RSW Preview

I was delighted to be able to go along to the RSW opening last night, and see my Summer Clouds, Eastbourne Pier painting in all its glory in one of the main rooms at the Royal Scottish Academy.

Here it is along with (l-r at bottom) David Smith, Joe Hargan and Glen Scouller's paintings.

It's always odd to come into a public place and see the paintings that you've made privately in your studio.  You know exactly how they're made and put together, so they have no secrets from you...and then to see them all framed up and looking great, and on the wall in a fine, grand institution...it's very strange.

Also, I normally only see my paintings at fairly close quarters in the studio. Bizarrely, I found last night that, when you can stand so far back from your work, and it's properly lit, it looks completely different.  Colours blend, contrasts and patterns are more obvious.  

When your own work is chosen to be hung in a gallery, having been endorsed by a committee, and curated with other work, it suddenly becomes transformed into something else - something you can view objectively rather than subjectively.

Having whoffled about my own modest contribution, can I just add that the RSW show is fantastic - lots of great paintings, well hung, beautifully lit,  in a wonderful space.  

You couldn't ask for more on a dreich January day.  So if you're in Edinburgh, please do go and see it.

Works on Paper Fair, Science Museum London

I've got some of my watercolours and drawings on exhibition over the next few days at the Works on Paper Fair at the Science Museum in London.  My work is on the Duncan R Miller Fine Arts stand.  If you go along, you'll be able to see work like this...

Eastbourne Pier (Mixed, 30 x 25)

Hopefully there will actually be some people who manage to get along to see the Fair, as there happens to be a Tube strike tomorrow!!  What were the chances of that?

Sunlit St Pauls with Cranes

Never mind, it continues until Sunday 9th February, and there's plenty of buses that go along Exhibition Road, so no big problem!

Fishing Boat on Aldeburgh Beach (Acrylic, 10 x 10)

For more information about the Fair, please go HERE.

HEAT!!

Let joy be unconfined - my boiler has at last been fixed!!  

The ice in the studio is finally melting.  

The paintings may actually start drying now.  

It's like Narnia coming out of winter.

In the meantime, here's a look at one of my Eastbourne Pier watercolours.  It's acrylic and pastel on top of one of a screenprint, done in red.  I like that it has a bit of a retro 1950s vibe about it with the colourway.

Summer Clouds, Eastbourne Pier (Mixed Media)