An Exhibition of Three generations...

 

We will be holding a special exhibition from the 15th to 29th of September spanning three generations!

The artists will be myself, showing some work from my children's book illustration portfolio, my mother Heather O' Brien who paints wonderful oils on canvas of light filled gardens and landscapes with some still life and etchings as well, and my two daughters Elora and Elswyth aged 5 and 8 yrs old!

It will be a celebration of the thread that runs through us all both as close family and as artists, showing each of us at different stages of our own creative paths...  "passing the paintbrush on down the line!"

There will be an Opening Day Celebration on Saturday the 15th from 2-4pm with refreshments, cakes and live music, so come down and join the fun!

'Oranges and Chestnuts' oil on canvas by Heather O' Brien

Here's a bit more info from our press release in the Midsomer Norton and radstock Journal:

"...Heather O’Brien, based in Mells, Somerset, has painted for many years, studying at Rochdale College of Art and Corsham College of Art. She has exhibited widely selling her work in London and the South West of England. She works in oil on canvas, painting verdant English gardens and luminescent French landscapes, as well as still life paintings and etchings.

Heather works from her studio set in the midst of the beautiful acre of garden that is itself an extension of her paintings...

“For me, making a garden is about creating a harmony of colour, shape and texture and watching the changing light add another dimension bringing it all to life. My love of gardens and gardening are primarily the focus of my work on canvas. It is the uplifting qualities of the interplay between light and colour that inspire me. I aim to allow those qualities to create the dynamics within my paintings.”

Heather’s daughter Carrie Osborne who runs the gallery with her husband Tony, is an aspiring children’s author and illustrator, showing for the first time a selection of illustration work from her portfolio including some roughs and examples of sample picture books. She will also be showing life drawings, unusual customised portraits and some paintings outside the children’s illustration field.

“Growing up with an Artist for a mother meant that drawing was almost like breathing for me, I could not imagine life without a sketchbook! It will be lovely to share an exhibition with my mother and also with my children, almost like passing the paintbrush on down the line...”

Carrie’s two young daughters will also be taking part, Elora aged eight and Elswyth aged five, who both enjoy the chance to paint in Grandma’s studio or to make picture books of their own invention.

“I believe there is a naturally creative soul in every child, and to nurture that creativity whether it is in the form of art, music or language, should be held dear. Children create for the sheer joy of it without fear of judgement or self consciousness, something we adults could learn from! My children are growing up surrounded by art and music and I am so pleased to be able to include them in every aspect of it and see their undampened enthusiasm.”

Illustration from 'Windsongs' by Carrie Osborne

Wildlife Art Exhibition with Martin Rumary and Paul Matthews

Don't miss our October exhibition starting on Saturday the 8th!
Both of the Artists will be demonstrating at the gallery from 10 am on the opening Saturday, a great opportunity to see these two talented artists at work, to have a chat and put your questions to them!

Martin Rumary specialises in wonderfully detailed paintings of birds, here's a few words about him and his work:

Heading Down Stream

Born in London, Martin moved at an early with his parents to the heart of the Somerset countryside where he developed a keen interest in the surrounding wildlife.

The birds local to his home on the beautiful Mendip Hills provide the subject matter for his paintings; the semi-moorland down to the wetlands of the Somerset levels giving a wide choice of habitat for inspiration.

Observations and sketching in the field preceed each painting; a great way to earn a living, although every work inevitably goes through a period of angst and indecision in trying to achieve the desired affect. Originally working in oils and then gouache he now paints exclusively in acrylics.

Widespread success in the UK has enabled him to established a considerable reputation through galleries and organisations such as The Wildlife Art Society International and The National Exhibition of Wildlife Art where he has had a sell-out for the last four years.

And a few words about L. Paul Matthews and his work:

Paul lives in the village of Puddletown, in heart of rural Dorset, surrounded by farms and beautiful countryside with its wildlife. This provides alot of the inspiration for his paintings of domestic animals and British wildlife. He also has a passion for African wildlife having travelled to Botswana and Kenya on sketching and reference trips, acompanied by his partner Annie, whom takes care of the photography.

The majority of Paul’s work is commissioned paintings and portraits, both animals (including pets) and people. He also works on wildlife paintings and has been in the final of the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, for the three years it has been running.

