28/07/2015

Landscapes & Orchids: Studio Visit to Bill Pryde in Advance of his September Exhibition

Bill Pryde in his studio
Yesterday Robin and Natalie took a trip to Saxmundham to visit screen-printer Bill Pryde in his new studio.
Bill Pryde outside his idyllic new studio in Saxmundham
The aim of the visit was to choose work for Bill's upcoming show with us in September and to find out a little bit more about what he has been making in recent months.

Studio Interior- Downstairs
The new collection of prints focuses on both the landscapes of his native Scotland and his new home environment in and around Suffolk.
Bill Pryde, 'Day Loch', screenprint
With this new body of work he aims to capture the spirit of the location, recording a "non-representational, poetic response to the mood and moment of a place."
Bill at his print bed with a new print, surrounded by older works (behind,framed)
He sees walking in nature to be of essential importance to his work, breaking the long periods in the studio with regular trips to the sea or marshes nearby.
One of Bill's new, more painterly landscape prints
These walks are not specifically for inspiration, more to encourage a moment of tranquility to allow his creativity to return after his often physically exhausting printmaking sessions.
Much of Bill's inspiration comes from working in his beautiful new garden
The recent move to Suffolk has had a large impact on his practice, affecting his pallette and moving his landscapes away from his characteristic style of 'cloisonnism' to softer, more painterly printmaking.

Choosing some of the new Orchid prints for framing
Alongside these new landscapes we were pleased to see Bill was keeping up with his much loved still-life's - this time returning to Orchids as a subject for the first time in ten years.
Bill Pryde with his dog Bunny
We had a wonderful, uplifting day with Bill, seeing his new home and work space and, most importantly, seeing his new prints. A lot has changed in his practice since his 2012  show "Lonely Churches and Remembered Landscapes" and with these developments come exciting new challenges for the established artist.

13/07/2015

Nicola Lord

This month we will be showing a solo exhibition of Nicola Lord in our upstairs gallery. Her new works are mostly inspired by English landscapes, with a small additional series based on Venice.
Clear Waters, mixed media on canvas, 49.5 x 49.5 cm
We have been showing Nicola since shortly after she graduated from her MA at the Royal College of Art. 14 years on and she is now a senior lecturer at Arts University Bournemouth, where she tutors on the BA Textiles course.

Grand Canale, Venice, mixed media on paper, 32.5 x 31.5 cm

It is often remarked that her work bears a resemblance to textile, a comparison which Nicola encourages, seeing her paintings and collages as closely related to her textile designs.
Harbour View, mixed media on canvas, 32 x 39 cm
For more information on Nicola's solo show see the gallery website.

10/07/2015

ALISON ELLIOTT: ARTIST INTERVIEW


Last October Sir Peter Blake, Anthony Green RA and Nicholas Usherwood presented Alison Elliott with the Curwen Gallery Prize for Figurative Painting. 

Her prize was representation by Curwen Gallery and a solo exhibition with the gallery this July.

We met her in her studio to discuss the new work…

Alison Elliott with Lord of Men I
Curwen Gallery: In the early stages of the competition we were very impressed by the impeccable attention to detail in your paintings.

I think it was this level of detail that set you apart from the other artists in the competition and ultimately won you the prize.Was it a conscious decision to work in such minute detail?
Fledalji, Fledalji,, oil on canvas, 224 x 183cm
 Alison Elliott:  My work has always been about detail. I want each subject to come to life…so much so that one can almost feel them breathing, rather like a ‘tableau vivant’. The beauty of my paintings is achieving this.

Curwen Gallery:
I remember you saying that you considered yourself to be largely self-taught. How did you learn the techniques that you use in your current work?

Alison Elliott: I am completely self-taught. I learnt from reading and experimenting with different techniques and supports until I began to feel comfortable with what I was doing. It’s taken me years to get to the stage I am at now and I still feel constantly challenged by the medium.
Boy, 127 x 203cm, oil on canvas
£19,995

I consider myself as a classical artist. I prefer to use the more traditional techniques. I start by putting an imprimatura / stain on each canvas. I then spend a lot of time placing the subject on the canvas in pencil, before I consider picking up a brush. [3]
I then slowly build up layers of oil to form the image and finish it with a traditional glazing technique.

I have always used Old Holland oil paints, bought from Russell and Chapple, a traditional company now based on Store Street, close to Curwen Gallery. They always make my canvases from double oil primed French linen. It’s not the cheapest canvas to buy but it’s the best for my work. It’s the most wonderful surface to work on.

Curwen Gallery: How long does it take to make your larger works? For instance Fledalji (above) what kind of time scale are we talking about for you to make a painting of that size?

Alison Elliott: My large portraits take approximately three to six months. My rearing horse ‘Fledalji’ took a bit longer. I usually work on two paintings at a time to allow for drying time as well as to remain focused and keep a fresh eye on them.

Curwen Gallery:  There are no background features around each animal in your work, what was it that made you decide to paint in this way?
Alison's Studio in Cambridge with Lord of Men II
Alison Elliott: Each blank canvas provides that integral space for each subject to project itself from. I want the main focus to be on my subject and I don’t feel the need to distract from this by adding anything else. Less is more.

I work in a similar way to [the photographer] Tim Flachs. He strips the picture down to just the bare essentials. The focus on the subject is emphasised by “cutting it out” from its context. I feel that it makes them more striking and contemporary.

