14 May 2010 Coalition huh!

The news talk of the week has been the formation of a coalition government here in the UK. For our overseas readers, this is a new situation for us. Except for a spell during WW2, the British system has steadily provided a change of government every few years, switching from a right of centre party [the Conservatives] to a left of centre party [the Labour Party]. Following elections 9 days ago we have a new government made up from the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats [who?] because the Conservatives failed to get enough seats in parliament to have a working majority.
Meanwhile here in Brighton we elected the first and only Green Member of Parliament.
Brighton is a whacky bohemian and extraordinary place ain't it?
What has this got to do with art at crabfish.com, or this Fine Art Blog.
Nothing really, I just thought I would let you know one reason why I haven't been telling you more about our Open House show here at 182 Springfield Road. It's because everybody has been focusing on something else, including me.
So, let me report on the last two weekends of Artists Open Houses here in Brighton.
Firstly, we are now half way through. There are only two more weekends to go. Tomorrow 15th May, Sunday 16th May, and then Saturday and Sunday 22nd and 23rd. That's it. No one will be open on the last weekend in May. Well we won't anyway.
Secondly, the visitor numbers perked up last weekend, despite the election result crisis. We sold some original paintings, and lots of prints and cards. We gathered almost twice as many entries to our prize draw as the bad-weather first weekend. As chance would have it, the two winners are both known to us here. One is a young neighbour who already lives in a house with a major piece of Fran Slade art bought by her wise and wonderful parents a couple of years ago, and the other is an artist who has exhibited in her own Open House as part of the Fiveways Artists Group. Both were drawn randomly from the cards filled in by visitors. So you see that anyone can win, just turn up, fill in an entry card, and cross your fingers.
We hope to see YOU here during the next [last] two weekends.
Todays picture is 'Brighton Bandstand', which was chosen by Patricia Cunliffe our first winner this year.

9 May 2010 Weekend two of Open House

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th May 2010 is the second weekend of our Artists Open House.
The two lucky prize draw winners from the previous weekend came in to choose their free framed print.
Patricia Cunliffe is seen here with a friend choosing from 300 images in the new catalogue. She chose 'Brighton Bandstand'.
Mark Whitaker, who chose 'Brighton', is pictured holding his prize.
The winner of the lucky draw on Saturday 8th was Christina Ure, and on the 9th it was Elena Thompson.

2 May 2010 Day two AOH10

The skies opened and it rained for our second Artists Open House 2010.
Nevertheless, we had a stream of sodden visitors. Fewer than usual but enough to have a good day for sales to collectors and enthusiastic visitors to take part in our prize draw.
The winner was Mark Whittaker from Brighton. Mark told us that one of his favourite exhibits was 'Seedheads' by Shyama in the downstairs studio.

1 May 2010 1st day of Open House

The annual Artists Open House event started today. 240 venues across the city of Brighton-and-Hove. We are open again showing a collection of our new paintings, prints and cards, with a jeweller and a sculptor as guest exhibitors.
In the daily prize draw today the winner was Patricia Cunliffe from Hove. Her favourite piece of work in the show was the original painting 'San Marco' which she said bought back 40 year old memories.
Hopefully the daily draw adds interest and focus for our visitors. The entry card has a space for comments or favourite piece in the show. So we get a collection of very valuable feedback about our exhibits that help us in our work.

25 April 2010 Limehouse Reach

This is a new Colin Ruffell painting, seen here hanging ready for next week when we open our house as part of the Brighton Festival.
'Artists Open Houses' is a big thing. This year there are 230 venues offering the biggest free art show in the UK. Over a thousand exhibitors, and a guesstimate 250,000 visitors.
We hope to see you here at 182 Springfield Road, Brighton.
We are open from 11am to 6pm on the first four weekends in May.

9 April 2010 Private View

Shyama has an exhibition at Pelham House in Lewes until the 8th of June. Last night we went to the Private View. As is often the case at PV's there was wine and nibbles and old friends that we hadn't seen for some time, so we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. It could be so easy to miss the art! But Shyama has done some smashing new paintings for this show, and they look really great in the hotel.

20 March 2010 St Paul's Cathedral

Here is the new painting of St Paul's Cathedral that I have been working on.

I have managed to tell myself to stop working on this one.

Although I am happy and satisfied with this as it is now, I know that I should hang it up in the studio for a few more days to see if there is anything else that I need to do. Some times a 'finished' work suddenly reveals that it needs a bit more tweaking. It is funny how that happens.