30 May 2009 Art shows in London

We went up to London today to see the Untitled Art Fair in Chelsea.

The photo here is from the Untitled website showing last years show. This is a very crowded space filled with 150 artists and their work. The show is run by an artist who was sure that he could do it better than established art dealers. Each artist is allocated just a few square feet of wall and floor space. Exhibitors are risking more than £1000 each to show here for one evening and a couple of days. It is probably nearer £2000 each when all costs are considered.  

The weather today was hot, and the atmosphere inside the Chelsea Town Hall was stifling. The aisles were crowded, but I reckon that there were actually more artist exhibitors than visitors. Some good work, some not so good. A few red dots visible, just a few. We met friends who were exhibiting, who were feeling hopeful that things can get better.

Then we went along the Kings Road a few hundred yards to the Saatchi Gallery. The contrast was extraordinary. Vast empty air-conditioned spaces on three floors. Exhibits have acres of wall and floor space each. Superb cutting edge exciting art on show, and entrance is free. No pressure to buy anything. The gallery is home to the private collection and personal display of a very rich man, who supports the arts generously.  He is very established and very very influential in the high art market. Saatchi has made a fortune for some artists, and dashed the hopes of others.

Here is my grandson Marlon contemplating an amusing  sculpture at the Saatchi.

On reflection I  cannot easily say which show I liked best.

29 May 2009 North Gate from inside the Pavilion gardens.

Yesterday I went plein air painting with Alan Furneaux in Brighton Pavilion gardens.

This is the other painting that I did, which again I tweaked a little when I got home.

Tweaking is sometimes neccessary because the paint needs to dry before it can be painted over, or because a different technique is required that is impossible while painting outside.

Glazes and washes of colour can fall into the first category. You cannot glaze or wash over wet paint without messy results. And I am so impatient.

Another constraint for the pochade artist is that very fine detail might need a very fine brush, and a steady hand guide like a mahl stick, and a solid support. That combination would be a bit impractical for outdoor painting with a pochade and a wobbly easel.

This painting is another acrylic on 8"x10" canvas board. 

We will be adding the two new Pavilion images onto our www.crabfish.com website as soon as possible. 

Plus it will be published in the  series of limited edition prints dedicated to this daily painting blog images. 

There are 25 small prints of each chosen picture, published as a 5"x7" giclee on watercolour paper archival collection.

28 May 2009 Plein Air again

My mate from Cornwall, the artist Alan Furneaux, came to visit.

So we went out together to paint in the Pavilion Gardens.

Here is Alan hard at work.

And here is my picture of the Pavilion Gardens Cafe.

Alan has put up his version of events on his blog.

Have a look!

27 May 2009 Mug and Knife

Here is another small painting showing stuff on our kitchen table.

This time it is a knife, lemon, tomato and mug.

I did it very quickly in the evening after another day sorting out the aftermath of the Open Houses exhibitions.

In the cold light of day this painting needs more work.

'Aftermath'? Where did that word come from?

Suggestions on a postcard please.

26 May 2009 ... the clear up

Some days it is very hard to find a positive image for this blog.

No-one did any painting. We didn't go out. 

We just cleared up after the last four weekends Open House events.

Here is a pile of boxes with stacks of small paintings and prints.

Not very interesting is it?

However, it was a good day, with plenty of fun things to do. 

Orders to sort out from the final weekend.

Phone calls from publishers wanting pictures in a hurry.

Emails with requests for images. 

Mike Embden came round to collect his work which we had been showning.

Money to sort out for him, which made him happy. 

Cheques to write, banking to do. 

Reframe, print, and do paperwork.

Pack foreign orders for post office.

So we were very busy.

But no nice images for you, sorry.

We will try harder.

25 May 2009 Philip Dunn

Bank holiday monday after the festival, so we went to Philip Dunn's birthday party as usual. 

And, as usual, it rained.

Philip is very well known for his deckchair paintings. 

His wife Carol used to run the Window Gallery in Brighton, selling Philips work, and mine as well.

They closed the bricks and mortar Window Gallery and opened the online version a couple of years ago.

Now Philip works from home in idyllic surroundings, with Carol, two donkeys, and a dog.

His barbeque birthday parties are legendary, his garden is wonderful, so we all had a jolly good time despite the english weather.

24 May 2009 Last day of Festival and a UFO

Actually the official Brighton Art Festival finished with a big bang and firework display in the evening of Saturday 23rd. 

We could hear and smell it two miles away. 

A strange high bright orange light [UFO] went silently and slowly eastwards across the sky after the fireworks. 

However, the Artists Open Houses extravaganza continues on for the last Sunday.

An early visitor was Janice Jones who came to collect her prize.

As you can see she chose 'Cat and Two Flowers' from the Collectors portfolio.

So, we have had eight hectic days of exhibition, with a guestimate of well over 1000 visitors to our house. During that time we sold plenty of cards and prints, plus a few original paintings. All 5 artists showing here sold something.

Eight visitors won a prize, a choice of framed print from our collection.

The final winner, on Sunday 24th, was Breda Dunne.

Thanks to everyone who visited us, and thanks for all the comments and 'my favourite' choices that you wrote on the prize draw entry cards.

Now the clearing up!