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Fresh Art fair is at Cheltenham racecourse and runs from 26th-28th April. And on Saturday 27th I will be one of the demonstrating artists in studio 2 at the fair. And I simply can’t wait! There is a real joy about demonstrating. Sometimes people come to an Art fair simply to buy art, it saves them lots of time from trawling from one gallery to another; instead over 60 different galleries, representing 500 artists are all under one roof.
However there is another reason to attend an art fair like Fresh. And that is the presence of the demonstrating artists. At Fresh, up on the balcony of the Centaur building, there are two studio areas where artists will be creating their work for visitors to see. Usually they’ll be three different demonstrations each day, there are also some talks going on as well.
So why does this appeal to the average art buying customer?
It gives them an insight, a behind the scenes look at how artists create.
Sometimes the world of art can be unfathomable and it can intimidate people. But at Fresh you need not worry. This is because if you see something you fancy simply approach the gallery that has the painting that you’ve fallen in love with, and have a chat! The galleries are knowledgeable about their artists and they’ll be happy to answer your questions. My work will be on stand 34 with Park Gallery. This is a beautiful independent gallery and Steve and Clare will be happy to chat to visitors about the work they exhibit and the artists they work with.
The artists like me, being one of the demonstrators, get a chance to talk to visitors about how we approach our work.
I will be working on two canvases during my four-hour demonstration. This is because I’m in oil painter and I don’t want to risk overworking one canvas. The outlines and very light underpainting have already been created and are currently drying in my studio ready for me to take to the fair on Saturday.
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However the stage that visitors will see me working on is much more interesting.
I will be showing people how they can create form with a tonal painting using dark diluted paint. Next I move on to adding colour, followers of my blog will know I use colour in creative ways and anyone watching me during the demonstration will see just how I make those decisions about colour and bring the animal to life. Lastly I’ll be working on some highlights. This won’t necessarily be the very end of the painting but it will give people an insight into what happens when an oil painter adds white to their mix! It’s a very exciting time for the painting. With four hours at my disposal it means you'll have a chance to watch me paint, go for a wander round and have a look at some of the other galleries and then come back and see how I’ve got on! There’s so much to see at Fresh and a warm welcome awaits you. So if you’re free next weekend I heartily recommend you come along and see us.
Click on the button below to find out more about Fresh art fair
Sorolla, Master of light.
A few times a year I make the effort to go and see exhibitions outside of my locality, usually in London, often at the National or the RA or the Tate. And this Spring saw me heading back to my old favourite the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square to see the Sorolla exhibition.
Sorolla is Spanish, working at a time after Goya and before Picasso was famous. He has the weight of Velezquez on his shoulders, along with more than a passing hint of English portraiture influenced by Sargent. He had 19th Century realism and early 20th century impressionism at his fingertips. He was brilliant. And yet I know nearly nothing about him before I went.
But this exhibition was entitled Spanish master of light. Where is the light?
The light took my breath away. The monumental painting" The return from fishing" was a sight to behold. I stood and sketched it, I love sketching in exhibitions, but sometimes it's difficult to do when there are loads of people. But it's always worth it. Sketching improves our art but it also improves our eye. I loved this painting all the more for my experience of trying to capture just an essence of it in my sketchbook
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I could feel the mediterranean sun.
Sun so bright it blinds you.
It was truly glorious. No amount of photos can do these justice. This one was taken from a double page in the exhibition catalogue. It merely gives an an idea. I could have stared at it for hours.
When presented with such mastery of light in oil painting, sometimes written notes in my sketchbook became as important as the sketch.
When studying "The pink robe" I found myself utterly transfixed by how realistic and well painted the figures were, yet close-up the brush stokes were broad, the paint thick and unctuous. I kept going up close then retreating back. My notes remind me, when back in the studio "don't be afraid of huge brush strokes"
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I think you might just see an influence in a few of my next oil paintings!
