London Art Fair

Just back from a quick visit to the London Art Fair, which runs until Sunday at the Business and Design Centre in Islington.

It's a fabulous fair, with over 3 floors of top notch dealers exhibiting some great work. There's a really high standard of quality.  It's been 4 years since I was last at the Fair, and I really was impressed.

For example, there is a lot of great Scottish work.  Here's a mouth-watering Gillies watercolour with Ewan Mundy Fine Art.  Can I have this one please?

William Gillies, Gruinyard Bay (Oil on canvas, 1939, £9750 with Ewan Mundy Fine Art)

There was also a fair number of Joan Eardley's sprinkled throughout the fair.  This oil of tenements was again at Ewan Mundy.

Jopan Eardley, Tenements, Evening

This group were at the Castlegate House Gallery.

They included Glasgow Boy (Head) for £38,000. 

Sea No 6, also £38,000.

...and A Country Road from 1957, which was £43,000.

There were also some fabulous contemporary Scottish prints, such as this wonderfully textural sugar lift at the Glasgow Print studio stand.

Marion McPhee, Humpback Whale IV

Plus many, many gems of modern British work, such as Henry Moore, David Bomberg, Laura Knight acrobat drawings...

Dame Laura Knight (Lena Boyle Fine Art)

...a beautiful, lyrical Peter Lanyon watercolour Cliff Grasses...

...and a watercolour by Elisabeth Frink, better known for her sculpture (but painted in very sculptural terms)...

Elisabeth Frink, Horse and Rider 1978 (Rollo Campbell Fine Art)

Here's one of Frink's bronzes, one of her Bird series (yours for £38,500).  It was made in the 1950s, but looks as if it has come from the set of Star Wars.  it has an aggressive, mechanistic feel to it, like the killing machine of Ted Hughes' contemporary Hawk Roosting poem come to life.

And oh, what's that behind it?

Yes, that's my paintings right there, to the left of the Elisabeth Frink, round the corner from the Henry Moore and Edouardo Paolozzi, and just along from the Cadells and Peploes.

This is my work on the Duncan R Miller stand (Stand 52) - Sun and Light Breeze, Bass Rock (oil on linen, 26 x 32)

 

and Grasses in the Wind, Camusdarach (Oil on linen, 26 x 32).

All in all, it's a very rewarding fair to visit, so if you love art and have the opportunity this weekend, do go along if you can.