You can find out more about the artists on their websites:
www.martinrumary.com
L.Paul Matthews online gallery

Old Bakery Artists Summer Exhibition 2011

Following the success of the Old Bakery Artist's Arts Trail back in May, which we very much enjoyed taking part in as one of the venues, we are delighted to be hosting their Summer Exhibition here on the High Street!

Popular local art group, the Old Bakery Artists, are exhibiting a variety of exciting new work at our gallery from 8th to 20th August - Monday to Saturday, 9.30 - 5.30pm. There will be an eclectic mix of paintings, from the abstract to the traditional, plus 3D objects and cards and prints for sale.

There will be two 'Meet the Artists' sessions on Saturday, 13th August and Saturday, 20th - 2 until 4pm. Among the artists calling in to talk about their work will be the well known Midsomer Norton artist, David Fisher, and Caroline Thatcher, who was recently featured in the BBC 2 series Show me the Monet.

And the winner is...

Congratulations go to Rebecca Burton, the lucky winner of our Medieval prize draw!
Thank you also to all of those who popped in to comment so kindly on our window display, we had great fun pitting it together and good to see so many people enjoying the fayre too!

Medieval Fayre Day, 25th of June - come and enter our Free Prize Draw!

Midsomer Norton has re-instated its Town Midsummer Fayre day and the first one is to be a Medieval Fayre! So if you're around on the 25th of June do stop and have a look at our medieval themed window complete with replica Edward III sword and seal as well as a few Pre-Raphaelites for good measure!
We will be giving away a beautiful framed print by Blair-Leighton in a free prize draw at the end of the day's events, so if you would like a chance to win drop into our shop and enter!

Old Bakery Artists Art Trail 2011

We are proud to be sponsoring the Old Bakery Artist's bi-annual Arts Trail being held at various venues around Norton-Radstock from the 12th to the 15th of May!
We'll be exhibiting a piece of artwork from each Artist in our gallery for the week, so if you are out and about do pop in for a look and grab a leaflet!
You can find out more about the OBA and their Artists here at www.oldbakeryartists.co.uk

Tony gives a talk to Chilcompton Art Group

Last Wednesday the 24th, Tony was invited to present a talk about framing techniques and tips to Chilcompton Art Group. This was Tony's first public talk so he was a little nervous, but everyone made him very welcome with coffee and friendly faces!

His enthusiasm soon got the presentation off to a great start as he began a demonstration from scratch of the entire process of mounting and framing a print, with tips and advice throughout.

(Print used was 'Brilliant Water' published by 'The Art Group')


Mountcards are recommended both to protect the print from contact with the glass, and for presentation. Tony began by describing the different types of mountcard and their various qualities from standard core up to museum grade, and discussed the effect of colours when choosing a mount ...

How a strong colour matched from shades within the image can be overpowering and deadening...

Whilst a neutral shade leads into the image and does not distract from it. And combining the two colours in a double mount gives an added definition and looks great!

Next he demonstrated the correct way to attach the print to the mount using 'T-hinges' and which types of tape to use (not masking tape!)... He also explained how taping a print all the way round can make it buckle and ripple. Attaching the print by two tabs at the top only, lets the paper breathe, expand and contract without rippling.

He has attached the print to the undermount which is hinged with tape to the top mount. He also talked about the importance of an undermount as a barrier to protect against the acids and lignin that would leech through from the backing board causing artwork to yellow and fox...

Then, after cleaning the glass - a framer's tip... Tony uses cellotape (yes cellotape!) to 'sandwich tape' the glass, mounted print and undermount together - just a tiny bit along the edge that won't show under the frame's rebate.

As well as cutting down on the frustrating need to strip a nicely finished picture back out of its frame because an annoying 'bit' has magically appeared (after you spent so long painstakingly checking for them) it helps to prevent insects like thunderflies, dust and other pollutants getting in.

Then a quick fixing in with a framer's points gun... ( you can also use staples or very fiddly panel pins if you wish!)

And sealing the back with nice smart gum tape which also prevents dust and insects getting into the frame and is much better than masking tapes or wax tapes that will dry and fall off in time.



Tony advised D-rings rather than eye-hooks which push a picture out from the wall, attached about a third of the way down, and nylon low stretch cord rather than wire which has weak points that can break.


And Voila! One gallery-smart framed print, well presented and protected with the right materials and techniques!
Phew that was a long post! But all that remains is to say 'Thank you' to the Chilcompton Art Group for your lovely welcome and enthusiasm, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did...

( Brilliant Water is now displayed for sale in our shop in Midsomer Norton...)