen (1990-94); MA Fine Art at University of East London (2009-10);  PGDE Art & Design Secondary Education, The University of Edinburgh 2018. He currently teaches Art & Design in secondary education, and practices art in London. One of his double portraits was selected for the BP Portrait Exhibition 2018 - and I remember it well but I don't think I met him as he's not in my artists with their paintings post. 
• Michael James Monaghan (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram) a Scottish artist and Celtic fan who lives and works in West Lothian. 
• Neil O'Driscoll (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram) - This is a link to his VERY different self portrait. He's a multidisciplinary artist based between Ireland and the UK with qualifications in art, crafts and film-making. Has worked between the fields of illustration and film for the past ten years, whilst expanding into video design for theatre. Currently based in Margate, Kent, Neil works largely from home and undertakes private commissions for illustration, portraiture and landscapes. He used pastels for the Heat
• Michael Sheppard (Facebook | Instagram) - video - Graduated with a Fine Art Painting and Drawing degree from Northampton University in 2017 and subsequently an MA at Nottingham Trent University. He has autism and works in pen and ink and just switches off when he draws. Uses mj the art traveller as his brand name. I found this good interview with him.

The amateur artists

The amateur artists are:

• Ancy Jacob ( Instagram) Comes from Kerala in India where she studied. Works for an NHS Foundation Trust in Essex. She's also a freelance painter specialising in portraiture in watercolour and oils
• Jean O'Riordan (Facebook | Instagram) This is a link to her self portrait. Jean comes from Cork in Ireland and was 16 when she participated in the Heats last April and became the youngest ever participant of Portrait Artist of the Year. Ath the time her preferred medium was Japanese Copic markers.

My entry was really last minute, I got it in right on the last day and I was panicking. I sent in one of my portraits, and I had to write a lot about myself and my art.

The self portraits

What marked out these self portraits was a couple of really unusual ones by Inge Du Plessis and Neil O'Driscoll. They both had a surreal, whimsical element to them.

As usual a number of the portraits were nothing like the way people painted in the Heat - while others had a great deal of continuity.

The Sitters

The sitters in this heat were:

• Len Goodman - ex-ballroom dancing world champion and the Head Judge of Strictly Come Dancing and is still the Head Judge of Dancing with the Stars (age 75)
• Dame Harriet Walter - the actress - who was a stunning sitter and a woman who was not afraid to acknowledge her age (she's 69)
• Tinie Tempah - a British rapper, singer, songwriter and entrepreneur - who had his bluetooth earphones in and fidgeted the whole time as he listened to music.

The interior of the 

Episode 3: Themes

Smiling faces

I remember when Sandy Nairne was Director of the National Portrait Gallery he commented - in response to criticisms about their new commissioned portrait of their new Patron (the Duchess of Cambridge - see Paul Emsley and the Duchess of Cambridge - two videos and a drawing) that you could probably count the number of portraits in the NPG of somebody smiling on the fingers of maybe one hand. That's because nobody can hold a smile for a life sitting - it's just far too painful. 

So it was interesting that when Len asked whether they'd like him smiling and started to do so that nobody pointed out that he'd be unable to keep it going.  As I expected the smile came and went and came and went etc etc.

Kathleen suggested matchsticks to prop up the grin.

I know with absolute certainty any time I see a self portrait which contains somebody smiling, I'm  99.99% certain this has been painted from a photo rather than from life i.e. even an artist would give up on trying to paint themselves from life smiling!!

Painting older people - and lines