Curwen Gallery:  How much did your time at Winchester and Newcastle Polytechnic influence your work?

Alison Elliott: I did my Art Foundation at Winchester. I developed a wide range of skills during this period. It was the first time I’d experienced life-drawing, which is an incredibly important discipline to learn. I also did my first photographic work there, which is still an essential part of my practice.
Pug, oil on canvas, 110 x 110cm
£12,500
I did my BA in Fashion at Newcastle Polytechnic. I was one of the few students that could draw and so my illustration skills developed a lot during that period. Even then though, I never stopped sketching animals.

 I remember once I had an interview with [fashion designer] Thierry Mugler’s assistant. In my press book I had several sketches and montages which featured illustrations of pug dogs….she thought the dogs were incredible!

Curwen Gallery:  What has been your career trajectory? Which exhibitions and opportunities do you think have particularly helped you?

Alison Elliott: My first ever exhibition was in the home of [French Playwright and Actor] Moliére in Pèzenas, France. That was a collection of pen and ink illustrations of the medieval buildings reviewed by the Midi Libre. I’ve also been regularly showing with the Society of Equestrian Artists at the Mall Galleries and at Newmarket Racecourse. 
Frank Nichols, oil on board,10 x 13cm
£650
Some time ago I sold my first horse portrait to Royalty in the Middle East. My first miniature commission was a dog for the Earl of Cadogan, as a gift from the Countess.
More recently I have been showing a selection of works at the Sloane Club in Chelsea and then, of course the Curwen Gallery Painting Prize, which I was thrilled to win last October.

Hernando, oil on canvas, 152 x 107cm
£19,995
Curwen Gallery: Do you consider yourself to be a portrait artist? Many of these works are of very specific animals, such as Visindar and Lord of Men, but some seem more universal, such as Boy or Fledalji. Is the history and character of each animal important to you?

Alison Elliott: Yes, I do consider myself to be a portrait artist. I would say that most of my paintings are very specific to the subject. Boy was actually a six month old giraffe that I photographed in South Australia.  It is part of my creative process to identify the animal and to communicate the ideas and subjects which reflect their character.

Curwen Gallery:  What is it about horses as a subject matter which so captures your imagination? They constitute around half of the whole body of work that we are showing   this July. Your level of interest must show more than just a love of their appearance.

Alison Elliott: I believe the horse as a subject is one of the hardest animals to paint and I challenged myself many years ago to see if I could. I think that I have now proved to myself that I can, perhaps that is why I’m currently working on developing my paintings of large dogs!

Molly, oil on board,10 x 13cm
£650
Two years ago I began focusing on the Arabian Horse as a breed and I selected Stivalery BJ to be my first painting. I set up a photoshoot where she was based. I hung a 12 foot canvas backdrop and photographed her standing as a show Arabian should stand.   I photograph the dogs I paint in the same way, although they come to the studio.

Curwen Gallery: The scale of your work is obviously very important to you as you paint in both life-size and miniature. Is this to do with visual impact or is it more to do with creating an accurate portrait of the animals that are your subject?

Visindar, oil on canvas,122 x 193cm
£19,995

Alison Elliott: It is a completely subconscious decision, as every subject will dictate their finished size on the canvas. I have been experimenting with size and scale. Last year I began painting my first miniatures and now I’m beginning a collection of larger than life dog portraits. Whatever size they are I still want to recreate their every detail and bring them to life!




Curwen Gallery is currently holding a solo exhibition of Alison Elliott's new paintings.

For more information see: http://www.curwengallery.co.uk/gallery/elliott15/title.htm

02/07/2015

Curwen Gallery takes on Jon Wealleans and Gerald Mynott following closure of Francis Kyle Gallery

Curwen Gallery has recently taken on two new artists, Gerald Mynott and Jon Wealleans following the closure of Francis Kyle Gallery. 


Charleston Farmhouse
Gerald Mynott was born in London in 1957. He studied Heraldry at Reigate College of Art and Design and then went on to study at the Künstlerhaus, Vienna. Until recently Gerald Mynott was represented by Francis Kyle Gallery, where he had being showing his work since 1980.
Pagdorze District, View from Vistula, Cracow
He works predominantly with oil on canvas, with occasional use of pastel and lithography. His paintings capture fleeting scenes in the great European cities, focusing mainly on the architecture and public spaces of Vienna, London and Venice.
Heian Temple- Kyoto
 He will be exhibiting his new paintings with Curwen Gallery in December 2016. For more information see Gerald's website by clicking here


Jon Wealleans was born in Yorkshire in 1946. He studied architecture at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art followed by post-graduate studies in design at the Royal College of Art, where he is now an Honorary Fellow.
Homage to Bob: The Gate's of Eden

He began his career as an architect, working for the Building Design Partnership, Foster Associates and then setting up his own practice. In the 1960s he acquired a reputation for designing eccentric shop interiors including renowned rock-fashion boutique, Mr Freedom.

Homage to Bob: Maggie's Farm

During this period he also collaborated also with rock musicians and their management, including the Elton John Organisation and Led Zeppelin and taught architecture and design at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, the Royal College of Art and Kingston University.

Since the 1990s he has concentrated mainly on painting and until recently was represented by Francis Kyle Gallery, London.

Homage to Bob: The Drifter's Escape
His new series of works is a collection of figurative oil paintings loosely based upon the song titles of Bob Dylan. He will be showing them at Curwen Gallery in May 2016. For more information see Jon's website by clicking here.