Life of an Artist: Improved Mailing List and A Great Art Book

Today was busy.  Up at the crack for a weekend because the builders were on site to finish one of the small jobs on the list.  Lovely to see them again, they are becoming friends as well as trusted craftsmen.  I still exclaim at how lucky we were to find Lee.

I read Turps Banana mag and worked on my mailing list while I waited for Pete to surface - he didn't get in until gone midnight last night as he'd been in Germany near the Swiss border for a few days' business.

Then we went off to York; According to McGee's latest show, "Painting: Light of the North" opened today.  http://www.accordingtomcgee.com/  Michael Bilton and Jo Brown's works were particularly appealing to me.   It is lovely to be able to walk into a space that says it is a gallery and find just paintings; I am biased!  So many galleries contain all sorts of things, I understand that this is for economic reasons and I also understand that the concept of a "white cube" gallery is under attack from some quarters, but I like them.  I like having a white space, hung carefully with good paintings that I can look at in peace as often as I like.  Call me old fashioned and all that. . . .

McGee must be doing something right, Greg was delighted to tell me that they had sold several paintings already.  I had replied to his emailed invitation and he remembered me!  We had a chat about the paintings and I told him I have an upcoming solo show and, I hope he wasn't just being polite, he asked me to send him an invitation.  My mailing list is becoming longer!  Networking, I think this is called.

We had an errand to do for Pete's mother and after this we went to Waterstones book shop; I had two tokens to spend!  Hot foot to the art department and what was waiting on a shelf but the  book that Sarah had told me about and that we had talked about many times recently: Sanctuary: Britain's Artists and their Studios, (Thames and Hudson).  Needless to say, I had to persuade Pete to let me add some money to the tokens to buy it, well, it is Valentines day soon!



This book is one of the great art books.  Really.  The artists interviewed speak honestly from their hearts about their studios, what it means to be an artist and make work.  It is really quite profound and there is not one word of International Art English wank anywhere!  It will be one of my treasures for ever.





Last good thing of the day: Andy Dalton  http://www.andrew-dalton.com/  has approved the changes I have made to "History Painting".  I am happy.

Albums of paintings and their development can be seen here:

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http://www.ryedaleartworks.com

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Two Good Meetings

Yesterday, I met up with John Page in York.  John contacted me after seeing my work in the Cathedral in Ripon, part of the Great North Art Show exhibition.  Since then, we have been conversing about painting and life in general via email and finally managed to find a date where we were both available to meet.  John is a painter, retired from farming and a very charming and interesting man to hang out with.  We met for lunch in Artestee, a gallery/cafe, run by Estee; it has lots of paintings and crafts for sale, including two paintings by John, which I am glad to say, I picked out without any prompting!  http://www.artestee.co.uk/   We then visited the Pyramid gallery, where John collected a beautiful pot he had purchased, and I gave Terry my card.  The work displayed is of very high quality and I very much enjoyed chatting with Terry and John about art and life in general.  http://www.pyramidgallery.com/

From there, we went to According to Mcgee, York's "white cube" gallery space, which is opposite Cliffords Tower.  A lovely space with some really interesting work on display.  http://www.accordingtomcgee.com/exhibitions/thenewcollectablesofthenorth  We had a good chat and a look round.  All in all, a really good day and a friendship forged.




Thanks to Debbie Loane of the Lund Gallery, Easingwold, http://www.lundgallery.co.uk/  for her hospitality this evening (14th November), where we had our social meeting for Ryedale ArtWorks.  www.ryedaleartworks.com  We invited artists and makers from outside Ryedale to join us; as a group we believe that boundaries should be fluid and that we should be inclusive.  We were joined by Sarah Barrowby and Kristina Jones from  "Welcome To Yorkshire".  RAW are now members, a move that should begin to benefit all of our group in terms of increased exposure and marketing.  http://www.yorkshire.com/

I did take my camera, meaning to record the evening but in the event, it was so busy, I didn't have time.  All in all, a very successful meeting, with new people to talk to and at least 2 possible new members.  Many thanks to everyone who attended, and helped us eat up all the cake!  

The evening ended on a personal bonus for me: Stef and Ian of Duckett and Jeffreys Gallery, Malton, (which is about to move premises, developing their exhibiting approach to include artisan craft, more workshops as well as fine art, with fewer regular one artist exhibitions), have asked if I would like to be one of the artists whose work they represent.  This will mean having a few pieces in stock at the gallery and relating, smaller pieces for their touring caravan gallery and good quality photographs for their on line gallery.  I feel this is a good way for them to go. I'm honoured to be asked and am looking forward to this whole experience.   http://www.duckettandjeffreys.com/

 

 

 

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